《From the Heavens Descended an Immortal Sister》 Chapter 1: Chapter 1: The Fall of Xuan Nv_1 The setting sun cast a crimson hue, as red as blood. The dim yellow light mingled with a startling shade of crimson, much like the blood flowing from the bones of tens of thousands on the battlefield, deste and bewitching. Corpsesy strewn across the ground, human and beast alike, and even huge monsters... Atop a mound of corpses that resembled a small hill, the woman''s white hair stained with blood danced in the mournful wind, her silver battle armor broken and shattered, the silver long spear in her hand snapped in two... She knelt on the remains, her head tilted skyward, her eyes softly closed, her stunning face devoid of expression. Behind her, a silver wheel glowed like a full moon, its surface adorned with manyplex patterns, and numerous des were connected by a thin beam of light, resembling the spirit form symbolizing power behind the gods in some mythological stories. The silver wheel behind the woman slowly rotated, its entire form flickering with a faint glow, at times ethereal, almost as if it could vanish at any moment. "Whoosh..." Suddenly, a sound reminiscent of a million shards of broken ss erupted over the deste battlefield, and the woman''s silver wheel dispersed into specks of light that spread rapidly across heaven and earth. The figure in silver armor slowly fell upon the mountain of corpses. ------ On May 5, 2310, a piece of news in the Star Globe sparked global sensation¡ª"The Empress of the Nine Heavens Falls in Battle." Various media scrambled to report, with military experts emerging to analyze the causes and consequences of the battle, and inte celebrities seeking attention by publishing emotive articles, stirring up past contributions of the "Empress of the Nine Heavens" to mankind, prompting a torrent of online users to mourn with tears. The woman known to all as the "Empress of the Nine Heavens" was, on this day, destined to be remembered throughout history andmemorated by future generations. "We must remember the contributions this hero has made for our humanity! We must cherish the present and strive forward! Devote ourselves to cultivation! Strive to merit honor on the battlefield! To defend the civilization of humanity..." On this very day, Mediocre University was holding a tribute ceremony dedicated to the "Empress of the Nine Heavens" on therge yground, and the principal was delivering an impassioned speech on the stage. Emotive and vigorous words, inspirational speeches incited a group of students on the yground to rise in their hearts not only utmost respect for that female hero, but an ignited desire toy down their lives in defense of humanity, and an aspiration for that glorious battlefield. Meanwhile, in a ssroom dedicated to experimentation located in a teaching building opposite the yground, "Bang!" An explosion from a boiler resounded. "Another failure?" A male student in a ck school uniform, his face covered in soot, his hands stiff in mid-air, stared nkly at the small boiler in front of him. The surface of the small boiler had cracked, and it continued to emit ck smoke while the liquid from its base spilled all over the tabletop. Fang Ren, without time to clean his smoke-ckened face, immediately opened the small boiler on the table, his clear eyes intently watching a lump of ck charcoal inside, then, with a crestfallen spirit, slumped back into the seat behind him. "What did I miss..." His brows rose slightly as he pondered with a troubled face at which step his alchemy had gone wrong. Contrasting with the mournful yet inspiring yground across the window, filled with tributes to a hero, he sat in this silent and deserted ssroom, face grimy and brows furrowed, seemingly out of ce. "Ah! It must be the Hundred Ghost Grass! The Fire Dragon Roots are too fierce, and using Cold Water Stone for cooling is still insufficient..." The boy with the ckened face suddenly seemed to have an epiphany, his furrowed brows instantly smoothing out, his dark pupils beginning to twinkle brightly, and the corners of his mouth curling into a slight smile. "ck!" Suddenly, the door to the ssroom burst open, and a girl in a ck school uniform with "Student Council" inscribed in red on her shoulder epaulettes ran in. "Fang Ren! You''ve run off here again!" The girl sported a pure ponytail, herrge, peach blossom eyes sparkling like jewels, her beauty and luster natural, her brows slightly knitted, her nose delicate as jade, her lips rosy and moist as cherries, her skin pale as snow¡ªas if a mere touch would melt her like snowkes. Her cheeks were blushed from running, and strands of sweet sweat adorned her forehead, while her ck pleated skirt swayed gently over her slender, pristine legs. The boy named Fang Ren, upon seeing the girl who suddenly entered, found the smile he had just formed freeze on his lips. "Qian Qian..." Fang Ren''s heart fluttered in panic as he quickly turned away, his eyes darting around in search of something to wipe his face with. After all, no boy would want to present his soot-covered disgrace to the person he liked. "What kind of elixir are you trying to concoct now?" Liu Qianqian saw the scene unfold, her hands on her slender waist, and reprimanded with an exasperated face: "Today is a very meaningful tribute ceremony. How could you not attend such an important collective event? Do you realize you might get expelled? Hurry up ande back with me." Saying this, Liu Qianqian walked over to Fang Ren with a huff, grabbed his arm, and started to drag him away. "Hey, hey, hey Qian Qian, let me just wipe my face first before we go." "Don''t call me Qian Qian! Call me ss president!" "I''m saying let me wipe my face, wipe my face!" "I will take you down for washing!" Liu Qianqian, clearly infuriated, dragged Fang Ren away, her delicate and jade-like hand gripping his arm without loosening its hold. Fang Ren looked at the small jade hand on his arm and hesitated before his gaze, then instinctively thought to reach out and grab her hand. But he only extended his hand halfway before he seemed to remember something and pulled it back mid-air. A helpless smile appeared on his soot-ckened face, and then he let Liu Qianqian drag him out of the ssroom. If he hadn''t confessed to her yet------he would definitely have had the courage to hold her hand now. "Hey, here theye." "Damn, dragged here by the ss president again." "I''m saying, isn''t this guy''s method of hitting on the ss president a bit silly? Always using beingte for ss or missing it entirely as an excuse to talk." "Don''t talk nonsense, our Ranzi and the ss president are pretty close privately." "Right, he''s been rejected by the ss president twice already, haha..." "Hey, hey, don''tugh, we''re all good bros, what''s there to make a fuss about?" ... In the back row of the sports field, Fang Ren jogged to his ss''s row. Because the field was so vast with too many people, few noticed him. "Stand properly!" Liu Qianqian gave him a fierce re before she left, because as the deputy head of the student council, she had to give a speech on stage, so she didn''t stay with the team. Fang Ren chuckled awkwardly a couple of times before immediately squeezing into the lineup. As he had just entered, a redhead blocked Fang Ren with an outstretched arm, looking at him with a sly grin, "Ranzi, you''ve got guts using the memorial service for the Empress of the Nine Heavens as a way to flirt." "The Empress of the Nine Heavens... a memorial service? Eh? Isn''t Xuan Nv only twenty-five years old this year? How could she have..." Fang Ren was first stunned, then his face showed surprise. He hadn''t attended sses since this morning, diving straight into that small ssroom to conduct his alchemy experiment. He knew nothing about what had happened today. The "Empress of the Nine Heavens" the redhead mentioned was not a fairy from mythology, but a human woman born on Earth. With exceptional cultivation talents and warfare abilities, even capable of devising her own military strategies and leading wars single-handedly, simr to the abilities of the mythical Empress of the Nine Heavens, she was widely known by the public as "Xuan Nv." It was said that up to this year, Xuan Nv was only twenty-five years old, but she had already led humans to resist the invasion of the Void creatures and even designed thergest formation for defending Earth against these intruders. This formation spanned thousands of miles, maintained by seventy-two armies day and night. Without it for the past seven years, at least forty million more humans would have perished. It could definitely be said that this woman had made an immeasurably great contribution to the entire human species; at just twenty-five, she was already legendary. The redhead saw Fang Ren''s dazed expression and was a bit surprised, speaking up, "You can''t have just found out about this, can you?" "I didn''t know, but Xuan Nv is only twenty-five years old..." Fang Ren was still bewildered. "This is a memorial service, could it be for someone alive?" the redhead said. Fang Ren looked up at the podium on the sports field, where there was arge screen behind the stage, disying a veryrge ck-and-white photograph. The person in the photo was clearly the woman revered as "Xuan Nv," though the photo only showed her back in Silver Armor, with her face invisible. In the photo, one could see a huge Silver Wheel always floating behind her, connected with various cold weapons, its emitted silver light looking exceedingly pure and holy. "Heaven envies the talented." Fang Ren muttered while looking at the photograph on the big screen. The redhead nced in the same direction, shrugged his shoulders with a sigh, and said, "s, what a pity, in the end, most people still don''t know what she looks like, they only have a picture of her back." "Judging from the back... she must be very beautiful," Fang Renmented seriously as he scrutinized the big screen for a moment. "No kidding, those old soldiers who retired from the central battlefield say they''ve never seen a woman more beautiful than Xuan Nv," the redhead shot a nce at him. "That might be a bit of an exaggeration..." Fang Ren was somewhat incredulous; he hadn''t deliberately learned about those matters, but he believed that a woman more beautiful than his ss president Liu Qianqian was almost non-existent. "Don''t doubt it, Man, Xuan Nv''s beauty is globally recognized. I heard she hasn''t dated anyone from childhood till now..." While the principal was still giving a speech on stage, the conversation between Fang Ren and the redhead caught the attention of several ssmates around them, and the topic began to expand around Xuan Nv. Today''s weather was pleasant, with a warm sun, a gentle breeze, and blue skies with white clouds. Yet, in that distant horizon, one could still see a giant ck Sky Hole rotating in the sky, humanity''s battlefield------where Xuan Nv had fallen. This is Earth. But it is no longer the Earth of the past... Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Arranging a marriage for you_1 In 2099, a gigantic Void Hole suddenly appeared in the sky of the that people relied on for survival. Monsters never seen before surged out of the Void Hole, and all of humanity''s lethal weapons struggled to stop the invasion of the Void Monsters, whose sudden arrival caused countless human deaths and injuries. The very existence and survival of humanity faced an unprecedented crisis. Facing this disaster, all the nations of Earth disyed an unprecedented unity, casting aside all past hatreds, sharing technology, and unanimously resisting the invasion of the Void Monsters. In 2100, humans discovered that since the appearance of the Void Hole, Earth had begun to fill with a type of gas that could be absorbed and used by humans. It existed between heaven and earth, as invisible and traceless as the air and could be refined and sublimated by most people into various mysterious powers. In the second half of the year 2100, the first human with a "superpower" was born, and afterwards, more and more people began to possess such abilities. Those with abilities were called "Cultivators," and the mysterious air that existed between heaven and earth was named "True Qi." From then on, humanity''s Great Cultivation Era began. By today, the year 2310, 210 years have passed. Humans began to grow stronger and stronger, but the monsters from the Void Hole seemed endless, constantly pouring into Earth. The battle with the Void Monsters had no end in sight, and humans did not dare cken in the slightest. With the onset of the Great Cultivation Era, the social status of humans naturally underwent earth-shaking changes, with all respect going to the powerful. In the past, humans worshiped money and power, but now, Cultivation strength has overwhelmed both money and power and has be the foremost pursuit of humans. However, not all humans had the right to pursue strength. Arge part of the Earth''s poption was born unable to sense True Qi. They were considered¡ªfated to be a Mortal. Fang Ren, this utterly ordinary student from a Mediocre University¡ªhe was what this era defined as a "Mortal," with no talent for Cultivation and naturally unable to sense the True Qi that existed on this Earth. At 175 cm tall, weighing 120 pounds, he had delicate features but could not be called handsome, and he was always among the bottom three in ss rankings, without fail. Ordinary to the extreme. He also considered himself fated to be an ordinary person for life, so he didn''t have any grand ambitions. He only wanted to graduate normally from school, then find a job, marry Liu Qianqian, who also had no Cultivation Ability, provide for a family, and live an unremarkable life. Unlike those fortunate few in the school who were born with the ability to cultivate, heading to the battlefield to kill the enemy and achieve fame and fortune... those ethereal things, he never even contemted. Uncle Han, who had raised him since he was a child, probably thought the same. The reason he entered this Mediocre University and even chose the medical department was all arranged by Uncle Han. He quite liked the medical department, since Liu Qianqian was also there. There''s an idiom for that, right? Absence makes the heart grow fonder¡ªor is it, "familiarity breeds fondness"? If they weren''t together every day, how could they be fond? (There''s ama that just can''t be deleted.) Speaking of Liu Qianqian, she was known by everyone at the university. After all, she was a campus beauty, not just beautiful in appearance with a superb figure, but also had exceptional academic performance. What truly captivated the boys'' hearts was that she was a genius in medical theory at school and was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting¡ªshe was warm and elegant, dignified and generous. She was simply every man''s dream lover. In Fang Ren''s eyes, Liu Qianqian was just as wless, only unfortunately, she regarded him as a good friend, when he had hoped to be her boyfriend. As a result, what was once a very good friendship was made awkward by his two sessive confessions. If it weren''t for the fact that he had missed the memorial for Xuan Nv today, which could have even led to his expulsion from school, Liu Qianqian probably wouldn''t have taken the initiative to find him. The rtionship was now too awkward... If he hadn''t rashly confessed, then the person closest to Liu Qianqian right now wouldn''t be some girls but would be him. ---- With a mix of dejection and regret, Fang Ren was almost home. The ce he and Uncle Han lived was a two-story vi within Century Garden that looked quite elegant and unique from afar. It should be said that the vis in Century Garden are quite expensive, and Fang Ren didn''t know where Uncle Han got the money to buy a house here. Ever since he could remember, Uncle Han had always lived here with him. But as far as he knew, Uncle Han was just an employee of a smallpany, earning a monthly sry that topped out at about five thousand at most, which made it unthinkable to him how Uncle Han could afford it. Fang Ren had once asked Uncle Han about it, but Uncle Han simply said it was bought with lottery winnings... As a child, he believed this, but the older he got, the more he realized something was off. If there was so much money, why not buy aparatively cheaper residence and use the remaining money for other purposes? Uncle Han wasn''t stupid... As he was about to arrive home, Fang Ren looked at his small house and his brows gradually furrowed, his steps slowing down. Suddenly, he stopped and turned back to look at the sign at the entrance and confirmed he hadn''te to the wrong ce. Century Garden, no mistake, and the location of his little house was also correct. But why were there two rows of people in ck suits standing at the entrance to his home? And why were there three ck Bentleys parked? Had some big shote to his house? Bentleys were cars that only high-ranking officials on Earth could be assigned, and here were three of them... "Damn it! Could Uncle Han have gotten into some serious trouble!" After a moment of panic and thought, Fang Ren dashed towards his small home. "Who''s there?" Just as he was about to step into his house, he was stopped by a man in a ck suit who frowned and spoke sternly. Fang Ren replied, "This is my house." "Fang Ren?" "...Yes." "We''ve been waiting for you." Upon hearing him confirm his identity, the creases on the man''s forehead smoothed out instantly. Fang Ren was stunned for a moment before asking, "Is Uncle Han in some kind of trouble?" The man in the suit said with a hint of a smile, "He''s fine. Hurry and go inside. There''s a surprise waiting for you." "Huh?" Fang Ren looked at his sudden smile and couldn''t help but be taken aback. Uncle Han hadn''tmitted any crime? And there was a surprise inside? With the sudden smile of the man in the suit... Fang Ren couldn''t help but wonder if it was really a surprise or a shock that awaited him? Carrying a full load of questions, Fang Ren stepped into the house, only to see that the two sofas next to the small coffee table were already filled with people, and next to the small coffee table, there was a wheelchair. There were four people in total. Besides Uncle Han, whom he recognized, there was one man and two women. One of the men and one of the women wore ck formal attire and seemed middle-aged, while the other woman appeared to be in her early twenties and had long silver hair. From Fang Ren''s angle, he could only see the woman''s eyes above her nose and not her full face. Uncle Han''s expression was very sad, and Fang Ren did not know what had happened here earlier. As Fang Ren walked in, the sight of him made Uncle Han''s sadness vanish instantly, reced by his usual smile as he stood up and said, "Ah Ran,e here." "Uncle Han... what''s happening?" Fang Ren walked over,pletely baffled. As he spoke, the middle-aged couple turned their heads and set their gaze on Fang Ren, their faces bearing gentle smiles. "I''ve arranged a marriage for you," Uncle Han said with augh. "What? A marriage?" Upon hearing this, Fang Ren nearly lost his footing and slid out. The middle-aged woman nced at Fang Ren, then turned to Uncle Han with a smile on her face and said, "So he''s from the Fang Family..." She had gotten halfway through the word "family" when she abruptly swallowed the rest, continuing with, "You mean that''s Fang... Ren?" "Yes, this kid has been brought up by me since he was little, and he''s the one I trust most," Uncle Han stated. Fang Ren was still confused and continued to walk towards the chair on the side. During his walk, he nced briefly at the three strangers in the room. His gaze passed over the middle-aged man, then the middle-aged woman... Hmm, both exuded a certain nobility, yet their smiles felt very kind. His eyes finally rested on the silver-haired woman... Hmm, indeed she looked like a daughter from a distinguished family, truly beautiful... Don''t move!!! Holy crap! What kind of celestial beauty is this! Fang Ren did not consider himself someone who would be stopped in his tracks by a pretty woman, but at that moment, his eyes couldn''t help but stare intently. Her entire face had a refreshing charm that left his mind nk, making him forget what he was doing. It was a face like that of a fairy, with eyes like autumn waters, delicately arched brows, a finely sculpted nose, and cherry-red lips------It''s hard to imagine how a person this beautiful wouldn''t incur the heavens'' jealousy. What did they mean by sinking fish, falling geese, hiding the moon, and shaming flowers? Fang Ren truly had his eyes opened now; he had thought Liu Qianqian was the epitome of beauty, but now he was confronted with someone even more breathtaking. The silver-haired woman''s expression seemed a bit despondent, her longshes slightly drooped, half-covering her autumnal eyes, giving off an inexplicable sense of small sadness. He really wanted to enter the gateway of her heart, to know everything about her, to wipe the sorrow from her face with gentle words and see her smile like a fairy------Surely that would be devastatingly beautiful. "Beautiful, isn''t she?" Just as Fang Ren''s eyes were fixed in awe, Uncle Han knocked on the coffee table and made a remark. "Ah... what?" Fang Ren snapped back to his senses, looking rather flustered, his face turning red, he quickly sat down in the chair to the side, not daring to look at the silver-haired woman again. "Young men are still bashful," the middle-aged manmented with a chuckle upon seeing this. The middle-aged woman joined in with a smile, "Ah Ran, don''t be so nervous. There''s nothing to be shy about. After all, you two will be husband and wife; you have a long life together ahead of you." "Husband and wife?!!" Fang Ren felt like his brain was about to explode. What was happening? Such a beautiful girl... was going to marry him? But... he rather liked Liu Qianqian, even though he''d been rejected twice... Chapter 3: Chapter 3: The Date is Set_1 Seeing him unsure where to ce his hands, Uncle Han spoke, "Ah Ran, her name is Hui Qing, surname Mu. Say something to her." Fang Ren still dared not look at the silver-haired woman across from him, with a nervousness he couldn''t quell, a faint smile appeared on his face as he said, "Uh...hello, my name is Fang Ren." No matter what, even if he was nervous, he still had to show the proper courtesy. The silver-haired woman looked up at him, her face still bearing a hint of sadness, and gave a light nod, saying reassuringly, "Mm, hello." Her voice was soft and pleasing to the ear. "This is Qing''er''s mother, and this man is Qing''er''s uncle," Uncle Han continued. "Hello, Uncle, Auntie," Fang Ren greeted them one by one. When he first entered the room, he had thought they were the girl''s parents; it turned out they were her mother and uncle. The girl''s father was not present. "How old are you this year, Ah Ran?" asked the girl''s mother with a smile. "Twenty-two," Fang Ren replied. "That''s good. Our Qing''er is twenty-five this year. Do you think she is a bit too old?" the girl''s mother asked. Fang Ren was startled. The girl obviously came from no ordinary family and was so beautiful, with high standards. He did not understand why her mother was asking for his opinion. Even if she were to ask, it should be whether her daughter had any opinions about him. "A woman three years older is like a golden treasure," the girl''s uncle said with augh. With no mercy, Uncle Han knocked on Fang Ren''s head andughed, "Look at his blushing bear-like face. What opinions could he have? It''s more likely that Qing''er has opinions about him." Fang Ren''s face was a study in embarrassment; in such a situation, Uncle Han unexpectedly gave him no face... "I have no objections." Mu Huanqing''s voice, neither loud nor soft, uttered four words from the side. Fang Ren blinked, looking at Mu Huanqing who was slightly lowering her gaze across from him, feeling that she didn''t really care about this marriage proposal ¨C not a word of conversation had been exchanged, no understanding reached, just a simple ''no objections.'' Moreover, from what he could tell about their family conditions, it was impossible for both parties to intersect. So why were they sitting together discussing marriage? He wondered how Uncle Han had developed a rtionship with these people. He was supposed to be just a low-level employee... At that moment, a cell phone ringtone went off. The girl''s mother furrowed her brow, then took out her phone, nced at it, and said, "You talk, I''ll take this call." After which, she left the room. The girl''s uncle took a sip of water from a ss on the coffee table and asked, "Shang Han, when do you n to go back?" Shang Han was Uncle Han''s name. Shang Han looked at Fang Ren, then at Mu Huanqing beside him, his brow slightly furrowed as he sighed, "I''ll go back after these two kids get married." "The leader of the Ninth District''s legion, Zhang Yi, fell in battle the day before yesterday. If you don''t return, I fear more people will die," the girl''s uncle said. Ninth District? Fang Ren recalled that it was a major defensive zone on the outskirts of the Void Hole, also a ce where all cultivators made their name and defended their homnd. But what did that have to do with Uncle Han? Just a low-level employee without cultivation ability going to a major battlefield in the Ninth District? From the girl''s uncle''s words, it seemed like only Uncle Han''s return could prevent more deaths. Hearing the two men''s conversation, Fang Ren was very confused, but he did not intend to ask about it right now. After two seconds of silence, Shang Han spoke with a slight frown, "I will return as soon as possible. But before that, I must see these two youngsters settled." "If Ah Ran has no objections to Qing''er, then we should just pick a date soon to get them married," the girl''s uncle, turning his gaze to Fang Ren, seemed to be inquiring. Fang Ren was taken aback and said, "That... Uncle, isn''t this too hasty?" As he spoke, Fang Ren''s eyes darted toward Mu Huanqing and he continued, "She... doesn''t seem very keen on getting married, and I''m still studying. More importantly, we don''t understand each other''s personalities and¡­" Smack¡ª Before Fang Ren could finish, Shang Han smacked him on the top of the head and said seriously, "This marriage must happen soon. Understanding each other''s personalities cane with time. As for Hui Qing, she''s already said yes, how many times must you ask?" "Uncle Han..." Fang Ren, holding his head, looked dumbfounded. Seeing Uncle Han like this, it was as if the matter didn''t allow for his own opinion; he had to listen to them. Shang Han pointed at Mu Huanqing and asked Fang Ren, "Pretty, isn''t she?" "Pretty... very pretty," Fang Ren replied, blinking. "Do you like her?" "That..." Fang Ren was flustered; the question was too direct. "Alright, seeing the stupefied way you look, you must like her," Shang Han continued. "But there are some things I must make clear to you, young man." "What''s the matter now?" "Recently, Qing''er had an ident, and she can no longer walk. Her personality has also been somewhat affected. Can you ept these things?" Shang Han asked. After hearing this, Fang Ren''s gaze shifted toward the girl''s calves. As she wore an over-the-knee skirt, only her calves were visible. Yet those slender, snowy-white calves... They certainly didn''t look like they had suffered any serious injuries... So, so white... Immediately, Fang Ren shook his head, returning to his senses, and said seriously, "Uncle Han, that shouldn''t be the main point, should it? The main issue is the feelings..." Before he could finish speaking, Uncle Han pped the top of his head again, saying angrily, "I''ve already said that feelings can be developed over time. What you need to do now is treat her like your wife. If you think this is what your wife is like, are you willing to take care of her?" "If she''s my wife, then no matter what her condition, I''ll definitely be willing to take care of her, but..." Fang Ren was about to say something like, "But how can two people without feelings be husband and wife..." but was interrupted by another p from Shang Han. "There are no ''buts.'' You can shut up now," Shang Han said with a look of disdain. Fang Ren felt the urge to cry but had no tears, sensing this was like coercion... Shouldn''t he have a say in his own marital affairs? Not even allowed to have an opinion, what was this? Shang Han turned to look at Mu Huanqing with a smile that instantaneously switched from contempt to kindness, asking, "Qing''er, I''ll ask onest time, if he bes your husband, are you willing?" "I am," she said. Mu Huanqing''s gaze was still slightly weak, her voice very soft, as if she didn''t want to talk too much. "You need to think carefully, this ''I am'' is for a lifetime," Shang Han continued. "Although Ah Ran is the person I most want you to marry, the main thing is your opinion." Mu Huanqing lifted her head, and after a few seconds of gazing at Fang Ren with eyes as variegated as autumn water, she said, "Yes, I am willing." Even the simple act of lifting her head to look at him for a few seconds seemed so special in Fang Ren''s eyes. Since she had looked at him for those few seconds before speaking, it proved that she took the issue at least slightly seriously. "Very good, since there are no objections, I''ll check which day this month is an auspicious one and just get the wedding done," Shang Han said as he took out his phone to check for dates. Fang Ren was dumbfounded ¡ª they were getting married just like that? His life-defining decision was being settled in this way? Was there some mistake! "Uncle Han, you couldn''t have forgotten about my school situation, could you?" Fang Ren immediately reminded him. He liked a girl from school ¡ª Uncle Han should have been aware of that long ago. So why arrange a marriage for him? He had someone he liked. "The youngdy already rejected you loud and clear, so what, are you going to shamelessly chase after her? Waiting to be embarrassed?" Shang Han gave him a stern look. "..." Fang Ren was momentarily at a loss for words. It was a fact ¡ª he was indeed rejected by Liu Qianqian, not just once, but twice. Liu Qianqian''s exact words at the time were ¡ª "I''m sorry, Ah Ran, but I''ve always treated you as a very good friend. I never considered these things. I apologize." That day by the river, after Liu Qianqian rejected him, she left, leaving him alone by the stream for a long, long time before he went home. Since then, it was quite clear that the contact between Liu Qianqian and him had greatly diminished. As for the second time, which was just the day before yesterday, he had mustered the courage to confess again. This time he had prepared meticulously for a long while, even buying flowers and rehearsing heartfelt words, and had even taken off his school uniform to dress up for the asion. However, Liu Qianqian''s response was ¡ª "Ah Ran, please don''t do this anymore. We really are only suited to be friends. By doing this... I don''t want us to not even be able to remain friends." Truth be told, he should have understood long ago that he had no chance ¡ª it was just his own fantasy, giving him hope. He would always think that a certain gesture or word from Liu Qianqian in the past was a subtle hint of affection. But those were just pure actions, and he was overthinking ¡ª everything was just his own wishful thinking. No matter what, he and Liu Qianqian were just not going to be together, their rtionship would only fade, and he did not have the courage to confess for the third time. Pride, wouldn''t allow him to go again. ------He should preserve some dignity for himself, otherwise, it would be too embarrassing. "Alright, May 20th, it''s set for that day," Shang Han dered resolutely as he put down his phone. "Huh?" Fang Ren was startled: "It''s already May 5th today!" "Are you saying that fifteen days is too long?" Uncle Han asked. "It''s too short!" "You don''t know jack!" Shang Han pped his hand, dering, "That''s settled then, May 20th holds much significance. Moreover, with such short notice, let''s have the wedding tomorrow." Before Fang Ren could say anything more, Shang Han cut him off again, saying, "From now on, you two are boyfriend and girlfriend. If you, young man, dare to harbor any thoughts about that girl from school, and I find out, don''t me me for breaking your legs." Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Genius Alchemist_1 Fang Ren reluctantly gave up, for he rarely saw Uncle Han so serious. Moreover¡­ what he really wanted to know was, if it was merely due to these matters, why had Uncle Han shown such a sad expression before he entered? That shouldn''t be the case. "Qing''er, is fifteen days okay?" Shang Han asked. Mu Huanqing gently nodded her head, responding with a soft "Hmm." Fang Ren still felt her indifference; it seemed as if in her heart, there was something more concerning to her than marriage. Seeing Fang Ren''s helpless look, Mu Huanqing''s uncle chuckled and said, "Ah Ran, once you spend more time with Qing''er, you''ll realize that actually, those girls from your school can''tpare to her." "Uncle, it''s not that I think Sister Hui Qing is no good, but I myself feel that this is too rash, and for her, perhaps too irresponsible." Fang Ren nced at Mu Huanqing and decided it was still better to add "sister" in addressing her; otherwise, it would seem too intimate. p¡ª "Irresponsible?" Shang Han pped his head again and said seriously, "If you dare to be irresponsible to Qing''er, I''ll be the first to deal with you!" "I didn''t say I was irresponsible¡­" Fang Ren rubbed his head and muttered. At this moment, Mu Huanqing''s mother returned from outside, her originally amiable smile transforming into a troubled frown. She sighed at Shang Han and said, "We must go back now, from now on Qing''er will be in your and Ah Ran''s care." Hearing that she was leaving now, Shang Han''s face showed a trace of sorrow, but the corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he said, "I''ll be back soon too." "Thought you two could talk more, after nearly twenty years of not seeing each other." Hui Qing''s uncle said as he got up. "Don''t say more, surely it''s some urgent mission. Hurry, get in the car and rush back," Shang Han said as he too stood up and escorted the two out of the house. Seeing this, Fang Ren also stood up to apany Uncle Han in sending the two off, but noticing Mu Huanqing still sitting on the couch without moving, he stopped; after all, Mu Huanqing couldn''t move freely. "Um¡­ Sister Hui Qing, should I push you out?" Fang Ren asked. "No need," Mu Huanqing replied in a low voice. Fang Ren nced at the people outside, and then back at Mu Huanqing, and could only step quickly out of the house to see off Mu Huanqing''s mother and uncle. But just as he stepped out the door, the scene before him nearly scared him into falling over. Uncle Han¡­ Uncle Han was actually embracing and kissing Hui Qing''s mother!? What is this situation! Fang Ren waspletely stunned. "Get in the car, and once we''ve settled Qing''er and Ah Ran''s affairs, I wille to find you quickly." After the kiss, Shang Han opened the car door and let Mu Huanqing''s mother get in. Meanwhile, Mu Huanqing''s mother turned her head and said to the dumbfounded Fang Ren, "Ah Ran, actually your Sister Hui Qing isn''t as difficult to get along with as she seems on the surface. She''s actually very lonely andcks support, so treat her well." Fang Ren immediately came to his senses and instinctively said, "Don''t worry, Aunt, I will definitely take good care of¡­" He blushed at the half-spoken response. Wasn''t this answer tantamount to agreeing to take care of her for life? "What, you don''t want to?" Shang Han immediately red at him. "No, no, I do. I will surely take good care of Sister Hui Qing," Fang Ren added. The car doors closed, and three ck Bentleys started up and slowly disappeared from sight. "Uncle Han, what kind of rtionship do you have with her mother? Embracing and kissing her¡­" As the car drove off, Fang Ren immediately asked. "Can''t you tell?" Shang Han casually lit a cigarette. "This, I really can''t tell¡­" Shang Han said nonchntly, "She''s my wife, and thess inside the house is my daughter, my own flesh and blood." "Huh?!" Seeing Uncle Han''s matter-of-fact attitude, Fang Ren waspletely bbergasted. The barrage of information in just a few minutes was indeed difficult for him to digest. In his memory, Uncle Han had always been a bachelor, how could he suddenly produce a noble wife and an astonishingly beautiful daughter? And that wasn''t even the main point; the main point was that he, with such nonchnce, just married off his daughter! Just like that, in a few words! Is this how one should be a father!? "Don''t stand there looking silly,e inside," Shang Han pped his head again, then turned and went back into the house. Fang Ren was still standing there, dazed, the uncle who had raised him since childhood was about to be his father-inw... Back inside the house, Mu Huanqing was still looking weakly at the tea table in front of her, her appearance somewhat vacant, as if the car ident had left her with not insignificant harm. Shang Han sat opposite her, his face once again clouded with mncholy, as he spoke, "Qing''er, stop thinking about those things, it''s not your fault. People are deceitful, that''s all." "Mmm." Mu Huanqing nodded and replied with a simple word, unwilling to say any more than necessary. Seeing this, Shang Han took a deep drag on his cigarette and said, "Actually, as an ordinary person... one can live a very happy life." "I understand," she said. Shang Han paused for a few seconds before asking, "Can you... call me Dad?" "..." Mu Huanqing didn''t respond. Shang Han nodded with a wry smile, then extinguished the cigarette in his hand and said somewhat heavily, "I''m sorry, I haven''t fulfilled my responsibilities as a father all these years." With that, he stood up and walked towards the exit, then turned his head to Fang Ren and instructed, "Ah Ran, take Qing''er to your room to talk; I''ll go buy some groceries and cook for you." "Oh..." Fang Ren was still somewhat dazed, unable to sort through all the information flooding his mind, and there were far too many questions left unasked. For instance, why had Uncle Han left his wife and daughter toe to this small city and raise a child that wasn''t his by blood for over twenty years without ever going to see his own wife and daughter. And if Uncle Han''s wife was an Earth high official, how could he just be a smallpany employee? Moreover, the central battlefield of Ninth District needed him ¡ª a ce where only the elite among Cultivators could go. Was Uncle Han really just an ordinary person who couldn''t cultivate? Also, from what Uncle Han had just said, Sister Hui Qing must also have been a Cultivator, and the car ident had cost her her Cultivation Ability. Furthermore, when he mentioned "the deceitfulness of human hearts," it suggested that the car ident was certainly no ident, but rather a well-orchestrated scheme. Withplex emotions swirling within him, Fang Ren approached Mu Huanqing. Seeing her face marked with sorrow, a wave of pity rose within him for this poor yet beautiful sister. He wanted tofort her with words, but he didn''t know how to begin. After all, he didn''t understand her past. After some thought, Fang Ren asked, "Sister Hui Qing, may I have a look at your leg?" "..." Mu Huanqing lifted her head, her beautiful eyes staring straight at Fang Ren, a hint of surprise visible in her gaze. It was then that Fang Ren realized his words might have been misconstrued. "Ah, I didn''t mean that," he stammered, his face involuntarily reddening as he exined hastily, "I am a medical student, I just wanted to see if there was any way I could help heal your leg." "It''s no use," Mu Huanqing said. "They all say it can''t be healed." "Who?" "The Alchemists from District One." "District One?!" Fang Ren nearly eximed the words involuntarily. District One was the closest region on Earth to the Void Hole, and the people capable of living there were no longer mere humans; they were Immortals! The best medical practitioners on Earth were the Alchemists, whose pills were more effective than any other medicine. And the Alchemists from District One were practically the definition of medical Immortals. If such individuals said it couldn''t be healed, then there truly was no hope left. "Let me have a look anyway. Maybe, just maybe, there''s still something... I might be able to do," Fang Ren said with a smile. Though the Alchemists from District One were stumped, he didn''t want to give up just yet. Medicine wasn''t exactly his favorite subject, but he didn''t dislike it either and had always seemed to possess a remarkable talent for it since childhood. For example, at the age of nine, he had concocted a batch of Qi Gathering Pills behind Uncle Han''s back in his room. Although he wasn''t sure about their effectiveness, their appearance matched that of standard Qi Gathering Pills perfectly. Merely achieving the correct appearance was already an impressive feat since most Alchemists capable of producing pills within the standard shape range were usually around eighteen, whereas he had been only nine. Moreover, at twelve, he had created a Rejuvenation Pill in school, its appearance equally standard, though its efficacy was unknown. Coincidentally, he found a cat badly injured by a car and at the brink of death on the roadside, and he fed the cat with his Rejuvenation Pill. In the end, the cat miraculously recovered... Beyond that, he had registered an ount on the Earth Alchemist forum at the age of eighteen and published a short essay that created quite a stir. The short essay was about a new type of pill, mainly effective for restoring True Qi. At that time, pills for restoring True Qi were expensive and couldn''t be mass-produced, making them very exclusivemodities. However, the new type of pill he proposed in his essay requiredmon ingredients, addressing the issue of mass production of Recovery type pills from the root. Later, the pill he described was indeed sessfully produced and deployed on the battlefield, and his forum ount was awarded three crowns by the system. From that point on, he received countless friend requests daily. People on the forum referred to him as... "Teacher An," given that his forum name was "Qing''an". But from a young age, Uncle Han had always told him to live as an ordinary person and to avoid causing trouble because the outside world was dangerous. Notoriety could make one a target, and one should always hold back in whatever they do; living peacefully and securely was of utmost importance... Such notions of embracing ordinary life had been deeply ingrained in Fang Ren''s mind since childhood, leading him to believe that those who gained fame were bound for trouble. Thus, he always held back in whatever he did; after all, a fattened pig was at risk of ughter. Therefore, he kept all his forum activities to himself, never speaking of them to anyone, not even to Uncle Han. Now, at his current age, he was capable of perfectly concocting ny percent of the pills known on Earth, yet in school, he portrayed himself as a poor student with grades at the bottom. He adhered to the principle of staying humble and avoiding the limelight, deeply rooted in his mind since childhood. Though he had the potential to be the top student at the medical college, it wasn''t necessary; he never aspired to be someone of significance. A in and simple life was all he wished for. Chapter 5: Chapter 5: You and Others Are Different_1 "Hmm." Mu Huanqing nodded slightly; she didn''t think that this boy younger than her could be more knowledgeable in medicine than the alchemists in the first sector, but since he was expressing concern, she did not decline. Seeing her nod, Fang Ren bent down to look at her small legs beneath her sky-blue, knee-length skirt. They were as white as jade, merely looking at them possessed a mysterious attraction to men. Fang Ren''s gaze didn''t wander, and he asked, "May I touch them?" Mu Huanqing nodded again, and upon her permission, Fang Ren reached out to touch her calf. It was very soft, as if there were no muscles on her leg at all. After blushing for a moment, Fang Ren took a deep breath, pushing down the inappropriate urge inside him; his expression became serious. He felt the bones in both calves and found nothing amiss; the tendons inside were not broken. Fang Ren asked, "Is it that you have no sensation from the waist down, or just that your calves can''t move?" "Just the calves," said Mu Huanqing. "Then, it''s just the calves'' nerves that..." As Fang Ren was speaking, he suddenly froze when he touched her anklet, his eyebrows instantly twisting together. "This...This isn''t from a car ident, is it?" Fang Ren looked up at her. "No, it''s not," said Mu Huanqing. "Then why would Uncle Han..." "Don''t ask; I don''t want to talk about it. Just treat me as a normal person, and I will live well as one," Mu Huanqing said. These were the most words she had uttered so far, still filled with profound sadness. "Live well as a normal person"... A cultivator thus epted the reality of bing mortal. "Alright, then..." Fang Ren frowned while looking at her calf, the veins and meridians in the foot connected to all the body''s meridians, so having reached here, he could already roughly understand Mu Huanqing''s physical condition. The conclusion was that Mu Huanqing''s meridians differed from those of ordinary people; they were the unique traits of cultivators; she truly wasn''t an ordinary person. Her meridians were almost entirely damaged, as if they had sustained an unbearable load, causing them to fail. There was also no True Qi left in her body, all dissipated into the world due to the damaged meridians. The immobility of her calves was also due to the damage of the meridians, but the extent of damage on her calf meridians was too great, virtually in a state of severe fracture followed by atrophy. The Cultivation Era had only begun 210 years ago, and there was no elixir in the world yet capable of restoring a person''s meridians, let alone connecting those that had been severed. As for surgery or the like, that was nonsense and utterly infeasible, with forced reconnection being fatal. "I am temporarily unable to help." Fang Ren stood up, but thinking of the new alchemical pill he had been researching in the past two days, his frown gradually rxed. If that pill was sessful, perhaps it could help her regain the ability to walk. "It''s expected," said Mu Huanqing. If alchemists from sector one couldn''t heal her, what could a medical student do? She just didn''t want to reject the goodwill of this man who was about to be her husband. With her two lukewarm words, Fang Ren found that the room again fell silent. Sitting on the sofa beside her, Fang Ren began to think of what to say to avoid making the atmosphere so awkward. As he pondered, he unexpectedly thought of Liu Qianqian. Since there was no possibility where he and Liu Qianqian were concerned, as she had made herself very clear, if he confessed again, they couldn''t even remain friends. He took out his phone, opened the chat app, and the special contact still disyed Liu Qianqian''s name. Looking at thest message from three days ago, a slight sourness stirred in Fang Ren''s heart. This wasn''t something that impulsive desire could resolve. If there''s no affection, it''s better not to be together. The arranged marriage Uncle Han had set up for him seemed inalterable, as Uncle Han appeared resolute in giving him no opportunity to refuse. However, he also had not thought about refusing, considering Mu Huanqing''s exceptional beauty; any man his age would feel their heart rate pick up with just one nce. It was like that feeling of love at first sight. He just felt things were moving too fast, and Mu Huanqing seemed indifferent about it all. Also, to fall for someone else so quickly... it left an ufortable feeling in his heart. "Do you really think it''s good for us to start like this?" Fang Ren stared at his phone, his voice bing somber too. "Isn''t it good?" Mu Huanqing asked him. "It''s not about just being together; I''m asking you, to so easily entrust your life to someone you haven''t gotten to know, don''t you have any thoughts about that?" Fang Ren asked. "I..." Mu Huanqing paused for a moment, then said: "I haven''t thought about anything else. To be a normal person, to support a husband and educate children, to spend the rest of my life that way will be fine." "So the person you marry doesn''t need to be considered carefully?" "They all say that you are the most suitable person for me." Fang Ren paused for a long while, then said, "Can you share your innermost thoughts with me?" "No need, I may get better in a few days like this, and from now on¡­ I will try to be a good wife." Mu Huanqing raised her head, looking directly at Fang Ren as she spoke. After hearing her words, Fang Ren was surprised by her seriousness. It seemed that in her eyes, she had already begun to treat him as her husband. "I¡­" Fang Ren nced at his phone, then lifted his head to look at Mu Huanqing beside him, appearing so fragile and pitiable. With his finger on the button for ''Special Attention'' on his phone screen, Fang Ren made a silentmitment to himself. He decided to cherish the person in front of him, and to stop thinking about those wishful, elusive things. He cancelled the ''Special Attention'' setting for Liu Qianqian and cleared all their past chat records, then he put down his phone. After a brief silence, Fang Ren spoke, "If our time together from now on makes us both feel that the other is quite good, I too will try to be a good husband." Mu Huanqing raised her head to look at him, her eyes shimmering with a slight peculiarity as she said, "You''re different from other guys." "How so?" Fang Ren was puzzled. "When they see me for the first time, without knowing anything about me, they would propose to me directly." "¡­" Fang Ren chuckled dryly to himself, thinking it was natural. A woman as beautiful as her could easily make many men fall in love at first sight. "Even now I''m unclear whether it''s better to marry first then cultivate a rtionship, or to have feelings for each other before marriage," Mu Huanqing said. "Didn''t you... ever like someone before?" Fang Ren asked. "The liking between a man and a woman?" "Of course." "I''m not quite clear about that feeling." Fang Ren chuckled dryly again. He couldn''t understand the kind of environment she had lived in before, that she would ask whether it was to marry first and then to have feelings, or the other way around. Although the answer was simple, Fang Ren was very willing to exin it to her because in her beautiful eyes, only innocence was portrayed concerning this matter. "Actually, the most appropriate way is to have feelings first and then get married because it''s a matter involving the rest of one''s life. Being married to someone you don''t like for a lifetime is definitely not right; it surely would not be happy as the purpose of marriage is for the two people to live happily together," Fang Ren said. "Then why did they just suggest that we should marry first and develop feelings afterward?" Mu Huanqing asked. "That''s what they think, after all. The final decision rests with the two of us. Imagine if we got married without any feelings for each other and only after marriage we find that we despise each other''s character. With such a long life ahead, it would be torturous to share a bed with someone you detest every day, wouldn''t it?" "Mother said that as long as there are feelings, you can tolerate each other a lot, and you can also change a lot for the other person." "Er... Auntie''s not wrong... but the safest method is still to have feelings and then get married. Most people agree with this viewpoint," Fang Ren said. "What about the minority who disagree?" "It must be that everyone''s experiences are different, I guess. Some think that the more ignorant you are about love, the happier you''ll be, so getting married before having feelings suits them fine. Others want to live wisely; they''re cautious about feelings, afraid that genuine emotions won''t be reciprocated. In the end, everyone has their own pursuits." "Which category does Ah Ran belong to?" Mu Huanqing looked at him and asked. Fang Ren was caught off-guard by her suddenly affectionate form of address and lost hisposure for a moment. Then, he smiled and said, "I belong to¡­ the kind that obeys fate, letting destiny decide." "Just like your name." "Yes, ''Ren Ran'' means to let things take their natural course, and I think that''s pretty good." After hearing his words, Mu Huanqing''s gaze sank slightly, and she muttered softly, "For a mortal¡­ that is quite good." Fang Ren saw her like this and assumed she was pondering something personal again. He didn''t ask further after all, because she didn''t want to say. "Right, Sister Hui Qing, do you watch TV?" Fang Ren asked with a slight smile on his face. "I don''t want to," Mu Huanqing said. "Then I''ll wash an apple for you to eat." "I don''t want to eat." "Then¡­" "Go to your room." "Huh?" "Shang Han said to take me there," Mu Huanqing said. Fang Ren was momentarily stunned. He hadn''t expected her to refer to her biological father by his full name. But shortly after, he considered it reasonable since Uncle Han had left her for over twenty years, failing to fulfill any fatherly duties. At this thought, Fang Ren became even more puzzled about why Uncle Han would leave his biological daughter and spend over twenty years with him, an unrted child. It was as if he was really the son of Uncle Han. Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Inconvenient Action_1 Fang Ren then pushed the wheelchair over and looked at Mu Huanqing''s lower leg before going behind her and saying, "I''ll help you." "I''m fine." As Mu Huanqing spoke, her hands braced against the sofa as she attempted to move closer to the wheelchair, but as she was just lifted up by a pair of hands, her whole body suddenly plunged forward toward the coffee table. Fang Ren''s hands quickly supported her from underneath her armpits from behind, preventing her head from hitting the coffee table. She was very light, so Fang Ren didn''t need to use much strength to hold her steady. Fang Ren gently ced her in the wheelchair, and the close contact made him blush due to the fresh scent emanating from Mu Huanqing. "Don''t be afraid of troubling me, your body is still very weak," Fang Ren said, looking at her. Mu Huanqing gazed down at her hands without responding to Fang Ren, her expression filled with destion and distress, evoking pity. Every time Fang Ren saw this expression, he felt an urge to delve into her heart, to understand her past and soothe her sorrows. Seeing she did not speak, Fang Ren began to push her wheelchair upstairs. At the foot of the stairs, Mu Huanqing spoke up, "It''s not easy to go up..." "It''s fine." Fang Ren smiled slightly, then grasped the wheels on either side of the wheelchair from behind and lifted her, along with the wheelchair, to start making his way upstairs. There were about eighteen steps from the first floor to the second, and Fang Ren climbed without pause. It was only after he had set Mu Huanqing down at the top that he took a long breath and rubbed his arms. "Is this the strength of a normal person?" Mu Huanqing asked, turning her head. Although she was light, carrying a person plus a wheelchair up to the second floor using his extended arms was not easy. "I just exercise a bit when I''m bored," Fang Ren said with a smile. As he spoke, Fang Ren took Mu Huanqing to a room and suddenly remembered something, quickly saying, "Sister Hui Qing, wait here for a moment. My room is a bit messy; let me tidy it up." Fang Ren then opened the door, dashed inside, and Mu Huanqing blinked her beautiful eyes, ncing inside, but made no move to propel her wheelchair in. About two minutester, Fang Ren came out, smiling awkwardly, "Sorry, it''s still a bit messy inside." "It''s nothing," Mu Huanqing said. Taking Mu Huanqing into the room, Fang Ren felt a little nervous inside; after all, this was the first time a girl had been in his room. Upon entering, a pleasant scent was noticeable, clearly from the air freshener spray that Fang Ren had used in thest two minutes. The room was of a moderate size, with conventional furniture such as a wardrobe, desk, chair, and bed, and small appliances like an air conditioner andputer. In one corner stood a small set of dumbbells, and next to it, a small furnace for alchemy. The desk was not cluttered with books; instead, it disyed various herbs packaged up, and near the desk, notes about elixirs covered several pieces of paper tacked to the wall. The bedding on the bed was not folded; it was neatly spread out, and underneath were a pair of slippers arranged tidily. The room looked quite neat, and aside from the air freshener, there was no strange smell¡ªan oue of Fang Ren''s two-minute cleanup. "Do you have a fondness for medicine?" Mu Huanqing asked, looking at the small furnace on the floor. "I''m not really interested in the theory taught at university, but I do find alchemy quite appealing," Fang Ren said. "Do you dream of bing an alchemist in the future?" "I haven''t thought about it. Just being a small-time doctor who can provide for the family is fine by me." "If that''s the case, you should just study the theory. Why bother learning alchemy?" Mu Huanqing inquired. "Alchemy... it''s just a hobby, something to do when I''m bored," Fang Ren answered honestly. Moderation in all things, never priding oneself on being in the limelight¡ªthat was the upbringing he had from a young age. Soon after, the sound of a door echoed below, followed by Shang Han''s loud voice calling out, "Ah Ran, how''s your talk going?" Upon hearing this, Fang Ren felt an internal facepalm. What kind of father asks such a thing, inquiring directly about a boy''s chat with his daughter... "Sister Hui Qing is pretty easy to get along with," Fang Ren replied. Just as his voice traveled downstairs, Uncle Han called up, "Oh right, we don''t have an extra room, so your Sister Hui Qing will sleep in your room tonight." "What!?" Fang Ren nearly fell over when he heard this. Was this something a father should say? Sending his daughter into a boy''s room! "What''s with the ''what''? You''re boyfriend and girlfriend now, what''s the issue with sharing a bed?" "Uncle Han, are you mistaken?" "It''s not a big deal. When I was courting your aunt, she got pregnant with Hui Qing before we even married. Nowadays many young people have kids before marriage; they''re more open-minded than we were. It''s no big deal." "I''ll just sleep on the sofa downstairs," Fang Ren called out. "No way, your Sister Hui Qing is afraid of the dark," Shang Han''s voice came back up. In the room, Fang Ren looked at Mu Huanqing and asked with a blink, "Really?" Mu Huanqing shook her head as she looked at him. "I don''t believe you for a second, you old scoundrel!" Fang Ren couldn''t help but curse with a blushing face. "Hey, I''m giving you a chance here and you''re not taking it," Shang Han snorted. Fang Ren promptly closed the door, ignoring him, then turned back to Mu Huanqing and said, "Sister Hui Qing, shall we check your leg again?" "Didn''t you say you couldn''t do anything?" Mu Huanqing looked at him, her voice tinged with confusion. "I couldn''t do anything today, but maybe tomorrow I will," Fang Ren said. "..." Mu Huanqing paused for a moment, then nodded her head. Fang Ren saw her consent and squatted down again to stroke on the anklet area. About a minuteter, he frowned and walked over to the desk, picked up a pen, and wrote down a string of medicinal ingredients on paper. When he got to Ghost Grass, his expression turned troubled, as this ingredient was too expensive and hard toe by. "What are you writing?" Mu Huanqing asked, somewhat curious as she moved her wheelchair to the front of the desk and leaned forward to look at what he had noted down. "I''m trying to see if I can concoct a type of elixir that could restore vitality to a person''s meridians," Fang Ren said with a dryugh. Such a statement would probably not be believed by anyone, as no such elixir existed in the entire world up to that point. After looking at the few medicinal ingredients he''d written down, Mu Huanqing''s eyes, previously filled with curiosity, couldn''t help but turn somewhat disappointed. Although she didn''t know alchemy, she had some understanding of the effects andpatibility of medicinal ingredients. The ingredients Fang Ren had noted down were all quite cold in nature, and mixing them together would not yield any effect, let alone the recovery of vitality in the meridians. But in the end, she knew he meant well. ------ In the evening, Fang Ren wheeled Mu Huanqing down to the dining table on the first floor for dinner. Uncle Han talked a lot at the dinner table, alwaysughing as he recounted his past to Mu Huanqing and never stopped offering her dishes to try. However, Mu Huanqing seemed totally uninterested in her father''s past and also had a poor appetite. She ate a little bit of nd vegetables and then said she was full. "Qing''er, is it because the food doesn''t suit your taste? What do you like to eat? I''ll make it for you tomorrow," Shang Han asked. "No, it''s just that I''m not hungry," Mu Huanqing said. Having not talked to his daughter for over twenty years, Fang Ren didn''t know how to help ease their awkward rtionship. In any case, he could tell that Mu Huanqing was not ready to acknowledge Uncle Han as her father just yet. After dinner, Fang Ren took Mu Huanqing back to her room upstairs, set up herputer to y some popr TV dramas, and then went back downstairs to find Uncle Han. "Uncle Han, I have a lot of questions I want to ask you." Fang Ren went to the kitchen, where Shang Han was washing dishes. Shang Han said disdainfully, "You''ve got a lot of questions to ask, we''ll talk about themter. Right now, go and prepare a hot bath for Qing''er, andter help her take a bath." "Wha¡ª!? Help her?!" Fang Ren nearly fell on his backside out of shock. Is this really a father? Are you sure he''s not trying to sell his daughter? And for free, at that! "What are you dazing for? Just go and do it. With her leg like that, do you expect her to crawl in there?" Shang Han said with a displeased face. "That''s a bit too much..." Fang Ren said with a troubled expression. "Listen here, boy, I''m helping you with my daughter, but you''ve also got to help me make her acknowledge me as her dad," Shang Han stated matter-of-factly. After hearing this, Fang Ren feltpletely thrown into confusion, helplessly saying, "Do you even behave like a dad?" "Bullshit. If I''m willing to entrust my daughter to you, there''s definitely a reason," Shang Han retorted. "What reason?" "The ways of heaven must not be revealed." "I think you''re just an old man trying to sell off your daughter..." "Did I take any money from you?" "Fine, fine, fine. I''ve got no time for this nonsense. I have ss tomorrow." Fang Ren said and then left the kitchen. Since Uncle Han did not want to answer some questions, Fang Ren decided not to push further. However, he couldn''t get his head around Uncle Han''s rxed attitude. His daughter wasn''t recognizing him, and yet he was still able to talk about it like this. After preparing the bathwater on the second floor, Fang Ren took a nce at Mu Huanqing, noticing she was just sitting motionless in her wheelchair watching a movie. Her silhouette always seemed to evoke an unexinable sorrow in Fang Ren. "Sister Hui Qing, the bathwater''s ready for you. Um... if there''s anything you need help with, just let me know," Fang Ren said from outside the door. "Mm." Seeing her nod, Fang Ren entered and wheeled her into the bathroom. Upon arriving there, Fang Ren''s face started to blush involuntarily. Seeing that Mu Huanqing''s legs werepletely immobile, he knew he would have to help her into the bathtub next. When Mu Huanqing saw him standing there staring and reluctant to leave, she asked, "Are you going to help me undress?" "Ah? No, no, no, that''s not it. I¡ªI¡ªI''ll just go out now." Fang Ren immediately dashed out and closed the bathroom door, leaning against the wall with his heart pounding uncontrobly. Images of Mu Huanqing turning her head kept shing in his mind; she was like a fairy¡ªan unfair advantage indeed! That beauty was seriously off the charts! Even more unforgettable for him was Mu Huanqing''s recent question: "Are you going to help me undress?" He couldn''t help thinking: what if he had said yes? Would he have actually ended up undressing her? After all, it''s what her father suggested! Then again, Fang Ren really couldn''tprehend how such a messy old man like Uncle Han could have sired such an exquisite daughter! "Ah Ran, can you help me for a moment?" As he was lost in thought, Mu Huanqing''s gentle voice came from the bathroom. Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Is This How to Be a Father? (Revised)_1 Ouch, that hurt! Talk about a stroke of bad luck! No choice now, since I''m stuck with this, there''s no reason to avoid it. Walking into the bathroom, I helped Mu Hui to the side of the bathtub. Thankfully, my expression of feigned calmness seemed to have spared Mu Hui any embarrassment. I shook my head to deal with my own inner awkwardness. In the end, I sat at my desk, picking up the new type of elixir I had been diligently researching, as only this could temporarily distract me. Indeed, as I considered the concepts for my new elixir, my attention waspletely absorbed by the various herbs. "To rejuvenate the vitality of the meridians... this is tough. But I remember reading about a toxic herb that can send one''s nerves into overdrive. If I can remove the toxicity andbine it with the longevity pill I''ve been developingtely, maybe I can restore some sensation to her lower legs." As these thoughts upied my mind, I grabbed my phone and began searching for information¡ªthis distractionsted for a full twenty minutes, during which I didn''t let my mind wander once. Anything rted to elixirs always held such an allure for me; despite often iming to have little interest in them, my thoughts were very truthful. I wrote down several methods for concocting elixirs on a sheet of paper and jotted down a dozen or so herbs. Then I began extracting the essence of the concocting methods and continuously reced the herbs with alternatives. Finally, satisfied, I put down my pen. But looking at the list of herbs on the paper, my brow furrowed again just as I had begun to smile. Those dozens of herbs were just too expensive; the thousand dors Uncle Han gave me monthly weren''t enough to buy them, not even if I saved up for ten years could I afford to purchase them all. Thump¡ª Just as I was fretting over the cost of these herbs, a sudden noise came from the neighboring bathroom. I immediately ran out to check. When I opened the bathroom door, there was Mu Hui, having fallen outside the bathtub. I quickly rushed in to help her up. "Why didn''t you call me for help?" My brows furrowed, keeping my gaze on her face without letting my eyes stray. At times like these, concern for another person outweighed any bashfulness I felt. Mu Hui hung her head slightly, looking downcast, unwilling to speak. Seeing this, I immediately set her gently in the wheelchair. Watching her so dejected, I thought it might all be because of her injured leg and the cultivation ability she had lost forever. She had obviously tried to climb out of the tub on her own power to dry herself off, but her fragile body simply wouldn''t allow it. Not knowing how tofort her, I took a towel from the nearby wall and gently wiped her silver hair, then dabbed the water from her cheeks. "I''m sorry, there are no other women at my ce, and I know it must be difficult for you with just a guy like me," I said. Mu Hui shook her head slightly and finally spoke, "It''s not because of that, I just... can''te to terms with my current self." Her beautiful face was touched by sorrow, evoking empathy. As a stranger who had only interacted with her for a few hours, I felt moved. I gently said, "Maybe you were very strong in the past, but everyone has their vulnerable moments. Isn''t it okay to lean on someone nearby during those times?" Mu Hui was silent for a few seconds, then nodded and said, "Then help me dry off, please." I was startled, but before I could say anything, Shang Han''s figure appeared outside the bathroom, havinge to investigate after hearing the sound of Mu Hui''s fall. "If she asks for a wipe, just wipe, what''s with the fuss?" Shang Han scolded without mercy. "Huh?" Fang Ren was startled by Uncle Han''s sudden appearance but in the end, could only respond helplessly, "You do realize you''re a dad, right...?" "Have you ever seen a girl in her twenties still having her dad dry her hair? Hurry up and dry it, and save me the nonsense." Shang Han left those words and mmed the bathroom door shut before lighting a cigarette and heading downstairs. Is that really how a dad should act? Is that really how a dad should act!! Fang Ren''s inner voice was practically roaring. "It''s okay, we''re supposed to be husband and wife, right? It shouldn''t really matter," Mu Huanqing said, looking at him. ... Fang Ren pushed Mu Huanqing back to his room. Since there were no other beds in the house that day, he decided to let her sleep there. Fang Ren nned to sleep on the sofa downstairs, or maybe squeeze into bed with the old geezer at home. Whirrr... In the room, Fang Ren was using his hair dryer to dry Mu Huanqing''s hair, which was very soft. He was also curious about why she had a head of silver hair. Both her parents were clearly Asians with ck hair. "Hold this." While he was drying Mu Huanqing''s hair and had barely spoken two words, he heard Uncle Han''s voice from outside the door. Click¡ª Fang Ren turned his head to see a small box being tossed in his direction, and then saw Uncle Han forcefully m the door shut. Fang Ren was stunned. He walked over, picked up the small box from the ground, and then his whole person became disheveled. "Hey! You old coot!" Fang Ren immediately tried to run out but after struggling with the doorknob a few times, he realized that the door had been locked from the outside and couldn''t be opened. "Unforgettable tonight, no matter if at the ends of the earth or distant seas, embraced through the vast expanse of the Land of Gods..." The old man''s humming and singing grew fainter from beyond the door. Fang Ren was bbergasted. What unforgettable night! Is this what a dad does? Without a second word, he just leaves his daughter with a guy, tosses something in, and locks the door behind him as he leaves! "What did he give you?" Mu Huanqing turned and asked him. Fang Ren quickly hid the item behind his back and said with a forcedugh, "This... this is an Item of Devotion between couples, it''s nothing else, haha... " "I''ve already seen it, why are you still hiding it?" Mu Huanqing asked again. After hearing that, Fang Ren was taken aback. How could Mu Huanqing not know what the item was? Then, he couldn''t help but remember that some girls born into prominent families attend Aristocrat Girls'' Academies, never gaining knowledge in this area. Maybe Mu Huanqing had also attended an Aristocrat Girls'' Academy in the past. Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Items of Devotion (Revised)_1 "It''s just a small... small gift," Fang Ren continued with a smile, "Yes, nowadays couples use these kinds of things as Items of Devotion." "Then let''s open it," Mu Huanqing said. "Huh?" Fang Ren quickly retracted his hand as his brain raced at breakneck speed. He found an excuse and said, "There''s actually a proper time for this kind of thing. It''s meant to be opened by a couple on their wedding day. It''s symbolic of the hardships they''ve been through in their rtionship, enduring bitter times for the sweet toe. If it''s opened prematurely, it would seem disloyal to the rtionship." "Is that so? How odd..." Mu Huanqing muttered. "Yes, correct. I think Uncle Han gave it to me so that we would keep it safe until the dayes to open it together." Fang Ren decided that if he was going to lie, he might as well go all the way. As he spoke, Fang Ren casually ced the set under a pillow. The item made him think of all sorts of fantasies, so he thought it better not to look at it. Mu Huanqing wheeled herself over to the bed. Seeing that she was about to get in bed to sleep, Fang Ren went over to help her. Although the bed wasn''t high, Fang Ren still felt her frail body could fall at any moment. After getting into bed, Mu Huanqing began to straighten out her clothes. Fang Ren immediately turned around and walked towards the closet, saying, "I''ll sleep on the floor." "Why, shouldn''t a husband and wife sleep in the same bed?" Mu Huanqing asked. "But we aren''t husband and wife yet." Fang Ren said this as he searched the closet for another nket. However, as he opened all the closet doors, he was momentarily stunned. "Where''s the nket..." After a short pause, Fang Ren immediately thought of Uncle Han. Indeed, every n was under that old guy''s control! "From now on, will you still like other girls?" Mu Huanqing asked as she looked at him. Fang Ren turned to look at her and answered honestly, "No." "So that means we will definitely be husband and wife, which makes sleeping in the same bed the same whether it''s sooner orter," Mu Huanqing said. "..." Fang Ren hadn''t expected her to say such a thing. He admitted to himself that he was very excited right now, since he was faced with a woman of Fairy-level caliber. But... he always felt things were moving a bit too quickly for Mu Huanqing. Watching Mu Huanqing continue fixing her clothes, Fang Ren turned his head again to look at the closet, where there wasn''t any other nket, feeling a bit conflicted. After about two or three minutes, he suddenly came to terms with it. If a girl wasn''t afraid of this matter, what was there for him, a grown man, to be shy about? Besides, who said sharing a bed meant they had to act like a married couple? "Alright." Fang Ren turned back around and went to the other side of the bed. ncing at Mu Huanqing from the corner of his eye, he didn''t look in that direction again and took off his outer clothing with his back turned to her. Turning around to go to the wardrobe again, he saw that Mu Huanqing was already halfway under the covers, though her lower legs were still exposed. Right, she had no sensation in her lower legs. Fang Ren walked over, lifted the covers slightly, and tucked her legs inside before covering her up again. It was summer, but with the air conditioning in the room, it wouldn''t be good for her legs, whichcked cirction, to be exposed to the cold air. In the end, he climbed into bed wearing just a tank top and shorts on the other side of the bed. At this moment, his heart was racing. Lying in bed, Fang Ren didn''t rest his head on the pillow, as Mu Huanqing was sleeping on it already. Swish, swish¡ª It was the sound of the pillow rubbing against the sheet. Fang Ren felt something soft bump against the back of his head. Ah, it was the pillow. He turned over and saw Mu Huanqing very close to him, looking at him. "Aren''t you going to sleep with a pillow?" Mu Huanqing asked. "You sleep, I''m fine," Fang Ren said with a smile. "You''ll get a stiff neck." With that, Mu Huanqing pushed the pillow a little closer to him. Ultimately, he couldn''t resist the kindness of a beautiful woman and and moved to the other side of the pillow. The pillow was small, and with both of them on it, it was quite cramped. Their faces were less than five centimeters apart, and Fang Ren could distinctly smell Mu Huanqing''s breath¡ªshe smelled lovely... Thump, thump¡ª Fang Ren felt like his little heart was about to leap out of his chest. In his mind, a little angel and a little demon were fiercely battling it out. Mu Huanqing nodded, her beautiful eyes locked onto his as she said, "Do you know why they''re so eager for me to be with you?" Fang Ren, seeing her getting to the heart of the matter, swatted away the little angel and demon in his mind, and regained hisposure to ask, "Why is that?" "My mother always thought I wouldmit suicide because of depression. She believes that if I get married and have children, I will have a new motivation for life," Mu Huanqing exined. "Suicide?" Fang Ren frowned, "Why would youmit suicide?" "I never thought about suicide, but she thinks I would," Mu Huanqing stated. "What happened before?" "I don''t want to talk about those things... All you need to know is that I will try my best to be a good wife to you in the future." Fang Ren was silent for a moment, then asked, "So you actually never thought about marrying me? You''re justplying with your mother''s wishes?" "No, I think getting married is good for me right now, too. After all, I''m just an ordinary person now, and ordinary people should get married and have children," Mu Huanqing said. Listening to her, Fang Ren could always sense a profound sense of loss in her words, the loss of someone who has be just an ordinary person. Fang Ren asked, "If... there was a way in this world for you to regain your Cultivation Ability, would you still choose to marry me?" Mu Huanqing thought for a moment, "No." After hearing her answer, Fang Ren felt a sudden and profound sense of disappointment, all the excitement in his heart scattering away. But then he thought, that made sense. How could such a beautiful girl, who had Cultivation Ability and was born into a prominent family, possibly want to marry an ordinary guy like him if not for the ident? "Alright, you should get some rest since you''re not feeling well," he said with a disappointed smile, then turned away to face the other direction. Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Heart Knot (Updated)_1 Some things, once fully exined, can really lead to disappointment. What seemed to be a beautiful fantasy in the heart suddenly feels shattered in an instant. The reason for getting married wasn''t because she felt something at first nce for him, nor was it because she was touched by what he did today; it wasn''t even because their union was arranged by fate. It was simply because she had no other choice. Though it seemed trivial, it mattered a great deal to Fang Ren. Mu Huanqing saw him suddenly turn around, a look of confusion in his eyes, and she couldn''t understand why the boy''s mood had suddenly dropped. Mu Huanqing looked at his suddenly forlorn expression, paused for a moment, and then spoke, "But there are no what-ifs in this situation." "There are," Fang Ren''s voice deepened a bit as he said. Mu Huanqing was silent for a long time. "Do you hate me now?" she asked. "No, I was just thinking, if I could find a way to help you restore your powers, I probably shouldn''t marry you... After all, there are things you''d rather do than marry me. For those things, you would certainly prefer not to marry me," Fang Ren said. What followed was a speech from Mu Huanqing that unraveled Fang Ren''s inner conflicts. It turned out her "I wouldn''t" meant that she wouldn''t marry him if none of these events between them had happened. But now they had urred. That was also what Mu Huanqing meant by "no what-ifs". Once the knot in his heart was untied, Fang Ren felt much more at ease, and his feelings toward his future wife extended beyond just an appreciation of her features. In an era where love could be fickle and fleeting, Fang Ren appreciated her traditional values of love. "Sorry, I thought too much," Fang Ren said with a slight smile, softly. "Is Ah Ran going to sleep?" Mu Huanqing asked, looking at his back. Fang Ren immediately turned around, seeing the beautiful visage up close made his heartbeat speed up again, he chuckled and replied, "How could I possibly sleep lying next to you." "Why, am I that scary..." she said. "No, it''s because you''re so pretty, I can''t sleep from the excitement," Fang Ren responded with a smile. Mu Huanqing seemed to recall something in her mind, then said with a serious expression, "That action of yours... I remember it''s called ''flirting''." "Is it wrong to flirt with you?" "No," Mu Huanqing nodded and then continued. "Tell me, Ah Ran, what do ordinary people do every day?" Mu Huanqing went on to ask. Fang Ren immediately collected his thoughts, pondered for a moment, and said, "Life, right? Like you said before, supporting a spouse, raising children, working for a livelihood, and having three meals a day." "Isn''t that just waiting around to die?" Mu Huanqing frowned. "Everyone''s attitude toward life is different. An ordinary life isn''t as terrible as you imagine, there are many pleasures in life too. I''ll show you aroundter," Fang Ren said. "Alright," Mu Huanqing nodded. In the time that followed, Mu Huanqing kept asking Fang Ren what he did every day, where he went to school, and if anything interesting happened during his day. Fang Ren talked a lot with her, telling her all about the funny incidents at school and mentioning some of the ss clowns'' amusing blunders as well. When he brought up the memorial service for the Xuan Nv today, Mu Huanqing interrupted him with great interest. "Why did the whole school go, but you didn''t?" she asked. "At that time, I was in the middle of concocting a new elixir and I just got absorbed in it. By the time I was called by the vice president, the memorial service was already halfway through," Fang Ren scratched his head and said with augh. "Actually, it''s better that you didn''t go," Mu Huanqing''s gaze grew somber. "Why?" Fang Ren was taken aback. The Xuan Nv was a heroic figure who had contributed greatly to all of humanity; as one of the humans she protected, not attending her memorial service seemed terribly wrong. Mu Huanqing''s gaze fell on the pillow, and in a faint voice she mused to herself, "She isn''t truly dead..." "Sister Hui Qing... speak up, I can''t quite hear you," Fang Ren said as he leaned in a bit closer to her. "It''s nothing..." Mu Huanqing''s mood suddenly dipped, and Fang Ren was puzzled. It was just a conversation about the Xuan Nv''s memorial service, and she became so despondent she didn''t want to talk. It was already 2:30 in the morning, and as the room quieted down for a while, sleep started to overtake Fang Ren''s mind, and he soon fell asleep. Watching Fang Ren sleep, Mu Huanqing slowly sat up in bed. She looked at her hands with a sorrowful gaze. She bit her lip gently, her expression solemn, as if she was about to try something risky. Soon, a faint light appeared behind her, but that flicker of light was just that, a momentary sparkle before it shattered into bits and pieces. "Will it always be like this..." Mu Huanqing let out a long sigh, then slowlyy back down in bed. Looking at Fang Ren by her pillow, she inched her body closer to his. It wasn''t so much that she was being forward, but after forcibly running her True Qi just now and causing damage to her body, her blood had cooled rapidly. She needed warmth. The air conditioning was still blowing cold air, and the only source of warmth in the bed was Fang Ren''s body. ------ The next day, the bright sunshine from outside the window shone on the bed. Because he went to bed sotest night, Fang Ren still showed no sign of waking up. After a while, the doorknob moved slightly, Shang Han quietly pushed open the door, looked at the bed from the threshold, then left with a slight smile on his face. Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Intentionally Late?_1 Fang Ren immediately turned off the air conditioner and said, "Shall I take you out to bask in the sun?" "Mm." Mu Huiqing nodded. Even a simple gesture like this always seemed perfect to Fang Ren when he looked into Mu Huiqing''s eyes. Beautiful, adorable, obedient, gentle and considerate¡ªshe was practically the dream wife every man longed for. After getting dressed, Fang Ren lifted Mu Huiqing from the bed and dressed her himself. After the events fromst night to this morning, he no longer felt too embarrassed when dressing Mu Huiqing. ncing at the time, Fang Ren sighed; he was already an hourte. But looking at Mu Huiqing, seated quietly and looking beautiful in her wheelchair, he felt it didn''t matter if he skipped sses for the whole day. As they descended the stairs, Uncle Han had already prepared breakfast. "Some people say they don''t want anything, but in reality their bodies are very honest. Thinking you''re a big guy but acting like a little girl." No sooner had Fang Rene downstairs than Shang Han, newspaper in hand, started to tease. "Morning... that was an ident," Fang Ren defended himself earnestly. "Heh, look at you, all red-faced and flustered. Do you even look like a man?" continued Shang Han. "Look at yourself! Do you even look like a father?" Fang Ren shot back right away. Shang Han feigned disappointment and sighed, "Yeah, you''re right. Marrying Qing''er off to a wuss like you would probably not make her happy. I should find someone else for Qing''er." "You dare!" Fang Ren was so angry he wanted to smash the table into his face. "What''s stopping me? It''s your own cowardice to me," continued Shang Han. "I won''t ept that," Mu Huiqing, seated in her wheelchair, suddenly spoke up. Shang Han''s expression froze for a moment, and he slowly put down the newspaper, turning to look at Mu Huiqing. "Ah Ran is very good. I won''t ept anyone else you arrange," said Mu Huiqing. After hearing this, Shang Han''s lips curved into a slight smile. He hadn''t expected his daughter to take his joking seriously, but this also indirectly showed that she and Ah Ran had started out with a good impression of each other. He could be at ease now. Meanwhile, Fang Ren felt immensely touched by what Mu Huiqing had said. Indeed, an older female knew how to protect him, much better than those little girls who only knew how to act cute and charming. Fang Ren immediately went to pick up two tes of breakfast and handed them to Mu Huiqing, looking at Shang Han with disdain, "Sister Hui Qing, let''s eat outside. It''s also a good chance to enjoy the sun." With that, Fang Ren pushed Mu Huiqing''s wheelchair towards the outside. Seeing this, Shang Han was taken aback: "What... have I be a lonely old man? You ungrateful wretch! I raised you for over 20 years for nothing!" After breakfast, Fang Ren quickly washed up and dashed out, reluctantly ncing back at Mu Huiqing. She waved at him with a slight smile on her face, which was a significant improvementpared to yesterday''s silence and sorrow. Uncle Han, on the other hand, stood beside her with a cigarette in hand, looking at Fang Ren with resentful eyes as if he wished Fang Ren would hurry off to school. ------ "You''rete again." At the entrance of the ssroom, Liu Qianqian, dressed in the school uniform with red epaulets on her shoulders, looked at Fang Ren with displeasure. "There was a special reason today," Fang Ren chuckled dryly. "The ss ranking evaluation for this month ising up soon, and our ss already has low behavior points. Now you''re cutting more points by beingte!" Liu Qianqian, as ss president, grew increasingly annoyed as she spoke. In this era, universities ced a strong emphasis on character education, and even at Mediocre University, there were behavior scores for each ss. "I promise it won''t happen again, for real," said Fang Ren. Liu Qianqian nced at the ss and then back at Fang Ren, finally managing to calm down a bit, her voice softer, "Tell me the truth, are you deliberately beingte because you''re upset with me?" Fang Ren frowned slightly at her words and replied, "No." He never considered using tardiness as a petty way to spite a girl who had rejected him. It wasn''t necessary, and he wasn''t that petty. "Then why didn''t you attend the memorial service yesterday? You''ve either beente or absent these past few days." "I''ve been working on a new type of alchemy medicine recently, pretty invested in it..." Fang Ren answered truthfully. Liu Qianqian was speechless listening to him. She knew very well Fang Ren''s academic prowess was nothing to boast about. His excuse of working on a new medicine was unbelievable; he was just messing around. "Fang Ren, how many times have I told you that youck theory, not practice? You want to practice alchemy without understanding the theoretical aspects. Isn''t that just working in the dark?" Liu Qianqian stated. "I got it; I won''t cause trouble for you or the ss anymore." Saying this, Fang Ren proceeded to walk into the ss. "Are you even listening to me?" Liu Qianqian, seeing him acting as if he were deaf, instantly got angry again. Watching Fang Ren enter the ssroom directly, Liu Qianqian let out a heavy sigh. After all, she believed that Fang Ren had changed his behavior because of her rejection and had begun using these petty things to vent his frustration on her. Thinking back, she used to go shopping with Fang Ren every day after school before going home or returning to the dormitory. They would stick together even after ss. But now, to avoid awkwardness, she could only hang out with a few female ssmates with whom she was on good terms. Many people in the school were curious why Liu Qianqian, the top school beauty, had such a good rtionship with a guy as average as Fang Ren. The matter actually dated back to three years ago when they first started school¡­ That day, Liu Qianqian was riding her bike around the school when she swerved to avoid a speeding car and fell into the river. The car didn''t even stop, just drove away. At that time, only Fang Ren happened to be by the river studying his little alchemy pills. Seeing the ssmate fall into the river, he immediately grabbed a branch on the riverbank and jumped in. Since he couldn''t swim, he ended up breaking the branch he was holding onto, and ironically, it was Liu Qianqian, who could swim, that ended up saving him¡­ It was this dramatic incident that introduced Liu Qianqian to her first friend on campus. She thought he was foolish yet kind-hearted. Who jumps in without being able to swim, not even checking if the person in the water can swim, just thinking of rescuing them without a second thought, foolish to the extreme. As they spent more time together, their rtionship improved until Fang Ren mustered the courage to confess his feelings. Only then did Liu Qianqian realize that she might have given him the wrong impression and decided to maintain some distance, to preserve the hard-earned yet fateful friendship. But now it seemed that maintaining the distance was actually causing their friendship to crumble even more. ... Just returning to the ssroom, Fang Ren had only walked a few steps when the boy with red hair pounced over, draped an arm over his shoulder, and said with a wicked grin, "Ranzi, your method of beingte isn''t going to cut it. Want me to teach you a few tricks?" The redhead was named Li Xingwang and because his family belonged to the sort of underworld n, he sported dyed red hair in every school he attended. The school administrator was toozy to advise him since his family had raised him like that. As long as he didn''t do anything against morals, the administrator was more than content. "What are you thinking, how could I possibly use that kind of tactic?" Fang Ren looked at him with disdain. "Yo, yo, yo, the whole school is talking about your pursuit of the ss president. Everyone is calling your method the ''Late Arrival Technique.''" Li Xingwang teased with a wink. Before Fang Ren could react, another boy with a square face and a cultivated air approached them with a smile, saying, "Hey, hey, hey, this is actually true. I heard that recently, in one of the physics sses, a bunch of idiots are using beingte to chase their ss president." "For real?" Fang Ren was shocked. "You think it''s fake? This news is all over the campuswork already." The square-faced boy, Jing Haichuan, often mixed with Li Xingwang and Fang Ren, a close-knit group. Rumor had it that his family owned arge condom manufacturing business. Despite his square face, Jing Haichuan was quite charming and wealthy, attracting a fair number of female students in the school. "Is this the rhythm to fame for me?" Fang Ren said, stunned. "Of course, I heard that a bunch of guys from the Cultivation Academy who have a crush on Liu Qianqian want to ughter you," Li Xingwang said. "Hey, it seems that''s true," Jing Haichuan added. "You guys... really?" Fang Ren said with a pained expression. "Don''t worry, bro, I got your back," Li Xingwang chuckled. "What use are you if you''re not a cultivator?" "Heh, although I''m not one, my family is full of cultivators," Li Xingwang dered. "Bro, you''re epic!" Today''s lesson was an experimental ss, essentially an alchemy lesson. Theory is only useful when put into practice; otherwise, it''s pointless. Fang Ren sat at his own experiment station, utterly unmotivated to pay attention to whatever pill the teacher was instructing them to concoct. All he could think about was how to gather the expensive medicinal ingredients needed to treat Sister Hui Qing''s legs. "What we''ll be attempting today is the Qi Gathering Pill based on the theory provided three years ago by the online master ''Qing''an.'' This pill represents a significant advance over the Qi Gathering Pills from four years ago, and the medicinal ingredients used are both verymon and cheap. It''s hailed by many professionals as one of the most perfect pills in the world, and predicted to remain unrivaled in cost-effectiveness for the next fifty years¡­" At the mention of "Qing''an," Fang Ren slowly raised his head to look at the lectern. Holy crap, isn''t that his forum ount name? Isn''t the pill they were about to concoct the one he theorized when he was eighteen? Hidden talents and fame, unfazed by the world, stay low-key¡ªthat''s the life motto. Fang Ren didn''t look any further, continuing to ponder if he could substitute any of the expensive ingredients in the new pill form. After all, they cost too much, and he couldn''t afford them. Whoosh¡ª An arc sailed through the air,nding urately on Fang Ren''s desk. "Fang Ren!" The teacher on the lectern suddenly burst out in anger, "Daydreaming in my ss again! Look at thest and the second tost students, even they''re paying attention! You''re the only one slouching!" Fang Ren wore a bitter smile. Was he actually expected to pay serious attention to his own inventions? "Stand up! Mention the main ingredients of the new Qi Gathering Pill. If you can name four, you can sit down!" Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The Token Is Broken_1 Liu Qianqian, sitting in the front row, looked on with resignation. Although this guy had a good personality, his academic performance was like a hopeless case of mud that wouldn''t stick to the wall; she guessed he was about to be sent out to stand as a punishment again. Fang Ren, just as he had put his head cover on, stood up with an embarrassed smile and pretended to be deep in thought. Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang, seated in front of him, turned back and silently mouthed various medicinal herb names to him. "This... seems to have Hundred Ghost Grass, Fragrant Orchid, Wooden Fish Root, and..." Fang Ren pretended to hesitate for a long time before saying, "It should be Magnolia." "Hmph, not too shabby, at least you knew to review a bit of what we''re supposed to learn today when you got homest night. Sit down, and pay attention during the ss." The teacher on the podium snorted coldly. Fang Ren sat down with a bitter smile. Studying theories he wrote and still having to pretend they were unfamiliar, who knows what he was feeling right now? It seemed the teacher wasn''t going to let it go and continued, pointing at Fang Ren, "Look at you, you''ve been a dead fish for three years, always the third from the bottom, and that''s never changed. Even if Liu Qianqian has a good rtionship with you, she has to think about her future. If you keep this up, what future can you have? There''s a reason you were rejected, you have to think and strive for improvement." "Oh~" Upon mentioning this, the ssroom erupted into an uproar. Liu Qianqian covered her forehead with one hand, her face flushed. Her situation with Fang Ren had really be known to the entire school, and now even the teachers in ss were talking like this. Though such things shouldn''t be discussed in ss, this was college and the teachers were also quite young, so they didn''t have many scruples about what they said. "Did you hear that, Ranzi? There''s a reason you were rejected," Jing Haichuan turned back and said with a mischievous smile. "Yo, little brother, look, Liu Qianqian is blushing. Maybe you still have a chance," Li Xingwang also showed a teasing expression to him. "Stop it." Fang Ren replied, looking helpless. If it wasn''t for Mu Huanqing, maybe he would have been motivated by the teacher''s casual remark to raise his academic performance and try to pursue Liu Qianqian again. But now it was different. Sister Hui Qing... not only was her personality gentle and she beautiful, but he had also seen herpletely, shared a bed with her for one night, and even this morning''s events were just one step away from... No matter what, he could no longer have any deeper rtionship with Liu Qianqian. It''s best to just be ordinary ssmates, and to avoid bing friends if possible. "What''s up, feeling shy?" Jing Haichuanughed. "No, let''s not bring this up anymore," Fang Ren smiled and spoke. "Little brother, have you resigned yourself?" Li Xingwang was surprised, "Don''t, you and her have been together for three years..." "Alright already, ss is in session, stop causing a fuss," Fang Ren waved his hand dismissively, speaking irritably. Li Xingwang and Jing Haichuan exchanged a nce and began whispering underneath the table. "It''s over, Ranzi really got hurt this time." "Isn''t that obvious? Who would have the face to pursue someone after being rejected twice?" "It''s a pity, they got so close, but in the end, they couldn''t cross that line." ------ Inside the Century Garden Community, Shang Han was pushing Mu Huanqing in a wheelchair, chatting leisurely. "I''m sorry for not giving you the childhood you should have had," Shang Han said, sighing as he smoked. "It''s okay, I don''t envy others," Mu Huanqing replied. "Your mother is also busy with work; I guess she doesn''t have much time to spend with you either." "Yes, but I am not lonely. I have many warriors from Battlefield One to apany me." "Your mother and I just hope that you can let go of the past and stop clinging to the battlefield. It''s not good for a girl like you to be thinking about fighting and killing all the time. It would be much better to live a happy and peaceful life with Ah Ran in the future," Shang Han said. Mu Huanqing looked up at the ck hole in the distant sky and sighed, "With the skyhole unrest, how can there be happiness to speak of?" "Earth isn''t only propped up by you. Humans have survived till today without you for over two hundred years, haven''t they?" Shang Han said. "Without me, many warriors from Battlefield One would have died..." "You''ve done enough. Rest assured, there will be others to take your ce. There are always talented people to carry on the legacy," Shang Han reassured her. "Why does everyone say I''m dead?" Mu Huanqing asked. "It was your mother''s arrangement, because only in this way could you have a stable environment. Otherwise, some officials would still choose to exploit your value," Shang Han exined. "I am willing to contribute to human society." "But your mother and I are not willing. Do you understand?" Shang Han said with a hint of tears in his eyes, "You are our little princess, not a tool for them to drive. You''ve been through so much, we won''t let anyone use you anymore." Mu Huanqing remained silent for a long while, feeling the tenderness from her parents for the first time. "Why is Ah Ran an orphan?" Mu Huanqing asked. Shang Han sighed helplessly, "His parents didn''t want him to suffer, so they made that regrettable choice." "Who are his parents?" "His surname is Fang, what do you think?" "The Tianjiang Fang Family?" "Yeah, an ordinary person with no cultivation ability would be treated as garbage by a big family. Why make him stay there, and why let him know he still has parents? Isn''t he happy with his life now?" Shang Han said. "Ordinary person..." Mu Huanqing suddenly felt somewhat moved inside; some people are just destined to be ordinary, and that''s something helpless. Shang Han frowned and added, "Actually, he was not born an ordinary person." "Then what is he?" Mu Huanqing was very curious. "He could have be someone like you, but his chances were essentially taken away by others," Shang Han said. "Who did it?" "Princess Tianjiang." Mu Huanqing''s expression shifted, visibly affected, "Her? Why..." "For Earth''s sake, he had to be a mortal," Shang Han said sadly. "I don''t understand." "Don''t bother trying to understand. You are just an ordinary person now, don''t concern yourself with those affairs. All you need to know is that, if he had grown up normally, he wouldn''t be any less than you. There''d be no gap between you two." "I have never seen anyone as less than me." "You''re a good kid." ... When she returned to the small vi, Shang Han had some business to deal with at thepany, so he temporarily left Mu Huanqing upstairs and bought her a cellphone, saving his and Fang Ren''s phone numbers in it. Her father was more considerate. He even linked a bank card to her phone, after all, the living expenses Fang Ren received each month were quite limited, certainly not enough to go shopping with her. Alone in Fang Ren''s room, wheeling herself around in the wheelchair, Mu Huanqing curiously read through Fang Ren''s alchemy materials. She had only skimmed through them briefly, but she at least had some exposure and understood a little. All the pill recipes Fang Ren had recorded were ones she had never seen before. Some of thebined ingredients were clearly conflicting, yet they were deliberately put together. Mu Huanqing couldn''t help but wonder, could he truly do alchemy? Rifling through the drawers, Mu Huanqing continued to explore Fang Ren''s little room¡ªno, more urately, her and Fang Ren''s little room. Opening a drawer, she found arge iron box inside. Curious, she took it out and opened it, but the moment she did, her face froze. The box wasrge, and inside it was full of pills: energy gathering pills, new energy gathering pills, essence-blood pills, muscle-changing pills... There were many pills, even including more than a dozen mixed yuan pills, which were even scarce in Battlefield One! Among them were many pills she had never seen before. Looking at all these high-quality pills, she couldn''t help but feel puzzled; he clearly didn''t even understand the most basic knowledge about some herbs, so why were there so many finished products in the drawer? Setting aside the box, Mu Huanqing curiously went to the bedside and took out the "Items of Devotion" Shang Han had given to both of them from under the pillow. But just as she lifted the pillow, her brow furrowed tightly. The Items of Devotion had been squashed t! Mu Huanqing suddenly felt mncholic, as these items held significant importance in her mind¡ªwasn''t this damage indicative of a spoiled rtionship? No, she had to buy another one. She couldn''t possibly continue to treat a damaged item as a token of affection. With that thought, she wheeled herself downstairs, carefully grasping the handrails as she navigated each step. After basking in the morning sun, she finally felt some strength return, enough to at least wheel herself down the stairs with the help of the handrails. Crack¡ª Just as she finished descending the stairs, she wasn''t careful and bumped her forehead against the handrail, resulting in a slight bump. However, this minor injury was nothing; what she had suffered on the battlefield was thousands of times worse. She wheeled out of themunity, holding the "Item of Devotion" in her hand, asking an aunt nearby where she could buy such a thing. The aunt next to her gave her directions with a strange yet kind smile. Afterwards, she arrived at a ce called something like an adult store, and looking at various items on disy, Mu Huanqing''s curiosity was piqued. Initially, she thought it was just a lingerie shop; then, she thought it might be a toy store. After a long look, she realized it was a doll shop. The owner was a man. When Mu Huanqing asked if he had the same kind of item as she held, even though he was smiling, she felt his smile was disgusting. Since there were many varieties of that item, she chose to buy three different boxes. She wasn''t sure which "Item of Devotion" Ah Ran would prefer, so it was better to let him decide which one to keep. After paying, the shop owner kept trying to chat with her. Mu Huanqing was annoyed and ignored him as she made for the exit. But the shop owner was persistent, actually grabbing her wheelchair to prevent her from leaving. She was furious and shot him a hostile nce. Afterward, he looked scared, and Mu Huanqing wheeled herself out. After leaving, shemented inwardly that not all ordinary people were as nice as Ah Ran. As for the shop owner, he was still standing there, stunned, shaking, and muttering to himself, "Damn... I just felt like I was almost killed... Who is that woman?" Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The Incident in the Canteen_1 After leaving the shop, Mu Huanqing made her way towards Fang Renran''s school. Since she didn''t know where the school was, she ended up asking many aunties along the way. "Youngdy, you should keep items like these stored away. Don''t let other people see them," said an auntie who was sweeping the streets, pointing at the three boxes of "Items of Devotion" in Mu Huanqing''s arms after she asked for directions. Mu Huanqing stared nkly at the items in her embrace and nodded, realizing for the first time that the "Items of Devotion" were not meant to be shown to just anyone. No wonder Ah Ran couldn''t bring himself to open them. The journey to the school was a long one. Thankfully, Mu Huanqing''s wheelchair was electric. If she had to roll herself there, with her current frail constitution, she surely would not have made it even by the end of the day. Moreover, it was extremely hot outside, and she could very well suffer from heatstroke. ------ In the university cafeteria, Fang Renran, Jing Haichuan, and Li Xingwang were sitting together having a meal. Fang Renran had a frown on his face the entire time, racking his brain for ways to gather all the expensive medicinal ingredients. "What''s wrong, Ranzi? You''ve been down all day. Did something hit you that hard?" Jing Haichuan noticed his mood and asked. "Ah?" Fang Renran came back to his senses and thought for a moment before saying, "Haichuan, I want to ask you for a favor." "What, have you finally realized that your methods of chasing after girls are wrong?" Jing Haichuan said. "No, I need you to help me buy some medicinal herbs. As for the money, I might need some time to pay you back," Fang Renran said. "I thought it had something to do with Liu Qianqian. Turns out you''re still fixated on your lousy elixir," Jing Haichuan said with a helpless expression. "Stop joking, this is really important," Fang Renran insisted. "Alright, tell me what herbs you need, and I''ll see what I can do," said Jing Haichuan. Fang Renran handed over a list he had prepared the previous night. Jing Haichuan took it, nced at it, and his eyes popped. "Oh my God!" Jing Haichuan looked at Fang Renran, stunned: "Do you have any idea how many condoms my family''spany would have to sell to get all these ingredients for you?" Fang Renran, looking helpless, said, "Helping me with one or two of them would be enough." Li Xingwang also leaned over to look and was equally shocked: "Holy moly, these ingredients! Are you trying to make Heavenly Steel Elixir? That''s something only masters have a chance of seeding at. What are you fooling around with?" "It''s not Heavenly Steel Elixir. It''s just a little elixir recipe I thought of," Fang Renran said, scratching his head with augh. Jing Haichuan shouted, "You''ve really thought up something big now, haven''t you? My family would lose tens of thousands of condom boxes because of you! Do you know how many unexpected pregnancies this could cause? Do you have any idea how many lives could be lost because of abortions? Can you live with yourself?" "Enough, I won''t ask you to buy them then," Fang Renran was speechless; this guy would link anything back to his family''s condom production and then escte it to some grand moral issue about killing a life. Upon hearing that, Jing Haichuan got angry: "Am I the kind of person who wouldn''t help his brothers when they ask? What''s that saying, risk your life for your brothers, why should I care about others getting abortions? Isn''t this just a bit of money? I wouldn''t blink an eye before dishing it out for you... a little bit, a little bit." "You getting me one type would be fine too," Fang Renran said. Li Xingwang, ncing at the list of herbs, said, "Hey, I might be able to help you get Dragon Bone Grass and Fairy Flower. I remember my old man''s got a bit stashed in his backyard. I''ll get it for you." "Are you going to steal them?" Fang Renran was taken aback, "Won''t your old mane after me with a gang of thugs?" "No big deal. I''ve broken enough of his collectibles when I was a kid," said Li Xingwang. "Tsk tsk, since Wang Ge is offering two, how could I, the numero uno yboy of the condom world, do any less?" Jing Haichuan said. "Alright, here''s what I''ll do, I''ll get those two Sponge Root for you. But are you really just messing around with this stuff? You normally don''t bother us for anything, so why ask us over such a trivial matter?" "It''s definitely not just messing around. I''ll tell you guys when I get results," Fang Renran assured them. "Fine, my Alchemy Master, I hope you actuallye up with something. Otherwise, there goes half a year''s spending money for me," said Jing Haichuan. "..." Fang Renran suddenly felt speechless again. Sure enough, the city''s number one condom prince wasn''t called that for nothing¡ªif half a year''s pocket money was that much... p¡ª Just as the three were having a lively conversation, a hand suddenly pped down on a nearby table. Fang Renran turned his head to see two male students in the white specialized uniform of the Cultivation System staring at them with cold faces. "You''re Fang Renran, right?" the guy who pped the table spoke with disdain. "Dammit, what the hell are you pping for!" Li Xingwang, who grew up in an underworld family, was instantly furious when he heard the p. Li Xingwang also stood up, anger in his eyes as he stared down the other party. He casually flicked his red hair and said with contempt, "You must be Wang Shuai from the Cultivation System, huh? Why don''t I ever see you guys daring to mess with me normally? Huh? You target the weak and fear the strong. Go back where you came from and don''t bother me!" The two loud ps on the table instantly drew the attention of many students around. They stopped using their chopsticks and watched the drama unfold with great interest. "Li Xingwang, what''s it to you?" Wang Shuai said through gritted teeth, ring at the other guy. And honestly, Li Xingwang was not someone he could easily mess with; while he might be a Cultivator, Li Xingwang''s entire criminal aristocratic family had no shortage of people in that area. "It''s disturbing my meal," Li Xingwang said angrily. Wang Shuai let out a coldugh and ignored him, turning his head to Fang Ren and saying, "You better stay away from Liu Qianqian, kid. If I catch you bothering her again, be careful on your way home from school. It''d be a pity if you ended up missing an arm or breaking a leg one day, and I won''t be involved." "My goodness, my temper!" Jing Haichuan, on the side, was so angry that he threw the two chopsticks he was holding straight at Wang Shuai across the table. Unfortunately, since the target was a Cultivator, he easily dodged them. "What''s it going to be, boy, are you nning on using Jing''s condoms in the future? Let me tell you, if you buy condoms, every single one from Jing''s will have holes poked in it! If you don''t want to use locally sold condoms, then get them from out of town!" Jing Haichuan said with a dead serious face. The scene, which had been on edge, was immediately filled withughter at hisment, echoing throughout the cafeteria. "Oh my God, Mr. Jing is awesome. Don''t offend this guy at school or you''ll end up with condoms filled with holes," someone said. "Hahaha... I''m dying ofughter. Wang Shuai has been put on the condom cklist!" "Damn, after Mr. Jing''sment, who would dare to be Wang Shuai''s girlfriend? Having to order condoms from out of town, hahaha, that''s so wicked." ... "What''s going on over there?" Liu Qianqian had just walked into the cafeteria with Li Xinyue and saw the entire ce bursting with students''ughter. "Hey, Qian Qian, isn''t that Fang Ren with those two richds from our ss? And there''s Wang Shuai and Li Yang from the Cultivation System," Li Xinyue noted after a quick nce. "Let''s go take a look." As soon as she heard the names, Liu Qianqian instantly furrowed her brows; Wang Shuai was her recent admirer, while Fang Ren was her best friend... or should still be her friend, at least. "Just remember this, they can only protect you for so long," Wang Shuai said viciously to Fang Ren before starting to leave. Fang Ren put down his chopsticks, turned around, and pierced the other with a direct stare from his ck eyes, saying, "First, Liu Qianqian would never like someone like you. And second, whether I stay away from her or not is my business; your few words are hardly threatening." "Heh, let''s hope you''re still this tough when you get into trouble," Wang Shuai said, turning his head back with a coldugh. "Damn it, want to bet I can break your leg tonight?" Li Xingwang said as he too threw chopsticks from the table. But a Cultivator is a Cultivator; a mere attack from an ordinary person can be evaded with a simple side-step. "Stop!" At the sound of a pleasing voice, Liu Qianqian rushed over with Li Xinyue in tow. "Look who''s decided to show up," Li Xingwang frowned. Now that the ss president had arrived, there was no point in causing a scene. Upon seeing Liu Qianqian, Wang Shuai''s face immediately brightened into a Spring breeze smile. He said, "Qian Qian, I don''t know why you would want to be friends for so long with a boy whose grades are terrible, family is average, and looks are nothing special. But you should see clearly now, this guy is just like a toad lusting after a swan''s flesh. If he bothers you again, just let me know directly." Liu Qianqian sternly replied, "Wang Shuai, my personal life is none of your concern. Besides, if you start conflicts in school, I have the right to deduct points from your ss and assign you a written reflection to hand over to your homeroom teacher." "Hey, hey, Qian Qian, why am I the one who started conflicts?" Wang Shuaiughed: "Everyone saw that it was Li Xingwang and Jing Haichuan who threw chopsticks at me. I didn''t even fight back." "The two of you write a reflection as well," Liu Qianqian told Li and Jing, visibly upset. "Sure, sure, we''ll write it," Li Xingwang said, reluctantly sitting back down. "ss president, don''t be biased," Jing Haichuan said with a wry smile on his face. "Don''t call me ss president. As the vice president, I won''t show favoritism to anyone," Liu Qianqian said with a frown. Buzz, buzz, buzz¡ª Fang Ren was about to say something when his cell phone in his pocket began to vibrate. Uncle Han usually didn''t call him, and his close friends were all nearby¡ªso who could it be? He took out his phone and saw an unfamiliar number, then casually swiped to answer. "Ah Ran, where are you? I can''t find you." As soon as he answered, he heard a familiar voice from the phone. "Sister Hui Qing... you''re at the school?" In that moment, the minor annoyance Fang Ren had felt from Wang Shuai evaporated, reced by the image of a beautiful and graceful figure in his mind. "Yes, I bought three things and wanted to ask which one you like." "Where are you? I''lle to you." "I''m at... just outside the cafeteria entrance. Lots of students are heading this way, so I think you might be inside." "I''lle find you now." Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Which One to Use After All?_1 "I''ll be out for a bit." As soon as Fang Ren hung up the phone, he ran straight towards the canteen''s exit,pletely enchanted by Sister Hui Qing''s tender voice. "Ha, even he thinks he''s made a fool of himself, just took off running." Wang Shuai said mockingly. "Didn''t you hear him say he''s going to pick someone up? Are you deaf or something?" Li Xingwang''s fiery temper red up instantly. Jing Haichuan chimed in immediately, "Keep yapping, and I''ll make sure you won''t be able to use your condoms back home." With his remark,ughter erupted once more in the cafeteria, while Liu Qianqian turned red with embarrassment. These boys were always talking about condoms without the slightest shame! "Come on, I''ll wait a few minutes for him. Let''s see if he dares toe back." Wang Shuai said nonchntly as he settled into a nearby chair, his face filled with disdain. "Keep stirring up trouble and I''ll report you to your head teacher right now," said Liu Qianqian, looking at Wang Shuai. "Qian Qian, I''m just trying to show you what that guy is really like. Just a spineless good-for-nothing. He''s not worth another word from you," Wang Shuai continued. ... At the entrance of the cafeteria, Mu Huanqing, seated in a wheelchair, guarded three boxes of "Items of Devotion" with her hands, her beautiful eyes sweeping around. Passing boys couldn''t help but take a few extra nces at her face, with many wanting to approach her to offer help, as she looked so delicate in her wheelchair. "Which department''s beauty is this? Howe we''ve never seen her before?" "Damn, how would I know? She''s got even more ss than Liu Qianqian. If I could be her boyfriend..." "What immortal beauty! I can''t miss this chance! Guys, I''m charging in first, do as you please." "Stop, stop, stop! Bro! Don''t forget you have a girlfriend! Justst night you were telling that little girl that you''d love her for ten thousand years!" As the crowd whispered among themselves, several courageous boys began to jog towards Mu Huanqing, but before they''d gone far, they suddenly saw the beauty in the wheelchair waving towards someone in the distance. When the crowd turned to look, they saw a boy with a joyful smile on his face and waving his hand, running quickly towards her. Seeing this, the boys who''d been about to approach her suddenly gave up on the idea. She had a boyfriend already, so why cause a fuss? "Sister Hui Qing, why did you suddenlye here?" Fang Ren squatted in front of her, smiling, "Did that grouchy old man not make you lunch? Eat with me first, and I''ll give him a beating when I go back." "No, I came out here on my own very early," Mu Huanqing couldn''t help but smile when she saw him. "Haven''t had lunch yet?" "Not yet." "Let''s go, I''ll take you to eat here." With that, Fang Ren circled to her back and started pushing her into the cafeteria. Feeling the envious, jealous, and resentful stares all around him, Fang Ren couldn''t deny that he felt quite proud at that moment, satisfying a small vein of vanity. He usually kept such a low profile, let him be high profile about this at least. As for the school conflicts, he didn''t think they could affect Sister Hui Qing. After all, Uncle Han''s previous position was as a high-ranking Earth official, and if such a small matter couldn''t be settled, then he''d truly be a good-for-nothing old man. Fang Ren pushed her into the cafeteria, chatting with her,pletely ignoring Wang Shuai over there. As Fang Ren entered the cafeteria, the onlookers immediately turned their heads back, but no one expected that upon turning around, their chopsticks would fall on the table and they''d forget to swallow their food. The air suddenly grew much quieter, almost as if one could hear the sound of petrification. "Who is this girl? Who is she! What immortal beauty... what the hell kind of immortal beauty is this?! That''s just unfair! Referee!" "Damn it! It''s the feeling of being smitten..." "Mommy! I saw a fairy!" "No wonder! If I had such a top-notch beauty waiting for me, even if someone punched me, I wouldn''t hit back and would rush out instead." "What''s the rtionship between these two? Isn''t this kid chasing Liu Qianqian? Where did this goddess spring from?" Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang were also stunned, even going so far as to rub their eyes with their own "pig''s trotters" to make sure they weren''t seeing things. "I''ll be damned, this kid..." "I was wondering why this kid was sulking today. Turns out he was troubled with choosing!" Wang Shuai was even more shocked. Fang Ren really went out to pick someone up and brought back such an indescribable goddess. "Shall I introduce you to my two friends?" Fang Ren asked her, looking down. "Sure." Mu Huanqing nodded, her hands still tightly clutched around the "Items of Devotion." As he pushed Mu Huanqing towards the dining table, Li Xingwang and Jing Haichuan gave Wang Shuai a look of smug satisfaction, while Wang Shuai bit his lip and let out a cold sneer. Meanwhile, Liu Qianqian was somewhat stunned as she watched Fang Ren, feeling suddenlyplicated within. He''d moved on so quickly...? Li Xinyue, Liu Qianqian''s close friend, frowned even more. As far as she was concerned, any guy who gave up on a girl so quickly and switched affections was beneath her contempt. "Is this... your younger sister?" Li Xingwang immediately hopped to Fang Ren''s side, poking his waist with a finger and grinning mischievously. "Brother, need a condom? I''ve got free ones," Jing Haichuan said to him with a lewd gesture. "Stop it," Fang Ren suddenly felt like punching this condom seller to death. Why couldn''t he speak more euphemistically? Seeing this, Wang Shuai immediately straightened his cor, stepped forward with a smile, and said to Mu Hui, "Miss, I advise you to interact less with this person. He just started pursuing that girl not long ago and is now making moves on you. He''spletely a phnderer; don''t believe his nonsense." "Where the hell do you get off spouting so much crap! Looking for a smack?" Li Xingwang blurted out angrily. Mu Hui nced at Wang Shuai, then at Liu Qianqian beside her, and finally turned her gaze to Fang Ren, "Who is he?" "No idea, just some fool who suddenly showed up to cause trouble," Fang Ren said with augh. "Oh." Mu Hui nodded, ignored Wang Shuai, looked at Liu Qianqian, and continued, "Then who is she?" Fang Ren awkwardly bit his lip and chuckled, "The one I failed to confess to." "Oh." Mu Hui nodded again, paying no mind to Liu Qianqian: "Aren''t you taking me out to eat?" "Yeah, you wait here, I''ll go buy for you." Fang Ren said, also ignoring Wang Shuai, ready to head to the dining area. "By the way, Ah Ran, our stuff is broken," Mu Hui suddenly spoke up, frowning slightly. Fang Ren suddenly turned back, seeing the faint furrow in her brows, and felt as if she was saying, "Ah Ran, our child is sick," with such a heart-wrenching tone. "What stuff?" asked Fang Ren. Wang Shuai, seeing that Mu Hui was ignoring him, couldn''t hold back and interjected, "Miss, please take my advice. This person is not as good as he appears on the surface. He''s just unprincipled and only knows how to sweet-talk..." Mu Hui wasn''t about to pay him any mind. Ah Ran said he was a fool, so treat him as one. She carefully cradled the "Items of Devotion" in one hand, while her other hand pulled out the crushed condom from the pocket of her skirt from the night before. "It''s this," Mu Hui said with a pained expression. "Gah!?" Upon seeing the object, Fang Ren was utterly stunned, and all the hairs on his body stood on end. Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang immediately took a step back, unintentionally hugging each other, looking incredulously at Fang Ren. They hadn''t expected the usually unremarkable Ranzi to have already done the deed with this beauty! Wang Shuai, who was in the middle of ndering Fang Ren, was abruptly rendered speechless, nearly biting off his own tongue. Whoosh¡ª The appearance of the condom caused amotion in the crowd. "Holy shit! Is Fang Ren a beast? Making the girl go buy condoms!" "Worse than a beast! He''s chasing the campus belle while banging a girl even prettier than her on the side!" "Ah! How could that be possible? How could there be someone so shameless!" "Don''t hold me back! I''m going to kill him!" "Dude! Hey, dude! Stay calm! Your sister-inw is right behind you, careful she doesn''t give you her 280-pound body massage!" "Damn it! Wife... I''m sorry..." "What''s wrong?" Mu Hui, seeing Fang Ren standing there stunned, thought he might be upset, so she immediately took out three more boxes of "Items of Devotion" she had bought and said, "It''s okay, I bought three more boxes. Look, which one do you like? We''ll just use that one." Her words were so innocent, but to the ears of the audience, it sounded like she was seductively asking Fang Ren, "Which one shall we use tonight?" "Heavens!" "Earth!" "Mommy!" "Beast!" "Are they even human? Showing off love in school is enough! And now they''re unting condoms at school!" Fang Ren immediately snatched the four boxes of condoms from Mu Hui''s hand and stuffed them into his pocket, a look of embarrassment on his face, as he pushed Mu Hui and ran outside. Internally, he was screaming, I shouldn''t have lied to herst night! "Showing off and then running away?" "Damn it! Guys, grab your weapons! I can''t stand others having prettier girlfriends than mine!" "Dude! Calm down! Your sister-inw is untouchable! No one surpasses her in this world!" Fang Ren swiftly pushed Mu Hui and escaped the dining hall, as that was no ce to stay any longer; if they stayed, where could he ever ce his old face again? Meanwhile, inside the dining hall, Li Xingwang and Jing Haichuan were hugging each other, with tears in their eyes, saying: "Ranzi... he has finally grown up!" "He''s finally... taken that step!" As they spoke, the two hugged each other tightly, nearly bursting into tears, as though Fang Ren had just died on the spot. Liu Qianqian turned on her heel without a word and left, not saying another sentence, followed by Li Xinyue. "Qian Qian, you should see through him for who he is now, right?" Seeing his initial target unresponsive, Wang Shuai immediately shifted his focus back to Liu Qianqian. "Hey Qian Qian, wait for me, I''m the one who truly likes you sincerely!" "Wang Shuai, please stop bothering me," Liu Qianqian said. Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Not Understanding Love_1 ``` In the university campus, Fang Ren pushed the wheelchair like a whirlwind, dashing out of the cafeteria for more than three hundred meters. "Ah Ran, why are we running?" Mu Huanqing asked, looking back in confusion. "Well... Sister Hui Qing, actually these things..." Fang Ren scratched his head with a wry smile and said, "They''re not items of devotion, but... a form of contraception." "What does ''contraception'' mean?" "It''s... something to prevent a woman from getting pregnant." "Why prevent pregnancy? How can you have children if you don''t get pregnant?" Mu Huanqing was even more puzzled, her beautiful eyes looking at Fang Ren, though they revealed innocence. "This... It''s not so good to have children before we''re married," Fang Ren said. "Isn''t it said that pregnancysts ten months? Even if I got pregnant now, it would be after we get married that I''d give birth, right?" "..." Fang Ren paused for a long while and then chuckled dryly, "But I''m still in school. If Sister Hui Qing delivers a baby, I won''t be able to take care of both of you." "That makes sense, then let''s wait until Ah Ran graduates before we have a child," Mu Huanqing nodded earnestly and looked at Fang Ren, saying, "But Ah Ran, you lied to me." Fang Ren squatted in front of her wheelchair, apologized with a smile, "I''m sorry, I just didn''t want Sister Hui Qing to be exposed to those things too early. Since we''ve only just met, it would be too hasty for Sister Hui Qing." "Since marriage involves both of us, why didn''t you ask for my opinion on this matter?" Mu Huanqing looked at him and said. "This..." "Perhaps I don''t think these things are hasty?" Mu Huanqing said. After listening, Fang Ren could only smile helplessly and said, "Alright, it''s my fault. I should have discussed it with Sister Hui Qing." "Mhm, I forgive Ah Ran," Mu Huanqing nodded. "Wait a second." The moment Mu Huanqing nodded, her forehead exposed a small bump with a tiny wound where she bumped it on her way out. "What happened to your forehead?" Fang Ren lifted her silver hair, asking with concern. "I wasn''t paying attention when I was going down the stairs and bumped into something," Mu Huanqing said. "How could you be so careless." As he spoke, Fang Ren took out a white box from his school uniform, from which he retrieved a small pill and a band-aid. "Why do you carry these things with you?" "I''m studying medicine, of course, I carry these things. Come on, Sister Hui Qing, tilt your head back, let me put medicine on it," he said. "Okay." Mu Huanqing tilted her head slightly back, and her waterfall-like silver hair fell smoothly down. Her originally wless face looked endearing with the small bump. Fang Ren first crushed the small pill and then moved behind her, bending down to sprinkle the powder on the wound before applying the band-aid. With him looking down and her looking up, their eyes met, and Fang Ren felt a ripple in his heart. He couldn''t resist bending down and kissed the bump on her forehead, smiling as he said, "Don''t run around without me next time." After speaking, he also ruffled her soft silver hair as if doting on a child. Thump, thump¡ª Mu Huanqing immediately turned her head back, not looking at him. She stared nkly at her skirt hem, her beautiful eyes reflecting surprise and confusion. In that instant just now, she felt her heart suddenly pounding, her whole body tingling. If she hadn''t averted her gaze so quickly, the feeling would have been so intense it could have taken her breath away... "What''s wrong, Sister Hui Qing?" Fang Ren paused briefly, feeling a sense of loss in his tone as she avoided him so swiftly. "Nothing, it''s just... I don''t really like that feeling," Mu Huanqing put a hand on her chest, breathing a little rapidly. She hadn''t felt this way when Fang Ren did those things to her in the morning, so why now, with a simple touch on her head and a kiss on her wound, did it feel like she was suffocating? "Okay then... I might have misunderstood again." Fang Ren smiled bitterly. Back when he was with Liu Qianqian, he thought that their daily closeness, holding hands while walking, and her jokes all indicated she liked him... He had not expected theplete opposite. Now, presumably, it was the same with Mu Huanqing. The reason she said nothing in bed was that her mother had instructed her to bepliant, and what she was saying now must be her true feelings... Right, it was just a day or so of being together, how could one suddenly fall in love with someone. Especially this morning, when he kissed her, her face didn''t turn red, her heart didn''t race, it didn''t seem at all like she liked him. "Let''s go eat," Fang Ren said and started pushing her towards the school''s exit. Mu Huanqing''s gaze remainedplex as she looked at her skirt hem, slightly bowing her head. The feeling... She just couldn''t shake it off in her heart. It felt just like facing imminent death on the battlefield... That''s how she viewed it. ... When they reached the school gate, Fang Ren touched his waist pack, realizing it was near the end of the month, he could only take Mu Huanqing to the familiar cold noodle restaurant. "Kid, haven''t seen you here for several days," the uncle in the white tank top greeted him warmly as they approached the food stall. Fang Ren smiled, "Boss, two servings as usual." This ce was somewhere he and Liu Qianqian used toe to often. Since he confessed his feelings to Liu Qianqian, they had nevere here together again, and since then, he had always eaten in the cafeteria with Li Xingwang and Jing Haichuan. "Is this your girlfriend?" the owner asked. "Yeah, my girlfriend," Fang Ren nodded. "What about that young girl?" "We had a bit of a disagreement," Fang Ren said with a smile. "Oh, I see. It''s probably because you got a girlfriend now, and she feels like she can''t intrude on you two," the owner said with a look of sympathy and a sigh. When Liu Qianqian and Fang Ren first came here, he had said they were well-matched. Yet, both of them insisted they were just friends, and this continued for three years. It seemed that in the end, their story wasn''t perfect. "You''re overthinking it, boss." Fang Ren sat down with Mu Huanqing, and soon the owner brought over two servings of cold noodles. Fang Ren handed Mu Huanqing a pair of chopsticks. She reached out to take them, and then Fang Ren started eating with a somewhat downcast mood. Mu Huanqing watched him the whole time. He showed the same forlorn expression as the previous night; even though there was a hint of a smile on his face, she always felt he was not happy. "Is it because I''m getting in the way..." Mu Huanqing ventured softly. Fang Ren nced at her and chuckled, "No, I told you I don''t like her anymore." "But you don''t seem happy..." "You''re overthinking it." Fang Ren returned her remark with a smile, inwardly sighing at how clueless she was about such matters when clearly it was because of her that he was feeling this way. "Maybe I am overthinking it." After saying that, Mu Huanqing also lowered her head to eat. ¡­ After the meal, Fang Ren, notfortable with her going home alone, pushed her wheelchair all the way to her house. Only after he had ced the four boxes of condoms in the drawer did he leave for school. The time spent on the journey meant he was bound to bete for ss again in the afternoon. He had told Liu Qianqian that morning that he wouldn''t bother her, but as it turned out, it couldn''t be helped. When Fang Ren returned to the ssroom, Liu Qianqian wasn''t blocking his way at the door. Instead, she was seated in ss, paying attention to the lecture. Seeing this, Fang Ren didn''t give it much thought; not being intercepted by her slightly lessened the awkwardness. He sneaked in through the back door while hunched over and quickly sat down next to Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang. "Damn! What were you doing with that gorgeous girl!" Jing Haichuan said, grabbing hold of him in an interrogative manner as soon as Fang Ren arrived. "What could I be doing? I just took her home," Fang Ren replied. "Damn it... You two aren''t living together already, are you!" Li Xingwang said jealously, pinching Fang Ren''s waist. Their voices were quiet, and the ssroom wasn''t very silent, so the teacher on the podium didn''t pay much attention. Fang Ren gasped as he was pinched, pped away Li''s hand, and dered firmly, "So what if we live together? I''m getting married to her on May 20th!" No sooner had he spoken these words than Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang froze, their bodies stiffening in shock. "What''s wrong..." Fang Ren, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, looked at their stunned faces. Bang¡ª All of a sudden, Jing and Li leaped from their seats, knocking over the desk in front of them. "Getting married?!" Their voices erupted, attracting the attention of the entire ssroom. Now it was Fang Ren''s turn to be stunned; these were some pig-headed teammates ¨C he had just sneaked in... "Are you two trying to revolt?!" Teacher Huang bellowed from the podium, mming the desk so hard he nearly leaped into the air, his sses nearly shaking off his face. "Fang Ren! And you two! Get out the same way you rolled in here! All of you, out!" Teacher Huang''s hand sent three arcing trajectories hurtling toward Fang, Li, and Jing. Seeing this, the three no longer dared to linger and leaped out of their seats, running outside. Laughter filled the ssroom as Teacher Huang''s chest heaved with indignation, and he cursed inwardly: This is the worst ss I''ve ever taught! Liu Qianqian, seated in the front row, looked back at the three of them, but no smile appeared on her face. Getting married... Who was getting married? "Qian Qian, he really is a womanizer." Li Xinyue immediately leaned close to Liu Qianqian, anger on her face. "He hasn''t chased you for long, and now, in such a short time, he''s going to marry another woman! What a jerk, it''s good that you didn''t ept him before, right?" "He''s not really a jerk; after all, it was me who rejected him first," Liu Qianqian forced a smile onto her face and replied. Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Jian Qier Millennium Countdown (One More)_1 Li Xinyue looked at Liu Qianqian''s expression and suddenly frowned, saying, "Qian Qian, your smile seems... a bit bitter." "Ah... really?" Liu Qianqianughed and said. Li Xinyue''s frown deepened, and after a few seconds, as if she suddenly thought of something, she eximed with shock on her face, "Qian Qian! You couldn''t be secretly enjoying rejecting him, could you!" "What are you talking about!" Liu Qianqian immediately panicked, her gaze darting away as she said, "How could I possibly do such a boring thing." "ying hard to get, huh! Are you doing this to let him know you''re not that easy to win over...?" Liu Qianqian, very annoyed, said, "Stop it, stop it, where are you even going with this!" Teacher Huang on the podium looked at Liu Qianqian, who was sitting right in front of him, and turned to stone at a visibly rapid pace, feeling even the best students in ss had no respect for him... In an instant, he felt more certain and yet more disheartened¡ªthis was definitely the worst ss he had ever taught! No contest! ... "You better make it clear, is this marriage thing real or not!" Just as they reached the ssroom door, Li and Jing immediately pressed Fang Ren for an answer. "I''m not sick, why would I lie to you guys?" Fang Ren said with a frown. "Holy shit, it''s only fourteen days until May 20, and you''re moving this fast?" "Hey hey hey, tell us, where did you meet this great beauty?" Fang Ren shrugged helplessly and said, "You might not believe it if I tell you, but it''s all because of a blind date, ridiculously clich¨¦." "Just spill it." Fang Ren continued, "You guys know about my Uncle Han, the only elder I have in my family, that too not rted by blood. That great beauty you two keep talking about, the one from my blind date, do you know what her rtion is to Uncle Han?" "Keep going! No questions, just tell us." "She''s Uncle Han''s biological daughter, his own flesh and blood!" "Ha!?" Li and Jing were suddenly stunned. "Holy fuck, there''s actually such good luck?" "No way! I need to go find an uncle too!" "Quit messing around, who knows how things will turn out," Fang Ren said. "Hey, what happened to her leg?" Jing Haichuan asked. "I asked you guys to help me find medicinal ingredients because I want to treat her leg," Fang Ren said. "Why bother making your own pills? Wouldn''t it be easier to find a more skilled alchemist and just buy their elixirs?" "Do you think I''m stupid? If there were really an elixir in the world that could treat her leg, why the hell would I bother making my own?" "Damn, you''ve never ranked higher than the third from thest in your theory exams, and now you suddenly want to do alchemy? That''s too far-fetched..." "How will I know if I don''t try?" Fang Ren said. "Sigh, forget it, I''ll think of a way to help you with the medicinal ingredients. I should be able to get them for you within a couple of days," Jing Haichuan said with a pained expression. "For real?" "Dammit, I''m known as the number one safety kid in the whole city; when have I ever not kept my word?" "Don''t be too disappointed if it doesn''t work out. Maybe someday in the future, there''ll be a medicine that can treat her," Li Xingwang also said. This afternoon there was still ab ss that required partners to team up and perform an experiment freely. The requirement was to create a new type of spirit-gathering pill that didn''t focus on effectiveness but met the standards for color, shape, aura, and taste. In the past, when there were such experiments, Fang Ren would usually team up with Liu Qianqian. There was no helping it; given their current awkward rtionship, it would be better not to pair up. Liu Qianqian was with Li Xinyue, and Jing Haichuan with Li Xingwang, which left him in a bit of a bind. With no other choice, he had to randomly find a group. They were all ssmates, after all, not expecting much from a simple experiment¡ªas long as they couldplete it together. "Fang, Fang, Fang ssmate... um, let''s be in the same group, shall we?" Just as Fang Ren was looking around to see if there were any other students without partners, a voice from behind reached his ears. He turned around to see a girl wearing old-fashioned sses, looking down with her hands nervously clutching her skirt, her figure somewhat overly slender, stuttering as she spoke to him. The girl''s name was Jian Qi''er, who also frequently skipped sses and arrivedte. She was extremely shy, which coupled with her tardiness, meant she didn''t have many friends in ss and was hardly noticeable. There weren''t many people in school Fang Ren admired, but Jian Qi''er was among the few. He could always count on being the third from the bottom in theory exams, and he thought he was odd enough, but Jian Qi''er outdid him by far. Despite his attempts to keep a low profile in exams, answering all the major questions wrong and randomly guessing multiple-choice questions, he could never score lower than her. Thest ce in the ss always belonged to Jian Qi''er, and to this day, no one had been able to take it from her. "Alright, I''lle over to your side." Fang Ren then picked up the medicinal materials from his desk and moved to sit next to Jian Qi''er. Actually, everyone was given a sufficient amount of medicinal materials, but they formed teams for the purpose of exchanging ideas to minimize detail errors, and also because two sets of materials meant two chances. "Um, I, I''m not very good at these things, please be patient with me." Jian Qi''er saw him sitting beside her, her face blushing slightly as she lowered her head and spoke. "No worries, I at least know a bit." Fang Ren didn''t look at her much, he just took the small furnace from the side, ced it between them, and used a lighter to ignite the fuel at the bottom. Then, he began to pour water into the small furnace. Seeing this, Jian Qi''er immediately said, "Can, can I help with anything?" "Oh, just help me control the fire," said Fang Ren as he began putting several medicinal ingredients into the small furnace. Teacher Huang on the podium was inspecting the situation of each group in the ssroom. When he came to the group of Fang Ren and Jian Qi''er, he froze. The perennial thirdst and the perennialst teaming up? Expecting these two to do alchemy? What a joke! Seeing him standing there stupefied, Fang Ren had a feeling he might explode in anger, so he quickly pretended to be serious and continued with the experiment. ck ck¡ª Teacher Huang''s teaching rod tapped on the desk, his face changing from a dumbstruck expression to one of anger mixed with resignation: "Are you two trying to reach the heavens? Eh? Aren''t you going to blow up my ssroom if you pair up? Couldn''t you find some ssmates with good grades to team up with?" "Teacher, that..." "Stop!" Teacher Huang looked at Jian Qi''er with a mix of disappointment and exasperation. He earnestly said, "Jian Qi''er, oh Jian Qi''er, Fang Ren has nothing but beauties in his head. It''s fine if he teams up carelessly because he''s bad at studying, but why don''t you try to improve? What''s this, a feeble alliance conspiring to set a new record low score?" Jian Qi''er''s face was flushed with panic as she bent her head and earnestly said, "Re, report, Teacher, we''re not nning to go to the heavens, we¡­ we''ll definitely try not to blow up the ssroom!" "It''s over! There''s no hope! This is the worst ss I''ve ever taught!" Teacher Huang pped his face with his hand, his expression despairing as he walked back towards the podium. Fang Ren was also aplete mess. This Jian Qi''er really was more of an oddball than he was, uttering the most dominant phrase in the meekest tone. Blowing up the ssroom... The dream of many a young rogue. After tossing the medicinal materials inside, Fang Ren didn''t bother with the furnace anymore, instead taking a small stone and a steel needle out from his own body and fiddling with them on the desk. Next to him, Jian Qi''er sat earnestly at her seat, her brows furrowed and her eyes firmly fixed on the mes of the furnace, taking seriously the task Fang Ren had given her, asionally adjusting the sses on her face. "It should be sessful soon." Fang Ren used the steel needle to forcefully pry out something ring-shaped from inside the small stone, which looked very much like a ring. After removing the small ring, Fang Ren took out another small stone from his pocket and kept rubbing the ring on the surface of the other stone. Although he was very talented in alchemy, he also had his own insights about some Cultivation tools, such as this small ring, which he nned to turn into a Space Ring. It might just look like an ordinary small stone, but he had been researching it for two years, soaking it in various substances, and fusing different materials together. Finally, today, he achieved the effect he had been hoping for, being able to make one of the small items into a ring. With this final step, after grinding the ring against the repelling small stone, he should be able to get a ring with a special small space. However, he couldn''t be sure about the oue yet, as the activation of a Space Ring required True Qi to sense it, which meant it could only be used by Cultivators, and he, a regr person, couldn''t use it at all. If the Space Ring really did work, then he could log on to the online ount and publish his theory again. This was a Space Ring! Since the opening of the Cultivation Era 210 years ago, no one had ever managed to create such a thing. Just as Fang Ren was finishing thest touches on his ring, content and ready to put it away, suddenly Jian Qi''er beside him got excited, "Fang, Fang ssmate, will it, will it really explode?" Fang Ren turned back to realize that, too absorbed in his ring, he had forgotten about the medicinal materials in the small furnace. Now, the whole small furnace was shaking violently. "Holy crap!" Mumbling a swear, Fang Ren immediately put his ring on the desk and added a few more medicinal materials into the furnace without adding any more water. "Is, is everything okay?" asked Jian Qi''er. "Don''t worry, it won''t explode yet," Fang Ren said, sweating. "That''s a relief." After hearing that, Jian Qi''er breathed a sigh of relief, her small hands incessantly patting her little chest. "What''s this?" Jian Qi''er''s gazended on the ring-shaped stone on the desk, and she asked with a look of curiosity. Fang Ren smiled and casually said, "Just made a Space Ring." Telling her shouldn''t matter. A medical student, and the thirdst in the ss creating a Space Ring? Who would believe that? But... he forgot, Jian Qi''er was an odd one¡­ Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Meant to Collaborate with You in Performance (Second Update)_1 Yes, Jian Qi''er was the one he admired most... an oddity! "Wow! Fang Ren, you''re so amazing!" Just as Fang Ren''s words had barely left his mouth, Jian Qi''er''s eyes gleamed with excitement as she looked at the ring on the table, showing a look of utmost admiration. A strained smile froze on Fang Ren''s face as he said with a forced grin, "Keep it, keep it low profile..." "Can I, can I take a look?" Jian Qi''er asked with hopeful eyes, full of admiration for Fang Ren. Seeing her silly excited face, Fang Ren had no reason to refuse her. With Fang Ren''s permission, Jian Qi''er carefully stretched out both hands to pick up the stone ring from the table, treating it like a treasure. Watching her silly behavior, Fang Ren felt helpless and resigned, turning his attention back to the furnace, ready to rectify his previous mistake. "Fang, Fang Ren, does this ring require blood to acknowledge its master?" Jian Qi''er asked excitedly. "Ah, it seems like it does. I haven''t figured out how to make it recognize its master," Fang Ren replied casually to the foolish girl. "Can I, can I try?" "Sure." Fang Ren said nonchntly, although blood recognition might be a viable method, it needed the blood of cultivators to work, after all, it operated via True Qi. For an ordinary person like Jian Qi''er, it wouldn''t be usable. But what he didn''t know was that Jian Qi''er had indeed bitten her fingertip lightly and dripped a drop of blood onto the ring. As the blood touched the ring, the excited expression on Jian Qi''er''s face suddenly became vacant. After a long moment, she came back to her senses, and the excitement on her face faded, revealing exceptionally clear eyes behind her old-fashioned sses. In a mere moment, her whole aura seemed to have undergone a radical transformation, erasing any hint of her former silliness. "How is this possible..." she was incredibly shocked inside. Her gaze moved away from the ring to Fang Ren, who was earnestly tending the furnace. Her slightly furrowed brows and her clear eyes seemed to be trying to see through the young man in front of her. A Space Ring ... no one had managed to create such an object in 210 years, and this guy, ranked third fromst in his ss at the medical school, had today produced something that would astound the whole world. Who exactly was he? The moment the blood merged, Jian Qi''er felt about ten cubic meters of space floating beside her. With a single thought, she could make it tangible. Yes, the Space Ring was a sess. And Jian Qi''er was not the ordinary person she appeared to be... "What''s up, did I fail?" Having not heard from Jian Qi''er for almost half a minute, Fang Ren turned back and said with a smile. When he turned around, he saw Jian Qi''er looking silly, as she earnestly said, "I, I believe Fang Ren will seed next time!" "I was just kidding, don''t take it seriously," Fang Renughed as he reached out to take the ring from her hand. Jian Qi''er immediately hid the ring behind her, still shy but serious as she said, "I, I, um, can I buy it?" "Ah?" Fang Ren was taken aback, then chuckled, "If you like it, I''ll just give it to you." "Really?" Jian Qi''er asked, astonished. "Of course," said Fang Ren, turning his attention back to the Small Furnace. After all, the raw stone for the Space Ring was still with him, capable of making a dozen more rings. The surplus ones were of no use; since Jian Qi''er liked it, he decided to simply give it to her. After hearing this, Jian Qi''er''s expression once again turned excited as she said, "There will definitely be many people jealous of me in the future." "What''s up now?" "Because I''m wearing the ancestor of all Space Rings in the world!" Fang Ren looked at her serious expression and couldn''t help butugh, "Haha... why so serious?" "What''s wrong with that? I believe Fang Ren can surely make a real Space Ring in the future!" Jian Qi''er said earnestly, with both hands clenched into fists, "Please do your best!" "Alright, I''ll take your good words," he said. ... After fussing with the Small Furnace for a while, theb ss was quicklying to an end, and Fang Ren realized that he had gotten a bit too absorbed in the alchemy. It wouldn''t be good to actuallyplete a product. Keeping a low profile, that''s the life creed. Just as the Elixir in the furnace was about to take shape, Jian Qi''er, face aglow with excitement, leaned in to watch it closely. Fang Ren, watching the Elixir inside, frowned slightly. He hadn''t expected the Elixir to have already taken shape! This won''t do, he had to remove something, otherwise it would be the spitting image of the world''s most standard Qi Gathering Pill, and wouldn''t that expose his genius identity? He immediately took the formed Elixir out of the furnace and ced it on a piece of white paper next to him. Looking at the ball of Elixir, Jian Qi''er returned to her silly frozen expression once more. This was actually a standard new Qi Gathering Pill! And judging by the scent, it was of superior grade! "p!" As Jian Qi''er stood there in a daze, Fang Ren pped the Elixir, deforming it on the spot! What is he doing!? Jian Qi''er was utterly baffled, her eyes fixed on Fang Ren beside her, unable toprehend his actions. "Oh no, it''s ruined," Fang Ren said with a pained expression as he picked up the pill he had ttened. Didn''t you tten it yourself!? Jian Qi''er waspletely disordered! An upper-grade, new type of energy-gathering pill just got ruined like that? With a sorrowful face, Fang Ren turned back to Jian Qi''er and said helplessly, "We''re going to get scolded againter." Jian Qi''er immediately reverted to her previous foolish demeanor, but her face still showed iprehension as she looked at Fang Ren and said, "But, but it was fine just moments ago, why did you tten it?" "Huh?" Fang Ren scratched his head, pretending to be clueless, and said, "Isn''t thest step of making energy-gathering pills to tap it to test its hardness?" "..." Jian Qi''er suddenly didn''t know what to say anymore. Is that how you''re supposed to tap it! Everyone else does it lightly, you almost made a hole in the table! Although she was internally chaotic, Jian Qi''er still looked up to him and said admiringly, "Right, I actually forgot about that step! Fang ssmate is so smart!" "Not at all, not at all, let''s keep it low-key," Fang Ren said with a silly grin. Jian Qi''er looked at his expression and felt even more disordered inside. Pretending! This Fang Ren is really good at pretending! Even better than me! So anyone can just casuallye up with a Space Ring!? And to think an upper-quality energy-gathering pill could be made by a university student on their firstb ss!? Thatst p was obviously on purpose! The me who should be coordinating with your acting, pretends to be blind to it... At the end of the ss, Fang Ren and Jian Qi''er ended up being scolded by Teacher Huang just as they expected. However, after the scolding, Teacher Huang looked at the furnace with a relieved face and said thankfully, "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have criticized you two, you have worked very hard." This sudden statement left Fang Ren and Jian Qi''er dumbfounded. "Congrattions, you''ve finally saved this ssroom," Teacher Huang said, hand over his face, his expression one of relief as he seemed on the verge of tears. As the ss ended, Fang Ren once again blended in with Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang, while Jian Qi''er, sitting in the corner, kept her gaze on Fang Ren. Who is he really? He could casually give away a Space Ring that no one in the world can make. He doesn''t publish papers, apply for patents, or seek fame and wealth but instead spends his days in this small ce, ranking third from the bottom in ss and hanging out with ''Condom Prince'' and a guy from a notorious second-generation background... Jian Qi''er simply couldn''t fathom what this guy was really thinking. Just the invention of this Space Ring alone could make him famous for eternity, and isn''t he after Liu Qianqian? With instant fame, wouldn''t pursuing Liu Qianqian be a piece of cake? "Master was right; Mediocre University isn''t as simple as it appears on the surface. Even a medical ss is concealed with crouching tigers and hidden dragons..." Jian Qi''er touched the Space Ring on her hand, feeling fortunate that she had always acted foolishly in the ss. Some people may appear to be at the bottom of their ss on the surface but could very well be a Master of refining tools or a Master of Elixir behind the scenes! ------ In the evening, Fang Ren went home. Although there were dormitories at the university, his home wasn''t too far, so he sometimes stayed there. And now, with Mu Hui living there, he had another reason to go home for the night. If he didn''t stay at home at night, the cranky old man at home would probablye straight to the university to beat him up. When Fang Ren got home, he found Mu Hui sitting in his room, watching a soap opera on herptop. She seemed quite like a regr girl. "Sister Hui Qing, I have a gift for you." Fang Ren tossed the stuff he was carrying onto the bed, holding out the Space Ring he had made in his spare time. Although the Space Ring wasn''t usable by ordinary people like Jian Qi''er, Sister Hui Qing, as a Cultivator, should be able to use it. Even though her meridians werepletely severed, she should still be able to use some True Qi. If she couldn''t use it, then there must be a problem with his Space Ring. Mu Hui turned around, staring at the stone ring in his hands, her gaze suddenly nk. In the soap opera she was watching that afternoon, there was this scene where a boy gives a girl a ring, which signifies... a proposal. "Ah Ran..." Mu Hui''s heart started to beat a little faster as Fang Ren approached, something she found diforting. "Don''t just look at it as a piece of stone, it might possess other abilities," Fang Ren said. "Do you want to... put it on for me?" Mu Hui''s heart raced even more. Fang Ren squatted down, took one of her hands, and tried to put the ring on her finger. But just as he grasped Mu Hui''s hand, she suddenly withdrew it. Fang Ren was taken aback for a moment, looked up at her, and saw that she was bowing her head, holding the hand he had just touched, appearing displeased. "If you don''t like it... then let''s forget about it," Fang Ren said with a smile, quickly getting up, his smile tinged with bitterness. Chapter 17: Chapter 17: No Need to Force Yourself (Revised)_1 Having said his piece, Fang Ren turned and walked straight out. He had never expected Mu Hui''s rejection to be so severe that even a touch of the hands was uneptable, yetst night everything had been so good¡­ Watching Fang Ren''s departing figure, Mu Hui cupped her hands together, her brow slightly furrowed. Her racing heart had been deeply ufortable for her, but the look of dejection on Fang Ren''s face made her want to exin. Yet, she had no idea how to describe her feelings or how to express them, and could only watch him leave the room, filled with loss. It was only after Fang Ren had left that Mu Hui noticed a subtle change in her heart; she suddenly felt a sense of loss, quite simr to regret. After dinner, Mu Hui went to take a shower. Fang Ren did not help her undress or assist her into the bathtub, given her newfound aversion to him. In the bathroom, Mu Hui also didn''t call for his help, fearful that her reactions might deepen his sense of loss. So, she braced herself on her knees and crawled into the bathtub by herself. Her body had turned cold and be even weaker due to using True Qi the previous night. Despite being midsummer, the bathroomcked the warmth of the sun at night, and since she didn''t know how to turn on the heat, she could only curl up inside the hot water to finally start feeling a bit better. Fang Ren was in his room, continuing his research on some medicinal herbs. Although Mu Hui was currently repulsed by him, he had decided to heal her legs and was determined to aplish that. It was a long whileter when the bathroom door opened, and Mu Hui wheeled out into Fang Ren''s room. Hearing her leave, Fang Ren set aside his work to nce back at her. Her long, silver hair was dripping wet, and her gown was partly soaked. Her fair knees were even swollen and red. Fang Ren''s heart surged with anger. He couldn''t understand why Mu Hui was pushing him away, preferring to kneel and swell her knees rather than asking for his help in the bathroom. Having seen her condition, Fang Ren turned to sit at the desk, refraining from going over to dry her hair; vexation was all that remained in his heart. If she despised him so much, why didn''t she say so earlier rather than giving him those illusionsst night? Mu Hui, seeing Fang Ren turn away in anger after just a nce, felt the sense of loss in her heart intensify. She rolled her wheelchair to one side and picked up a hairdryer to dry her own hair, afraid to let Fang Ren touch her again, in case that strange feeling returned. As he listened to Mu Hui dry her hair by herself, Fang Ren went downstairs, found a nket, and brought it up. He threw the nket onto the floor, arranging a simple bed, and without another wordy down on it, eyes closed and back facing Mu Hui. Shortly after, Mu Hui dried her hair. She turned to look at Fang Ren, sleeping on the floor, feeling that she should rify what had just happened. But would he believe her if she described that strange feeling? Gliding her wheelchair over to the makeshift bed, Mu Hui knelt on it and crawled over to where Fang Reny. If Ah Ran was sleeping on the floor, then she would do the same. Her mother had told her, as Ah Ran''s wife, she must sleep with him every night. Mu Hui used all her strength to undress, but soon realized she couldn''t manage it; the room was too cold, and she was too weak. She knelt on the nket, gazing at Fang Ren''s back. Fang Ren didn''t turn around, and said in a moderate tone, "You don''t have to force yourself like this." "What do you mean?" Mu Hui looked at him, puzzled by his words. "You should just follow your own heart in these matters. There''s no need to heed your mother''s words." Mu Hui shook her head, "I don''t understand¡­" Fang Ren couldn''t help butugh helplessly inside. Was she ying dumb with him? Forget it, she was weak in body and couldn''t undress by herself anyway. Mu Hui''s heart was growing increasingly troubled. Just a moment ago, when he had held her, her heart had raced, but once he set her down, she felt a twinge of unwillingness to part. She didn''t quite understand what this feeling was. "Ah Ran, why don''t you sleep with me anymore?" Mu Huanqing asked. Fang Ren closed his eyes and said, "I don''t want to." "Is Ah Ran angry?" "No." "But you don''t want to talk to me." "Tired." "Ah Ran is lying," Mu Huanqing said with a look of disappointment. "..." Fang Ren paused for a long time before he suddenly sat up from his bedroll, looked at Mu Huanqing beside the bed and finally spoke with some irritation, "You really don''t need to be like this." Seeing Fang Ren''s irritated expression, Mu Huanqing didn''t understand and asked, "Why are you angry?" "Can''t you speak more frankly?" Fang Ren frowned, "If you don''t like me, you don''t like me. Why do you force yourself like this because of what your mother said?" "I haven''t..." "Isn''t your behavior clear enough?" "But... that''s all because of a very strange feeling I have," Mu Huanqing said seriously. "What feeling, tell me," Fang Ren suppressed his emotions and continued. He didn''t believe it. Could he really have some special constitution that caused cultivators to show a repelling expression upon contact? "I''m not too sure, it''s just that I feel my heart beating very fast, and it''s very ufortable. Just now when Ah Ran was holding me, my whole body was weak, as if I''d been anesthetized..." "It''s not me who''s lying," Fang Ren said with a bitter smile, "it''s you who''s lying. You don''t really feel any of these things." That was a joke. If all those conditions were met, then it would definitely be the feeling of being attracted. But this morning, why didn''t she show any of these reactions when speaking? Her heart didn''t race, her face didn''t flush. "But I''m not lying," Mu Huanqing looked at him and said. After listening to her, Fang Ren suddenly felt a surge of irritation in his heart, "Fine, your heart speeds up, does it? Let''s try now and see exactly how it speeds up." "Let''s not," she replied. Fang Ren moved away with disappointment. As he was about to get up, Mu Huanqing''s hand tightly grabbed his arm, her beautiful eyes looking at him, her expression unexpectedly a bit panicked, "Ah Ran... my heart really is racing." "You..." "I thought too much... sorry," Fang Ren said softly, leaning in close to her ear. "What is this feeling?" Mu Huanqing, holding his hand, looked at him, "I clearly dislike it... but I don''t want Ah Ran to leave. If you leave, I''ll regret it..." As Mu Huanqing spoke, Fang Ren then remembered what she had said the night before, that she truly didn''t know what it felt like to like someone. Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Some People Behind the Scenes Are… (Revised)_1 The tender hues of spring lingered for a long while, then everything came to an end. "It''s so warm." Lying in Fang Ren''s arms, Mu Huanqing had a blissful smile on her face, all the coldness and that annoying feelingpletely faded away, leaving onlyfort. "Sister Hui Qing is really silly," Fang Ren said as he looked at the cute Hui Qing in his arms and couldn''t help but ruffle her hair. "What''s silly?" "That feeling of your heartbeat speeding up when touched, it''s a sign of liking someone." "So this is what liking someone is..." "Dummy, don''t shrink back every time I touch you." "I understand..." "What a good girl you are." "Then, do you like me, Ah Ran?" "I''ve already told you I love you, why ask?" Fang Ren said, as he kissed her forehead. Looking at his face so close to hers, Mu Huanqing suddenly felt a very strange sensation. She wanted to burrow into his embrace, longing for him to treat her with tenderness. Is this acting coquettishly... She couldn''t help recalling the soap opera she had watched that afternoon, it seemed that every girl liked to act coquettish and that every boy liked being acted coquettishly towards. She had never had this feeling before; for the first time, she felt like a regr girl, not a warrior stained with blood on the battlefield, needing his gentle care. ------ The next day, Fang Ren got up early from bed, originally nning to wash the sheets, but when he saw Mu Huanqing in his arms, he suddenly found it hard to resist. "Sister Hui Qing," he whispered in her ear to wake her. "What''s wrong, Ah Ran?" Mu Huanqing mumbled sleepily as she snuggled into his embrace. "Nothing." ... After Fang Ren got dressed and helped Mu Huanqing with her clothes, he grabbed the blood-stained sheets and ran into the bathroom to start scrubbing. "Yo, seems like a lot happenedst night." While he was washing the sheets, Shang Han suddenly appeared from nowhere, holding a cigarette in hand and spoke with a teasing tone. "You dirty old man! Can''t you knock? Get out!" Fang Ren immediately covered the sheets and said angrily. "Alright, alright, I''m going." Shang Hai walked a few steps out of the bathroom and then suddenly stopped, his voice turning serious, "From now on, if you dare to get entangled with any other young girls, I swear I''ll break your legs." "Like you need to tell me that!" "I still need to say it, or else you''ll think I''m not a responsible father." After saying that, Shang Han continued to leave. Fang Ren, watching him smoke, turned back and shouted, "Just rx." Turning back to his chore, he mumbled, "Wouldn''t I know how to cherish my own wife?" After hanging the sheets out to dry on the balcony, Fang Ren went back to the room and took the Space Ring he had made yesterday, slipping it onto Mu Huanqing''s finger. "Ah Ran, are you proposing to me?" Mu Huanqing asked, her face lighting up with a smile more beautiful than moonlight as he knelt before her. Seeing her so happy, Fang Ren went with the flow and got down on one knee,ughing, "Then will you marry me?" "Yes." Without hesitation, she said the word and suddenly leaned from her wheelchair towards him, her face full of happiness. If any warrior from the First District, or some high-ranking official from Earth, were to see this scene, they would be petrified on the spot, their jaws could break through the floor. Earth''s most outstanding, most shocking, with an unrivaled talent, the Xuan Nv of Nine Heavens ¨C¨C was actually showing the demeanor of a little woman?! "Actually, this isn''t just an ordinary ring, though I''m not sure if it worked," Fang Ren said while pulling her hand and instructing, "Sister Hui Qing, try dripping a drop of blood into it." Mu Huanqing looked puzzled but still did as he said. She put one of her fingers to her mouth, about to bite it. "Idiot, who told you to bite it?" Fang Ren immediately grabbed Mu Huanqing''s hand as she was about to put her finger in her mouth and took out a small box from his person, from which he extracted a very thin silver needle. He gently pricked the tip of Mu Huanqing''s finger with the silver needle, controlling his strength so well that the wound didn''t cause her any pain, but only a few drops of blood. He held her finger over the ring and, as a drop of blood fell into it, the smile on Mu Huanqing''s face suddenly froze. She turned her head to look around, as if something was floating beside her. "Do you feel anything?" Seeing her reaction, Fang Ren couldn''t help but feel a surge of excitement in his heart. Could it be a sess? "Is this... a Space Ring?" Mu Huanqing stared at her hand, her face full of shock. Fang Ren immediately asked, "How big is the space inside?" "About ten cubic meters," Mu Huanqing said, still somewhat dazed. After hearing this, Fang Ren''s mouth curved into a smile. Ten cubic meters were quite decent, perfect for storing some herbs and cultivation tools. "Try putting the pillow on the bed into it and see," Fang Ren suggested. "How do I use it?" "Use a bit of True Qi, along with your intention." No sooner had Fang Ren spoken than a small hole appeared beneath the pillow on the bed, and the entire pillow instantly fell through, causing the interdimensional hole to vanish just as quickly. "Perfect!" Fang Ren watched the effect of the Space Ring and couldn''t help feeling a sense of aplishment. "Ah Ran, where did this thinge from?" Mu Huanqing asked. She was too curious. Space Rings had been under human research for a whole 210 years, and in those 210 years, humans hadn''t even touched the mere basics of Space Rings. The various theories around the world were stillrgely conflicting. How could a finished product suddenly appear? "If I said I made it myself, would you believe me?" Fang Ren said. "Isn''t Ah Ran an ordinary person?" Mu Huanqing asked, puzzled. Fang Ren thought for a moment and decided it was best not to tell her these things too soon. She had just begun to climb out of the low point of not being able to cultivate, and telling her too many marvelous things might affect her mindset. "Yeah, this thing... actually, when I was traveling in the North Frontier Empire, it was given to me by an old man named Qing''an," Fang Ren said, frowning as if trying to remember. "Qing''an..." Mu Huanqing suddenly thought of an Alchemy Master widely known among people, the founder of the new type of Qi Gathering Pill, named Qing''an. Could it be the same person? "But why did he give you this thing?" Mu Huanqing continued to ask. Fang Ren smiled and began making up a story: "I was wandering the streets at that time and saw an old man who was about to starve to death, so I bought him some food. In return, he gave me this stone ring, iming it was the world''s most primitive Space Ring. Of course, I didn''t believe it, but since it was the most valuable thing he owned at the time, and he insisted on gifting it to me, I didn''t think to throw it away, so I''ve kept it ever since." "But this is really a Space Ring..." Mu Huanqing said, still in disbelief. "I''m not too clear on that. I was nning to keep it as a keepsake. But then three years ago, an Alchemy Master named Qing''an suddenly emerged. I began to wonder if they were the same person and, if so, then this ring might indeed be real," Fang Ren wove his tale methodically. "Then maybe they really are the same person," Mu Huanqing said with a smile. "I really like the ring, but even more, I like the kind-hearted Ah Ran." "Wow, Sister Hui Qing, you''re actually flirting with me." "No, I''m not." "Then give me a kiss." "Mhm." "Such a good girl." "I''m older than Ah Ran, why do you treat me like a child..." "In front of me, you''re younger than me." Some people appear to be Cultivators who have lost their Cultivation Ability in a car ident, but in secret, they are the Xuan Nv of the Ninth Heaven. And some people look like ordinary students who rank third from the bottom of their ss, but in secret, they are Master Qing''an. Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Child Betrothal_1 Tianjiang. This is a very special ce on Earth, covering an area of 9.63 million square kilometers, immensely vast, technologically advanced, and extremely prosperous. Here, elites from all over the world converge: Cultivators, tycoons, rulers, masters of elixir, refining geniuses... This ce holds countless people''s dreams and is the destination everyone yearns for in their sleep. In this sanctuary of numerous elites, name and benefit, glory and power sh fiercely every day. And on this peak of Earth, everything is led by a major n¡ªthe Tianjiang Bai Family. Known as the Tianjiang Royal Family, in people''s eyes, the Bai Family is the ultimate ruler of the entire Tianjiang, and calling them the royal family of thisnd is not only apt but quite fitting. "Why did you arrange my marriage without consulting me first!" In a vi of the Bai Family, a woman dressed in a red gown sat angrily on the sofa, her beautiful eyes full of courage defending her marital freedom as she stared at the young beauty sitting opposite her. "Bai Xi''er, you can be willful in anything else, but not on this matter," the young beauty across from her spoke with a noble air, her tone filled with an undeniable authority. Bai Xi, seeing her mother''s attitude, grew even angrier. She had always been spoiled since childhood and had never been demanded like this before. "I disagree! My marriage should be my own choice!" Bai Xi grabbed a cushion from the sofa andy down, refusing to make eye contact with her mother again. "Your disagreement is pointless; everyone agrees on this, and even if you go and act coy with Grandpa, it won''t help," the young beauty stated unwaveringly. "Why?" Bai Xi kicked off her red high heels in irritation, her delicate feet tucking up reflexively. "Because the person who saved your life when you were born did so with a lifetime of glory!" the young beauty said, frowning. "Who is it? Howe someone who saved me suddenly pops up out of nowhere?" Bai Xi asked with a pained expression. The mother''s face softened slightly, her stern look easing as she said, "You wouldn''t remember. You were just born at that time. You were bleeding all over when you came out of my womb. The master said that your True Qi was special and your body couldn''t bear it, and there was no way to save you." Bai Xi was somewhat moved and asked, "Then... how did I survive afterward?" "On the very day you were born, the young master of the Fang Family was also born, the son of your Uncle Fang. In the end, the master transferred the Spiritual Root from your Uncle Fang''s son to you, and that''s how you managed to live." "Uncle Fang..." Bai Xi paused: "Doesn''t he only have a daughter?" "Having given you his Spiritual Root, that child will never be able to cultivate for the rest of his life. A child unable to cultivate would suffer much in a great n. Uncle Fang didn''t want him to live under the cold words of others, so he sent him away to live as an ordinary child. To this day, the world is unaware that Uncle Fang actually has a son," the mother said, sighing uncontrobly as she spoke. "..." Suddenly, Bai Xi''s previous anger dissipated. Biting her lip, shey on the sofa, her willow-like eyebrows tightly furrowed. The mother continued, "You only know yourself as naturally possessing dual Spiritual Roots, hailed as a once-in-two-hundred-years prodigy, yet you have no idea that one of those roots came from another boy who exchanged it for a lifetime of being unable to cultivate." "But how can a Spiritual Root be removed from someone''s body and transnted into mine..." Bai Xi said, frowning. "Because at that time you were just a newborn, your body had juste into contact with this world, the five elements within you were not yet stable, and the master used life-shortening methods to transnt the child''s Spiritual Root into you," the young beauty exined. After listening to her mother, Bai Xi held the pillow silently, half of her face buried in it, only her beautiful eyes visible. Her proud heart felt wounded. She had thought herself genuinely the prodigious talent everyone said she was, the first to possess dual Spiritual Roots since the dawn of the Great Cultivation Era, yet all this had another exnation. After a long time, the mother continued, "We had already arranged a betrothal for you two back then, so you are not allowed to be wilful in this matter." "But... you have me marry an ordinary person; our differences are so great, how could we possibly be happy together?" Bai Xi said. "Hold your tongue!" The young beauty suddenly became enraged, pping her palm on the coffee table, "If it weren''t for Fang Ren giving you his Spiritual Root, do you think you would be treated like a star by so many people?" "I... where am I wrong? He saved my life, and I''m grateful for that, but why must I marry him?" Bai Xi suddenly felt very aggrieved. No matter what mistakes she had made since childhood, everyone in the family had always exined things to her gently, never scolding loudly and banging on the table like her mother did. "It was arranged when you were both young, and you are not allowed to go back on that promise. No matter how noble your status may be, you must submit to him! Unless he treats you poorly," the young beauty dered. Suddenly, Bai Xi sat up from the sofa, threw the cushion she held, her eyes slightly red with tears: "Why are you scolding me? Is it wrong for me to want the freedom to marry? And I have to be beneath him... Why! Do you want me to be his ve?" The young beauty, hearing her words, was so infuriated that her chest heaved violently. She had been pampered since childhood, and now she was suddenly regretting it. ``` "Just because this life is given by him!" the beautiful young woman said angrily. Hearing her mother''s angry voice, tears began to well up in Bai Xi''er''s eyes. She immediately put on her shoes and stood up, "I won''t! I''ve said I''ll repay his kindness in other ways! My marriage is not okay! I''m not going to marry him!" "No, after one year you''ll both graduate from university, and then I''ll take you to meet him," the beautiful young woman said. "Mom... how can you do this to me!" After speaking, tears flowed down Bai Xi''er''s face as she ran crying out of the room. Seeing this, the beautiful young woman suddenly felt a pang of heartache. She frowned at the sight of her daughter''s crying silhouette, sighed heavily, and then took a piece of paper from her bag and ced it on the coffee table. It was clear that this piece of white paper contained someone''s personal information. ... After a long time, when Bai Xi''er returned to her ce, she found her mother had left, and there was an additional piece of paper on the small coffee table. She picked up the paper and looked at it for a while. The photo was of a boy with a delicate appearance, not instantly striking as handsome but rather the type that grows on you with time. "Is this Uncle Fang''s son?" Bai Xi''er frowned and continued to read further. After a while, she took the piece of paper, ran into her room, and began packing her suitcase. "Since you''re forcing me, I''ll go and annul the engagement myself!" she said to herself, a trace of resentment still in her heart. ------ Today, Fang Ren still chose to run to school. He made it a habit to keep fit and would always choose to run back to the school whenever he stayed at home. After all, a healthy body was the capital of revolution, and although he was not a revolutionary, he was a medical student, which made him even more inclined to take care of his health than the average person. Today he arrived at his ss earlier than usual. The events ofst night had left him in high spirits, and he couldn''t hide the happy smile on his face. As the saying goes, good spiritse with good fortune, and upon entering the ss, the entire ce seemed unusually beautiful to him. All his ssmates looked so pleasant, and even Master Huang, who threw chalk at him from the lectern every day, seemed endearing. "What got into you, kid?" Jing Haichuan had just arrived in the ssroom to organize medicinal materials brought for Fang Ren, only to lift his head and see thed grinning like an idiot, his steps light and airy. "Nothing, just in a good mood," Fang Ren casually found a seat and tried to suppress the smile on his face but he couldn''t. His mind was full of Mu Huanqing''s adorable look when she was in his arms. "Yeah right, look at you all smug. You definitely did something naughtyst night," Jing Haichuan said as if he saw right through him, casually tossing a white stic bag in his direction, "I''ve got most of the medicinal materials for you. Go figure it out yourself." Fang Ren opened the stic bag and nced inside, noting that aside from the two types of herbs Li Xingwang was supposed to bring, the other items were all there. "How much did it all cost?" Fang Ren asked. "This much," Jing Haichuan gestured with his hand. "Four hundred thousand?" Fang Ren grimaced, "That''s going to be a bit difficult for me to pay back..." "What do you mean ''a bit difficult''?" Jing Haichuan''s face tightened as he covered it with his hand, "I never even expected you to pay it back." Fang Ren felt moved hearing these words. Four hundred thousand might be just over half a year''s pocket money for Jing Haichuan, but putting oneself in his position, who could easily part with such a sum for a friend? "No worries, I have other ways," Fang Ren smiled and said. "Enough already, I told you not to pay it back, why all the fuss," Jing Haichuan waved off the topic. Four hundred thousand was nothing more than a matter of wheedling with his old man for Jing Haichuan, but for Fang Ren, it was an amount that could take several years to repay. Seeing Jing''s reaction, Fang Ren didn''t say more, just put away the medicinal materials. The four hundred thousand wasn''t really a pressure, it''s just that he didn''t yet know any channels for selling elixirs, and he didn''t dare use the "Qing''an" ount to sell them, fearing that someone might trace back to his address and cause trouble. Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Sports Day_1 Fang Ren considered for a moment and thought the best way to repay the money quickly would still be to give away pills. But if he was to give pills, he certainly couldn''t give Gathering Qi Pills, that stuff was quite cheap, just thirty thousand for one, four hundred thousand could buy thirteen. If he suddenly brought out so many Gathering Qi Pills, it would be hard to fabricate a story. It''s better to give something more expensive, like the kind that costs over fifty thousand each, and then when Jing Haichuan asks, he could say they were brought back by Uncle Han from outside. Yep, perfect, that''s the n. Just as Fang Ren was contemting this, Li Xingwang walked in with a face full of annoyance. "What''s up, Old Li?" Seeing this, Fang Ren asked immediately. "Isn''t it all because of your damn self?" As soon as Li Xingwang saw Fang Ren, he cursed and threw a small box on the table, rubbing his own butt andined, "Do you know how many times that old man kicked me this morning for these two herbs!" "You got hit?" Fang Ren was startled. He hadn''t thought his friend would get hurt trying to gather herbs for him. "A full eight kicks! My butt is killing me." Li Xingwang rubbed his butt and frowned, "I don''t care, man, for my little brother''s sake I got the goods, but if you mess this up, you''d really owe my backside for those kicks." Since the kicks had already taken ce, there was nothing to be done, so Fang Ren had to bow earnestly and say, "Brother Wang, you''ve worked hard. When the pill is sessfully refined, I''ll be sure to visit and express my gratitude." "Cut the crap, my old man would chop you up if he saw you." Li Xingwang looked disgusted. "Hey, Old Li, looks like your status at home isn''t as good as mine," Jing Haichuan chuckled at their misfortune. "Buzz off, even if I''m low in the family hierarchy, I''m still the only seed in my family! Unlike you, who have two brothers. Let''s see who''s higher upter on." ... The ssroom soon became noisy again with the theory ss about to start, which was the least interesting ss for Fang Ren. In college, students could sit wherever they wanted, so Fang Ren naturally sat with these two goofs, but then... a weirdo squeezed in, Jian Qi''er. "Shouldn''t you be skipping ss?" Fang Ren said to Jian Qi''er, who was sitting next to him with her head down and a shy look, quite surprised. "I I I, I suddenly want to study hard." Jian Qi''er looked at Fang Ren timidly and said, "After attending theb ss with Fang yesterday, I realized that studying is actually quite nice." "..." Fang Ren was speechless. Nothing much happened in yesterday''s ss, so what had sparked her interest...? "Yo, Dumb Little Sister, don''t tell me you''ve got ns for our Ranzi here?" Li Xingwang, sitting beside them, immediately started teasing with a mischievous grin upon seeing this. The nickname "Dumb Little Sister" wasn''t meant to be mean; it was what the ss called Jian Qi''er because she was such a klutz. She''d always act busy and clumsy, like a little fool, which was why she got the name. "Ah? No, no, no... I don''t!" Jian Qi''er''s cheeks instantly flushed red, and she waved her hands frantically in denial. "Huh~" Jing Haichuan nced over with amusement and raised his eyebrows: "Our Ranzi is almost betrothed, Dumb Little Sister, you don''t stand a chance." "I don''t..." Jian Qi''er immediately lowered her head, fiddling with the hem of her school uniform''s skirt, her face red and softly spoke. "Hey hey hey, let''s focus on the ss and stop the nonsense." Fang Ren quickly interrupted when he saw the conversation going off track. What a joke, he already had half a fianc¨¦e, how could he flirt around in school? As the theory ss teacher walked into the ssroom, it quieted down considerably, and the two guys beside Fang Ren stopped the idle talk. Looking at the herbs in the drawer, Fang Ren''s heart was filled with gratitude. These two guys were truly loyal, gifting things worth over six hundred thousand just like that. Three years of firm friendship weren''t in vain. But then again, since the herbs were so expensive and he didn''t have any money on him, he had to think of another way to pay them back. The closer he was with them, the less he wanted to take advantage of them. "Qian Qian, look, he''s a thorough scumbag!" Li Xinyue shook Liu Qianqian, who was attentively listening to the lecture in the front row when she saw Fang Ren and Jian Qi''er sitting together, and she immediately nudged her. "Who''s the scumbag?" Liu Qianqian was still clueless. "Fang Ren!" Li Xinyue leaned on the desk and quietly pointed in the back of the room, expressing distaste, "Just yesterday morning, he was talking about getting engaged to some woman, and today he''s already getting cosy with our ss''s Dumb Little Sister! Despicable!" Following the direction of Li Xinyue''s finger, Liu Qianqian looked over, and her indifferent face quickly furrowed with a frown. She immediately turned her head back to the teacher, giving the impression of nonchnce once more, saying, "What has him flirting with someone to do with me?" "I''m just worried you might be interested in him," Li Xinyue whispered softly. "Who would be interested in him." "Well, if you say so then I''m relieved. You''re so pretty and your family is so well off, it wouldn''t be worth it if you fell for a guy like him," Li Xinyue said. Liu Qianqian was silent for a while, then seriously said, "Although I won''t be dating anyone now, I don''t think looks and family conditions are that important, nor do I believe these should be the necessary criteria for choosing a spouse." "Oh my, how old are you?" Li Xinyue looked helpless and said, "Even if you don''t date him, you should at least go out with some of the outstanding individuals in the school." "I don''t want to get involved with that." Liu Qianqian said softly, with her gaze shifting slowly from the ckboard to her book and a hint of helplessness and sorrow shed through the depths of her eyes. The ss flew by, and as soon as the bell rang for the end of ss, the theory teacher walked out and Liu Qianqian immediately ran up to the lectern with a notebook in hand. "Everyone, hold up, don''t leave yet. Next week, the school is holding a sports festival, and we need to finalize the list of participants from our ss before that," Liu Qianqian said as she twirled a ballpoint pen in her hand and continued, "Anyone who wants to volunteer, speak up now." Just the mention of the sports festival brought a burst of energy to the students, who had almost dozed off during ss. "Is the summer sports festival already here?" "Damn, I get to ck off for six days again." "Holy shit, you''re so hopeless. The sports festival isn''t just for fun! It''s all about the long white legs, man, and the cheerleading squads!" "Damn, now that you mention it, I suddenly remember the girls from the Performing Arts Systemst year wearing those ultra-short skirts and white stockings, mother of God, that was a sight for sore eyes." "Quiet, let me first get a good look with my eight-times magnifying ss." "Brother, don''t forget to sort me out with one too!" "Ahem," Liu Qianqian was used to the boys'' unrestrained behavior in her ss, and after coughing twice she continued, "Put the ogling of beauties aside for now and let''s settle the matter of deciding who''s participating in which events." "ss rep! I have a question, and I''m not sure if it''s appropriate to ask," Jing Haichuan immediately shouted. "Go ahead." "We''ve been here for three years now, and I''ve never seen you cheering in our ss''s cheer squad. To inspire the guys to sign up more enthusiastically, I think you should join the cheer squad this year." "Whoa!" The moment these words were out, the whole ss of boys erupted like chickens on steroids, cheering loudly. The ss rep was not just the ss beauty, but also the most beautiful girl in the entire school! However, Liu Qianqian usually dressed too conservatively, even her skirts were knee-length, so for her to wear a short skirt coupled with white stockings was the dream of countless boys on campus. "Cheer squad! Cheer squad! Cheer... " Suddenly, as if one mind, all the boys in the ss started chanting in a raucous chorus. The girls, on the other hand, cast disapproving nces at this disy. "Yeesh~ A bunch of sensory creatures, not a shred of gentlemanly demeanor." "Boys will be pigs, with no substance at all." "Hmph, only our ss''s boys are like this. Look at those in the Cultivation System; every one of them is like a chivalrous schr, grace personified." "Exactly, while our ss''s boys are all about white stockings and long legs in mini skirts." Fang Ren, uninterested in this spectacle, didn''t join in the mor. He was busy arranging the herbs in his hands on the table, contemting which ones to refine together. Seeing the situation unfold, Liu Qianqian immediately tapped on the desk, still wearing her usualposed smile, and spoke in her regr tone, "Hold it, hold it. I''ll have things to do as vice-president when the sports festival opens, so the cheer squad''s duties will go to the other girls in our ss. If you guys have any objections, us girls might just go cheer for the boys in the other sses, see how you like that." "That''s right, you bunch of pigs. Say one more word, and we might just consider going to cheer for the boys from other sses," Li Xinyue stood up and said. "Yes, I''ve had it with these swine. We''re not cheering for them this year!" "I think all of us girls should just run off to the Cultivation System, let them hang." Spurred by Li Xinyue''s provocation, the spirit of the girls in the ss rose immediately. Seeing this, the boys had no choice but to concede. "Hey, hey, hey, hold up, Li Sister, with our rtionship, you can''t not cheer for me!" "Damn, Zhang Sister, after all these years sitting together, you''d go cheer for another ss?" "Ah! Sun Sister, don''t abandon me!" Instantly, all the boys in the ss collectively started calling the girls "sister," in an attempt to quell their indignation. The earlier bravado of the boys copsedpletely. Li Xingwang, who was a big shot in the underworld and always prided himself on his machismo, couldn''t stand this scene and stood up to shout, "ss rep! Ranzi said if you wear a mini skirt with white stockings, he''ll sign up for three events!" "Oh!" "Damn, Ranzi is so awesome!" "ss rep! Just give in to him!" The boys in the ss started stirring up trouble once again, and Fang Ren, who had been studying his herbs with a serious expression, suddenly froze when he heard the noise, staring wide-eyed and bewildered at his surroundings. What the hell does this have to do with him!? Chapter 21: 21: The New Elixir Appears_1 "Stop spouting nonsense; I''m a married man now." Fang Ren certainly couldn''t allow rumors and gossip to thrive. He immediately stood up with a smile and said, "Stop, stop, stop, let''s not joke around anymore. I''ve been rejected twice already. It''s not nice to keep joking about my past, haha." "Look at Fang Ren, he even has a girlfriend now. You guys really are something, stirring up trouble." Li Xinyue immediately spoke up from below. "Exactly, we shouldn''t joke about this anymore. It''s all in the past." Another girl also chimed in. "Oh, three years of feelings~" Li Xingwang said teasingly from below. Liu Qianqian nced at Fang Ren, then tapped her desk with the pen in her hand, her brows slightly furrowed, yet her face still wore a smile as she said, "Stop causing a stir. Signing up is voluntary. If really necessary, we can choose to drop the event. As for Fang Ren, he can look at whoever he wants to see in a short skirt; it has nothing to do with me." "Tsk, tsk, tsk, do I detect a hint of jealousy in those words?" Li Xingwang continued to tease, fanning the air in front of him as if he was being overwhelmed by the sting of jealousy. Jing Haichuan, seeing how much fun he was having, didn''t say a word and just pped his own face, his expression turning into one of pain as he croaked out, "ss president, you don''t know the whole story. Ranzi has only ever had you in his heart. His marriage was forced on him!" Upon hearing this, Fang Ren immediately lunged at the two clowns: "I''m going to butcher you guys!" The ssroom was filled with a lively atmosphere. Liu Qianqian continued, "Since you three are so energetic, the 400 meters, 800 meters, and 1500 meters are decided for you three." Having said that, Liu Qianqian didn''t give them a chance to speak. She just picked up her pen and wrote it down on the paper. "Didn''t we say it''s voluntary?" "I think you are quite willing." Liu Qianqian didn''t bother to reason with them. "ss president, stay calm! Stay calm! How could Ranzi be worthy of you? He''s nothing but a fart!" Jing Haichuan shouted out immediately upon seeing this. "ss president, just assign me the 400! Leave the rest to them!" Li Xingwang called out. "I''ll take the 800! I''ll do the 800!" ... With all themotion, Fang Ren felt awkward, embarrassed to speak to Liu Qianqian, and therefore he did not voice any objections, ultimately being assigned the 1500-meter event. Following a lengthy 20-minute discussion, and after all the events in the ss had candidates decided, Liu Qianqian left the ssroom, and Li Xinyue also ran out. Fang Ren only had one ss that morning, so he could peacefully conduct his little experiment. He quickly entered a smallboratory with all the necessary ingredients in hand. Looking at the Small Furnace that he had explodedst time, Fang Ren''s face showed pain; this was going to cost him another two hundred bucks. Taking out another furnace from a cab nearby, Fang Ren sat down at a desk and started the fire, quietly waiting for the water in the furnace to warm up. Pop¡ª¡ª Suddenly, the door to the smallboratory was pushed open, and Jian Qi''er, wearing old-fashioned sses, rushed in. "Fang, Fang, Student Fang!" She looked at Fang Ren with a nervous expression. Fang Ren was startled by her sudden entrance: "What''s going on...?" "I want to learn Alchemy with you!" Jian Qi''er proimed confidently. "If I remember correctly, you should have a ss next period," Fang Ren said, frowning. "No, no, no, it doesn''t matter. I believe that what Ick is not theoretical knowledge; I''m a personcking in practical experience!" Jian Qi''er dered loudly and pulled up a stool next to Fang Ren and sat down. Fang Ren was taken aback by her confident assessment of herself; this girl was really one of a kind. Girl... your self-awareness couldn''t be more opposite. "Alright then..." Fang Ren saw her eagerness to learn and didn''t have the heart to discourage such a spirited girl. After speaking, Fang Ren concentrated on his Alchemy, while Jian Qi''er next to him looked on seriously at the Small Furnace, her dumbfounded expression very fitting to her nickname: Little Stupefied Sister. "Fang, Student Fang, what types of ingredients are these?" Jian Qi''er continued to inquire earnestly. "Just some old-fashioned Qi Gathering Pill ingredients," Fang Ren said casually, figuring she probably didn''t understand much of it anyway. "You''re pretending, keep on pretending!" Jian Qi''er inwardly gritted her teeth in frustration. None of these were old-fashioned Qi Gathering Pill ingredients; each was worth close to a hundred thousand! Was he taking her for a fool because she didn''t know about this stuff? However, she couldn''t show her frustration. She had another motive for being here; she had to uncover Fang Ren''s secrets, the man who created the world''s first Space Ring. What exactly was his identity? Seeing the water temperature was almost right, Fang Ren first tossed a few herbs with higher cold properties into it, and then picked up a red nt from the table next to him, fiddling with it in his hands. Chi Lianjing? Jian Qi''er''s gaze froze for a moment. Wasn''t that a highly paralytic poison? He was using that for Alchemy? Was he out of his mind? Also, the other ingredients near the table, though very valuable, obviously shouldn''t be mixed together. The Ghost Grass and Aloe vera could not bebined, as consuming them together would produce immense coldness, causing severe damage to the body''s meridians. Gurgle gurgle¡ª¡ª Watching the water in the Small Furnace start to boil, Fang Ren casually threw in half of the Chi Lianjing he had been rolling in his hand, then plucked a few leaves from the Ghost Grass and tossed them in as well. Was he really practicing Alchemy? Suddenly, Jian Qi''er began to doubt her previous thoughts. The guy in front of her might be a Master of refining tools, but there''s no way he could be a Master of Elixir! Wouldn''t the stuff extracted from these ingredients kill someone? Fang Ren was highly concentrated and didn''t notice the slight change in Jian Qi''er''s expression. After covering the Small Furnace with a lid for another dozen minutes, Fang Ren leaned over to smell the scent of the elixir, then frowned a little. It seemed he had used too much Chi Lianjing. He immediately opened the lid of the furnace, added some water, and tossed in another stalk of Ghost Grass, continuing to closely watch the changes in the furnace. Although these herbs were exorbitantly expensive, to someone immersed in the process of Alchemy, cost was of course cast aside. No matter how pricey the herbs might be, they couldn''t be stingy with them, as it could affect the final efficacy of the elixir. Two minutes passed, toss; four minutes, toss; ten minutes, toss again¡­ Jian Qi''er was stunned by the sight. So many precious herbs just thrown in carelessly? Who ever heard of adding ingredients so recklessly during Alchemy? Was he not afraid the pill wouldn''t take shape? Once the lid was on again, Fang Ren increased the mes beneath the furnace until the Small Furnace waspletely engulfed in fire, then he just quietly watched. "Fang, Fang ssmate, won''t such a strong fire burn the elixir to a crisp?" Jian Qi''er asked. "You don''t understand. This is called intensifying the me to reduce the liquid," Fang Ren seriously replied. "Intensifying... intensifying the me to reduce the liquid..." Jian Qi''er was inwardly panicking. After all this time, this guy wasn''t practicing Alchemy, he was cooking! But what kind of dish costs 600,000? This guy must be crazy! The Small Furnace was left in therge fire for about half an hour, with Jian Qi''er nearly unable to hold back any longer, while Fang Ren continued to watch the furnace with grave attention. "Um, Fang ssmate, how much longer do we have to wait?" Jian Qi''er asked naively. "Not much longer," he said. Fang Ren then lifted the lid to check and said, "Oh, by the way, help me bring the Cold Water Stone from the cab." "Huh?" Jian Qi''er was baffled. The cold properties of these medicinal ingredients already exceeded the limits of human tolerance, and adding Cold Water Stone on top of that? Was he trying to kill someone? But after a brief moment of astonishment, Jian Qi''er immediately ran to the cab to search for the readily avable Cold Water Stone in theboratory. Taking the stone, Fang Ren extinguished the mes under the Small Furnace, took a small bucket of water, and removed the residual materials that had fallen from the herbs. He then added some water to the furnace, ced the Cold Water Stone inside, and finally a cluster of white mes arose beneath the Small Furnace. Using Cold Fire? On seeing this white me, Jian Qi''er became even more convinced that Fang Ren waspletely ignorant in the field of Alchemy; the coldness in the elixir was nearly pushed to the peak... As her patience nearly wore thin, Jian Qi''er was thinking of making an excuse to leave, but then she nced at the Space Ring on her left hand, frowned, and ultimately decided to sit down again. Another hour passed, with Jian Qi''er not interrupting Fang Ren with any more questions, while Fang Ren had not taken his eyes off the furnace for the entire hour. Snap¡ª Fang Ren extinguished the me under the furnace and opened the small lid. "Is it done?" Jian Qi''er asked. "Pretty much," he replied. Fang Ren then picked up some tongs and took out the Cold Water Stone from within the furnace, which was still wet. Upon seeing that there was still water inside the furnace, Jian Qi''er felt disappointed. How could there be water inside the furnace when the elixir had formed? That would mean the elixir hadn''t shaped. As Fang Ren poured the water out of the furnace, his face began to show a thick smile, "Not bad, there are actually three of them." "Three? Let me see." Jian Qi''er immediately leaned in. She didn''t believe the elixir could form with water in the furnace. But as she held the Small Furnace up to her face and peered inside, her expression froze. Three, three actual pills! Pills formed in water, truly defying the seven cardinal prohibitions of traditional Alchemy! Her heart was pounding with shock as she set the furnace down, then her face instantly reverted to her previous silly expression, trying to feign the look of a clueless girl taken aback. But as she was about to set the furnace down, she suddenly realized something was amiss. What was it? It was the color of the three pills. Indeed, the elixirmonly studied for production in universities was green, which is the most basic level of elixir. But these three were white! "How... how is this possible?" Jian Qi''er immediately suppressed the shock in her heart and continued to feign ignorance as she set the furnace down, but now she couldn''t bring herself to speak. White Elixer... doesn''t that mean these pills are Three-level pills?! Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Some People are Stars Behind the Scenes_1 In the current Great Cultivation Era, the quality of elixirs is divided into five levels, each with three sub-levels: high, middle, and low. The elixirs from levels one to five can be easily differentiated by their colors, and are arranged from cheapest to most expensive as follows: green, blue, white, gold, purple. At present, there are fewer than a thousand fourth-order elixirs on Earth, while fifth-order elixirs are so rare that there are no more than a hundred, and among those, upper-level fifth-order elixirs are exceedingly rare with only six in existence! Fourth and fifth-order elixirs are nearly unthinkable, as those items are mostly found on Battlefield One, where the cost of materials is exorbitantly high and the chance of creation is incredibly low. Ordinary cultivators haven''t even seen one before. Therefore, outside of Battlefield One, a three-level pill is considered a top-level elixir in everyone''s eyes, and those who can produce a three-level pill are either a local grandmaster or the chairman of some Elixir Guild. Ah Ran looked at the silly smiling Jian Qi''er next to him and felt in his heart that she must think he had failed, which is why she wasughing like that. Otherwise, how could anyone not drop their jaw upon seeing such an elixir? But hey, I''m a low-profile kind of guy. If others see it that way, why wouldn''t Ah Ran just go along with it and y the part? Ah Ran took out three white pills from the furnace, pretended to frown with a troubled expression, and said sorrowfully, "Judging by the color of the elixir, it must have failed. I regret throwing all the ingredients in just now." "..." The silly smile on Jian Qi''er''s face nearly crumbled at his remark. The pair of small hands hidden behind her skirt was shaking vigorously, and she really wanted to give this scoundrel a painful beating right then and there. What do you mean by ''judging by the color, it must have failed''? What kind of international joke is this! If a three-level white elixir is considered a failure, then what are those who can''t even make Rejuvenation Pills supposed to do with their lives! Indeed, words can kill; a single sentence could suffocate someone! "Yes, yes," Jian Qi''er maintained the silly smile on her face while tightly clenching her fists behind her back, twisting her waist to hold onto her own flesh, "Ah Ran, you did so well in the exam yesterday, how could something have suddenly gone wrong today?" "Ah, I don''t know. I''m really the third from the bottom after all. Thinking about practicing alchemy before I''ve learned the theory well enough, I was too ambitious." Sighing, Ah Ran put the three elixirs into a small iron box he carried with him. "Wait!" Jian Qi''er suddenly shouted. "What''s wrong?" Ah Ran nced at her and saw she was still looking dazed, with no change in expression. "Ah, well, I was thinking, since the elixirs have failed, maybe Ah Ran could give them to me as a souvenir?" Jian Qi''er said with a silly smile. Ah Ran was surprised, "Why would you want a failed product?" "But this is the first time we''ve managed to make a spherical elixir. I want to keep it as a keepsake," Jian Qi''er replied. After hearing this, Ah Ran felt a question mark appear above his head. What do you mean ''we''? Miss, you only helped me pick up a stone; what help did you provide? You''ve got some nerve! Jian Qi''er immediately lowered her head, pretending to be flustered, "If that''s not okay, then never mind..." Seeing her clueless look, Ah Ran felt helpless and gave her one of the white pills. "Thank you!" Jian Qi''er showed a happy face. Ah Ran didn''t forget to say, "But you can''t let anyone else see this elixir." Joking aside, how could he allow others to see it? That would expose him. Phrases like ''a tall tree catches much wind'' and ''a fattened pig is bound for the ughter'' would apply to him eventually. "Why not?" Jian Qi''er asked innocently. Ah Ran immediately entered his ''Oscar-winning actor'' mode, speaking earnestly, "Think about it. I put in so much effort, used such good materials, only to produce this failure. If others saw it, where would I put my face?" "Yes, yes¡­" Jian Qi''er pinched her flesh hard. She really wanted to pin this guy to the ground, rub him hard, and then yank his ears, shouting, "Are you going to keep pretending? Are you!?" While others might wish to boast and act cool every day, this guy was theplete opposite; a rare oddball indeed! After tidying up the table, Ah Ran and Jian Qi''er left theb. Once outside, Jian Qi''er at the door of theb continued to y the role of the clueless younger sister while talking to him. No way around it, her acting skills were too good, Ah Ran couldn''t see through it at all. To the public, Jian Qi''er was a girl who wore old-fashioned sses and had her hair down, covering most of her forehead, with one-third of her face hidden by her hair, and she dressed very ordinarily, never wearing makeup,cking that mature look that university girls usually have. Looking at Jian Qi''er, who earnestly pocketed the elixir and hopped away happily, Ah Ran felt a pang. Just like that, he had given away a three-level pill. "Better go home, try it myself first and see the effects, then give it to Sister Hui Qing. If it''s not good, I''ll have to refine it again." ... In the big garden on campus, Jian Qi''er, holding the elixir she had just received in one hand and her phone in the other, took a picture of the white elixir and sent it to a contact. She then immediately started making a phone call. Her face no longer bore the usual dull, foolish, and easily shy expression, as a hint of sharpness emerged from behind her sses. "Dudu dudu..." "Master, the image I just sent you is of the pill that Fang Ren concocted right in front of me," said Jian Qi''er, ncing around and speaking softly. "He concocted it? Are you sure?" A middle-aged woman''s voice filled with disbelief came through the phone. "Very sure. From the beginning to the end of the concoction, I was watching. If it weren''t for my pretending to be dumb and foolish usually, I doubt he would have allowed me to watch," Jian Qi''er said. "This is a genuine Three-level pill! The youngest person capable of concocting such a pill is already forty-two years old! How could a college student possibly..." "Master, can you tell what kind of pill it is?" "Not yet, the size looks somewhat like a Rejuvenation Pill, but the pattern on it isplex and not smooth. I''ve never seen such a pill before," said the woman on the phone. "Then I''ll bring the pill to see you tonight. I still have some work this afternoon," Jian Qi''er said. "This afternoon? You''ve taken on a new role?" "epted it the day before yesterday, but only finalized it today." "Then go ahead, but as your teacher, I must remind you to avoid the social events in the entertainment circle as much as possible, there are too many corrupt people." "Yes, Master." After hanging up the phone, Jian Qi''er left the school gate and then made another call. Within minutes, a ck sedan stopped in front of her. Jian Qi''er looked around once more, making sure there were no familiar faces, before getting straight into the car. "Qi''er, why are you dressed like this again? You''re a popr star now, what if someone snapped a photo of you looking like this and used it?" As soon as Jian Qi''er got in the car, a plump woman with heavy makeup sitting in the driver''s seat frowned and spoke. "Sister Feng, I should be unrecognizable like this, right?" Jian Qi''er, no longer the dazed presence she had in school, brushed her hair from her forehead andughed as she spoke. "Better safe than sorry, these paparazzi love to target rising stars like you," Feng Mei said with a furrowed brow, "Quickly tidy up your appearance in the car, I''m taking you to the location. Once there, you should at least be immediately recognizable." "Got it." Jian Qi''erzily agreed, reached for a hairband, and pulled her hair, which covered a third of her face, back into a ponytail. In an instant, a very pretty oval face appeared in the car;pared to her dumb little sister image with hair covering her face, she now looked like a ravishing beauty. With a simple motion, she also took off the outdated, unattractive sses from her face, making her eyes appear clearer, her pupil size more striking, and her long eyshes, previously obscured by the old frames, became visible. Just a ponytail and removing her sses had made her lookpletely different from before. Some people seem like the third from the bottom in ss but are actually capable of casually concocting Three-level pills, a genius masquerading as a dunce. While others may appear to be the dumb and foolish girl in ss, but behind the scenes, they are the current inte sensations. ------ "Ah Ran, why are you home so early today?" In Fang Ren''s room, Mu Huanqing was in front of theputer watching a soap opera when Fang Ren suddenly ran in with a look of joy. "Sister Hui Qing, look!" Fang Ren immediately took out a newly concocted pill from a small box he carried with him and ran happily to her. Mu Huanqing took off her headphones and saw his joyful expression as he returned; she couldn''t help but smile involuntarily. "An Upper Level Three-tier pill?" Mu Huanqing said with slight surprise while looking at the pill in Fang Ren''s hand, yet her expression wasn''t too stirred. After all, she had seen far too much while on Battlefield One. "Guess how I got it," Fang Ren said with a smile. "I don''t know," Mu Huanqing shook her head, smiling at the pill, "But I have never seen this type of pill before, what is it called?" "It doesn''t have a name yet?" Fang Ren said. He decided it was okay not to tell her about the Space Ring for now, because that could genuinely shock the world. But the matter of the pill was harmless to share; after all, she would eventually be his wife, and she surely wouldn''t make him do anything he didn''t want to, right? "No name?" Mu Huanqing''s expression froze a bit, and her beautiful eyes looked at Fang Ren as if asking for an answer. "What if I told you I concocted it myself, would Sister Hui Qing believe me?" Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Calf Recovery (Revised)_1 Mu Huanqing looked at Fang Ren''s smiling face and pondered for a moment, then said with a smile, "I believe." Fang Ren''s smile became even more pronounced, "Why do you believe? Tell me your reasons." Mu Huanqing turned around, opened the drawer behind her, took out an iron box, and said, "If these things were all refined by Ah Ran himself, then Ah Ran must also have the ability to refine three-level pills." Fang Ren watched her take out his treasured little iron box, reached out to rub her head of white hair, and said with a smile, "How did you find it?" "I saw it by chance yesterday," Mu Huanqing said, pointing to the several brown pills inside the small iron box. "I have never seen these before, but they seem to have a very rich color and aroma, so they should be very good pills." "These things are called Blood Activation Pills, not part of the standard range of pills, usually used to activate blood cirction and dissipate blood stasis," Fang Ren exined. "Mother and Shang Han said that Ah Ran''s academic performance is very poor, always ranking at the bottom in theoretical exams, but I always feel that Ah Ran cannot be that bad," Mu Huanqing said as she looked at him. "Don''t tell Uncle Han about the pill stuff; he never knew I messed around with these things," Fang Ren said as he took out another White Elixer. "I still don''t know the effects of this thing. If the theory I''vee up with holds true, then it might be able to cure Sister Hui Qing''s legs." "You don''t know the effects?" Mu Huanqing blinked, "Just refined?" "Right, I''ll test the effects first. If it''s useful, Sister Hui Qing can take it." After speaking, Fang Ren was about to throw the White Elixer in his hands into his mouth. Mu Huanqing immediately grabbed his hand to stop him and frowned slightly, "Is it refined from these medicinal materials?" So saying, Mu Huanqing picked up a piece of white paper from the table. This paper was what Fang Ren had used to record the medicinal materials that night, all the necessary items for this three-level pill. "Yeah," Fang Ren replied. "Having these medicinal ingredients together, wouldn''t the cold nature be very strong? A normal person would have problems after consuming it," Mu Huanqing said. "But Chi Lianjing has the effect of absorbing cold nature, plus I added Yang Shoot which is usually used to enhance True Qi, but most people overlook that its cold resistance is very strong..." Fang Ren eloquently talked about a lot of things regarding the pill, not caring whether Mu Huanqing on the other side understood or not; as long as he convinced her the pill was safe. Fang Ren was also very confident about the safety of the pill. Mu Huanqing, who didn''t have much deep research in this area, just knew a little about the function of medicinal herbs. "But Ah Ran doesn''t have True Qi in his body, eating this thing would be too much for his body to bear," Mu Huanqing said. "No problem, the pill''s potency was refined by Cold Fire, it won''t cause any harm to a normal body," Fang Ren asserted as he directly tossed the White Elixer in his hand into his mouth. "I go... so bitter!" The moment the pill entered his mouth, Fang Ren struggled with the expression on his face and then sat on the bed beside him, waiting for the medicine to take effect. "How do you feel?" Mu Huanqing asked. "A bit numb," Fang Ren frowned and said. "How about now?" "My insides feel warm," he replied. "Isn''t the pill supposed to be cold? Why would it be warm?" "Some cold things when put together can actually turn warm..." Fang Ren began to exin. Before he could finish his sentence, Fang Ren immediatelyy down on the bed; he felt a sudden restlessness within him. Seeing him like this, Mu Huanqing immediately rolled her wheelchair to the bedside to see what was going on with him. "It''s nothing, just feeling a bit annoyed," Fang Ren said, frowning. Mu Huanqing didn''t say anything more, just quietly observing his physical condition. As time gradually passed, the sensation of heat within Fang Ren''s body began to converge toward his lower abdomen. Then, he started to feel an itchiness there, as if something was growing inside. This feeling was incredibly strange. He could perceive the growth in his lower abdomen with his consciousness, yet his lower abdomen did not physicallye into contact with whatever was growing. It was as if that thing had no physical form. This sensation... Fang Ren thought for a moment. It was just like the Spiritual Root that only Cultivators possessed within their bodies¡ªexisting within the body, untouchable by flesh, yet perceivable by the mind. "No way, did I actually develop a pill that can turn ordinary people into Cultivators!" Fang Ren''s mind was a tumult of shock, "Wouldn''t that be defying the heavens!?" p¡ª Next, he felt all the energy within his body suddenly disperse, spreading throughout every energy meridian in his body, followed by an extremelyfortable sensation stimting all his nerves. "Ah..." He couldn''t help but cry out, looking as blissful as could be. If someone who didn''t know any better saw him, they might even think he was gay... "Ah Ran, are you alright?" Mu Huanqing looked at him with a face full of concern. After shouting, Fang Ren immediately sat up in bed, slightly moved his body and found himself feeling much lighter. Moreover, all the energy meridians in his body were very active and even showed signs of vigorous growth! He could even make any energy meridian in his body pulsate with a single thought, just like... the unique energy meridians inside a Cultivator''s body. "This thing... is too miraculous," Fang Ren said, staring nkly at his own hands. "Is there any change?" Mu Huanqing watched him as he blinked nkly. Fang Ren reached out and touched the anklet on his leg. With this touch, he was stunned; the energy meridians in his body were indeed different from ordinary people. Although they did not pulsate with True Qi like a Cultivator''s, there was a very fine line of True Qi flow on them. But... he didn''t have any True Qi inside him, so this was useless. "It seems like the energy meridians inside my body are starting to grow," Fang Ren said, turning to look at Mu Huanqing. "Energy meridians growing?" Mu Huanqing was slightly startled. To this day, there was still no method known on Earth that could revive energy meridians, let alone a pill that could promote their growth. "Sister Hui Qing, try taking the pill. Even if it can''t restore your legs'' ability to walk, it could still greatly improve your health, and there are no side effects," Fang Ren suggested. Mu Huanqing nodded and put the White Elixer that Fang Ren had given her earlier into her mouth. As expected, it was quite bitter. Her two fine eyebrows involuntarily furrowed together, but not long after, a look of astonishment appeared on her face. Initially, she felt a numbness all over her body, followed by an irritating feeling that wandered within, eventually spreading through all her energy meridians and amassing greatly at her severed meridians. Inparison to Fang Ren, her Spiritual Root was unharmed. Hence, the energy from the pill did not gather in her lower abdomen but instead chose to heal her broken energy meridians. "It''s okay, it will pass in a moment. The effects of the pillsted rather long on her, well over ten minutes. Just when the feeling of irritability in her heart was about to cease, Mu Huanqing suddenly felt a change in her body. Fang Ren''s gaze had not left her legs for the entire duration of over ten minutes; his expression had shifted from concern to calm, then from calm to surprise, and eventually from surprise to ecstatic joy. "My legs... have sensation," Mu Huanqing said, dazed. Chapter 24: Chapter 24: The Grey Spiritual Root (Revised)_1 "Ah Ran clearly has so much talent, why doesn''t he try to be a good student?" Mu Huanqing asked while lying in Fang Ren''s arms. "Why should he be a good student?" Fang Ren stroked her hair and countered her question. "Because you can gain a lot of things, glory, praise, money... many people want to get these things," Mu Huanqing said. "But I just want to be an ordinary person. As for money, I think it''s enough as long as I and my family can live well; there''s no need for too much. As for glory and praise, those are dispensable," Fang Ren said. Having heard what he said, Mu Huanqing''s lips curved into a smile, "Ah Ran is really a strange mortal." "Is that so? Isn''t it just about leading the life you want? Isn''t that very normal?" Mu Huanqing was slightly stunned, then sheughed again, "Yes, it''s very simple. I take back what I just said." "What''s wrong?" "I suddenly feel like Ah Ran is actually the most normal ordinary person in this world. In contrast, it''s many other people who are the strange ones." "Then shouldn''t you give me a kiss?" Mu Huanqing saw his foolish look and gently kissed his lips, then continued, "Although Ah Ran isn''t after those things, with your talent, you could probably make many contributions to human society, and help many warriors at the front lines receive treatment." Fang Ren patted her head and said, "Making contributions to humanity doesn''t necessarily require being in the spotlight, right? For instance, with this elixir, wouldn''t it be fine if I just shared the method with others and let them spread it around? Why must I be the one to show face?" After hearing his words, a sudden sense of security rose inexplicably within Mu Huanqing. It was like during a period of great chaos, a small sailing boat drifting on the sea had docked at a small ind, where no war could prate, the ind remained undiscovered by anyone, and it possessed enough food and fresh water for her to live out her days in peace. In front of this boy three years her junior, Mu Huanqing found heryers of psychological defenses couldn''t withstand a single blow. The Xuan Nv of the ninth heaven had never imagined that she too would one day fall into the kind of love the warriors often spoke of. Checking the time, his afternoon ss was approaching quickly; Fang Ren got out of bed and once again put on his school uniform. Mu Huanqing also got out of bed and put on a blue dress, took the bedsheets off the bed, and sat down at theputer desk, surprisingly going online to search "how to wash bedsheets?" Her series of actions left Fang Ren quite bewildered. "Sister Hui Qing, just put it in the tub, and I''ll wash it when Ie back tonight," Fang Ren said. "I can wash it," Mu Huanqing said earnestly as she looked at the information on the website. "Alright then, I need to hurry back to ss now, or else I''ll bete again." ------ In the afternoon theory ss, Fang Ren was once again looking out of the window with an air of disinterest. Theory ss was truly tedious for him¡ªlistening to things he couldn''t understand any better made his ears almost develop calluses. This ss he was sitting with Li Xingwang Jing Haichuan again, shooting the breeze, while the one he admired most, Jian Qi''er¡ªwho always managed to secure thest ce in every theory exam¡ªwas, as usual, skipping ss. Through the window, he watched the Cultivation System students training on the field below. Some were skimming the air on their swords, others were sending mes with a palm strike, and a few could shatter rocks with their fists¡­ Watching them, Fang Ren couldn''t help but think of Mu Huanqing. Would she wish that she could regain the ability to cultivate again? If so, he''d certainly do everything in his power to concoct a medicinal pill that could restore her abilities, but... setting aside the difficulty of repairing some of her meridians, if she really regained her cultivation abilities, wouldn''t she get entangled in all sorts of trouble again? Moreover, from what Uncle Han had said, it wasn''t hard to infer that Sister Hui Qing''s severe injuries were due to the malicious intentions of certain individuals. Restoring her cultivation abilities might not necessarily be a good thing. Yet, he really wanted those who had hurt Mu Huanqing to suffer retribution. But then again, he didn''t have the ability to cultivate himself, so how could he seek revenge? Cultivation, he must cultivate... Indeed! Fang Ren suddenly remembered something that had newly emerged within his body today, something very simr to the Spiritual Root possessed by some cultivators. If his medicinal concoction could indeed turn an ordinary person into a cultivator, then maybe he could give it a try. If he became a cultivator, then naturally, there could be a possibility for retribution against those individuals. With this thought, Fang Ren settled his mind. Observing that the teacher on the podium was still enthusiastically lecturing, he closed his eyes, feigning sleep, and entered a meditative state. His mind could sense the existence of something within his body, resembling the tiny rhizome of a nt, but with no leaves or branches, apletely gray shape. It''s said that the color of a cultivator''s Spiritual Root is rted to the attribute of their True Qi, which also determines the Cultivation Techniques a cultivator could practice in the future. For example, blue roots correspond to the Water attribute, red to the Fire attribute, and brown and green respectively to the Earth and Wood attributes... Of course, there are also special colored Spiritual Roots like sky blue for the Ice attribute, ck for the Dark attribute, and white for the Light attribute, while white roots with patterns signify the Thunder attribute. There are even more peculiar Spiritual Roots, such as the multicolored ones that indicate a Five-element physique, allowing cultivation of techniques from all five elements, albeit at a slower ratepared to a single attribute; the golden ones belong to those with a Sacred Body, cultivating the attribute-less and powerful True Qi of righteousness. Last of all is the silver root with patterns, the unique Spiritual Root of the entire Earth, exclusive to Xuan Nv, called the Sacred Body of the Nine Heavens. The True Qi used is the Immortal Qi of creation. Since this True Qi can transform into a myriad of weapons and establish various Formations, it is considered the type of True Qi closest to that of an Immortal. If the gray thing inside Fang Ren is indeed a Spiritual Root, then that would be rather strange. What attribute could it possibly be? He had never heard of anyone possessing a gray Spiritual Root. Observing this gray object in the consciousness of his mind, Fang Ren opened his eyes and started searching online with his phone, only to find that there was no information at all about a gray Spiritual Root. This is bad, could it be that this thing isn''t a Spiritual Root? Fang Ren couldn''t help feeling disappointed. However, on second thought, he couldn''t just give up like this, could he? When Xuan Nv first had a special Spiritual Root emerge within her, certainly no one thought it would end up being the strongest Spiritual Root on Earth. What if his gray Spiritual Root could be even more powerful than the Immortal Qi of creation... With this thought, the corners of Fang Ren''s mouth began to curve upward slightly. Even though he preferred keeping a low profile, it never meant he wasn''t going to put in the effort. Having more strength is always good. What if one day he wanted to stay low-key, but the world wouldn''t allow it? What then? Wouldn''t he then have to take control? Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Global University Students Elixir Competition_1 Another ss had ended quickly, and Fang Ren ran into the smallboratory once more. If the thing inside his body was truly a Spiritual Root, then after swallowing a Gathering Qi Pill, some True Qi should appear. After securing theboratory door and drawing the curtains, he sat in a seat and swallowed a Gathering Qi Pill, entering a meditative state once again. The effectiveness of the Gathering Qi Pill was slow to manifest and it required Cultivators to conscientiously absorb it; otherwise, if an ordinary person consumed it, it would be akin to eating a small rice ball, simply being digested into feces and serving no other purpose. Sitting in his seat, Fang Ren focused his consciousness on sensing the Grey root within his body. As the Gathering Qi Pill entered his body, the Grey root within him suddenly exhibited a faint pulse, and Fang Ren, overjoyed, immediately sent his consciousness to control the movement of the Gathering Qi Pill towards it. But before he could sense the presence of the Gathering Qi Pill, he suddenly felt a tremor within him, and the Grey root grew a branch crazily, which moved rapidly inside his body and quickly snatched the Gathering Qi Pill he had just swallowed. Whoosh¡ª The branch, dragging the Gathering Qi Pill, hurried back and pulled the entire pill into the Grey root. Everything calmed inside his body, and the Grey root... seemed unchanged. "This..." After waiting for several minutes and still noticing no change, Fang Ren could only frown and open his eyes, taking out his phone to search online for information about what should happen when a Cultivator ingests a Gathering Qi Pill. However, after looking through a lot of information, he found that most sources on the inte agreed that Gathering Qi Pills, once ingested, get absorbed by the True Qi in the meridians, thus enhancing the richness of the True Qi. None of the many sources of information mentioned absorption by the Spiritual Root. Fang Ren was baffled. What exactly was this thing inside his body? The pill supposed to be absorbed by the meridians was absorbed by it instead, and in the end, nothing changed... "Another one?" Fang Ren furrowed his brows and once again opened his small iron box, which still contained three Gathering Qi Pills and one Rejuvenation Pill. Normal Cultivators could only take a Gathering Qi Pill once a month; though a good thing, consuming too many within a month would fatigue the meridians and actually reduce the efficiency of cultivation. "Meridian fatigue isn''t the same as Spiritual Root fatigue, anyway, whether this thing is a Spiritual Root is still uncertain." With this thought, Fang Ren immediately tossed another Gathering Qi Pill into his mouth and started meditating again, hoping to see some change in the Grey root. But within seconds, he was stunned again. The Grey root swallowed his Gathering Qi Pill once more, and it did so much faster than before. After the pill was swallowed, Fang Ren didn''t rush to do anything else, since ingesting two Gathering Qi Pills in one day would usually leave an ordinary Cultivator fatigued to the point of drowsiness. Another ten minutes passed, and Fang Ren sensed no change in his body. This troubled him. If his meridians had no reaction to the Gathering Qi Pill, didn''t that mean he wasn''t a Cultivator at all, and the pill was digested just like food by an ordinary person? "Troublesome." He sighed deeply and directly tossed the remaining two Gathering Qi Pills from the box into his mouth. The result was the same; as soon as they were inside, they were pulled away and swallowed by the Grey root. This time the root acted even faster; he hadn''t even fully tasted them before they were gone... "Oh my! What a temper of mine!" Fang Ren was getting annoyed and, without a second word, threw thest Rejuvenation Pill from the small iron box into his mouth. Compared to the Gathering Qi Pill, the Rejuvenation Pill seemed far superior, able to quickly replenish the consumption of True Qi inside the body, with a very significant effect and a whopping price¡ª100,000 for just one pill. While the medicine was good, ordinary people would only suffer diarrhea after taking it, even to the point of copse... Acting impulsively, Fang Ren didn''t care about that at all, he just went for it; the root was too arrogant, showing no reaction, not even thanking him for consuming his elixir. Even a beggar knows to nod or bow in thanks for a coin, yet after having spent 90,000, it didn''t seem to recognize the cost at all. Having angrily swallowed the Rejuvenation Pill, Fang Ren waited for any reaction from the root. This time the Grey root didn''t immediately consume it; instead, a branch grew out from it and gently touched the Rejuvenation Pill, as if probing something. "Scared now, aren''t you?" Feeling like he had won a battle of wills, a smile appeared on Fang Ren''s face. But before he could enjoy the moment longer, the branch suddenly prated the Rejuvenation Pill, which then began to shrink as if being absorbed. When the Rejuvenation Pill had diminished to the size of a toy gun pellet, the branch detached from within it and didn''t retract immediately but flicked, sending the remaining Rejuvenation Pill flying out, as if trying tond a parting hit. Fang Ren was stunned, almost on the verge of cursing aloud. This thing actually has the nerve to be picky with food!? But before his anger could re up, he suddenly realized something was amiss¡ªthe Rejuvenation Pill wasn''tpletely absorbed. Didn''t that mean it ended up in his stomach... "Fuck!" With a roar, Fang Ren dashed straight for the toilet. ... In the bathroom, all that could be heard was a relentless torrent of noise, and when Fang Ren finally emerged, he was clenching his buttocks, his face pale as he leaned against the wall. That Rejuvenation Pill was no joke, such a tiny thing and it almost made him pass out from the ordeal. He tried to sense the grey root within him with his consciousness, but ity inert, as if dead. "Big brother, give me a sign..." Fang Ren''s heart was filled with despair. If those on the Alchemist Forum knew that Master Qing''an was brought low by a Rejuvenation Pill to the point of clutching his butt, who knows what might happen. "Ding dong..." A message arrived. Fang Ren took out his phone from his pocket and found that Liu Qianqian was asking all the students in the ss group to gather, as she had an announcement to make. Fang Ren trudged to the ss with a pained expression and his buttocks tightly clenched, finally feeling a sense of control returning to his backside as he randomly chose a spot to sit down. "Ranzi, what happened to you, dude?" Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang immediately crowded over from beside him. Fang Ren quickly let go of the hand supporting his waist and managed a smile on his face, "Just had a bit of a stomachache." "Bullshit! Trust my years of experience, pallidplexion, hand on the waist, that vacant look on the face; these are the clear signs of excessive indulgence!" Jing Haichuan said seriously. "Little brother," Li Xingwang said, with a meaningful look, patting Fang Ren''s shoulder, "although your wife is beautiful, you have to take care of your body. You''re too young to be ruined like this." "What nonsense are you spouting?" Fang Ren said with a look of disdain. "No more talk, no more talk. My Jing Company bears the great responsibility for the survival of the next generation of humans, so of course we have considered the health of this generation," Jing Haichuan, pulling out a box of kidney tonic from nowhere, ced it on the table and patted Fang Ren''s shoulder, "With Jing Brand Kidney Tonic, she''ll be happy, and so will you! Boost the survival rate of the next generation, contribute to human society by reproducing! From now on, you will stand tall forever, and she will love you forever!" "Bullshit! I don''t need that crap!" Fang Ren was a mess of cringe and confusion. "Don''t be shy, man; we are all men here. There''s no worn-outnd, only exhausted bulls, little brother!" "Get lost!" "Okay, okay, let''s all quiet down now, I have something to announce," Liu Qianqian said as she knocked on the podium and the noise in the ss quickly subsided. "Is Jian Qi''er not here again?" she asked. "Probably ran off to y again." Hearing this, Liu Qianqian also showed a helpless expression. In the three years since she arrived, Jian Qi''er''s enthusiasm for skipping sses remained unmatched; no one could curtail it, for even if they did, her pitiful and adorably clueless demeanor made it difficult for anyone to be too harsh on her. After organizing her notebook, Liu Qianqian continued, "Things have been a bit busy around school recently. Next week is the sports meet, but at the start of next month, it''s the international universitypetition for elixirs in the preliminaries." "You can''t be serious, ss leader; this is what you wanted to announce?" a male student asked. "This global event has nothing to do with us. Even knowing about it is useless, participating would just mean being cannon fodder," another male student said. "Yeah, we can''t even make the most basic Gather Qi Pill, and those key universities are already producing elites who can make second-order elixirs," a female student said disinterestedly. "Don''t be so disheartened; it''s the participation that counts," Liu Qianqian continued. "Moreover, the prizes for the regionalpetition are quite generous. Even if we don''t get in the top three of the regions, the top ten will also be encouraged, and the first ce in the regionalpetition will be directly qualified to enter the Tianxuan Alchemist Guild." As her words fell, the students below were slightly stunned, and then a cacophony erupted. "Holy shit! The Tianxuan Alchemist Guild is recruiting? Isn''t that the guild that only elites among the Tianjiang aristocrats can enter?" "That top-tier guild from Tianjiang? Holy crap! If we get in, we won''t have to worry about money or women for the rest of our lives!" "The ultimate goal for all alchemists! Once you''re in that guild, you can choose to settle in Tianjiang!" "Hey, hey, hey, wake up, wake up, it''s got nothing to do with us." "Who cares if it''s got nothing to do with us; I want to dream about it, can''t I?" "Damn, If I''d known there was such a big opportunity in life, I would have been practicing alchemy from the womb!" "All right, all right, let''s be quiet for a moment," Liu Qianqian continued, "Getting into the Tianxuan Alchemist Guild is just the prize for the regional champion. After the regional event, there is still the grand final among the regional champions, which will be hosted by the Bai Family Head of Tianjiang. If you can go, you will definitely get to see Princess Bai Xi of the Bai Family. Moreover, the prizes for the champion of the grand final are extremely rich, with the first ce directly being taken as a Closed-door Disciple by the second elder of the Tianjiang Fang Family. The second ce will bypass the qualification exam and be directly trained as a reserve alchemist for Battlefield One. The third ce will get a Fourth-order Elixir, an Extension Breath Pill." Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Tools of Interest_1 "The finalpetition even has Princess Tianjiang attending, I really wish I could see that outstanding female genius of the past two hundred years with my own eyes." "They say she was born with double Spiritual Roots, and many masters predict her achievements at the age of 25 may surpass those of Xuan Nv, surely making her the strongest human on Earth for the next fifty years, bar none." "Did you guys even get the point? The first prize is to be the closed-door disciple of Fang Family''s second elder, it''s literally a chance to skyrocket to sess." "Shut the hell up, I''m seriously regretting it now!" ... Liu Qianqian looked down at the restless students below and knocked on the desk again, speaking up, "Even if those goals are too far from us, it''s still a matter of pride to be able topete for the school''s honor in our district." "ss monitor, with our Mediocre University, the ones who could probably make it to the districtpetition from our school would be just over a dozen people, and most of them are from the Cultivation System, which has nothing to do with us." "Exactly, in our ss, it''s only you, our ss monitor, and the vice monitor who have a chance. The rest of us are definitely cannon fodder." "Alright, let''s not get hung up on that for now. Those things are next month," Liu Qianqian continued, "Recently, due to variouspetitions being scheduled tightly, following the Alchemist finals we''ll have the annualpetition between the Cultivation System departments of various colleges. Because the school feels the students are under too much pressure, they''ve decided to organize an outing to rx and unwind the day after tomorrow, in preparation for all the uing events." "Damn! ss monitor, finally some good news!" "What, just two days? That''s not enough!" "Where''s the destination, ss monitor? Is it really a trip with all the departments across the whole school?" "The outing location is at Jiulong Mountain, and this time it''s the whole school going, whether it''s the Cultivation System or the Arts department, all departments are involved," Liu Qianqian said. Upon hearing that the Cultivation System was also going on the outing, most of the students in the ss showed an annoyed expression. "I don''t really like going with that arrogant bunch from the Cultivation System, but since the girls from the Arts department are going too, it''s bearable." "Damn it, I''m so sick of those Cultivation System assholes acting all high and mighty every day. They''re just naturally able to cultivate, shit, if I was born with cultivation ability, I''d definitely be stronger than them." "Exactly, a bunch of good-for-nothings. Given such power and not cultivating earnestly to contribute to human society, all they think about is acting cool and flirting, so annoying." "Okay, okay, quit being bitter. The world is just unfair, there''s nothing you can do about it." After some noise andmotion in the ss, Liu Qianqian stepped down from the podium. Fang Ren then looked at Liu Qianqian, who was slightly hanging her head, and felt that she must have something on her mind. Normally, whenever Liu Qianqian stood up to announce things, she would always have a smile on her face, but this time, she didn''t smile from beginning to end, and there was a slight frown between her brows. Having spent three years together, he knew Liu Qianqian well. If she had a smile on her face, it meant her mood was average; if her face was beaming and her eyes sparkled, it meant she was truly happy; and if she had no smile at all, her mood was low. Even if she was enraged or angry, all she would show on her face was a slight furrow of the brows or an expressionless face. As the announcement of the activity came to an end, Liu Qianqian quickly grabbed some things and exchanged a few words with Li Xinyue, then left the ssroom by herself. As she left, she was already on her phone making a call. Fang Ren wanted to go up and ask her what was going on, but their rtionship was rather awkward at the moment, plus, he was about to marry Sister Hui Qing, and it wouldn''t be good if he caused any misunderstanding. After shooting the breeze with two rich kids in the ss, Fang Ren couldn''t wait to run home. He hadn''t been staying in the dorms for many days, and thebel of "prioritizing romance over friendship" had been stamped on him again. "No, I forgot the box in theb." He had barely run down the stairs when Fang Ren realized that the small box he usually carried with him had been left in theb. Because he had nearly fainted from diarrhea, followed by announcing things in the ss, he hadpletely forgotten about his belongings. Turning around, he ran back to the fourth-floorboratory. Just as he got to the stairs, he heard the angry voice of a familiar girl. "Do you even consider me your daughter? A reproductive tool! You''re treating me like nothing but a reproductive tool!" The voice was unusually angry, interspersed with a hint of grievance and unwillingness. It was not hard to discern that she had been crying. Fang Ren cautiously peeked around the corner, only to find that it was Liu Qianqian, who had just left the ssroom. She was holding her phone, tears glistening as they fell, one hand clenched into a fist and trembling by the edge of her dress. Fang Ren had never seen Liu Qianqian like this. As Liu Qianqian''s voice fell, some words came through the phone. Because he was some distance away, the sound was very faint. But thanks to the White Elixer, Fang Ren''s body had undergone some changes, and he could pick up some of the conversation. It was the voice of a middle-aged woman, "Qianqian, your mother isn''t pressuring you. Everything I do is for your own good. In thisrge family, you are just a weak girl without cultivation abilities. If you cannot contribute to the family, you''ll be kicked out and despised by others. Do you understand?" "I don''t understand! I''d rather be kicked out! I refuse to use my body to exchange for any benefits for the family!" Liu Qianqian cried out. "Why can''t you be sensible! Everything you have, including your life, is given by the family. Also, if you''re not marrying Fang Lizhong, who else would you marry? Choosing an ordinary person would just be a waste of what you have! It''s given to you by the family; you have no right to decide!" The woman on the phone''s tone became much harsher. "So in the end, aren''t you just looking to use what''s on me to have a child that can bring benefits to you? Doesn''t that just make me a reproductive tool?" "Since you were born with this, your fate has been destined." "I don''t want this thing! You can just dig it out of my body!" Liu Qianqian said, her face streaming with more and more tears. "What are you babbling about? How can you take away something that''s innate, like the Spiritual Root? Qian Qian, you should see having this ability as an honor. Your child will be excellent, and you must have a child with someone powerful enough; otherwise, you''re wasting your child''s whole life. Didn''t your parents give you your life? Do you want to make them live in pain?" "..." Liu Qianqian fell silent, biting down hard on her silver teeth, her nostrils ring with the sound of sniffling. The grace of being raised, the gift of life; these were the reasons she could not rebel against. "Qian Qian, listen to mom, stop messing around outside, ande back. Your child will make a name for themself across the entire, their talent may even be the highest since the beginning of the Cultivation Era, and their potential will be boundless." "All you care about is me having children... You never ask if I''m willing, what I''m interested in, nor have you ever asked if there''s a boy I like..." As Liu Qianqian spoke, she copsed weakly onto her knees in the hallway. "Those are all distractions. You say you want to be the top Alchemist this time, but that''s simply impossible. Just be obedient ande back. Later on, you will feel that everything mom and dad did was for your own good." "I''ll do it... I''ll take first ce!" Liu Qianqian said through clenched teeth. "Why must you be so stubborn?" "You promised me, as long as I take first ce as an Alchemist, you would grant me the freedom to love." "That''s not freedom! It''s just a detour you want to take at this age! We''re trying to correct you!" "I don''t want to hear this. Since you said it, if I do it, then you have no other reason to force me, right?" "You... alright, it was your grandfather who made that statement. If you take first ce, proving that your talent in Alchemy is enough to surpass many geniuses, the family will naturally grant you freedom of love." Crack¡ª Liu Qianqian threw her phone to the ground, supporting herself on the floor as she knelt, tears incessantly falling onto the tiles of the hallway, her delicate and tender body trembling with grievance. "I will... I definitely will..." Her mouth kept stubbornly repeating the mantra, like a dragonfly that wanted to fly even with broken wings. Fang Ren, hidden around the corner, after hearing this part of the conversation, felt incredibly conflicted; he never imagined that Liu Qianqian''s parents could be so cruel, and he never thought that her desperate studying was actually a battle for her own marital freedom. No freedom to love... Was that why he was rejected? A tumult rose in Fang Ren''s heart, but those things had be the past; impossible meant impossible. What he could do now... he didn''t even know how tofort her if he stepped out. The rtionship was too awkward. To go, or to see her? A simple choice had suddenly be so difficult. Was his love for Mu Huanqing not deep enough, or was his obsession with Liu Qianqian too strong? Or is it... the allure of the unattainable? Just go, help her quietly. Stop thinking about those things, you don''t want to be a scumbag... Rustle rustle¡ª Fang Ren immediately turned to head downstairs, but his clothes brushed against the wall. In the silent hallway, where she was quietly crying, even the gentle rubbing of clothes against the wall sounded loud. "Who''s there?" Liu Qianqian suddenly stood up from the ground, wiped the tears from her face, and ran down the hallway. Fang Ren quickened his pace to go down, but his mind was in such turmoil that his left foot tripped over his right, and he tumbled down in the stairwell. Liu Qianqian''s figure------had already reached the staircase. Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Malice_1 The setting sun''s afterglow always evokes a sense of destion, and twilight is always so quiet. Even in one of human''srgest gathering ces¡ªthe campus¡ªthere are only a few whispers, and this near-silent hum in the teaching building makes the surroundings seem even more silent. Copsed in the stairwell, I looked up at her beautiful figure under the sunset''s afterglow. Time seemed to have stopped, much like the past three years¡­ Our eyes met, silent and staring. One second, two seconds, three seconds¡­ Liu Qianqian suddenly turned and ran toward the other end of the corridor. At the moment she turned, tears once again surged out and fell in the wind¡ªthose were the remnants of her ravaged defiance. "Hey!" With tears falling in the wind, shining crystal clear in the afterglow, Fang Ren immediately scrambled up from the stairwell and hastened after Liu Qianqian. He had clearly intended to leave just moments before... "Liu Qianqian!" Fang Ren called out as he reached the corridor. Thanks to regr exercise, and the medicinal pill he had taken today, his agility far surpassed that of ordinary people. With just a few strides, Fang Ren caught hold of her arm. However, the moment he grasped her arm, Fang Ren froze, his eyes vacantly staring at his hand, his heart asking over and over¡ªwhat exactly was he doing? Liu Qianqian struggled twice, failing to break free, and then her body went limp, bending slightly as her ck hair cascaded forward. "Did you hear everything?" Liu Qianqian''s voice still had a trace of sobbing. In fact, she had been trying hard to suppress her voice. Fang Ren immediately let go of her arm, his eyesplex as he nodded slightly, "Yeah... I heard it all." "Then you should have turned and walked away..." "I was nning to pretend I hadn''t seen anything and leave, but then... I tripped." Suddenly, Liu Qianqian turned back, tears continuously falling, her eyes red and swollen, her voice dense with resentment, "So whye after me now? Do you really want to see me like this?" Her current appearance was like that of a severely wounded little animal. Anyone who approached her would be met with illogical fury out of self-protection. "I..." Fang Ren paused for two seconds before saying, "Suddenly felt that instead of pretending to have seen nothing, I shoulde andfort you." Liu Qianqian clenched her teeth, trying to control her emotions, but after hearing Fang Ren''s words, she just couldn''t keep it under control. "What right do you have tofort me? What are we to each other that youfort me?" Fang Ren spoke somewhat stiffly, "Aren''t we... good friends?" In reality, that rtionship ceased to exist the moment he confessed; even if they verbally insisted on it, their interactions were no longer those of "good friends." "Good friends..." Liu Qianqian repeated the three words he had said, her teary eyes suddenly filled with even more sorrow, "Let''s not be good friends anymore... You''re about to get married..." "Do the two matters have anything to do with each other?" Fang Ren retorted. "Yes!" Liu Qianqian suddenly shouted loudly, her beautiful eyes looking at him, filled with seriousness and variousplex emotions. "..." Fang Ren was stunned as he looked at her, still. Because of these two unrted matters, did she deserve to be so serious? If there had to be a link between the two, then unless Liu Qianqian liked him... Otherwise, what could her friend''s marriage possibly have to do with their friendship? Of course, this was just a guess, and one that Fang Ren tried to avoid in his mind. Seeing Fang Ren suddenly freeze, Liu Qianqian quickly withdrew her serious expression, wiping the tears from her face with one hand, and softly apologized, "Sorry, I got a bit emotional, don''t overthink it." "I know, about my confession before... just pretend it never happened. I''m just concerned as a good friend now, with no other intentions, really," Fang Ren said. After hearing his words, Liu Qianqian''s heart filled with bitterughter. Pretend it never happened? Impossible. You''re getting married, and I''ve yet to escape a fate bound by my family''s constraints... "I got it." Liu Qianqian nodded, continuously wiping tears from her face, then knelt to pick up her shattered phone from the stairwell with her other hand. As vice president of the student council, she couldn''t just leave trash scattered around. Seeing this, Fang Ren also knelt down to collect the fragments scattered afar, noting, "I''ve only just realized that your marriage isn''t up to you." "What use is it for you to know?" Liu Qianqian didn''t look at him, her toneced with a trace of resentment. Fang Ren couldn''t understand her tone, which seemed to loathe him. He had done nothing wrong, and it wasn''t like her to speak such words. "What do you have inside you that they insist you marry a specific person?" Fang Ren continued to inquire. "Spirit Embryo." As those two words left Liu Qianqian''s mouth, the phone pieces in Fang Ren''s hands also slipped to the ground, shocking him. The Spirit Embryo was a special constitution that had appeared only twice since the beginning of the Great Cultivation Era, only found in females, who were unable to cultivate. But the Spirit Embryo contained immense nature''s spiritual energy. A male Cultivator could receive help in his cultivation during conjugal rtions, and during pregnancy, the fetus would absorb most of the Spirit Embryo''s energy, ensuring the child would be born with incredibly high Cultivational Talent. For this very reason, women born with this constitution were married off to some of the current Cultivation geniuses, being used like Furnaces for cultivation, or to put it more cruelly, as tools for childbirth. "Do you find my predicament pitiful?" Liu Qianqian turned back to look at him, her beautiful face revealing an expression of helplessness and a bitter smile that Fang Ren had never seen before. Fighting theplexity in his heart, Fang Ren once again bent down to collect the pieces of the phone, and looking at the Liu Qianqian before him, he felt, for the first time, the malice of the world. Everyone thought that a woman like her was supposed to marry a cultivation genius, with no right to choose freely, and certainly couldn''t marry an ordinary person as a wife; otherwise, she would be considered an "irresponsible" woman, a superfluous dross in society. Everyone also crowned their recognition with a reason as ostentatious as it was glorified: She was contributing to the entire human society. Contribute my ass! Clenching the shards of her phone tightly in hand, Fang Ren gritted his teeth. Two secondster, he suddenly lifted his head andughed, looking at Liu Qianqian opposite him, hisugh full of confidence: "You will get first ce." The sudden confident smile on his face, catching Liu Qianqian''s eye, seemed exceedingly abrupt; she didn''t understand why he suddenlyughed. He wasn''t mocking her or rejoicing, but it seemed like a firm assertion that she could break free from the family''s bindings and obtain the right to marital freedom. She couldn''t understand where he got such great confidence in her. "Give it to me, I''ll throw it away." Fang Ren then took the cell phone shards from Liu Qianqian''s hand and ced the sim card in her palm. "It''s no use..." Liu Qianqian shook her head, saying, "I can''t escape fate..." "Isn''t the result still undecided?" Fang Ren then said. "The result has long been decided; it''s just that I''m unwilling to ept it," Liu Qianqian said. "It''s not." "It is..." "There''s still time," Fang Ren then said, his face still wearing that confident smile. "You don''t understand my past, don''t jump to conclusions so easily," Liu Qianqian said. "Have you resigned yourself?" Fang Ren then asked. "I don''t want to, but I must acknowledge it..." "Are you still going to participate in the alchemistpetition?" "I''ll participate, consider it futile struggling." "As long as you participate, that''s good," Fang Ren then said: "What''s that motivational quote on the inte? ''You just do your best; leave the oue to fate.''" "Fate doesn''t protect me. If it truly did, it wouldn''t have given me this physique or left me without any talent in alchemy. They say when fate closes a door, it will open a window for you, but it wouldn''t even give me a window," Liu Qianqian said with a bitter smile. "I take back that saying," Fang Ren thenughed: "You just do your best; it''s nothing but a fart." Liu Qianqian stared at him nkly. Pointing towards the distant sunset, Fang Ren then said: "It just floats there, and naturally someone wille to whip it." "I don''t have that power..." "Others do." "That''s none of my business." "It is." "...You''re acting strange today." "These details are not the point," Fang Ren then shook his head with a smile: "Just remember, everything will get better tomorrow." After saying this, Fang Ren then abruptly turned and left, lingering any further might have made him seem like he had an ulterior motive. Liu Qianqian didn''t try to speak to him again. Watching his retreating figure, a slight warmth stirred in her distressed heart, but... it didn''t make much difference. She couldn''t beat reality, not marriage, not this romance. After Fang Ren had left, a ck shadow suddenly appeared in the corridor, silently appearing next to Liu Qianqian like a ghost. It was a woman dressed in a ck robe, her cover soplete that not even her face could be seen. "Miss, do you want me to teach him a lesson?" the woman in ck said. "What right do you have to teach him a lesson?" Liu Qianqian said, frowning at her. "What he said could lead you astray. In theing month, I''m afraid you might do something that you would regret for the rest of your life," the woman in ck said. "Ridiculous. While others are telling me I should hold on to my own thoughts, you''re telling me that anyone who supports me is leading me astray," Liu Qianqian said with a helpless expression: "And in your eyes, what action of mine would lead to lifelong regret? Are you reminding me that as long as I don''t obey you, I''ll have to regret it for life?" "Your subordinate did not mean that," the woman in ck said: "Bluntly put... I''m just afraid that Miss, you won''t be able to resist personal affections." The woman in ck continued: "He''s going to get married. Miss, I think there''s no point in opposing the family''s wishes. Even if you really get first ce, who do you n to marry?" The bitterness in Liu Qianqian''s heart grew heavier. The woman in ck was right; even if she seeded in rebelling, what was the point? In the end... wouldn''t she still be unable to be with the person she loved? It''s meaningless... Chapter 28: Chapter 28: The Case on the Way Home (First Update)_1 It''s meaningless... But even if it''s meaningless, I still can''t ept it! "Whatever the oue, it has nothing to do with him. If you meddle on your own, don''t me me for embarrassing you," Liu Qianqian said as she began to walk towards the other end of the corridor. The woman in ck left behind watched her retreating figure, her mouth curling into a wry smile. Why couldn''t the young miss understand, even if she could win first ce in the Alchemistpetition, with a Spirit Embryo within her, the family would still not allow her the freedom to marry. As for that boy called Fang Ren, they should never have met. In the end, the young miss was only adding to her own sorrow for no reason at all. ... After leaving the teaching building, Fang Ren threw the pieces of his cell phone into a trash can, unable to calm the turmoil in his heart. If he hadn''t identally heard about the matters behind Liu Qianqian, he might have never had anything to do with her again. But now that he knew, and the impact of her circumstances on him was so great, it seemed their paths were inevitably intertwined. At least until he could help her regain the right to choose her marriage, their paths were intertwined. Fang Ren had always thought Liu Qianqian was just a child from an ordinary family, but over the phone, he could infer from the words of her mother that she was a distinguisheddy, and even a name was mentioned for her potential marriage partner¡ªFang Lizhong. Fang Lizhong, the second young master of the Tianjiang Fang Family, exceptionally talented among the young generation of Cultivators. At the age of eighteen, he had entered Zone One''s battlefield to resist the invasion of the Void Monsters for an entire year, and after returning from Zone One, his strength became even more enigmatic and unpredictable, with no one yet fully grasping it. Although women with a Spirit Embryo within them end up marrying geniuses of the current Earth, if the woman''s family is of amon status, it''s impossible for her to be the legitimate wife of a Cultivation genius; at most, she would be a lover without even a name. Since Liu Qianqian could marry such a person as his legitimate wife, it also indicated that her family''s status was probably not much different from the Tianjiang Fang Family''s. Considering this, the conclusion naturally arose: she was very likely a member of the Tianjiang Liu Family, a giant n almost the equal of the Tianjiang Fang Family. Theck of freedom for the children of great families is age-old, unchanging through the centuries. "First ce, huh..." Fang Ren walked towards the exit of the school, his head lowered as he browsed through the records of past university Alchemypetitions on his cell phone. The first ce of the previouspetition was a girl named Lin Ling, who won with a Second-ss Advanced Rejuvenation Pill. For university students of contemporary Earth, being able to concoct a two-level pill was an impressive feat reserved for the elite from key universities, and those who could produce upper-level two-level elixirs were even rarer. To this day, there has yet to be anyone who could produce a three-level pill during their university years; no one has ever managed to concoct a three-level pill before the age of twenty-four, including the top Alchemy Grandmasters from Zone One. Continuing his research, Fang Ren looked up the potential winners among the Alchemy geniuses of this university batch on his phone. After browsing through, he turned off the phone screen, a faint smile curving his lips: "A three-level pill should secure it." As long as Liu Qianqian wins the championship, she can have the freedom to marry. Although it''s already impossible between the two of them, he still wants her to be happy as a friend. Besides, her refusal might not be because her right to marry freely was obstructed, but rather she never thought of dating him at all, truly feeling nothing for him from the start. So, there''s no need for regrets; the past is in the past. Fang Ren, who always ran home, today was no exception, except that he was a bitte. The setting sun had sunk behind the hills of the small city. The street lights on both sides of the road had been lit. The number of vehiclesing and going on the street increased, whether they were headed home or on some errand. Boom¡ª "Save me!" Just as Fang Ren was about to pass a small alley, a loud boom suddenly erupted from within, followed by the desperate screams of a man for help. Fang Ren had reached the mouth of the alley and, hearing the cries for help, instinctively stopped and turned to look inside. The alley was misty, with only the surrounding streetlights allowing him to faintly discern the goings-on inside. Blood, the walls inside the alley were covered in blood, and at the ce where the blood was heaviest, a middle-aged man covered in blood was pinned against the wall by a long sword, his face etched with terror as he screamed, kicking violently against the wall in agony. In front of him stood a woman dressed in ck, her body tightly covered revealing only her eyes. She held a sheathed sword in her hand, her gaze cold, utterly frightening. The middle-aged man, seeing Fang Ren stop at the entrance of the alley, stretched out his hand towards Fang Ren, screaming louder, "Save..." Swish¡ª A streak of silver shed, and before the middle-aged man could fully cry out for help, his eyes bulged, staring nkly ahead as blood began to spurt from his neck. Upon witnessing this, Fang Ren frozepletely, having been nothing but an ordinary student all his life; when had he ever seen such a cruel and bloody murder? After the woman in ck had killed the middle-aged man, her cold eyes turned towards Fang Ren. At the moment their gazes met, Fang Ren felt a buzzing in his head as the urge to survivepelled him to immediately take steps to flee. Yet he found himself unable to move his body when it was under the gaze of those eyes, as if controlled by a force, leaving him to stand there dumbly, waiting for the other to ughter him. "Master, the target has been killed by me, but the process was witnessed by someone else," the woman in ck reported coldly, one hand by her ear. "Kill them." As the voice from the earpiece sounded, the woman in ck transformed into a shadowy figure, her long sword gleaming like flowing light. Before Fang Ren could even catch her movement, she had already appeared in front of him in an instant. ng¡ª¡ª Silver light shed by Fang Ren''s body, and the de of the long sword finally cleaved into the corner of a wall in the alley, sinking into the concrete like mud, more than half a meter deep, severing the steel rebar inside. "Assassinationplete, all tasks finished," she said, her eyes filled with a cold light as she stood with one hand still by her ear, her voice exceptionally icy. "Return immediately." "Yes." Hum¡ª¡ª The ck figure once again turned into a ghostly apparition and vanished from Fang Ren''s sight, leaving the surroundings deathly quiet. It took about twenty seconds before Fang Ren gradually came to his senses. He touched his head in a daze and realized he was unharmed. After checking himself three times, he found that there were indeed no injuries on his body; the woman''s sword hadn''t struck him at all. Fang Ren, with a cold sweat on his back, crouched down to feel the marks on the corner of the wall, noting traces that looked like burn marks where the steel rebar had been cut. If that sword had struck a person, there would be no need to think about it; that person would be sliced into two halves. Turning his head, Fang Ren immediately left the spot, without any further dy or curiosity. The stroke of the woman in ck was clearly deliberate. Fang Ren didn''t understand why she had intentionally reported to the person above that she had killed him, the witness. Was she a principled assassin who only killed her targets and spared the innocent? Or did she recognize him, someone from his own circle? Thetter seemed absurd and the former somewhat far-fetched, but, after all, the female assassin hadn''t killed him. He considered himself lucky. Upon reaching home, Fang Ren''s heart was still filled with an uneasy beat. In that moment when his life was threatened, he couldn''t forget just how fragile life could be. The gap between a mortal and a cultivator was immense. For a cultivator to kill a mortal was as easy as a flick of the wrist, akin to an elephant stepping on an ant. It was precisely in that instant that Fang Ren suddenly realized how na?ve he had been to want to retaliate against those who had framed Sister Hui Qing. Being so weak, and considering that Sister Hui Qing''s family background wasn''t ordinary, those who could frame her were surely high-ranking officials on Earth, a meeting with whom was something many people couldn''t even dream of in their lifetimes. Talk of revenge against such individuals? He felt unqualified, and likely would be for his entire life. With these thoughts, Fang Ren began to contemte the grey root within him. Could it be a Spiritual Root? If it were, then he would have the right to discuss those matters. He might keep a low profile, but he was determined to do his utmost for the things he wanted to achieve, as long as there was a possibility. "Ah Ran, it seems like something is weighing on your mind." Seeing Fang Ren lie down on his bed as soon as he entered the room with a frown, Mu Hui, who was sitting at herputer desk, paused her soap opera, turned her head, and spoke. "Mhm," Fang Ren responded with a nod, frowning. "Can you tell me about it?" Mu Hui asked. Fang Ren looked at her and hesitated for a moment, then said, "Today I saw a man... being killed right in front of me. The person who killed him is a cultivator." "Murder?" Mu Hui looked surprised. "Why would a cultivator kill someone?" She didn''t understand; in her values, shouldn''t cultivators be defending humanity? Why would they kill their own kind? Fang Ren saw her surprise and was puzzled himself. "Isn''t it normal for cultivators to kill if there''s some kind of grudge or feud?" he asked. "But even with the biggest grudges, it shouldn''t reach the point of taking a life, right?" Mu Hui said, frowning. After hearing her words, Fang Ren grew more confused and said, "Isn''t that a normal urrence? It happens often in human society." "Often?" Mu Hui was even more surprised. "Even though they are all humans, why should they kill each other? Shouldn''t they unite and resist the Void together?" Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Knowing Nothing (Second Update)_1 ``` Mu Huanqing could never understand how humans could kill each other. Up until now, most of her life had revolved between cultivation and war. She was the spiritual leader for the warriors of Sector One, the Xuan Nv in whom countless humans ced their hopes. Every effort she made, every drop of blood she shed, was for the protection of her fellow n members whocked the ability to fight on the battlefield. If only she suffered more, if only her powers grew stronger, then fewerrades would die, and the ordinary humans she protected could feel more secure. In her understanding thus far, whether cultivators or mortals, she believed that all humans of her kind should be cherished lives, unified in purpose. In her eyes, it was simply inconceivable for them to turn on each other andmit fratricide. After hearing Fang Ren''s words, she was bewildered. It was normal for her not to understand; after all, standing at the peak of the world, one cannot see the darkness lurking at the mountain''s base. After hearing Mu Huanqing''s words, Fang Ren felt even less able toprehend, and said, "If humanity is united against the Void, then why would anyone hurt Sister Hui Qing to the point of her now being in such a state?" Mu Huanqing''s gaze suddenly dimmed, and after a few seconds of silence, she said, "¡­That''s because I haven''t done enough, if I were even stronger, many people would not have died." "But what does that have to do with those people hurting you? Aren''t these two separate issues?" "No, if I were strong enough to give them sufficient security, none of these things would have happened," Mu Huanqing shook her head. "It''s others who harbored malicious intent to harm you; why are you ming yourself?" Fang Ren could not understand her at all. "But in the end, I am still alive. No one of my own kind has ever actually tried to take my life," said Mu Huanqing. "You¡­" Fang Ren''s mind was in disarray. He held his forehead with one hand, speaking helplessly, "Sister Hui Qing, aren''t you being too naive? Why would you think like this? Many humans are simply not as good as you think. Many are greedy. Hurting you may not be out of their insecurity, but because they want to eliminate you to gain what they desire. And even if the chaos caused by insecurity inadvertently hurts you, what responsibility do you bear? It''s their fault." Fang Ren was unclear about her past, so his response was based on piecing together key points from what she had said. "..." Mu Huanqing''s gaze grew more sorrowful, her expression weary. She viewed everything as her responsibility, taking all burdens upon herself as if they were her duty. Having always held a position of authority, she had never witnessed the darker side of human nature, failing to understand many things. Seeing her fall suddenly silent, Fang Ren knew that his words had likely hit close to the mark. Sister Hui Qing¡­ in some ways, she might be even more childlike than he had imagined. Rising from the bed, Fang Ren gently embraced her, caressing her hair with one hand as he said, "I don''t know what kind of environment Sister Hui Qing grew up in from childhood; it seems like you''repletely unaware of humans harboring murderous intentions toward each other." "Why would they kill each other¡­ Aren''t we supposed to resist the Void races together?" Mu Huanqing''s expression became increasingly troubled as shey in his arms. The world she had sacrificed everything to protect¡­ was it truly so different from what she had imagined? "People standing in different positions see the world differently. For instance, warriors on the battlefield always see glory and blood, rallying against the world, with the eradication of Void creatures as their mission. But for some others in this world, the invasion of the Void creatures is none of their concern; they leave it to those warriors to handle, while their desires are theplete opposite, seeking money, power, women, even stooping to any means for their personal gain," Fang Ren exined to her. "Why is it like this¡­" After hearing what he said, Mu Huanqing suddenly felt a profound sorrow. As the Void races continue to invade, countless warriors give their blood and lives to protect their kin from being ughtered by the Void. Why, then, when they are not being killed by other races, have they begun to ughter each other? Are the lives sacrificed by these warriors so worthless in their eyes? "Because the world has been at peace for too long. Some people feel that this peace is their entitlement. There will even be those who regard the warriors sacrificing their lives for humanity on the battlefield as fools," Fang Ren said, feeling a swell of emotion within himself. Although he was a mortal without cultivation ability, he too contributed to humanity silently. He would immediately share his alchemy creations on forums for other alchemists to study and replicate, and he would offer advice on posts with ws. Two hundred years ago, when humanity faced crisis, people were united. But after two hundred years of stability, many have forgotten the experience of being ughtered by the Void, forgotten that their current peace was bought with the blood of countless warriors. A phrase once spoken by some ancestors in the distant 21st century says it all¡ª"What ''peaceful years'' are there, if not for those who carry the burden for you." But now, this sentiment has been crumpled by humanity and tossed aside with the fears of the past, into the trash. After talking with her, Fang Ren felt much more at peace with the restlessness he had felt that night. Holding her a while longer and speaking some words offort, he soon heard the front door rattle¡ªUncle Han had returned. "Come down for dinner; I bought something ready-made today, won''t be cooking." They had yet toe downstairs when they heard Shang Han calling out loudly from below. Mu Huanqing, as if having heard nothing, continued to nestle in Fang Ren''s embrace, unwilling to move. "Go have some food, don''t be upset," he said, looking at her. Seeing her like this, Fang Ren suddenly regretted telling her all this. Perhaps his words had struck deep-rooted beliefs in her mind, causing a significant impact. Although he was unsure of Sister Hui Qing''s past identity, Fang Ren was certain that in some ways, she was as innocent as a child, likely having had little exposure to the darker side of human nature. Mu Huanqing still made no move, so Fang Ren cupped her cheeks with his hands, squeezing her smiling face into a pout, andughed, "Sister Hui Qing is as pure as a nk sheet of paper." "How is that possible?" Mu Huanqing''s speech was altered by being squished and she involuntarily furrowed her brows. With her brows lightly furrowed and her face squished together, she looked as if she was pouting pitifully, which was incredibly adorable. "You were very pure, but you changed after meeting me," Fang Ren smiled. "How so?" "Because I''ll make Sister Hui Qing dirty." "Rascal..." "Alright, don''t be upset." Fang Ren chuckled, "Look, today Sister Hui Qing is able to walk by herself; isn''t that something to be happy about?" Mu Huanqing nodded vigorously, her cheeks still adorably pressed together. "Such a good girl." After a half-minute of affection, Fang Ren wheeled over the wheelchair from inside the room: "Come on, sit down." "My legs are already healed; why should I sit in it?" Mu Huanqing was startled. "To give Uncle Han a surprise." Fang Ren did not wait for Mu Huanqing to move on her own and instead picked her up and ced her in the wheelchair, then happily wheeled her out. Shang Han was setting up the dishes on the table downstairs, and there was also a bottle of baijiu on the table. "Uncle Han, why have you decided to drink today?" Fang Ren had just pushed Mu Huanqing downstairs when he saw Shang Han opening the baijiu and asked, somewhat puzzled, as he had hardly ever seen Uncle Han drinking before. "Just felt like having some," Shang Han sighed lightly, but his face showed a slight smile as he arranged the tableware. Fang Ren pushed Mu Huanqing over to the table to sit down, and while looking at Uncle Han, he couldn''t help feeling that there was a trace of bitterness and helplessness mixed within Uncle Han''s smile; there must be something upsetting him. "Uncle Han, I''ve got a surprise for you," Fang Ren said with a smile. "What kind of surprise can you give me, kid?" Shang Han said disdainfully. During the conversation, he did not forget to turn on the TV and started watching the news. "I''m telling you something serious." Fang Ren said, "Guess what, it''s definitely a surprise." "Huh?" Shang Han was taken aback, his eyes shifting to Mu Huanqing opposite of him, and then he pped the table in an epiphany, "Is Hui Qing pregnant?!" "Pff!" Fang Ren almost spit out the mouthful of soup he was about to drink: "Can''t you think of something nice, you old coot?" "What''s nicer than that?" "Nice indeed," said Fang Ren with a speechless expression and walked over to Mu Huanqing, pulling her to her feet, and said, "Can''t you see?" Shang Han furrowed his brows and examined Mu Huanqing''s belly, "Are you dumb, kid? It''s only been two days; even if she was pregnant, it wouldn''t show." Fang Ren was about to explode in anger and smash the entire table in his face then and there. Shang Hanughed, "Alright, alright, I''ll stop joking with you. I''m really d you cared enough to get Hui Qing a leg brace." "Nonsense!" Fang Ren pulled Mu Huanqing away from the table, knelt down, and patted her snow-white calves, looking helplessly at Shang Han: "Brace my foot! Look carefully!" Finally, Shang Han''s face turned serious as he looked at Mu Huanqing''s calves in shock: "Is this...?" "It''s healed," Fang Ren said. "Healed?" Shang Han still couldn''t believe his eyes; it was a condition that even a Grandmaster-level alchemist in the district couldn''t cure. How could it have suddenly healed? "It really has healed," said Mu Huanqing, looking at Shang Han with a dazed expression, "Ah Ran gave me a pill, and after that, it just suddenly got better." Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Nightfall Organization (Third Update)_1 ``` "Pills? What pills did you take?" Shang Han was startled. This was a condition that even the top Grandmasters of Zone One couldn''t cure, how could it possibly be solved just by taking a random pill? Upon hearing this, Fang Ren immediately made frantic eye signals to Mu Huanqing at his side, they had already agreed not to tell Uncle Han about this. It was quite clear that Mu Huanqing received Fang Ren''s eye messages, and she said with a serious face, "Ah Ran doesn''t want me to tell you that he made the pill himself." "What!?" Fang Ren instantly turned to stone. What was this? Hui Qing, who always keeps her mouth shut? Hadn''t they agreed to keep secrets? And she just sold out her own husband like that? As Mu Huanqing finished speaking, the frown on Shang Han''s forehead suddenly rxed, and with a slight smile on his lips he looked at Fang Ren and said, "Let''s eat first." Mu Huanqing went back to her seat, but Fang Ren was stunned. Although he had never intended to tell you about it, couldn''t you show some reaction?! That was the world''s first pill capable of repairing severed meridians! "What''s wrong?" Shang Han, seeing Fang Ren still in a petrified state, spoke up, "Shouldn''t I be greatly surprised and then feel that you, you little brat, couldn''t possibly concoct such a pill?" "Isn''t that how the script should go!" Fang Ren waspletely disoriented, the old man was just too calm. "Screw the script." Shang Han said with a look of disdain, "Did you think I didn''t know that you''ve been messing around with alchemy in your room every day?" "..." Fang Ren was speechless. "Since you were twelve, you''ve been making your room smell like medicine every day, and you even kept pills in an iron box in the drawer without even bothering to lock it. Do you think I''m blind? Can''t I see?" Shang Han sted out several sentences in quick session. In an instant, Fang Ren felt as if his little world had copsed. What he thought was his secret from childhood was already known to the old man, who had been feigning ignorance all along! After so many years, it turned out that all his affairs were still within the control of the old man! Fang Ren sat at the dining table with a troubled face, "But those were just minor pills I made, how could they possibly be something even the masters of the first district can''t handle?" "Ha, did you really think the reason I sent you to medical school?" Shang Han said with contempt, "Do you think I let you continue schooling after you ranked third fromst in every exam?" Fang Ren blinked, feeling a bit guilty as he looked at Shang Han, as if the old man might know even more of his secrets. Shang Han continued, "In this Great Cultivation Era, many people have infinite potential, like Qing''er. Who would have thought she could beat up...cough cough." At this point, Shang Han stopped speaking and coughed twice, suddenly feeling a bit panicked. He shouldn''t carelessly reveal that Qing''er could beat the world''s strongest generals at the age of twenty. What he wanted most now was for the two children to live their remaining lives as ordinary people, undisturbed by past events. Shang Han went on, "Frankly, I am a bit surprised that you were able to make such a pill, but that doesn''t mean you have a reason to be prouder than a Zone One Alchemist." Surprised? Fang Ren admitted defeat. Where exactly did you show any sign of surprise? Proud? Am I that kind of person? "Having talent is good, but being humble is even better." Shang Han poured himself half a ss of white wine and took a sip, then continued, "All those years of educating you weren''t wasted after all." "Yes, yes, yes." Fang Ren didn''t want to listen to him ramble on anymore. Now that the secret was known, there was nothing he could do about it; who asked him not to hide himself better? Thinking about this, Fang Ren couldn''t help but wonder: since the old man knew about his alchemy practice from a young age, did he also know about his ount on the Alchemists'' Forum? "Uncle Han, to be honest, I never expected to seed with this pill," Fang Ren said with a feigned calm appearance, "Thankfully, Master Qing''an of the Alchemists'' Forum gave me some guidance, otherwise, it might have taken me five or six years to make such a pill." Shang Han took a sip of his drink, frowning, "Master Qing''an... How should I put this, I always feel that he is much more aplished in alchemy than even the top Grandmasters of Zone One. Some people even say that he is the peak alchemist of Earth for the past 200 years in the Cultivation Era." On hearing this, Fang Ren''s expression turned to a smile. As expected, the old man didn''t know he was Master Qing''an. But having his elder praise him like this to his face made Fang Ren inwardly a little embarrassed: Ah, what ''peak alchemist of Earth,'' just be humble¡ªblushing here, alchemy and stuff... Oh, just a bit knowledgeable is all. "Ah Ran and Master Qing''an are really fated," Mu Huanqing suddenly said. Shang Han smiled, "Master Qing''an likes to give guidance to young people on forums the most, just offering a bit of advice doesn''t really count as fate." "But that''s not what I''m talking about," Mu Huanqing said. Upon hearing Mu Huanqing''s words, Fang Ren immediately started to frantically give her eye signals from the side. Was she seriously going to talk about the Space Ring? To say that Master Qing''an casually gave her a Space Ring? Sister Hui Qing might believe him because she''s na?ve, but this old man might not be so easily fooled. He would definitely sense that something was off; after all, Master Qing''an only did Alchemy, not crafting. "So what is it that Qing''er wants to talk about?" Shang Han asked. Mu Huanqing received another burst of eye signals from Fang Ren, nodded, and said, "Ah Ran has met Master Qing''an once before." "Met before?" Shang Han was surprised, "Is that true?" Fang Ren breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Sister Hui Qing, oh Sister Hui Qing, finally you''re not messing things up for your husband! "Back when I was traveling outside, I came across an old man and casually helped him out. Then he told me his name was Qing''an. At the time, I really didn''t understand why he would tell me his name. It was onlyter when he emerged into the limelight online that I suddenly realized he was an important figure," Fang Ren said, immediately slipping into an Oscar-worthy performance with a nostalgic expression on his face. "He''s an old man?" Shang Han took a sip of his drink and said, "That''s right, to reach such a high level in medicine, it''d be impossible without the umtion of years." Fang Ren mentally nodded in agreement¡ªyes, indeed, twenty-two years of umtion. After that, Fang Ren didn''t speak much for the rest of the meal, fearing that he might identally say something wrong and raise Uncle Han''s suspicions. Mu Huanqing cooperated as well and didn''t bring up the Space Ring from beginning to end. The news on TV was broadcasting tonight''s report: "Around seven o''clock tonight, the mayor of Yangming City, Sun Han, was assassinated by unidentified individuals. The fatal methods used on the body closely resemble those of the Nightfall Organization which disappeared three years ago. The case is still under investigation. We urge the residents of Yangming City to pay extra attention to their personal safety..." At the mention of Yangming City, Fang Ren and Shang Han instinctively turned to look at the television together. Yangming City was, after all, their small county town. The murder of the mayor of Yangming City was far too close forfort. Watching the news on TV, Fang Ren was stunned. He had never imagined that the murder he came across tonight, the man who died before him, would turn out to be the mayor of Yangming City. Shang Han frowned as he watched the news, his gaze fixated on the words "Nightfall Organization," lost in thought. After watching the report, Mu Huanqing''s expression turned very sorrowful. As expected... things were just as Ah Ran had said. Amidst the peace bought at the cost of countless warriors'' lives, their kin were engaged in killing each other. The rest of the meal passed in rtive silence. After dinner, Fang Ren took Mu Huanqing back to their room, while Shang Han cleared the dishes and sat in front of the TV without going to his room to sleep. Fang Ren had a lot of questions in his heart about Uncle Han''s behavior today, like whether he had something on his mind, or why he didn''t seem overjoyed even though Sister Hui Qing''s legs had healed, or why he wasn''t surprised that he could produce such an elixir? Even if Uncle Han knew that he had talent in Alchemy from a young age, this particr pill was genuine and beyond the capability of any Alchemist in the first district. Did Uncle Han really think so highly of his talents, or did he think that the pill was mostly provided by Master Qing''an? Uncle Han, Fang Ren had so many questions he wanted to ask, but asking would be pointless; he would either stay silent or not tell the whole truth. "Ah Ran, why did the Nightfall Organization want to kill that man?" lying in bed, Mu Huanqing asked with a sorrowful tone. "Some might do it for grudges, and others for their own benefits," Fang Ren said. "Why not exert their abilities in cultivation and protect more people instead..." Mu Huanqing mumbled, then snuggled closer into Fang Ren''s arms, feeling sad again. "I''ve told you, human nature has a dark side," Fang Ren said, stroking her silver hair. "But remember, in this world, the majority are good people. Sister Hui Qing, don''t think everything is bad, it''s just a few bad apples." Mu Huanqing nodded and cuddled closer to Fang Ren. "What''s wrong?" Fang Ren asked, noticing her persistent snuggling. "Why aren''t you doing those things to me tonight, Ah Ran?" Mu Huanqing asked softly. Fang Ren paused for a moment, "I saw that Sister Hui Qing wasn''t in the best mood, so I thought I''d provide somefort." "Can''t we do that... and talk at the same time?" Mu Huanqing asked. "Alright, as you wish." Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Nighttime Call (4 updates)_1 Around 3 a.m., Shang Han walked alone in the residential area, dialing a number on his cellphone. Doo¡ª About three secondster, the phone connected, and a man''s voice came through, "Little Han? Why are you calling me all of a sudden?" "Brother Zheng, I have to return to District Nine tomorrow." Shang Han''s voice was filled with much helplessness. The voice on the phone also sighed helplessly, "I know, District Nine is currently without a leader, and things will get veryplicated if you don''t go back. Plus, you haven''t been with Ah Ying for over twenty years; you should go back and keep herpany. These years...you''ve had it tough, and I don''t even know how to make it up to you. It''ll be good for us to see each other more once you''re back in the war zone." "Let''s not talk about that, Brother Zheng... Ah Ran has grown up now. He''s kind-hearted and loyal, modest and not arrogant, and he has a natural talent for alchemy¡ªhe''s a good kid. He''ll be able to take care of himself when I''m gone." "He... he''s about to graduate from university, right?" "Yes, he''s graduating next year." "That was fast. In the blink of an eye, 22 years have passed... He''s also at the age to get married, but I, as his father, have never gone to see him even once..." "Brother Zheng, there''s something I want to talk to you about." Shang Han began. "Go ahead, your matters are my matters." "I oppose the marriage arrangement between Ah Ran and Bai Qi." Shang Han spoke seriously. "Little Han... why would you suddenly say that?" The man on the phone was somewhat unable to understand why Shang Han would say such a thing. The marriage arrangement between Bai Qi and Fang Ren had been set in stone since they were young and could not be changed. The Bai Family had promised that no matter how high Bai Qi''s cultivation talent might be in the future, she must marry Fang Ren. "Do you really think Ah Ran will be happy living together with that girl from the Bai Family?" Shang Han said, "The two of them are simply not from the same world. Plus, you know there are too many people in the Fang Family who are jealous of Ah Ran. He shouldn''t have to live amidst others'' envy; it''s better for him to be just an ordinary person." "I''ll shoulder the family''s affairs, and as for the matter between Ah Ran and Xiao Xi, it''s entirely based on the original promise. This marriage arrangement can only be dissolved if one of them truly does not consent to it." "Can''t we dissolve it now?" Shang Han asked. "No, the two kids haven''t even met each other yet; we can''t jump to conclusions too early. What if they fall in love at first sight?" Shang Han sighed heavily, "Alright, Brother Zheng, if that''s the case then I will just get straight to the point. Ah Ran, I''ve raised him for twenty-two years, and have always treated him as my own son. I think you should also consider my opinion when ites to his marriage." "Naturally, he is my biological son, but you are the father in his life." "Firstly, I firmly oppose the marriage between Ah Ran and Bai Qi, and secondly, I want Ah Ran to be with Qing''er," Shang Han said. "Qing''er?" The man on the phone suddenly started, "Isn''t Qing''er supposed to be on the battlefield..." "Qing''er isn''t dead. It''s just that her entire meridian system was severed, and she has lost the ability to cultivate. She can only live as an ordinary person now. Ah Ying and I didn''t want her to be involved in those affairs anymore, so we announced to the outside world that we didn''t manage to save her," Shang Han said. "But Qing''er and Ah Ran... wouldn''t there be something inappropriate between them? And that marriage arrangement..." "Brother Zheng, let me be frank with you, the two of them are already living together. I arranged it myself without your permission, but I feel what I did was right," Shang Han stated. "Ah? Living together..." The man on the phone was surprised, "But with Qing''er''s identity being with Ah Ran... If the identity of Xuan Nv is known to outsiders, what will their days be like then?" "I actually think there''s nothing inappropriate about it. Qing''er is just an ordinary person now, and her being with Ah Ran couldn''t be more suitable. No one knows what Xuan Nv looks like, and no one will know that Fang Ren is your son," Shang Han argued. "Little Han... this..." The man on the phone suddenly became very distressed. Shang Han raised his voice, frowning, "Brother Zheng! Are you really going to drag Ah Ran into the family''s dispute? The Fang Family... that''s not his ce. Have you forgotten why you entrusted him to me in the first ce? Some people will want his life! If you let him go back and marry Bai Qi, I''m afraid the kids won''t even be married before something happens to Ah Ran!" "I know you want what''s best for him, but the Fang Family really needs someone like him to marry into the Bai Family¡­" "Brother Zheng, I''ve said all I had to say. If you''re determined to separate Ah Ran and Qing''er, then, brother, I''m sorry. Just forget all that I''ve done for you over the past thirty-plus years; I''ll no longer acknowledge you as my brother," Shang Han said solemnly. The voice on the phone fell silent for a long time before responding, "They''re... really living together?" "They''re getting married on May 20th, both willing," Shang Han said. The man on the phone sighed heavily, sounding very troubled, "Since it''s already like this, I can''t do anything about it. Let''s dissolve the two kids'' marriage arrangement... But, Little Han, you''ve been gone for too long, you don''t know what the Fang Family is facing now. Without Ah Ran, it''s likely to disintegrate..." "If he really goes there, the result probably won''t change much. Some people, to achieve their ns, will only think of more heartless ways to try and kill Ah Ran!" Shang Han argued. "I''m not nning on having hime back," the man on the phone spoke solemnly, "Based on what you''ve told me before, with Ah Ran''s character, he surely won''t forsake Qing''er to marry another girl. Moreover, since he and Qing''er have developed to this extent... then I can''t possibly separate them." "So what are you nning to do next, Brother Zheng?" "If..." the man on the phone spoke reluctantly, "If Ah Ran and Qing''er get married, I''ll personally go to the Bai Family to dissolve the marriage arrangement. After that, we''ll have to y it by ear. You''re right with what you said. Even if Ah Ranes here, if we can''t protect him, the family''s end result will be the same, only his life will be in more danger." "I''m d you see it that way. Ah Ran shouldn''t have to bear those responsibilities; from the moment he was born, he already sacrificed his Spiritual Root for the Fang Family. If now, as an adult, he has to give up his feelings and even possibly lose his life for the Fang Family, no one''s conscience would be clear," Shang Han said. "I will handle this. Actually, Ah Ran being with Qing''er... isn''t that what we once wished for?" "Yeah." "Little Han, don''t talk about breaking off brotherly ties next time. The bond we''ve formed through life and death can''t be severed just like that." "I understand, Brother Zheng. When I get back, let''s have a drink and talk over the details." Chapter 32: Chapter 32: I Dont Want to Leave Ah Ran_1 ``` After hanging up the call, Shang Han slid his phone into his pocket. Then, his entire being transformed into a streak of light and shot up into the sky. ... In a certain patch of the sky over Yangming City, Shang Han floated with a worried look on his face, his gaze fixed on an elder in white robes about three meters in front of him. The elder''s hair was white and his beard long, draping to the upper half of his chest. His somewhat withered hands habitually stroked his beard, his face wearing a hint of a smile that made him seem very amiable. "I hear you''re nning to marry Hui Qing off to Young Master Ah Ran?" the white-haired elder asked. "I have no choice. If Ah Ran marries Bai Qi, he might actually die. And since Qing''er can no longer practice cultivation, she should find an ordinary boy to spend the rest of her life with. The timing for the two of them just so happens to be opportune, so naturally, I have to bring them together," Shang Han said. "Your move isn''t necessarily wrong. From your personal perspective, it indeed seems like a perfect solution. As soon as they get married, the engagement with Princess Bai Xi will naturally be broken, and the right-wing faction of the Fang Family will no longer want to kill Young Master Ah Ran. Moreover, it will ensure Hui Qing marries someone reliable. However... without the alliance through marriage between Young Master Ah Ran and Princess Bai Xi, the left-wing faction''s position will be very awkward, and Uncle might even be forced to step down because of this," the white-haired elder said. Shang Han lit a cigarette and said, "Even if I die, I won''t let Brother Zheng be forced to step down by those right-wingers, nor will I allow Ah Ran and Qing''er to be separated." "Without Young Master Ah Ran taking the risk, Uncle''s position will be untenable, and betting your life on it won''t change the oue," the elder retorted. "I don''t believe that," Shang Han said, frowning with a tone of determination. The white-haired man observed his demeanor, the smile on his lips growing richer. "You truly treat Young Master Ah Ran like your own son, even more concerned than Uncle, his real father." "Brother Zheng''s affection for Ah Ran is no less than mine. It''s just that, because of the position he holds, he has no choice but to act this way," Shang Han responded. "Alright, I won''tment on the decisions you''ve made. I can only try my best to share some of Uncle''s burdens and do what little I can," said the elder. Taking a deep drag from his cigarette, Shang Han spoke in a low voice, "The right-wing faction of the Fang Family has been increasingly audacioustely. I must return to the warzone tomorrow, so Ah Ran''s safety will have to depend on you." "Don''t worry, in fact, I too believe Young Master Ah Ran is better off living as an ordinary person than anything else, but the current situation is quite bleak. All I can do is my utmost to protect the young master," the elder sighed and shook his head. "Let''s agree on that, then." Having said that, Shang Han transformed into a streak of light once more, vanishing into the distant horizon. The white-haired elder stood high in the sky, gazing at the brightly lit city far away, a helpless smile on his face as he shook his head bitterly, "Poor thing, he''s still just a child..." ------ The next day, Fang Ren again teased Mu Huanqing for a long time before finally letting her go. Afterward. Fang Ren once again used his consciousness to probe into Mu Huanqing''s body and discovered that sincest night, all the broken meridians within her had shown some signs of recovery. "Sister Hui Qing, do you feel any other changes in your body now?" he asked. "I just feel veryfortable, and the injuries inside my body don''t hurt as much as before," Mu Huanqing told him truthfully. Hearing her say this, Fang Ren couldn''t help but feel both joy and concern. Joyous that her internal injuries were healing nicely and that if this continued, all the pain in her body would disappear, but Fang Ren worried... if all her meridians recovered, would she have to leave this ce and return to where she belonged? "Sister Hui Qing, may I ask you a question?" Fang Ren asked, a slight smile on his face as he looked at her. Mu Huanqing gently pinched his waist, speaking softly, "You''re definitely going to harass me again..." "I won''t, I''m serious," Fang Ren assured her. "Okay then, but you have to answer my question first," Mu Huanqing said. "Go ahead." Mu Huanqing looked at him, her cheeks slightly flushed with a somewhat angry expression, "Did you... did you give me some kind of indecent drug?" "Huh?" Fang Ren was taken aback by the sudden question, his mind unable to brake in response, no matter how fast it whirled. Mu Huanqing, seeing his reaction and blushing, said with furrowed brows, "Otherwise... how could I have possibly behaved that wayst night..." Only then did Fang Ren understand what she meant. Mu Huanqing had been too proactivest night; if Fang Ren hadn''t already known the reason, he might also have suspected she was drugged. The frenzy ofst night, he thought, not knowing how many positions had been unlocked, and the key was that she was the one taking the initiative most of the time... "That''s probably because we both took that Energizing Elixir," Fang Ren made an excuse. He certainly couldn''t just reveal that there was something simr to a Spiritual Root inside his body. Mu Huanqing had been wanting to live as a normal human being, and if he became part of the Cultivation System, it would surely make her feel uneasy. "Really..." Mu Huanqing, on recallingst night''s events, couldn''t help but blush again; what had happened far exceeded the usual level of shame. She had almostpletely satisfied him with her demands... "There''s another issue." Mu Huanqing immediately ended the previous embarrassing topic and asked, "Why did Ah Ran call me Qing''erst night, but now he is calling me ''sister'' again?" "Do you care about it?" Fang Ren asked, rubbing her head. "Mhm." Mu Huanqing nodded. "Which name do you prefer?" "The one fromst night..." "Then I''ll call you Qing''er from now on." "Mhm." Mu Huanqing gently kissed him on the forehead, a smile appearing on her face. "Okay, now it''s my turn to ask a question." Fang Ren said, "If, I mean if, one day Qing''er has the chance to regain her cultivation ability, would you leave me?" "I..." Mu Huanqing paused for a moment, her brows knitting together once again. She had answered a simr question before, but although simr, the implications were very different. Last time, Fang Ren had asked if she would still want to marry him if she regained her cultivation ability. She had responded that there were no ifs, and even if there were, she would still be the person who wanted to marry him. This time, he asked if she would leave him if she regained her cultivation ability. This question was somewhat difficult for her to answer. "Would you leave?" Seeing that Mu Huanqing remained silent, the smile on Fang Ren''s face gradually became somewhat helpless. "If I had the ability to protect our kind, I would certainly return to the battlefield..." Mu Huanqing said, her gaze dropping. If her strength were to recover, she could spare many warriors in Zone One from dying. She had no reason not to go back; if she didn''t, every time she saw news of fallen warriors, her heart would feel intense condemnation. Long ago, the duty to save the living had deeply rooted itself in her mind. Often, she felt that her whole purpose in life was to defend humanity... "..." After hearing what she said, Fang Ren felt a sudden sense of loss inside. He still didn''t fully understand her past, and she was reluctant to talk about it. "Ah Ran, did I... say something wrong?" Mu Huanqing looked at him. Even though his face still held a trace of a smile, she could clearly sense the feeling of loss emanating from him. Mu Huanqing suddenly felt a bit panicked inside, moving closer to him and saying, "I didn''t mean that you''re not important to me, I just meant that there are some things..." "What are you thinking about?" Fang Ren suddenly said with a smile, interrupting her and rubbing her silver hair, "I said it was only if, and besides, the elixir that can restore cultivation ability still has a long way to go before it''s a reality. How could it be that simple?" Mu Huanqing felt his hand and nodded firmly, "Mhm." In that moment, she suddenly feared being able to regain her cultivation ability because in her current state, she could be with the man who was about to be her husband without any guilt. If her cultivation ability was restored, her identity would certainly not allow her to indulge in so much romantic affection, leading to more soldiers dying. "I don''t want there to be such an elixir in the world, but I also wish there were..." Mu Huanqing said. "Why?" "I don''t want to leave Ah Ran." Her words dispelled all the loss in Fang Ren''s heart, and warmth began to rise. He didn''t press her for more, aware that she didn''t want to talk about the past. During breakfast, Uncle Han still looked as gloomy as he had the previous night, so Fang Ren finally couldn''t help but ask. "Uncle Han, what''s really bothering you?" Shang Han smiled, nced at him and Mu Huanqing, and said, "Actually, I was nning to talk about it after breakfast." "It''s the same if you say it now." Mu Huanqing spoke up. Having spent thest couple of days together, Mu Huanqing had be more familiar with this once-stranger of a father and wasn''t as distant as she had been before. "Actually... it''s just that I have to travel afar for some urgent business, and it might take quite a long time. I might not even be able to attend your wedding," said Shang Han. "How long, approximately?" Fang Ren asked. "A year, maybe two, it could even be longer," Shang Han frowned slightly but still smiled, "But it''s okay, this gives you and your wife plenty of time to be intimate, doesn''t it? Take a honeymoon or something, and it makes it more convenient to do those shy things at home, right?" "You old rascal, stop talking nonsense," Fang Ren said, looking utterly speechless. "Anyway, the thing is urgent, and I can''t attend the wedding. But you two must still have the wedding, whether I''m there or not, it must be done before May 20th," Shang Han said. In the following time, Shang Han kept instructing Fang Ren to learn how to cook, to cherish his bride properly, and not to associate with other girls and the like. He also said a few words to Mu Huanqing, telling her to enjoy the happy moments of the present and not to overthink other matters. Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Shang Han Left Behind Twenty Million_1 Shang Han had a lot to say this morning, his incessant chatter was like that of a mother about to send her child on a long journey. He detailed every little thing, as if he feared leaving something out, but there were things he did not borate on¡ªthe reason for his departure and many other matters went unmentioned. Outside the gate of the neighborhood, a ck Bentley had already been parked, as Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing apanied Shang Han to the entrance. The sudden farewell had yet to sink in for Fang Ren; his inner sadness didn''t even have time to surface. Although the old man''s way of talking and doing things was not to his liking¡ªalways interrupting when he and Sister Hui Qing were getting intimate¡ªFang Ren still genuinely felt reluctant to see him leave all of a sudden. "Live well, and when Ie back next time, I want to see my grandchild born." After cing his luggage in the trunk, Shang Han opened the car door, sat inside, and said with a face full of a mischievous smile. "Just scram already, you old geezer," Fang Ren said disdainfully the moment he saw that expression on his face. "Hui Qing, keep a good eye on him. If he gets involved with some young girl out there, just beat him up, and if that''s not enough, call me, and I''ll send someone to beat him up for you," Shang Han added without forgetting. "Understood," Mu Huanqing nodded as she stood there. "Oh, and one more thing, Hui Qing, now that you can move your legs, I went ahead and had someone take care of the enrollment process for youst night. You''ll be in the same ss as Ah Ran. Just wait a couple more days before you start attending sses with him." "Huh?" Fang Ren was stunned. What was the old man up to? Hadn''t he always wanted him to keep a low profile? If Sister Hui Qing showed up at school, in the same ss no less, how could he remain under the radar? "I know," Mu Huanqing said with a smile on her face, hesitating slightly before she spoke, somewhat awkwardly, "Father... Father." "..." Shang Han''s expression suddenly stiffened, and after two seconds, he burst into a joyfulugh, threw away the cigarette in his hand, and closed the car door with a direct sweep of his hand. She had finally called him father. Deep down, she was just an ordinary girl after all, longing for family affection and care, not the emotionless machine that some viins imed she was. As the car started to move away, heading into the distance, Fang Ren''s disdainful expression on his face shifted to one of furrowed brows and mncholy. Two years away, or perhaps even longer, this time, the old man did not seem to be joking... Could it really be that long? About two minutester standing at the gateway, Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing went back inside the house. Looking at the neatly arranged table and dishes in the kitchen, Fang Ren suddenly felt ufortable. From now on, cooking and washing dishes would be a shared duty between him and Sister Hui Qing. It felt as if... he had directly stepped into married life with Sister Hui Qing. "Ah Ran, you''re going to bete for school," Mu Huanqing reminded him from the side. "It''s okay, the school has organized a field trip today. Showing up an hourte won''t be a problem," Fang Ren said. "Field trip?" "Yes, it''s a two-day trip to Jiulong Mountain with the other students, and we have to bring some daily necessities," Fang Ren exined, preparing to head upstairs. But just as he was about to take the first step, Fang Ren suddenly realized a major issue: if he went on the trip for two days, wouldn''t he be leaving Sister Hui Qing alone at home? That wouldn''t do. Uncle Han had already left, and he didn''t feel at ease leaving her alone at home. Besides, she didn''t know how to cook. What if she got even thinner from hunger when he returned, since she was already so slim? "Won''t Ah Ran being back during these two days?" Mu Huanqing asked with a hint of sadness. Fang Ren immediately ran over, took her hand, and led her upstairs,ughing as he said, "Qing''er,e with me. That old codger is gone, you''ll starve if you stay home alone." "But I''m not a student at the school right now," Mu Huanqing said. "No problem. When the timees, wait for me at the school gate. I''ll run over to find you as soon as I leave the school, and we can take the bus together," Fang Ren said. "Okay." With a nod of her head, full of excitement, Mu Huanqing immediately started packing her bags with Fang Ren. After ten minutes or so, the two of them, carrying their bags, ran out of the house together. Fang Ren didn''t take her to school immediately. Because in these two days, Mu Huanqing had only been wearing that one dress without changing. She definitely needed to wear something more casual orfortable for the outing. It was a good time to buy her a few more clothes. Speaking of buying clothes, Fang Ren was pulling Mu Huanqing all the way to the clothing store on a small street when he suddenly realized something very important. The old codger is gone... but what about the money!? Why didn''t he leave a dime when he left?! He''s talking about having them give him a grandchild, but it looks like both of them are going to starve in the streets before the baby is even conceived! "What''s wrong, Ah Ran?" Mu Huanqing, seeing Fang Ren''s nk expression, asked in confusion. "Qing''er... it seems, it seems we don''t have any money," Fang Ren said with a stiff face. "Money?" From her small backpack, Mu Huanqing pulled out a bank card and said, "This is what Shang Han gave me. He said there''s twenty million in it." "What!?" Fang Ren held the bank card, utterly stupefied. Twenty million? That old man is just a clerk, where did this twenty millione from? Did he rob a bank or get it from his wife? "He said that Ah Ran''s living expenses are very low, and since you''re not working yet, you might not be able to support me, so he gave this to me. He also said that when Ah Ran learns how to cherish me, you should have this card," Mu Huanqing continued to exin, cing the bank card in Fang Ren''s hand as she spoke. "That old man finally did something right," Fang Ren said as he looked at the bank card, feeling suddenly moved yet also a bit mncholic. The guy just took off and left twenty million behind. "Come on, Qing''er, today we will splurge," Fang Ren dered. "Aren''t we rushing to get to school?" she asked. "No worries, I''ll make a call to have someone cover for me. Now that we have so much money, we won''t shop here, let''s head to the big streets downtown. I''ll make sure you wear the best clothes," Fang Ren said as he pulled Mu Huanqing towards the roadside and hailed a taxi. The two of them headed straight for downtown. Holding the sudden windfall of twenty million in his hands, Fang Ren couldn''t help but feel a little thrilled. He immediately sent a text message to Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang and started daydreaming happily about how his beautiful wife would look in all kinds of gorgeous clothes. What new heights of beauty would she reach? As the saying goes, "Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse." And when ites to clothes... Fang Ren couldn''t help but think of some ''specialty'' shops selling..." Ahem, focus, be serious. Chapter 34: Chapter 34: The Man in the Mall_1 "Wrap this outfit up, too!" Inside the clothing store, Fang Ren was excitedly speaking to the sales clerk beside him, his eyes fixated on Mu Huanqing, who had just emerged from the dressing room, looking totally smitten, staring at her intensely. "Ah Ran... can you not look at me like that?" Mu Huanqing felt a wave of embarrassment at his silly, drooling excitement, making her want to dive back into the dressing room and nevere out. "Big beauty, you''ve got your boyfriend totally mesmerized and you''re still shy? You should be happy," the nearby sales clerk, a woman in her mid-thirties, said with a beaming smile as she continued to issue invoices. Ever since this young couple had entered the store, her mood had skyrocketed with joy, non-stop. Although the young man didn''t look all that rich, he was as willing to spend money on his girlfriend as water flowing freely. "Try this one on, too!" Fang Ren immediately grabbed a white mini skirt and rushed to Mu Huanqing, pushing her towards the dressing room. "Ah Ran... this is too short," Mu Huanqing said, her brow furrowed slightly. Fang Ren leaned in close to her ear with a sleazy expression and whispered, "Just wear it at home for me to see." "You''re such a rogue," Mu Huanqing blushed but still took the white mini skirt from his hand. She didn''t immediately enter the dressing room, instead, she looked at the mountain of clothes they had already bought and said, "But we''ve already bought so many, let''s not buy any more." Since they arrived at the clothing store, just changing outfits had already taken half an hour. She was almost constantly going in and out of the dressing room, changing until her hands were tired. "No worries, no worries, this is thest one," Fang Ren said, unable to hide a mischievous grin on his face. "All right then..." Mu Huanqing turned around with a mix of reluctance and shyness. "Hey! Wait a minute!" Just then, a woman''s voice suddenly came from behind them. Mu Huanqing stopped in her tracks, and Fang Ren subconsciously turned their heads. Behind them at a short distance, a very fashionably dressed woman with heavy makeup was approaching with a frown on her face. The woman had green hair, seemingly the popr style circting online recently, a designer bag slung over her shoulder, sunsses on her face, and her attire, though not very matching, brandishedbels and exuded an exposed aura. The sales clerk lit up with happiness at the sight of the woman and hurried over, saying, "Miss Zhu, you''re here again! We''ve just gotten a new batch in the store. Shall I show you?" Zhu Xiaohui didn''t even nce at the sales clerk, her gaze coldly fixed on Mu Huanqing across from her, and with an air of superiority, she said, "No need, I like that skirt, just wrap it up for me." "But, Miss Zhu..." The sales clerk hesitated upon hearing this. Zhu Xiaohui was the mistress of the store''s owner, very arrogant and unreasonable, always trying every means to get what she wanted. "But nothing, just wrap it up when I tell you to, what''s with all the nonsense?" Zhu Xiaohui looked disgustedly at the sales clerk, her voice dripping with scorn. The clerk came over to Fang Ren with a helpless expression and whispered, "You see, young man, we probably can''t let you try on this piece of clothing. Thisdy is our boss''s girlfriend, and I have to listen to her, or I''ll definitely be in trouble." Fang Ren looked at Zhu Xiaohui with disdain; he had never seen a woman with such poor manners,pletelycking in the basic decency of firste, first-serve. "So, you''re saying that if we were to buy this skirt in the end, you''d be fired on the spot?" Fang Ren asked, frowning. "Yes, young man. Some of my colleagues were fired just like that before. Please, help me out? I can give you the lowest price on the clothes we''ve already wrapped up," the sales clerk said, her face full of distress. "Then give it to her," Mu Huanqing handed the mini skirt back to the sales clerk without hesitation. She didn''t really care, as she didn''t like the skirt anyway. If it hadn''t been Ah Ran who had given it to her, she wouldn''t even have considered trying it on. Since that woman seemed to like it so much, she might as well give it to her. Moreover, if a skirt ended up costing the sales clerk her job, Mu Huanqing felt she would hold a bit of guilt in her heart. "Really speechless, there''s all sorts of people in the world." Seeing the low quality of the woman, capable of spewing dirty words out of her mouth, Fang Ren could only feel resigned. He was just an ordinary person; it was pointless to argue with this woman. In the end, it was just a trivial matter; Sister Hui Qing didn''t like it anyway, and the skirt he had in mind for her to wear was, cough cough... much prettier, and quite a bit shorter. "Thank you so much," The sales clerk gratefully thanked them, swiftly took back the white skirt, and went to Zhu Xiaohui, saying, "Miss Zhu, I''ll wrap this up for you right now." p¡ª Zhu Xiaohui pped the white dress out of the salesperson''s hand onto the ground with a disgusted face and said, "Didn''t you see there''s something dirty on it? And you''re handing it to me? Are you trying to disgust me?" "No, Miss Zhu, I..." "All day long it''s Miss Zhu, Miss Zhu, do you think I''m a prostitute?" Zhu Xiaohui bellowed in anger. "What''s going on?" Just then, a man in a suit walked in from outside; his clothes exuded luxury, and he was wearing a gold watch, his hair slicked back. As the man entered, Zhu Xiaohui''s angry expression suddenly turned into a look of grievance. She immediately ran over and clung to the man''s arm coquettishly, "Brother Zang, look, the dress I liked has been dirtied by those two people. This salesperson even tried to wrap up the dirty dress for me." Wang Cang looked at the skirt on the ground and said indulgently to Zhu Xiaohui, "Don''t worry, baby, I''ll take care of it for you." In these few short moments, Fang Ren was stunned. Was this woman mentally ill, or was she an Oscar-winning actress? This change was just too much. Mu Huanqing was witnessing something new for the first time. She never knew such a woman existed, one who could outdo even the most far-fetched soap opera. The salesperson said with a pale face, "Boss, actually, it wasn''t like that, listen to me..." "Shut up." Wang Cang furrowed his brows and roared, then turned to look in Fang Ren''s direction, "Was it you guys who caused this? Now get out..." Before he could finish his sentence, Wang Cang''s gaze involuntarily settled on Mu Huanqing next to them, and suddenly he was dumbfounded. Wang Cang had seen all kinds of stunning women over his years in the Flower Capital. However, this woman was far beyond theparison to those so-called stunning beauties. The moment she came into his sight, he felt a strong visual impact, as if he had taken drugs, exciting every nerve in his brain. Love at first sight... For the first time, Wang Cang realized the true meaning of this idiom; there really was such a feeling in the world! "Brother Zang, what are you staring at? It was them, they dirtied the dress I liked. Hurry up and chase them away," Zhu Xiaohui became anxious when she saw Wang Cang looking dazed and leaned her chest against his arm more coquettishly. "Shut up!" Wang Cang suddenly turned his head and red at Zhu Xiaohui with disgust. He was already tired of this woman. If he hadn''t hooked up with someone better, he would have kicked Zhu Xiaohui to the curb long ago. "Brother Zang, you..." Zhu Xiaohui was taken aback when he red at her. Wang Cang immediately pushed away Zhu Xiaohui, who was clinging to his arm, and walked towards Fang Ren. His years of snatching other people''s girlfriends had taught him that initiating a conversation with the target right away increased the chances of failure. "You two, I''m the owner of this store. My friend was a bit out of line earlier. I apologize on her behalf and hope you won''t take it to heart," Wang Cang said with a smile, keeping his gaze mostly on Fang Ren like an old hand at this. When Zhu Xiaohui heard what he said, she rushed forward and said, "Brother Zang, what do you mean? When did we be just friends?" "Zhu Xiaohui, I have always treated you as a friend, but you went and treated my customers like idiots. What if other visitors get the wrong impression of my store?" Wang Cang said angrily. "Wang Cang! Are you going to..." Zhu Xiaohui tried to continue, but Wang Cang immediately cut her off, "Shut up! Get out now, you''re not wee here!" Wang Cang pointed to the salesperson and said, "Get her out of here now. Her behavior is directly affecting the image of our store in the minds of our customers." The salesperson was delighted to hear this; Zhu Xiaohui had been throwing her weight around for nearly half a month now, and she had built up a lot of resentment. Now that the boss had kicked her out, she naturally wanted to get back at her. Without a word, the salesperson immediately stretched out her hand and grabbed Zhu Xiaohui to drag her out. "Don''t drag me! Wang Cang! Have you forgotten how you first seduced me?" Zhu Xiaohui roared as she was being dragged, her previous dignified appearance gone. "You two, I''m really sorry about today. As you can see, my friend is a bit unstable, always fantasizing that I''m her boyfriend," Wang Cang said with a smile. "To make up for today, I''ll waive your bill as a way of making friends." Fang Ren watched, utterly perplexed. After all this, the woman''s acting skills turned out to be worse than the man''s! If she''s the leading actress, then this guy must be the ''Immortal.'' "No need." Fang Ren tly refused. The speed at which this guy switched women was truly astonishing. Upon seeing another pretty woman, he just kicked the previous one away. Today, he''d truly learned what a real scoundrel was. Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Scared Silly (Revised)_1 Upon seeing the male student in front of him reject him with clear certainty, Wang Cang smiled inwardly. This provided him an excellent opportunity to strike up a conversation with the beauty beside him. Earlier, he had addressed "both of you," not just Fang Ren. Wang Cang immediately turned his head to look at Mu Huanqing and chuckled, "Since this young man refuses to give me the courtesy, how about thedy favors me instead? Surely you won''t let me be too embarrassed, right?" Fang Ren almost cursed out loud. Could this guy be any more shameless? He just pretended like dumping his girlfriend never happened and instantly hit on someone else''s girlfriend, truly a piece of work. Mu Huanqing nced at Fang Ren and said, "If Ah Ran says no, then it''s a no." "Let''s leave it at that," said Wang Cang, a man who knew the art of ying the long game. As long as this woman was in Yangming City, he was ny percent confident he could win her over. As he spoke, Wang Cang took a business card and a golden membership card from his pocket and said, "Here''s my business card and the supreme membership card of this mall. The card has half a million credits, and you can enjoy a thirty percent discount on purchases made in this mall. From now on, whenever youe, just call me, and I''ll have the store managere to assist you." Mu Huanqing couldn''t understand why this man''s attitude had taken a sudden 180-degree turn. Just as he had entered, he had wanted to drive her and Ah Ran out. Now, without even investigating what had happened, he had sent that woman away and came apologizing to them. Although the man had indeed apologized, Mu Huanqing did not wish to ept it. He hadn''t wronged them; it was that woman who owed them an apology. Fang Ren remained silent at the side, trusting that Mu Huanqing could discern the character of people to some extent. "No need, we won''t being back." Mu Huanqing shook her head, walked over to Fang Ren''s side, picked up the packed clothes from the ground, and pulled Fang Ren towards the checkout, ignoring the man. Wang Cang was startled and scrutinized Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing''s attire. He noticed that neither of them looked like they came from wealthy families. Was half a million too little? Or was it that he hadn''t made his enticing offer clear enough? As Fang Ren was about to finish paying, Wang Cang followed up, smiled at the cashier, and handed over a bank card, saying, "I''ll pay for thedy''s clothes." When the cashier saw Wang Cang, she immediately put on a respectful smile and said, "Boss Wang, why would you spend money on clothes from your own store?" "It''s a gesture," Wang Cang said as he handed the bank card to the cashier. Unable to hold back any longer, Fang Ren burst out angrily, "Do you have no shame at all?" Upon hearing this, Wang Cang feigned a surprised look at Fang Ren and said, "Young man, I''ve already apologized. Why are you still holding on to the matter? Besides, even if you''re narrow-minded, you shouldn''t curse at others." "Enough talk." Fang Ren handed his bank card to the cashier and threw Wang Cang''s card aside. "Boss Wang, this is..." The cashier was equally bewildered by the situation. Maintaining the fa?ade of a good person, Wang Cang frowned at Mu Huanqing and said, "Miss, I was just trying to make amends for my earlier mistake. Your boyfriend seems to have misunderstood something." "Ah Ran understands a lot. He wouldn''t misunderstand," said Mu Huanqing. Wang Cang persisted, "No, no, Miss, I''ve seen men like him before, foul-mouthed and narrow-minded. I was merely trying to apologize, yet he thinks I have some indecent thoughts about you. This man is excessively possessive. I''m just kindly reminding you that he''s not worth your life-long trust." Bringing Mu Huanqing closer to his side, Fang Ren eyed Wang Cang with disgust and said, "I''ve also seen plenty like you, unting wealth and power, trying to flirt with every pretty girl, only to sleep with them and disregard their feelings. The moment you tire of one or a prettier onees along, you kick the former to the curb. I thought you were just a scumbag, but now I see you don''t even deserve that title; you''re just scum." Wang Cang listened and couldn''t help but feel increasingly amused, looking at Mu Huanqing with a feigned pitiful expression and saying, "Miss, see, he''s decided without any knowledge of my past that I''m that sort of man and is overreacting with his harsh words. Such a person really doesn''t deserve someone as outstanding as you; you should leave him early on." "And then you think you stand a chance?" Fang Ren replied coldly. "Miss, see? I told you he''s possessive. He sees my goodwill as malice. You won''tst long with him. It''s better to break up now, or else he''ll deprive you of any freedom and waste your precious youth," Wang Cang continued. "You''re exactly right, I am possessive," Fang Ren said as he pulled Mu Huanqing towards him, kissed her on the lips then looked up at Wang Cang and challenged, "What are you going to do about it?" "..." Wang Cang''s eyelid twitched fiercely, and inwardly he experienced a surge of madness. The woman he had taken a liking to was being kissed by another man right in front of his eyes! "Hurry up and pay so we can leave," Mu Huanqing, with a slightly flushed face, twisted Fang Ren''s waist. She had not expected Fang Ren to suddenly do such a thing in front of so many people... "Hurry up with the transaction." Fang Ren urged the cashier to finish the payment. "Boss Wang, this..." The cashier was still looking to Wang Cang for direction. "Nonsense, the customer wants to buy something and you won''t take the money?" Wang Cang barked angrily. "Yes, yes..." The cashier immediately took Fang Ren''s bank card and proceeded with the transaction. Just as Fang Ren was about to lower his hand, Wang Cang smirked coldly, and a white mist formed in the hand he kept behind his back, then with a flick of his finger, it shot out. A white mist swiftly circled around Mu Huanqing and struck towards Fang Ren''s waist from the other side. "Heh, a mere mortal dares to challenge me? Watch how I y with you!" Wang Cang sneered coldly in his heart. Once the white mist hit Fang Ren''s waist, his ordinary body would certainly not be able to withstand it; he would undoubtedly be sent flying, and the direction in which his body would crash was precisely where Mu Huanqing was. By then, all Wang Cang needed to do was pull the beautiful woman into his arms, preventing her from getting hit. Not only would Wang Cang take advantage, but he could also humiliate the kid¡ªkilling two birds with one stone. As the white mist approached Fang Ren, the corners of Wang Cang''s mouth grew colder and colder; he was already preparing to lift his hand at any moment to pull the woman in front of him into his embrace, ready to watch the kid fly out and smash into the wall, bloodied and injured. "Ah Ran!" After all, Mu Huanqing was a cultivator. Even though she had lost her powers now, being once the strongest entity on Earth, her past battle experience was very rich and her sense of danger incredibly sharp. Even though the white mist was very small, she still managed to catch it in her eyes momentarily. She immediately tried to extend her hand to pull Fang Ren behind herself, but her current body was that of an ordinary person, and her speed simply wasn''t fast enough. At the sound of Mu Huanqing''s anxious voice, Fang Ren turned to look at her, still oblivious to the white mist. Smack¡ª In an instant, the white mist struck Fang Ren''s waist, his pupils suddenly losing focus as the white mist entered his body directly. "Get the hell out of my way!" Wang Cang thought coldly in his heart, ready to reach out for Mu Huanqing. But just as his hand was about to grasp Mu Huanqing, he found to his surprise that Fang Ren was still standing in ce without a single movement, not reflecting the scene Wang Cang had envisioned of him being blown away. "Ah Ran, are you okay?" Mu Huanqing immediately lifted Fang Ren''s clothes to check his waist, only to find that he waspletely unharmed. Two secondster, Fang Ren''s eyes regained focus, ring furiously at Wang Cang, who was reaching for Mu Huanqing. This guy could even think of such forced tactics! Disgusting to the extreme! "Despicable wretch!" Just in that moment, inside Mu Huanqing''s heart rose a fury she had never felt towards humans before; her ck eyes instantly turned silver and she turned her head to re furiously at Wang Cang reaching for her. "Scram!" For the first time, Mu Huanqing couldn''t help but curse. Whir¡ª Her silver eyes released an invisible suppression that instantly spread throughout the entire mall. Thud¡ª Wang Cang only felt a chill on his back, his brain''s nerves contracting wildly as if encountering an unprecedented terror; his body softened involuntarily, causing him tond t on his buttocks on the floor. His face was filled with fear, his eyes contracting, his mouth trembling continuously; his legs, dragging on the ground, kicked forward desperately, and a puddle of yellow liquid flowed out incessantly from under him. He was scared to the point of wetting himself. "What the... This guy is urinating in public!" In an instant, Fang Ren''s heartfelt anger was reced by disgust; he quickly took the bank card that had been used to pay, and with one hand, pulled Mu Huanqing towards the outside. Mu Huanqing, still with a furious expression, red at Wang Cang sitting on the ground in his own urine, her anger far from subsiding. "Boss Wang, Boss Wang! What''s wrong with you? Someonee help Boss Wang!" The cashier immediately went to help him, but upon seeing the liquid on the ground, was struck dumb. However, her loud shout brought even more staff running towards them, all of them witnessing Wang Cang continuing to wet himself. "Boss Wang, please get up..." Surrounding employees tried to help him up, but his face still showed terror, and no matter how loudly people called to him, he gave no response. "I''m going to be killed... definitely going to be killed..." In his mind, he was still trapped in the fear of those silver eyes. Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Wariness of Ones Own Kind_1 After running all the way out of the mall, they hadn''t seen the security guards chasing after them, so Fang Ren let out a sigh of relief. Although they were in the right, the mall owner and the staff inside were all on the other side, which could lead to a tricky situation hard to argue against. "How about it, Hui Qing, don''t you suddenly feel that there are all kinds of people in this world?" Fang Ren looked at Mu Huanqing beside him and said with a smile. Mu Huanqing frowned slightly, saying, "That person was really weird. We clearly refused his kindness, yet he insisted on paying. What''s even more despicable is he wanted to harm Ah Ran even though we didn''t hurt him. I really don''t understand why he would do that." Seeing her like this, Fang Ren couldn''t help but admire the purity of her heart. He reached out and touched her soft silver hair, Fang Ren smilingly said, "His was not kindness; he was just trying to create a seemingly reasonable opportunity to get close to Hui Qing. He''s a disgusting guy." "Why would he want to get close to me?" Mu Huanqing was very puzzled. "Because Hui Qing is so beautiful, he wants to snatch you away from me and make you his girlfriend." "But I''m already Ah Ran''s girlfriend. Why would he..." "I''ve told you, not everyone is as good as you think. They can be unscrupulous for their own selfish desires, including murder, and they can even create misunderstandings you can see through, hoping you will hate me," Fang Ren said. "Just because¡­ they can''t get someone else''s girlfriend, they would do such a thing? And why destroy other people''s rtionships? That''s simply hical!" Mu Huanqing''s expression was very troubled. All of a sudden, she felt that all the beautiful fantasies she once had in her mind about her own kind had shattered. She had always thought that ordinary humans were kind-hearted, and the bad things they did were only out of necessity. But now it seems she waspletely wrong... The man named Wang Cang, in order to capture her, didn''t hesitate to use True Qi against an ordinary person like Ah Ran, which was extremely vile! Born with the ability of cultivation and not using it to benefit society was already bad enough, but to harm an innocent person was even worse. What''s more disgusting to her was that she had not expected some people''s concept of love to include the thought of stealing someone else''s girlfriend, which was appalling to her. This was the first time she felt such revulsion towards humans. "Morality is nothing but a piece of paper in the hearts of some people. They don''t care about it; they just want to reach their goals by any means necessary," Fang Ren said as he ruffled her hair. "Alright, be vignt towards humans from now on. Not everyone is kind, and some are very well-disguised though they have a dark heart. Hui Qing, you have to learn to judge for yourself." "Okay." Mu Huanqing nodded her head, then suddenly remembered the store owner who had grabbed her wheelchair that day, and a shiver ran through her. She immediately clung to Fang Ren''s arm, her expression a mix of disappointment and grievance, "I suddenly feel... in this city, only Ah Ran and my father are kind to me." "What are you thinking? There are still many good people in the world." Fang Ren flicked her forehead with augh, he couldn''t let her think the world was bleak. "That day at school, you saw those two boys; they are pretty good. The ingredients I used to make the medicine to treat your legs were given by them," Fang Ren said. "Who are they?" she asked. "They are my good friends. Even though they don''t always act reliably and their personalities are quite casual, but..." As they walked, Fang Ren continued to tell Mu Huanqing about him, Li Xingwang and Jing Haichuan. Ding¡ª A message popped up on his phone; it was from Li Xingwang. The message said the school''s field trip buses had already left and they had called in a sick leave for him, and he would be there by noon. Seeing this, Fang Ren then took Mu Huanqing to buy some personal clothes and packed some snacks in a travel bag. After all, Mu Huanqing had been wearing the same two pieces of white clothing since arriving here, and Shang Han probably thought the task could be trusted to his future son-inw, so he didn''t buy any. They hailed a taxi on the roadside, and once inside, Fang Ren couldn''t help but be curious about what had happened before. He was clearly hit by Wang Cang''s True Qi, but he was unscathed, and that ball of True Qi... seemed to have been absorbed into his body in an instant, with no warning at all. He couldn''t make sense of it. ------ By the time Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing arrived at Jiulong Mountain by taxi, it was already past eleven. The ss was just about to have their pic. Fang Ren booked a room in a lodge for two days and then ran up into the mountains with Mu Huanqing. Because it was a school-wide outing, students from the school were scattered all over Jiulong Mountain. However, since it was for leisure, all the students were dressed casually or in sportswear, and Mu Huanqing mixed in without any issues, unnoticed as a non-student. Fang Ren took Mu Huanqing all the way to the gathering spot of his ssmates. He found the girls were collecting wood to make a fire and boil water, while the boys had gone to pick wild fruits or fish, the whole mountain filled with a cheerful atmosphere. From afar, they could see Li Xingwang and Jing Haichuan shirtless, catching fish by the river. Fang Ren ran with Mu Huanqing towards them. "Hey, Wanzi, do you think that''s Ranzi?" Jing Haichuan questioned, his hands still in the water, frowning as he looked at the distance at Fang Ren who was approaching briskly. Li Xingwang turned his head, furrowed his brow as well, eyeing the white-haired girl running alongside Fang Ren, then suddenly cursed, "Damn it! Just a few days and the kid''s got a new girlfriend! Let''s beat him up!" In their minds, Ranzi''s girlfriend was wheelchair-bound, so there''s no way she could be walking in such a short span of time. As he spoke, Li Xingwang picked up a stick from the riverbank and ran towards Fang Ren. ``` "Fuck! I invested 400,000 for that asshole to get a girlfriend, and he just dumped her like that!" Jing Haichuan was also furious; he nced around and saw that the only decent weapon had been grabbed by Li Xingwang, so he simply stretched his hands into the riverbed, scooped up a handful of stinky mud, and with a loud roar, he ran up the bank. "Hey!" When Fang Ren saw that the two had noticed him, he waved at them, but then he noticed something wasn''t quite right. Why were these guys looking so ferocious, approaching with firewood as if he owed them money and hadn''t paid... Well, he did actually owe them money. But even if he did owe money, that guy behind shouldn''t be rushing over with a handful of stinky mud, right? "You damn bastard! I''m going to break your fucking legs today!" Li Xingwang shouted as he raised his stick to strike someone. "Holy shit! Have you guys lost your minds?" Fang Ren immediately retreated with Mu Huanqing when he saw Li Xingwang charging over with a furious face. Smack¡ª Li Xingwang''s stick hit the ground and broke instantly, then he threw the stick aside and pointed forward with a stern face, shouting, "Companymander! Where''s your motherfucking Italian cannon? Fire the motherfucker!" "I''m firing now!" Jing Haichuan roared and threw the stinky mud in his hand. It hit its target with incredible uracy...nding right on top of Li Xingwang''s head... Instantly covering his red hair with stinky mud. Giggle¡ª Li Xingwang''s teeth made a grinding noise, and his inner fury was on the verge of exploding. This was like ying a game where he was about to win by attacking the final tower, needing just one more hit, but there''s that one idiot teammate who won''t just hit the tower, instead he dances around before jumping into the enemy''s fountain to show off, and ends up getting turned on by the enemies. "Ah Ran, they''re the bad guys too!" Mu Huanqing immediately stopped, shook off Fang Ren''s hand, her pupils turned silver in an instant, and she was about to angrily turn around. "No!" Seeing this, Fang Ren immediately ran back, grabbed her, and sessfully prevented the brothers from wetting their pants. "Jing Haichuan! How could you shoot like that!" Li Xingwang exploded with rage, grabbed a clump of mud from the ground, and was about to throw it back. "Big brother Li! Hey, Big brother Li! Calm down! At times like these, we should stand united against themon enemy!" Jing Haichuan dodged the mud being thrown at him and shouted frantically. Seeing this, Fang Ren rushed over: "What the hell? You''re attacking me as soon as Ie up?" Li Xingwang saw Fang Rening and immediately grabbed and smacked his face, then pulled him close with a furious face and whispered, "Ranzi, are you fucking sick?" "You two are the sick ones! Smacking faces just like that?" Fang Ren grabbed a handful of mud from his face, ready to p it onto Li''s face. "Stop, stop, stop!" Li Xingwang took a nce at Mu Huanqing in the distance and then turned back, whispering, "What''s with you switching girlfriends again? Thest one was so good, so what if her legs had some issues? You sleep with her and then you ditch her?" "What are you talking about?" Fang Ren waspletely confused. "I''m telling you, thest girl may have had leg problems, but she was pure. She even came to school to find you in her wheelchair, showing she really cared about you. Can you stop being an asshole?" Li Xingwang frowned and said. Fang Ren turned to look at Mu Huanqing. Today, Mu Huanqing was wearing a red tracksuit and had tied her silver hair into a ponytail with a head flower, her beautiful face fully exposed. "Can''t recognize her?" Fang Ren looked at Li Xingwang, bewildered. "What do you mean ''can''t recognize her''? Don''t give me this bullshit now. Break up with her and get that girl back! I know you were a bit hurt by Liu Qianqian, but you can''t turn into a scumbag! How heartless do you have to be to hurt that wheelchair-bound girl?" Li Xingwang continued seriously. "No, no, no, look closer, look closer, they''re the same person." Fang Ren pointed at the distant Mu Huanqing. "Huh?" Li Xingwang was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Mu Huanqing, with Jing Haichuan also leaning in; after staring for a few seconds, they were both stunned. "Her... her legs are healed?" Li Xingwang was taken aback. "Didn''t you say there was no elixir to cure her legs in the world yet?" Jing Haichuan asked. Fang Ren immediately entered into an Oscar-worthy acting mode, nostalgically saying, "Ah, I got really lucky with that. I just casually mentioned it to Master Qing''an on the Alchemist forum on a whim, and to my surprise, he replied. He even wrote down a few herbs for me and told me an alchemy method, and then... I don''t even know how it happened, but it was a sess." "Really?" Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Seems Like One Person_1 "No way, I''m just lucky, Master Qing''an personally gave me the prescription and instructions," Fang Ren said earnestly. "Holy crap, you really hit the jackpot!" Li Xingwang nced at Mu Huanqing and continued, "Not only are you good-looking, but now even your only w has been cured. That''s the kind of luck you can''t even get by stepping in dog poop." "After all this time, Ranzi is still a jerk. I grabbed this fancy mud for nothing," Jing Haichuan said with a regretful smack of his lips. "Damn it, I almost forgot about that!" As soon as Li Xingwang heard this, he immediately grabbed a handful of fancy mud from his red hair and pped it onto Jing Haichuan''s face before running off. "Like your face is clean!" Seeing this, Fang Ren couldn''t let him off and immediately scooped some mud from his own face to p back, and hastily retreated after the deed. In an instant, Jing Haichuan''s face was covered in mud. "Fuck! You two just wait!" Suddenly, the three grown men were causing chaos by the river, and after a while, Fang Ren also took off his shirt and, bare-chested, joined in the fish catching, while Mu Huanqing sat on a stone by the little river, watching their yful antics, feeling that Ah Ran''s friends were actually quite nice. After catching seven or eight carp, Fang Ren came back to the shore to chat with Mu Huanqing. She would have been bored alone since, aside from him, there was no one else she knew. "Tch, going on a pic and not forgetting to bring your girlfriend. How long have you been chasing Qian Qian? Men really are pigs," Li Xinyue, who was starting a fire to boil water, said disdainfully to Liu Qianqian nearby while watching Fang Ren in the distance. "It was I who rejected him first, so stop talking about him," Liu Qianqian kept adding firewood to the small pot, seemingly unfazed. "Qian Qian, do you actually like him or not?" Li Xinyue frowned and said, "You were all smiles before, but as soon as he brought that girl over, you suddenly stopped smiling." "Huh?" Liu Qianqian was stunned, instinctively touching her face, "Really?" "The change in your expression was very obvious," Li Xinyue gave her a look, "It seems like you were trying to y hard to get to make this fool treasure you more. But too bad, now your fish has slipped away." "What are you talking about, Xinyue? How could I ever do such a boring thing?" Liu Qianqian frowned, "I already said, I don''t n on dating any of the guys from school." "Oh? So, who is your target, a prince from Tianjiang?" Li Xinyue chuckled. At the mention of Tianjiang, Liu Qianqian''s brows furrowed deeper, and she threw the firewood into the pot fiercely, standing up withplex emotions, "Thest thing I want is to marry a man from Tianjiang." "Huh? Why not?" "No reason." ... "Fang Fang... Fang ssmate!" Just as Fang Ren was talking with Mu Huanqing, a girl suddenly ran over. Fang Ren turned his head to find that it was Jian Qi''er, known throughout the school for her naivety. She was wearing tight sportswear today, and upon further inspection, her figure wasn''t bad at all, but with her loosely hanging hair and a face one-third covered in shyness, it did not match her sportswear. Going out for a pic, at least she should tie her hair into a ponytail to look better. Wasn''t she afraid of her hair falling into the pot while boiling water, or blocking her view while hiking? "Who is she?" When Mu Huanqing saw the girl running over, she leaned towards Fang Ren''s shoulder and asked softly. "A very innocent girl from our ss," Fang Ren said with a smile. After saying this, Fang Ren turned to Jian Qi''er, who had rushed over, and asked, "What is it, you didn''t want to call in sick as soon as you heard about the pic?" "No no no," Jian Qi''er immediately waved her hands in denial, "How could I make a special case out of a ss activity? Wouldn''t that make me seem capricious?" "You are already quite capricious," Fang Ren responded helplessly. Jian Qi''er nced at Mu Huanqing next to Fang Ren and started to stammer nervously again, "Th-that, Fang ssmate, who is this beautiful older sister?" "Girlfriend," Fang Ren replied generously. Upon hearing the word ''girlfriend,'' Jian Qi''er quickly hid the hand with Fang Ren''s Space Ring behind her back. In a short moment, she removed the ring and stashed it in her shorts pocket. "You you you, hello, I am Jian Qi''er, who sits behind Fang ssmate. He has helped me a lot with my studies, please take good care of me," Jian Qi''er said in her silly way, bending at a 90-degree angle in a bow that made her look all the more adorable. Mu Huanqing nced at Fang Ren and then stood up, her face bearing a polite smile, "Hello, my name is Mu Huanqing, Ah Ran''s... fianc¨¦e." At the word ''fianc¨¦e,'' Jian Qi''er''s face lit up with excitement, "Wow, fianc¨¦e, are you going to marry Fang ssmate?" "Yes, we are getting married on May 20," Mu Huanqing nodded. "Wow, with your beauty, you will definitely be the most beautiful bride in the world when you put on the wedding dress," Jian Qi''er said excitedly, her big eyes sparkling. "No, it''s not that exaggerated¡­" Mu Huanqing replied somewhat shyly. "No way, you definitely will be," Jian Qi''er insisted. Fang Ren, listening to the two of them chatting intermittently, felt that this was nice. There weren''t many people here who could talk with Mu Huanqing, and having a girl who could bring her along would make many things more convenient. "Silly girl, what task did the ss assign to you?" Fang Ren asked. "Gathering firewood," Jian Qi''er replied. "Qing''er, you go pick up some too, so we can eat togetherter," Fang Ren said. "Okay," Mu Hui Qing nodded. "Don''t go too far," Fang Ren warned and then dove back into the river, catching fish and chatting with two young masters. Jian Qi''er led Mu Hui Qing to a nearby grove to collect firewood. Despite her seemingly foolish expression, she never stopped talking. Since it was a school trip attended by all students, there were naturally some Cultivation System students showing off by flying on their swords in the sky. Meanwhile, in the sky above, Wang Shuai paused on his flying sword, looking down at Fang Ren by the riverside, a cold sneer crossed his face. He hadn''t managed to embarrass Fang Ren at school, but now that they were on a trip in the dense forest of the mountains, with no cameras around, all he had to do was wait for Fang Ren to be alone, and then he''d have his chance to deal with him. "Fang Ren, today I''ll let you know the price of entangling with Liu Qianqian, and as for that little girlfriend by your side, I want to see if she can ept what you look like after being crippled!" Wang Shuai thought to himself with a chilly heart, his gaze shifting to the distant Liu Qianqian and Mu Hui Qing, who was collecting firewood with Jian Qi''er, excitement sparking in his eyes. "Sister Qing, your ring is so beautiful." In the grove, Jian Qi''er dumbly admired the Space Ring on Mu Hui Qing''s right hand. Looking down at the ring on her hand, Mu Hui Qing smiled blissfully and said, "This is the engagement ring Ah Ran gave me." "Engagement... engagement ring..." There was a stiffness in Jian Qi''er''s expression. In her mind, she couldn''t help criticizing Fang Ren¡ªsuch a "straight man." Though the Space Ring was undoubtedly precious, using it as an engagement ring without any embellishment, at least setting something on it... he was just too straightforward. "Yes," Mu Hui Qing said, touching the ring fondly, "Although it''s not very pretty, I like it a lot. To me, it''s the most beautiful ring, and nothing can rece it." "Sister Qing, you and Fang Ren must have a great rtionship," Jian Qi''ermented. "What''s Ah Ran like at school?" Mu Hui Qing couldn''t help probing for information about Fang Ren''s past. "Fang Ren? He''s a guy with strange behaviors but a very gentle personality..." Of course, Jian Qi''er added more praise¡ªthe conversation was in front of his girlfriend, after all. After a while, Jian Qi''er suddenly said with a silly smile, "Sister Qing, I just realized your silhouette resembles the famous Xuan Nv from the heavens." "Is that so..." Mu Hui Qing was momentarily stunned, thenughed it off. "Really, I feel like you and she could have been cast from the same mold in terms of hair and figure," Jian Qi''er chuckled. "If I had seen Xuan Nv, she must look a lot like Sister Qing." "Why?" "Because they say Xuan Nv is the most beautiful woman in the world, and Sister Qing is the most beautiful person I''ve ever seen." "Thank you, you''re very beautiful too." Mu Hui Qing really liked this simple and naive girl. Suddenly, she felt that Ah Ran was right, there really are more good people in this world. How could such an innocent girl be bad? However, Jian Qi''er''s real identity and true nature were unknown to her, and she was perhaps still too trusting of her own kind. Fortunately, the words that Fang Ren had said earlier made her maintain a trace of vignce when dealing with anyone. Even for the naive girl in front of her, her heart felt the girl was not bad, but she still kept a hint of vignce. After all, these were words from Ah Ran, and she had to remember that Ah Ran would never harm her. "Xuan Nv... huh?" Walking behind Mu Hui Qing, Jian Qi''er''s silly expression slowly faded, and the eyes behind her old-fashioned sses grew sharp. Observing Mu Hui Qing''s silhouette, she frowned tightly, "But Xuan Nv has been confirmed dead, could all this be my overthinking?" As mealtime was approaching, the ss began to prepare all sorts of wild fruits and fish. "It looks like we forgot to bring our barbecue seasoning," a girl suddenly remarked. "I''ll go get it." Liu Qianqian, the ss president, immediately stood up. Seeing her about to leave alone, Fang Ren quickly stood as well, taking his small backpack and heading towards the nearby grove. He had said he would help Liu Qianqian. Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Is it Heaven Opening a Window?_1 On the small path back to the bus after leaving ss, the constant smile on Liu Qianqian''s face reverted to sorrow once again. In less than a month, she would be forced to return to her family and marry a man she had never met. They always liked to tell her that all of this was for the sake of the family, but she couldn''t understand, shouldn''t the purpose of strengthening the family be to make its members happier? Now why did it seem like they had to sacrifice their happiness for strength? The more Liu Qianqian thought about it, the less she felt like doing what was in front of her, like a convict waiting for execution, filled with panic and confusion in her heart. Just as she was a couple of hundred meters away from the bus, Liu Qianqian became more and more irritable. Suddenly, she turned and ran towards the small, sparsely popted cliff nearby; she didn''t want to return to ss with a forced smile. She truly couldn''t smile anymore. Once she stopped smiling, the girls around her would immediately ask what was wrong, then say various words tofort her. They all thought they understood her very well, but she just felt they were noisy. Because human emotions are not always shared, she now just wanted to be alone and quiet for a while. Fang Ren, who had been following behind her, saw Liu Qianqian suddenly turn and run, and immediately chased after her. In the end, when he saw Liu Qianqian arrive at the edge of the small cliff, his heart panicked. She had actually reached the point of despair where she wanted tomit suicide! Fang Ren quickly took out a set of white clothes he had previously bought at the mall from his backpack, draped it over himself, put on a mask, stuck on a cap, and without time to fuss over the details, charged out. Liu Qianqian looked down at the small river below the small cliff, and the oppressive feeling in her heart made her want to scream out loud. However, just as she took a few steps towards the cliff edge and prepared to loudly vent the mncholy in her heart, she suddenly heard a voice from behind yelling. "Miss! Don''t do anything rash!" She was slightly stunned and turned around, only to see a man in a white coat, his face tightly wrapped with a hat and a mask, rushing towards her. "What are you doing..." Liu Qianqian was startled, her steps involuntarily moving backward, but with that retreat, one of her feet found emptiness, and she felt her body lose bnce, about to fall down the cliff. p¡ª Fang Ren immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her back from the edge of the cliff, and due to the excessive force, Liu Qianqian fell to the ground. Shey there, one hand on her waist, a face full of pain. "Miss, even if you''re going through something, it''s not serious enough for suicide, right?" Fang Ren deliberately made his voice deeper and raspier, trying to sound like a man in his thirties. "Living in this world, who doesn''t face some troubles? Let me tell you, suicide is the most cowardly act in the world. If you have the courage to die, why don''t you have the courage to face what''sing?" Imitating some dialogue from soap operas, Fang Ren entered Oscar Actor Mode again, relentlessly speaking, "Listen, when I was young, I went through crap a lot worse than what you''re dealing with. If I talked about even one or two of those things, it''d be depressing enough to stop a bull in its tracks..." Liu Qianqian looked at the man in front of her, who hadn''t understood the situation, kept going on and on, and had a "saving one life is better than building a seven-floor pagoda" expression, and she was utterly dumbfounded. Was she trying tomit suicide? This person was really full of himself! Liu Qianqian frowned and stood up seriously, saying, "Don''t talk! Let me tell you, first of all, I wasn''t nning onmitting suicide. I only came to this small cliff to calm my heart. Secondly, although it''s nice that you want to save people, could you at least understand the situation before acting? Right now, it seems like you saved my life, but in fact, you scared me and nearly made me fall, and after that, you made me fall over!" "Ah?" Fang Ren was taken aback: "Really? You weren''t thinking about suicide?" "Not at all!" Liu Qianqian turned away with an annoyed face, her mood already at its worst, naturally leaving little room for good temper. But her values were still upright, this person did run over with good intentions, after all, so she felt she should not speak too harshly, lest she discourage a good person''s kind heart. Taking a few steps back, Liu Qianqian spoke again: "Although you are very impulsive, I still want to thank you. Next time, observe a little before you try to rescue someone." Fang Ren was still confused, but seeing her about to leave, he immediately chased after her, "Hey hey hey, if you''ve got something troubling you, you can tell me about it." "..." When Liu Qianqian saw him chasing her, her temper red up again. She stopped in her tracks, furrowing her brow and said, "Are we familiar with each other? Why should I tell you? Or are you just looking for an excuse to talk to me?" "I..." Fang Ren looked conflicted, it made sense for her to think this; after all, as far as she was concerned, they were strangers meeting for the first time. A stranger offering to listen to her troubles did indeed seem inappropriate. "Alright then, in that case, let''s say I''m apologizing for my rash behavior just now." Fang Ren said as he took out a notebook from his backpack, "Take it as epting my apology. I''ll leave immediately if you don''t show up, otherwise I''ll have to pester you until you take it." "You... " Liu Qianqian suddenly felt the urge to curse, but she wasn''t ustomed to speaking foulnguage, so she frowned, turned around, and continued to walk away, ignoring the fellow in white. "Hey, hey, hey, let me tell you, doing this is really not worth your while," Fang Ren quickly followed her and spoke, "Look, you''re in a bad mood right now, and me pestering you will only annoy you further. You might as well take this thing from me, and I''ll leave immediately. Once I''m gone, you can throw it away, rip it up¡ªwhatever you like, and no one will bother you again." Liu Qianqian was truly at her wit''s end with this person; even the reason he used to give something was so bizarre. However, she was indeed in a foul mood and didn''t want to talk to him anymore, so she just reached out and snatched the notebook from Fang Ren''s hand, saying discontentedly, "Can you leave now?" "Okay, I hope the content inside can be of help to you." Seeing that she had taken the notebook, Fang Ren turned and walked toward the grove, deliberately taking a path away from where the ss was gathered to better conceal himself. Liu Qianqian, still with a displeased expression, continued toward the bus stop, taking a nce at the notebook in her hand, indifferent to its contents. epting something from a stranger was risky, as no one knew what secrets it might contain. But Liu Qianqian didn''t care; if this person dared to try any tricks, the people hiding in the shadows, protecting her, would naturallye out and teach him a lesson. By the time she reached the bus and took out the various alchemical ingredients, her mood was no longer as irritated as before. She sighed heavily,posed herself, and buried her emotions deep down. As the ss leader, many tasks awaited her in the ssroom, and she couldn''t always wear her emotions on her sleeve. Carrying her luggage bag, Liu Qianqian felt somewhat tired on her way back, and the notebook she was holding in her other hand had not been discarded. After giving her the notebook, the man did indeed leave without lingering, parting with the hope that the contents would be helpful to her. Having nothing better to do on her walk back, she carelessly opened the notebook and took a look. However, when she flipped to the first page, she was stunned. On the first page of white paper were boldly written eight characters¡ªMaster Qing''an''s Alchemy Experience. This... the content of these characters was too blunt and ostentatious. The title referred to the most mysterious Alchemist in the world and imed to be that master''s wisdom, yet the master had never published his Alchemy Experience on any alchemists'' forums. What could possibly be in this seemingly brand-new notebook? Could anyone simply obtain the master''s experience? And to give it away so easily? It was preposterous, clearly a deception. After just seeing the title, Liu Qianqian wanted to throw the thing away immediately. But after some thought, she decided to keep reading. People driven to despair by life often cling to the smallest hope, and Liu Qianqian''s situation was simr. Like someone stricken with a terminal illness who suddenly hears from a charismatic quack that there''s a cure, she wasn''t willing to miss this chance. As she continued flipping through the pages, her brow furrowed slightly. To her surprise, the notebook emphasized the me, specifically how to recognize its shape and the contact area with the bottom of the Pill Furnace. After reading it, Liu Qianqian was perplexed. Wasn''t controlling the heat during alchemy something that could only be mastered through practice, or was there some special technique? With some doubt, Liu Qianqian stopped and continued reading, and soon, she was somewhat captivated. The content was coherent, and each theory, which she had never heard before, was supported by many reasons for its validity, leaving no apparent ws. It was as if all aspects of Alchemy were interconnected by these theories, which were soprehensible and fluent. What surprised her even more was that it mentioned many uses of Cold Fire; in conventional alchemical practice, Cold Fire was an auxiliary me used for cooling without causing the herbal essence to dissipate, but ording to these theories, Cold Fire could take a dominant role. After reading the theories about mes, Liu Qianqian''s brows knit together. If all the theories were true, wouldn''t alchemically concocting pills be extremely easy regarding controlling the temperature of the mes? Feeling a growing excitement inside her, she continued to skim through the notebook, only to find that all the pills recorded were Three-level pills! Furthermore, the method to concoct each type of pill was thoroughly analyzed, as if dissecting everything, making her feel as if she could sessfully create the pills simply by following the instructions. It was as if... she had found the cheat codes while ying a game. Liu Qianqian suddenly looked up in the direction where the man in white had left, then back at the eight bold characters on the notebook in her hand. For a moment, her heart started throbbing uncontrobly with excitement. "Heavens... have you really opened a window for me?" she murmured to herself. Yet a momentter, she suddenly recalled the afternoon the day before when school ended, a boy pointing to the sky in the stairwell and saying, "It''s just floating there; naturally, someone will take it down." Heaven didn''t always open a window for everyone after closing a door. Sometimes, heaven would close all doors and windows, leaving walls on all sides with no escape. At times like this, one should be like the confident, smiling boy from the stairwell the day before, saying, "You just keep trying, it''s just a fart." "Is it heaven opening a window... or was it... him taking it down?" Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Nightfall Organization_1 Fang Ren had already changed his clothes in the small forest and returned to the ss. By that time, Mu Huanqing and Jian Qi''er had note back yet. He mixed in with Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang with a rxed and natural expression on his face and used the excuse of going to the bathroom to cover up his recent departure. By the time Liu Qianqian came back, the ss had already started working for half a day. "Qianqian, howe it took you so long to get the barbecue ingredients?" Li Xinyue took therge backpack from Liu Qianqian and asked. "Oh, I ran into students from other sses at the foot of the mountain and just lent them a hand," Liu Qianqian said casually. Another girl took the barbecue ingredients, nced at Liu Qianqian''s notebook, and smiled, "It''s really befitting of the ss president to not forget to bring notes even on an outing, no wonder your grades are so good." "Alright, let''s hurry up and start grilling the fish," Liu Qianqian said with a smile, putting her notebook into her bag. After putting it away, Liu Qianqian''s gaze involuntarily drifted towards Fang Ren, who was not far away, gutting fish with a couple of wealthy-looking boys. She had been thinking about the words Fang Ren had said to her on the way back, his expression so confident and resolute, assuring that everything would definitely get better tomorrow. However, it was just noon, and something good had already happened to her. Could it be... that the person who delivered the notes to her just now was him? Liu Qianqian couldn''t help being curious. While she was watching, Fang Ren turned his head and caught her gaze. But after just a second, he turned his head away to do something else as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. This made Liu Qianqian somewhat puzzled. She wanted to go over and ask, but their rtionship was very awkward at the moment, and moreover, today Fang Ren had brought his girlfriend. If his girlfriend saw them talking together, it would be problematic if she misunderstood. "Qianqian, why are you staring at him again?" Li Xinyue said, looking worried as she sat down next to Liu Qianqian and followed her line of sight. "Huh?" Liu Qianqian suddenly came back to her senses, realizing she had been looking at Fang Ren a bit too intently and awkwardly chuckled, "It''s nothing, I just find it surprising that those rich young masters would actually know how to gut a fish." Upon hearing this, Li Xinyue couldn''t help but feel exasperated, watching Fang Ren and the others grab a fish and randomly smash it with rocks; she really couldn''t see where they knew how to gut a fish... "He''s someone you''ve already rejected twice, and besides, he has a girlfriend now. What''s so captivating about him?" Li Xinyue rolled her eyes as she said. "I told you it''s nothing, don''t make things up," Liu Qianqian replied with a slight blush and rolled her eyes at her. "Then exin to me why you keep watching him?" "I, I''m just innocently watching them gut fish." "Pfft, as if I would believe that." "If you don''t believe it, just let it be, don''t talk nonsense..." ¡­ Not long after, Mu Huanqing, who had followed Jian Qi''er to pick up firewood in the woods, came running back with a bunch of small sticks in her arms, her white little face smeared with a bit of mud, looking very adorable. After that, the fish grilling was a free-for-all affair. Fang Ren''s group consisted of five people: Jian Qi''er, Mu Huanqing, and two wealthy young men. "Hey, little airhead, aren''t you usually absent from these kinds of activities?" Li Xingwang said as he took a bite of fish. "Well, well, graduation is approaching, and of course, I have to strive to be a good student, right? How can I drag my ss down?" Jian Qi''er clenched her small fist and said with a childishly enthusiastic face. "Yo, yo, yo, I''d believe that from anyone, but you? I don''t think so." "What, what''s wrong! I, I am finally showing some ambition!" As they were chatting, Jing Haichuan checked his phone and suddenly said, "Did you guys see the news from yesterday?" "Are you talking about the murder of the mayor?" Li Xingwang asked. "Exactly, I was startled when I saw it. The day before yesterday, the mayor had just visited our family''s condom factory, and damn, the next day he was gone," Jing Haichuan said with an incredulous expression. The moment Fang Ren heard this topic, he suddenly became invigorated, and the corners of his mouth twitched violently. Apart from the murderer, no one likely had more authority to speak on this matter than him. However, he couldn''t casually mention that he was a witness. If word got out, the local police would definitely bring him in for questioning. Cooperating with the investigation was one thing, but he feared the murderer might try to silence him upon learning of his cooperation with the police, and that would spell doom. Moreover, he had been too panicked at the time. The killer''s face was covered, revealing only a pair of eyes, and aside from realizing their assant was a woman, he wasn''t able to provide the police with any useful information. "It''s really bizarre when you think about it. The Nightfall Organization has been gone for years; why would they suddenly show up in our small city?" Li Xingwang said, frowning. "Um, excuse me, but what is the Nightfall Organization?" Jian Qi''er asked curiously from the side. "Ah?" Li Xingwang was taken aback and said, "You haven''t heard of this organization? It''s currently Earth''srgest reactionary organization. They often hunt down cultivators, seemingly killing for fun like a kind of psychological perversion." Mu Huanqing frowned and grasped Fang Ren''s hand with a worried look, saying, "How can there be such an organization... " "There''s no helping it, there are many things in this world that we simply don''t understand," Fang Ren said softly as he wiped the mud from the corner of her face. Jing Haichuan said with a frown, "Hey, think about it, the people killed by the Nightfall Organization seem to be high officials from Earth, and they usually don''t kill ordinary cultivators. What''s their aim?" "Who knows? Some high-level authorities on Earth aren''t as good as we imagine. Often, the darkness at the bottomes from the loopholes in the system at the top and rampant personal desires," Li Xingwang said. "It''s tough for the warriors in the warzones. Not only do they have to face the invasion of the Void species, but they also have to be wary of being stabbed in the back by their own kind," Jing Haichuan said. Mu Huanqing didn''t say another word. Her expression was somewhat sorrowful, and it was unclear what thoughts were going through her mind. Jian Qi''er said excitedly, "I, I''m just guessing here, but if there''s darkness within the upper echelons, could the Nightfall Organization possibly be a righteous group that exists to eradicate the darkness?" "Huh?" Li Xingwang was startled, "Little airhead, are you really that clueless? That organization has been ordered to be eliminated by the Central District Commander himself, how could it be anything good?" Jian Qi''er blinked in confusion and said softly, "But... but didn''t you say there is darkness at the top? Then the Central Area..." Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Spiritual Root? Spirit Tree?_1 "That''s impossible, the generals from the Central Area can''t be bad people." No sooner had Jian Qi''er finished speaking than Mu Huanqing spoke up seriously. The generals from the Central Area had dedicated untold efforts to protect the entire Human Race. She had interacted with many generals from the Central Area, who had often teared up at the sacrifices of warriors on the battlefield, attended countless funerals of fallen soldiers, and even risked their lives by personally entering the fray tobat enemies. They bore the weight of the nation and the safety of the Human Race on their shoulders, monitoring the battlefield almost every moment of the day, without any time to do anything else. How could such people be bad? "Exactly, you silly girl, how can you make such wild guesses!" Jing Haichuan also scolded Jian Qi''er. "But, but, it was you guys who said that the upper echelons are dark..." Jian Qi''er said with an aggrieved expression. "That''s not to say it''s the Central Area''s fault, they''ve always been on the battlefield and have no time to care for other matters. What I''m referring to are some idle good-for-nothings from the other areas," Li Xingwang exined. "Oh..." Jian Qi''er nodded her head. "Moreover, how could the Nightfall Organization possibly be righteous? They''re nothing but a group of terrorists." "I, I was just pointing out a possibility. It''s not like this spection is impossible," Jian Qi''er said frantically, waving her hand dismissively. "There''s no possibility of that. The orders from the Central Area''s side are clear; anyone inside the Nightfall Organization is definitely not a good person," Jing Haichuan insisted. Jian Qi''er nodded again and murmured a soft reply, her eyes concealed by her hair filled with sorrow. Righteousness often arises in situations where many people are oblivious. ... After eating, the entire school once again began their climb towards the mountain peak. Jiulong Mountain was incrediblyrge; it would take an ordinary person a whole day to reach the top. Of course, for those students from the Cultivation System who could fly with their swords, where they chose to go was entirely up to them. Halfway up the mountain, next to a small waterfall, Fang Ren suddenly stopped in his tracks. There was a small thicket around the waterfall, lush and dense, obscuring the view within. Other scenes on the mountain were more beautiful, and no one else was interested in discovering whaty beyond that waterfall. Fang Ren hadn''t suddenly be curious; it was the Grey root within him that had stirred, extending a branch that kept pointing in that direction, as if urging him to go there. "You guys go ahead, I need to use the restroom." After saying that, Fang Ren ran towards the small waterfall. "Hold on a bit longer; there''s a public restroom further up," Li Xingwang said, looking back. "I can''t hold it anymore." Fang Ren shouted back and plunged into the bushes. Mu Huanqing watched helplessly as he rushed off, continuing up the mountain with Jian Qi''er, but slowing down a little to allow him to catch upter. After diving through the bushes for twenty or thirty meters, the surrounding thicket was quite tall, and no students climbing the mountain could be seen from there. The closer Fang Ren got to the small waterfall, the stronger the reaction from the Grey root inside him became. Pushing aside thest of the bushes that stood in his way, he was greeted by arge expanse of red grass. He was stunned. The grass was strange, shaped like ordinary green grass but a thorough red, as if deliberately dyed with red ink. He casually pulled up a stalk of the Red Grass, only to find that its roots were also red. This was a grass he had never seen before. Thump thump¡ª A sound echoed in his mind, and Fang Ren immediately probed the Grey root inside him with his consciousness, only to find a branch from it kept pointing at the Red Grass and then at its own upper part, seeming to suggest he should feed it. "Are you telling me to eat this thing?" Fang Ren frowned, smelled the Red Grass he held in his hands to make sure it didn''t seem poisonous, and hesitantly tore off a piece of the leaf to taste. However, the instant the Red Grass entered his mouth, he couldn''t help but spit it out. "Holy shit! Is this some kind of devil pepper?" Fang Ren felt like his tongue was swelling and quickly took a bottle of water from his bag to rinse his mouth, Despite being just a de of grass, it was spicier than the average hot pepper. Thump thump thump¡ª The Grey root inside continued to knock, urgently prompting him to feed it. "Bro, how do you expect me to eat this? If I actually eat it, I bet my ass will explode when I go to the bathroomter!" Fang Renined helplessly. But the Grey root didn''t sympathize with his misery. After a long while without being fed, it seemed to lose its temper and extended a branch as if to jab towards Fang Ren''s abdomen. Fang Ren panicked when he saw the root getting aggressive. Though it was just an energy form, it could cause serious damage if it actually stabbed into his belly. "Hey, chill out, bro! What do we do if you puncture something?" Fang Ren backed down in an instant, grabbing a red de of grass and preparing to throw it into his mouth. Before he could eat the Red Grass in his hand, suddenly something whooshed past his mouth and snatched away the grass. "...What the hell?" Fang Ren stared nkly at his own hands, the red grass that had just been there had disappeared without a trace. Crackling¡ª A chewing noise came from his belly, and Fang Ren subconsciously looked down, only to be stunned by what he saw¡ªa grey twig had extended from his lower abdomen, coiling around the red grass and continuously absorbing it. Fang Ren immediately lifted his shirt to see if his abdomen had been pierced, but when he looked, not only was his abdomen intact, even his clothes hadn''t been touched by the grey twig. "Is this thing... illusionary?" Fang Ren furrowed his brow, "No, that''s not right. If it were illusionary, it shouldn''t be able to touch the red grass. What''s going on here..." While he was puzzled, the grey twig had already devoured the red grass entirely, and it seemed to have grown stronger. After devouring the red grass, it immediately extended towards the ground, coiling and swallowing over a dozen red grasses at once. Fang Ren crouched down, watching it devour the red grass continuously with curiosity and reached out to touch it. As Fang Ren''s hand touched it, all of its movements halted, it released the coiled red grass, came over to Fang Ren''s hand, and gently rubbed his hand with its tip. Fang Ren was taken aback¡ªthis thing was acting like a small animal fawning over its owner. He stretched out his other hand and touched the tip of the twig, and the little twig stopped moving and let him stroke it, seeming very gentle. "I thought you would be fierce, but you''re just like a child," muttered Fang Ren. He casually fed it two des of grass, and in less than ten seconds, both werepletely devoured. As the twig kept devouring the red grass, it began to grow stronger and its swallowing speed also increased significantly, going from one grass every ten seconds to ten grasses in one second¡ªthe pace was incredibly fast. As it grew sturdier, Fang Ren felt that the grey root within his body started to grow as well¡ªit began to extend numerous patterns, and although its root was grey, the patterns that spread were multicolored. Seeing that arge portion of the red grass on the ground had been devoured, Fang Ren plucked a dozen or so strands and stored them in his little bag, reasoning that since the little twig liked them so much, they must be extremely precious. After Fang Ren had picked a few des of grass and looked up again, he realized that the twig in front of him... could no longer be called a little twig. It had transformed into a branch tens of meters long, resembling the size of a python, entirely grey withplex patterns that shone with colorful brilliance under the sunlight. The branch coiled on the ground relentlessly around the red grass, leaving traces in the surrounding earth. Soon, the branch had consumed all of the red grass on the ground and contentedly returned to Fang Ren''s side, coiling around himpletely, and its tip gently brushed against Fang Ren''s face affectionately. "Go back, go back." Fang Ren patted its tip, his expression resigned. This creature was no longer a little twig; coiled around him, it felt like arge python, which made his skin crawl. The branch didn''t retract but continued to nuzzle against his face. It was then that Fang Ren noticed a small white mass on its stone. "Is this... True Qi?" Fang Ren''s brow furrowed as he suddenly recalled the white True Qi that Wang Mang had sent his way that morning at the market. "Did you protect me?" The branch nodded vigorously twice and began to sway its body, seemingly taking pride in its actions. "Good boy," Fang Ren fondly touched its tip, and it stayed still, enjoying the affection like a child. "But it''ll be troublesome if others see you like this," said Fang Ren with a hint of concern. Upon hearing this, the branch left his hand, coiled around him once more, and then shot towards his feet. Hum¡ª Suddenly, a multitude of grey branches sprouted around Fang Ren''s body, intertwining and rising until theypletely engulfed him. A rush of air surged, and the grey branches around him vanished instantly, leaving Fang Ren standing in the same spot, with nothing on him. He stood there stunned before probing his body with his consciousness. As his awareness reached out, he jumped in shock. He discovered that surrounding his body was a massive circr trunk! If he wasn''t sensing with his consciousness, he couldn''t see or touch this trunk. Expanding his awareness a bit more, he finally saw the full scene around his body. He found himself inside a huge tree. The tree was entirely grey, with luxuriant branches, and its main trunk was incredibly thick. It was covered with patterns that had now be very clear and systematic, as if they harbored deep secrets. At the tip of each branch was something the size of a small droplet, like the initial form of a fruit, and these nascent fruits varied in both color and shape, exhibiting a multitude of patterns. The base of the tree didn''t grow in the soil; it was ethereal, not touching Fang Ren''s flesh, nor the earth¡ªit just presented itself bare before Fang Ren''s eyes. Its roots looked moreplex and robust, resembling those of a centennial tree, but the colors didn''t show signs of aging; rather, they appeared tender and strong. "This... this thing doesn''t seem to be a Spiritual Root... if it is, it could only be a Spirit Tree..." Chapter 41: Chapter 41: The Initial Might of Spirit Form_1 "Right, Spiritual Root... Spiritual Root?" "Damn it! Where''s my Spiritual Root!" Just as Fang Ren was about to continue exploring the secrets of the great tree, he suddenly realized that the grey root vein inside his body had vanished! After a moment of chaos, Fang Ren focused his attention on the tree again. Could it be... the Spiritual Root really transformed into a Spirit Tree? After thinking for a while, Fang Ren started to walk a few steps. He discovered that the big tree began to move with his body, leaving no trace on the ground around him, adding no weight to himself. It was quite magical. Fang Ren withdrew his consciousness; he could no longer see the tree in front of him, nor could he touch any part of it with his outstretched hand. Smack¡ª He plopped down on the ground and immediately took out a prepared Space Ring from his pocket. If the thing inside his body was really akin to a Spiritual Root, he could totally perform a blood recognition on the ring. If the ring didn''t recognize its master, then it would mean that whatever is inside him isn''t like a Spiritual Root. He took a Silver Needle and pricked a small blood hole on his hand; Fang Ren immediately squeezed a drop of blood onto the ring. Hum¡ª Suddenly feeling a buzzing around his brain, Fang Ren held the Space Ring and discovered that a Void Cube seemed to have appeared around him. "Damn... Damn... Damn!?" Fang Ren waspletely dumbfounded, and after two seconds, he sprang up from the ground, looking at the Space Ring in his hand with a face full of shock. "It''s really a Spiritual Root... No! It''s a freaking Spirit Tree!" Tossing the Space Ring into his bag, Fang Ren could not contain the excitement in his heart; he ran to a nearby bush, grabbed arge rock, and started spinning around frantically, his face gradually bing crazed, almost kissing the stone. Some people are the abandoned children of the heavens; after closing a door on them, the heavens also close a window, leaving them unable to escape their fate with their own abilities¡ªlike Liu Qianqian. But some people are born lucky; when the heavens close a door for them, they smash the walls around them instead, allowing them to run wherever they want¡ªjust like Fang Ren. After a bout of excitement, Fang Ren gradually calmed down. He''d dyed for quite a bit and needed to hurry up and catch up with Mu Huanqing. ------ In the distance on the mountainside, Jian Qi''er was climbing up the mountain. Suddenly, she stopped moving, turned her head around, and looked in the direction of the small waterfall where Fang Ren was. The innocent and harmless look in her eyes instantly turned sharp. Is someone going to make a move on him? Jian Qi''er was slightly conflicted inside, then turned her face with a full smile towards Mu Huanqing and said, "Sister Hui Qing, I suddenly want to go to the toilet too; you go ahead by yourself." "But the toilet is just ahead," Mu Huanqing said, looking puzzled. "I can''t help it, I can''t hold it in," said Jian Qi''er with a troubled face and ran straight towards the nearby woods. Mu Huanqing shook her head seeing her urgent manner and continued to walk up the mountain. The scenery here was very beautiful, making her feel very rxed. Being an ordinary person... isn''t so bad after all. In the woods, Jian Qi''er looked around, made sure no one noticed her, and immediately opened her backpack, taking out a set of ck clothes. She then transformed into a blur and rushed towards the small waterfall where Fang Ren was. "Fang Ren, I didn''t kill youst time as repayment for the Space Ring, helping you this time is to repay you for the Three-level pill." Just as Fang Ren was preparing to leave, suddenly, a white shadow descended from the sky, blocking his path. When Fang Ren saw the person, he immediately stepped back; his heart, that had been so excited, suddenly cooled. He saw that Wang Shuai, wearing a white, specialized Cultivation System uniform, was smirking at him while holding a sword. No one was around; even if Wang Shuai wanted to kill him, it''d be toote to cry for help. "Fang Ren, you''ve made me look for you for quite a while," said Wang Shuai with a cold smirk, pointing a silver Longsword at Fang Ren''s throat. "What, are you harboring a death wish for me now?" Fang Ren frowned and said. "I''m not stupid, if I kill you here, anyone in school would guess that a Cultivation System student did it," Wang Shuai coldly replied. "But I''d be very happy to give you a free package that cripples you for life." "We don''t have that much enmity; you''re going a bit too far," Fang Ren said, appearing calm on the surface but panicking internally. He wasn''t afraid of breaking bones or getting torn tendons; even if his bones were broken or tendons torn, he could still concoct a pill for recovery. But he feared that, since his Cultivation had just begun, if his Spiritual Root was destroyed, how could he help Sister Hui Qing get her revenge? "Too much? Bullshit!" Wang Shuai''s expression suddenly raged: "I warned you in the cafeteria that day, kid; steer clear of Liu Qianqian. And yet, you didn''t listen. Just yesterday afternoon when I flew over your teaching building, Liu Qianqian was actually crying with you. Yo, has your rtionship progressed to that extent?" "You''re really sick!" Fang Ren was at a loss; yesterday afternoon''s events had been witnessed, and judging by Wang Shuai''s reaction, it seemed he had misconstrued Liu Qianqian''s crying over her family affairs as if she was crying because of a romantic rtionship gone sour with him. "Cuss all you want; the harder you curse, the more brutal I will be," Wang Shuai said with a smile. "Aren''t you afraid this thing will blow up? If you get expelled from the academy and your cultivation resources are taken back, your future path would also be cut off," Fang Ren said. "No, as long as you don''t tell anyone, who would know I am the one who crippled you?" Wang Shuai''s smile grew colder. Having said that, Wang Shuai put away the longsword in his hand, and began to condense a ball of green Spiritual Energy in his other hand, sneering, "Remember, when the teachers in the school ask you, you''ll say you fell because you weren''t paying attention. If you dare to utter a single word about me, once I drop out, I''ll kill you." Damn it! Fang Ren cursed in his heart. He had no choice, for he figured that the more he ran, the more severe his injuries would be. It might be better to just take this hit. As long as his Spiritual Root wasn''t damaged, everything else could be argued. "Go to hell, Green Snake Seal!" Wang Shuai pped the green Spiritual Energy from his hand and a three-meter-wide circr green seal flew toward Fang Ren, with a green snake twisting and turning within it. "Damn it, I''m one step toote!" Seeing this, the dark shadow on top of the waterfall immediately sped up, but it was already toote to stop the Green Snake Seal from hitting Fang Ren. Smack¡ª¡ªTsk tsk tsk¡ª¡ª With the Green Snake Seal hitting Fang Ren''s body, followed by a dull thud, the sound of trees cracking followed. Fang Ren listened as the noises around him faded, slowly opened his tightly shut eyes, only to discover that the gray tree around him had be real, and it had just taken the hit from Wang Shuai''s attack. As the mist around the small waterfall cleared, the sneering expression on Wang Shuai''s face turned to shock and rage in an instant, "Damn it! I didn''t expect a mere medical student like you to be a cultivator!" In the blink of an eye, Wang Shuai once again condensed two Green Snake Seals in his hands and threw them over, roaring with anger, "I want to see how many hits your rotten tree can take!" Boom boom¡ª¡ª The two seals smashed into the gray tree, and the patterns on the tree started to twist. The cracked bark transformed into dozens of branches that wrapped around the Green Snake Seals that had entered within, consuming them in less than a second. Fang Ren also knew that he could not just sit and wait for death. He immediately used his consciousness to sense his surroundings and discovered that the tree grew more robust after consuming Wang Shuai''s Green Snake Seals, and the cracked gray bark started to heal. "What the hell is this thing!" Seeing this, Wang Shuai immediately picked up the longsword by his side and poured his green Spiritual Energy into it, his face twisted with irritation as he charged forward. "See if I don''t hack you apart! Azure Dragon Sword! sh!" With a roar of fury, sharp green streaks of light began to spurt from Wang Shuai''s longsword, transforming into a dragon head shape with the sharpness of a de, turning the longsword into a ten-meter-long massive weapon in an instant. From a distance, Jian Qi''er frowned at this scene. She wanted to go over but paused in brief conflict before stopping her advance. A pair of piercing eyes watched Fang Ren from afar, murmuring to herself, "I had thought you only knew how to refine tools and perform alchemy, but I didn''t expect you to be a cultivator as well. Fine, let''s see how many more secrets you have?" ... "Isn''t there a way to attack!" Fang Ren watched the ten-meter-long giant dragon deing down and felt his inner world turn to chaos. If that were to hit him, he would be split in two! Wang Shuai was bent on putting him to death! Fang Ren tried his best to control the branches of the tree with his consciousness, but found that his consciousness simply couldn''t merge into the tree. "You wrap around him!" In his panic, Fang Ren gave up on using his consciousness and yelled at the gray tree in front of him. Swoosh¡ª¡ª A gray branch from the tree shot out swiftly, colliding with the ten-meter dragon de in the sky. Crack¡ª¡ª A crisp sound in the sky, and the gray branch directly shattered the exceedingly sharp dragon de, the green fragments scattering and vanishing into the air. "This¡­ how is this possible! What the hell is this!" Wang Shuai had not evennded yet, and his eyes widened in shock as he saw the snapped de in his hands, the aftershock from the collision numbing both his arms. Then, other branches from the tree lunged out swiftly, entangling Wang Shuai in midair. "Cough!" Wang Shuai spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling as if his whole body were being constricted by a python, his bones and internal organs almost crushed, and even his breathing was stifled. Fang Ren was stunned¡­ Were the two hits all it took to subdue him? At that moment, another branch from the treeshed out at Wang Shuai. This strike was solidly on Wang Shuai''s face, with such force that it sent him flying out. The ordeal wasn''t over, as the gray branch did not retract. Hum¡ª¡ª A trace of green Spiritual Energy appeared on the branch and then instantly took the shape of the Green Snake Seal, pping towards Wang Shuai, who was still in the air. Wang Shuai, bloodied and hanging in midair, looked down at the branch below, panic clearly stered across his face as he realized it could mimic his own technique! Seeing the Green Snake Seal appear, Wang Shuai felt a threat to his life. His expression turned from fear to rage as he shouted, "Fang Ren, stop! If you kill me, you will definitely¡­" Before Wang Shuai could finish his sentence, a Green Snake Seal ten times the size of his own passed through him, striking his chest directly. Then his chest burst open, blood spattering everywhere. His body, like a kite without a string, was propelled a hundred meters away from the ground, hisnding spot unknown. Fang Ren stared nkly at the gray tree in front of him, thinking this thing was just too fierce¡­ Wang Shuai, after all, was one of the top ten talents in the Cultivation System, and he had been subjugated so easily? Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Oscar Actor Mode_1 Shocked, Fang Ren circled the gray tree a few times, inspecting it closely only to find itpletely undamaged. Instead, after absorbing Wang Shuai''s attack, it seemed to have gained even more vitality. In just about fifteen minutes, it had grown from several stalks into a four-meter-tall tree with a robust trunk and lush, flourishing branches. After looking it over, Fang Ren furrowed his brow, unable to understand. Ever since the appearance of the tree, he was able to form a blood oath with the Space Ring. This meant that he had be a Cultivator. Yet, strangely enough, although he was definitely a Practitioner, he could not feel the existence of True Qi within his body. If this thing was akin to a Spiritual Root, it should, by all ounts, provide him with True Qi and make him stronger. Besides, since when did practitioners fight using their Spiritual Root? The Spiritual Root is the source of all power, as vital as the heart¡ªif it''s damaged, then a practitioner''s entire cultivation level would be ruined. After pondering for a while, Fang Ren gave up, touched a branch of the big tree, and with a relieved smile, said, "Regardless, it''s you who saved me again." Sss¡ª The entire gray tree nodded vigorously and then twisted its colossal body. Its roots moved, dragging its enormous bulk in ce as if they were small legs, its branches swaying. Several branches, like waving hands, rustled like leaves blown by the wind, conveying a sense of joy as if a child were happily dancing. "Alright, I need to leave quickly, and you should turn invisible soon. Don''t get seen by others." As soon as Fang Ren finished speaking, the giant tree before him suddenly turned ethereal, enveloping his entire body within its trunk again, yet Fang Ren''s hand could no longer touch it. Hiss¡ª From the illusory tree, a gray branch extended and burrowed into Fang Ren''s abdomen. It quickly regenerated the Spiritual Root that had vanished before. "This is..." Fang Ren felt inside his body with his consciousness and suddenly discovered that with the presence of the gray Spiritual Root, he felt as though he and the entire tree were one. "Forget it, it''s better to leave first." Without hesitation, Fang Ren dove into the nearby bushes. There were many mysteries to exploreter, but he needed to leave immediately. With Wang Shuai being thrown out, if any students from the Cultivation System saw him, they would surelye investigating. The guiding principle has always been to keep a low profile; the prominent one gets shot, the fat pig gets ughtered, and that''s not what he intended to be unless there was absolutely no other way. Watching Fang Ren leave, Jian Qi''er at the top of the small waterfall was filled with shock. "This guy! I didn''t expect even Wang Shuai, who ranks among the top ten in the Cultivation Department, to be no match for him. It''s good that I never thought of killing him yesterday, otherwise who would have ended up dead is anybody''s guess." ncing at the ground beneath the waterfall, marked with traces of something''s passage, Jian Qi''er''s brows furrowed more deeply, and she immediately turned to head back the way she came. After some trials along the way, Fang Ren caught up with the group. Jian Qi''er had already rejoined the team, and Fang Ren did not notice that she had gone out. ------ When night fell, the school''s students finally reached the mountain summit. The night sky at the summit was beautiful, filled with stars that seemed like scattered pearls and golden fragments, emptying one''s mind and bringing ultimate tranquility. At that moment, all the students were lighting fires to roast food, setting up tents for camping, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. In another area, within the Cultivation Department''s camp, a tutor began taking a headcount. "Where is Wang Shuai? Has anyone seen him?" asked the tutor, frowning. "I remember seeing him right after lunch. He was climbing the mountain and suddenly said he had something to do and flew back with his sword," a student from the Cultivation System said. "He hasn''te back yet? Some of you go and look for him," the tutor ordered, still frowning. As he spoke, several students from the Cultivation System flew down the mountain on their swords. As Fang Ren, who was grilling fish with Mu Huanqing, witnessed this scene, he had a rough grasp of the situation, though he was surprised that Wang Shuai had not been found since being thrown out, and he still hadn''t regained consciousness? "Could that guy actually be dead?" Suddenly, Fang Ren felt a bit of chaos in his mind, having never fought with others, much less killed a person, leaving him deeply unsettled. However, thinking back, it was all brought on by Wang Shuai himself, who had the intention to kill him¡ªso it was justified for him to kill in defense. Yet, he feared the discovery of the battle traces at the small waterfall. His visit to the waterfall and the time Wang Shuai left were too closely linked. Anyone with a bit of sense could suspect him. But for now, his identity was still that of a medical student. Even with suspicions, this "mortal" identity could shield him from a lot of trouble, at least no one could definitively pin the incident on him in a short time. As the evening drew in and all the students were sitting by the grassy area, stargazing and chatting leisurely, the students from the Cultivation Department flew back with Wang Shuai, who was covered in blood. "What happened!" The Cultivation Department tutor immediately ran over. "Wang Shuai was attacked by someone! And the technique used is our school''s Wood attribute Cultivation Technique, the Green Snake Seal!" a student said grimly. "A student from our own school!" The tutor''s brows knitted tightly as he bellowed, "All students who can cultivate, gather here immediately! Move it! No one is to be missing!" His voice was very loud, projected with True Qi, so that every corner of the mountaintop could clearly hear him. "What happened?" students from the other sses were all confused. "What else could it be, surely those from the Cultivation System are showing off again." "Holy shit! I just came back from over there! Our school''s Wang Shuai from the Cultivation System was carried back covered in blood!" a student who had just run over from the Cultivation System area shouted. "What? Someone from our school was beaten?" "Hurry over and take a look!" "Let''s go!" ... In no time, students from all sses on the mountaintop crowded around the Cultivation System, and the tutors from various sses were also huddled together, discussing the matter with grave expressions. "These injuries..." The medical school''s tutor withdrew his hand from Wang Shuai''s body, his brow deeply furrowed: "His life can still be saved, but... he''s be a vegetable, and his Spiritual Root has been shattered by some force that prated his body. Even if he weren''t a vegetable, he''d never be able to cultivate again." Upon hearing this, the students around sucked in a breath of cold air. "Who did this? They were so harsh!" "It''s even more cruel than killing someone!" "I heard the Cultivation Technique used by the culprit was our school''s Wood attribute Green Snake Seal..." "Damn, what kind of deep hatred could they have had to do something like this to a person?" "The culprit must''vecked love since they were young! Such a vicious heart!" With such an event urring, Fang Ren naturally had to pretend to be shocked and pulled Mu Huanqing along with him to watch. Otherwise, wouldn''t it seem suspicious to be alone by himself? Listening to the discussions of the students around him, Fang Ren couldn''t help but feel very angry, a bunch of people who knew nothing just talking nonsense. What would you do if Wang Shuai was trying to kill you? Could you still stand here making thoughtless remarks? "All students who have practiced the Green Snake Seal,e over, one by one say where you were at noon today, and who can vouch for you, speak up, all of you," shouted the Cultivation Department Tutor. A group of Cultivation System students looked at each other, suddenly feeling panicked. If they couldn''t prove their whereabouts at noon, they might end up as scapegoats for the real culprit. "Tutor, when we came back just now, we found traces of fighting on the ground near the small waterfall at mid-mountain, and the ce where Wang Shuai fell is only two hundred meters away from there," a Cultivation System student said. "The small waterfall?" The Cultivation Department Tutor frowned and looked at the group of students who had practiced the Green Snake Seal, his voice stern: "Who among you went there this noon?" "I didn''t. What''s there to see? Just a broken waterfall, and it''s all bushes around. Who''d go there when they have nothing better to do?" "I was with Sun San the whole lunchtime, Gao Hongchao can also vouch for that." "Ah Ran." As Fang Ren was watching the scene withplex feelings, Mu Huanqing, who was holding his hand, suddenly turned her head and called out to him. "Huh? What''s up?" Fang Ren pretended to look at her rxedly. Mu Huanqing looked into his eyes, then after two seconds, she brought her mouth close to Fang Ren''s ear and whispered worriedly, "Your hand is very sweaty, didn''t you witness this incident by any chance?" After hearing Mu Huanqing''s words, Fang Ren originally wanted to lie to her temporarily and then tell her the truthter, but suddenly he changed his mind. Now that Wang Shuai was a vegetable, whatever he said would definitely be the truth, and he could use this opportunity to exin his visit to the small waterfall at noon, in order to clear himself of suspicion to the greatest extent. If he didn''t speak up now, probably some ssmate who saw him at the small waterfall at noon would mention it. It was better to take the initiative and put himself in the position of a witness rather than add anotheryer of suspicion. "I need to say something, don''t overthink it." Fang Ren patted the back of her hand and then let go, squeezing into the crowd and heading inside. Just as he was about to emerge from the crowd, Fang Ren suddenly called out, "Tutor, I have something to say." All eyes instantly focused on him, and sure enough, as soon as he appeared, many students started whispering to each other beneath their breath. "Hey, I just remembered Fang Ren went to that small waterfall at noon." "I was about to bring it up, but he came forward on his own. He probably saw something." "This student, what do you have to say?" the Cultivation Department Tutor asked with a frown. "I went to the small waterfall at noon and saw Wang Shuai," Fang Ren began, his expression calm. Although there was some sweat in his palm, it didn''t affect his ability to enter Oscar Actor Mode at all. Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Nightfall Organization Takes the Blame_1 "Have you seen him?" the Cultivation Department Tutor furrowed his brows deeply and immediately said, "What exactly happened at that time? Tell me everything." Fang Ren disyed a troubled yet surprised look and said, "At that time, I really needed to pee and there was no restroom nearby... so I just went over there. Right when I was about to leave, I saw ssmate Wang Shuai suddenly fly over, grabbed my cor with an angry face. I thought it was because of some conflict we had in the cafeteria that day, and he wanted to get back at me. But unexpectedly, he asked me if I had seen a man in ck clothes, and then I said I didn''t know. In the end, he just started searching the surrounding bushes, and since it had nothing to do with me, I just walked away. I never imagined he would... he would end up like this." "A man in ck clothes?" the Cultivation Department Tutor''s expression grew more solemn. "Could it be that he''s not a student from our school?" "But why would someone who''s not one of our students know a Cultivation Technique like the Green Snake Seal?" "A former graduate?" "Although Wang Shuai has a somewhat mboyant style usually, he has never made any serious enemies within the school. I don''t think it''s possible for it to be one of our students," said a student from the Cultivation Department. "Yes, we''re all ssmates. It''s normal to have some small frictions, but no one could do something that endangers a life." Upon hearing this, Li Xingwang and Jing Haichuan both jumped in and hurriedly said, "That day in the cafeteria, we had some verbal disagreements with Wang Shuai, but they were all over trivial matters, at most just some shouting, and we aren''t even cultivators." Everyone looked at each other, all baffled. Jian Qi''er, standing in the crowd, was watching Fang Ren with a cold expression. At this moment, in her heart, this seemingly harmless young man had been ced in a very dangerous position. Originally, he hid his own sky-defying talents for both tool refinement and alchemy, yet was content to be the third fromst in university for three years,pletely discarding fame, fortune, and even glory. Now, he had also taken advantage of his hidden identity, letting Wang Shuai, who wanted to kill him, be careless and in the end, effortlesslypleted a counter-kill ¨C a level ofposure not typical for his age. Moreover, what made Jian Qi''er feel even more horrified was that when Fang Ren was pursuing Liu Qianqian, a girl with extremely beautiful looks, he evidently wanted her, yet he was able to give up his feelings for her in order not to expose himself. You should know that at this impetuous age, to give up a woman one really likes and is within reach is a very heartless act! It''s like a scorpion retracting its stinger, making you think it only has two ugly pincers, without realizing that behind it hides a sting that can be fatal with just one prick. ¡ª All the above was Jian Qi''er''s own imagination. If Fang Ren heard her thoughts, he probably would have jumped up and said: "If you hadn''t said anything, I wouldn''t even know I was so awesome!" ... "Everyone, put down your luggage bags, and ss monitors will check each student''s luggage thoroughly. If you find any suspicious ck clothes, report it immediately; casual and sportswear don''t count." Right at that moment, one Tutor immediately made the announcement. Upon hearing this, Fang Ren felt a headacheing on. He had just barely muddled through the previous issue, and now the ss monitors were checking luggage. His own luggage bag contained that white garment! What if Liu Qianqian saw it? How would he handle it? Wouldn''t the fact that he delivered the notebook to her be exposed! Following the Tutor''s words, ss monitors started searching through each student''s luggage in their respective sses. After a round of searching, Liu Qianqian had almost checked all the students'' luggage in the ss, and finally came to Fang Ren''s side. "I''ll check her luggage as well, just to avoid any suspicions." Liu Qianqian approached Fang Ren, looked at Mu Huanqing, who was holding Fang Ren''s hand, and said with an expressionless face. "Her luggage is with mine," Fang Ren said. After speaking, he handed his luggage bag to Liu Qianqian, and right then, he quickly slipped the Space Ring onto his finger from the pocket of his clothes. The moment Liu Qianqian opened his luggage bag, he was ready to transfer the white garment into the space of the ring. Anyway, he couldn''t let her find out he had delivered the notebook; it would mean a lot of trouble for him, and there could also be a misunderstanding in their rtionship, which would then be awkward. The moment she took Fang Ren''s luggage bag, Liu Qianqian couldn''t hold back her curiosity. The man in white clothes who delivered the notebook to her at noon today, there''s an 80% chance he''s a student from this school. Even though the man''s voice was very deep, she could tell it was on purpose, and he was actually young. Where would young people have the time toe here for a leisure trip at this period when there are no holidays? Other universities didn''t have trips today. The person she was most suspicious of was Fang Ren, because the confidently spoken words from the day before and the events of today had a connection that she just couldn''t dismiss. She believed he was the one who gave her the notebook. Although she didn''t know where he got Master Qingan''s insights, everything on it was truly beyond ordinary people''sprehension. Swish¡ª As she opened the luggage bag, Liu Qianqian nced inside, then frowned and began to search through it. However, after searching two or three times, she found no white clothes! How could this be... Could it not be him? Liu Qianqian suddenly felt a huge sense of loss in her heart. Fang Ren, watching her frantically rummaging, felt helpless and finally said, "Er, ss monitor, you''ve already searched it three times..." "Ah? I... that... sorry, my apologies." Liu Qianqian was stunned for a moment, then she immediately threw her luggage to Fang Ren and turned around with a somewhat panicked expression to report to her tutor. Watching Liu Qianqian turn to leave, Fang Ren finally heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the timing of the Space Ring''s activation was good, and the luggage hadn''t exceeded the maximum usable distance. Howe it feels like today, aside from acquiring a tree, everything else has gone awry? He couldn''t help but grumble in his heart. After turning around, Liu Qianqian''s thoughts became somewhat jumbled. Was the person who helped her not him? How could this be? Was everything he said yesterday and the actions of the person today merely a coincidence... How could it be... After a few minutes, the ss monitors of each ss had finished reporting, and no suspicious ck clothing was found. "Could it be that the person really isn''t from our school? Although there weren''t many people besides our students who came to Jiulong Mountain today, it''s not impossible that someone came with ill intentions," a tutor said, frowning. "ck clothes... Could it have been someone from the Nightfall Organization?" another tutor suddenly said, looking up. "The Nightfall Organization!" At the mention of that name, the people around immediately erupted into a buzz of discussion. "Yes, the Nightfall Organization! They''ve been missing for a long time, and then they suddenly showed up in our Yangming City yesterday! And they even killed the Mayor!" "You can''t rule it out, it''s really possible! I heard the Nightfall Organization only kills officials, and Wang Shuai''s father just so happens to be the Chief of the Public Security Bureau in our city!" "But what does his father being the Bureau Chief have to do with him?" "Are you dumb? Every time the Nightfall Organization appears, they kill their target outright. This time they didn''t take Wang Shuai''s life, which must mean they used some tactic to extract the whereabouts of his father from Wang Shuai. That''s why they let Wang Shuai live!" "Damn, this Nightfall Organization..." Listening to the surrounding discussions, Fang Ren was stunned. Without saying a word, arge group of people were already crafting a script for him. Why hadn''t he realized before how adorable these folks at school were? However, in the corner, Jian Qi''er clenched her fists tightly, her eyes nearly shooting fire at the sight of Fang Ren. This guy''s actions were making their organization take the me! Damn it! "Good for you, Fang Ren! Just you wait, if you give me a chance, I swear I''ll bury you! Ahhh..." Internally frantic, Jian Qi''er ultimately felt quite helpless in the end. Their organization was always being smeared, and some people always judged them by their fa?ade, which saddened her. The night was not peaceful. Wang Shuai was taken to the hospital by several tutors, and the remaining tutors and students of the Cultivation System began to stand guard in turns. Because of the Nightfall Organization, the tents of each ss were pitched very closely together, and Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing felt very ufortable living in this environment. Tonight... was not convenient for doing any shameful acts. Inside the small cozy tent, Fang Ren gazed at Mu Huanqing in his arms, wrestling with whether to tell her the true situation of today''s events. He really wanted to talk about what happened today, but although he was capable of cultivation, she sought a simple life with him. This kind of thing... was better buried deep in his heart unspoken. "Qing''er, some people are truly wicked. You must be careful not to be deceived by appearances," Fang Ren said as he touched her soft hair, his voice somewhat deep. Mu Huanqing looked up at him and smiled faintly, "I''ll remember what you said." Having gone through the events of these two days, she hade to an initial understanding of what humans were like beyond the battlefield; people''s hearts were far from as good as she had imagined. But Ah Ran, he was the best. "So good." ------ At that moment, on the cross-river bridge in Yangming City, a ck sedan raced along, its windows rolled down, two middle-aged men in casual clothes holding cigarettes out the window. The man in the passenger seat held a photo in his hand, which was none other than Fang Ren. "Just a cultivator incapable of cultivating, is it necessary for the two of us to take action, Second Master?" the man in the passenger seat said, frowning in iprehension. "The Second Master is very cautious in his dealings, fearing any unforeseen idents along the way. It''s better we be cautious as well. This life is of great significance, and we must not err," the man driving said, taking a puff of his cigarette. "This kid is also quite unlucky, born into the Fang Family yet never having enjoyed wealth and glory, and now he has to be killed without knowing why, truly pitiful." "me the marriage contract he has with Princess Bai Xi, no one else," the passenger concluded. Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Expanding the Meridians (First Update)_1 At 5:30 in the morning, Fang Ren''s cellphone rm began to ring. After turning off the rm, he gently woke up the Mu Huanqing in his arms. "What''s up, Ah Ran?" Mu Huanqing rubbed her eyes, still bleary. "Let''s go watch the sunrise, how about that?" Fang Ren said with a smile. "The sunrise... What''s so good about that?" Mu Huanqing was somewhat puzzled. "Watching it alone might not be that special, but it bes very meaningful when the two of us watch it together," Fang Ren exined. After that, the two of them put on their jackets and walked out of the small tent, then sat quietly on a secludedrge rock at the top of the mountain, waiting for the sun to rise. Mu Huanqing, still somewhat groggy, leaned on Fang Ren''s shoulder. She really didn''t understand what was so good about a sunrise. In Battlefield One, day and night, moonlight and sunlight, today or tomorrow, there wasn''t much difference. As the sky began to brighten, Mu Huanqing''s sleepiness faded quite a bit. The moment the warm sun peeked over the horizon, she watched the small grass behind them sway gently in the breeze. Aside from the two of them, all was quiet. Suddenly, she felt an unusual warmth in her heart. Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around Fang Ren''s arm and leaned closer to him. Life as an ordinary person... it''s wonderful. No need to worry about losing one''s life fighting Void Monsters, no post-war exhaustion so severe it makes one feel better off dead, and no constant fear of the next Void Beast''s arrival. But because of that, she felt that the warriors stationed at Battlefield One were really having a tough time. If given another chance to possess Cultivation powers, she would still choose to go to battle without hesitation, for the peace of more humans, to reduce the casualties among the iron-blooded soldiers of Battlefield One. It''s just... she really didn''t want to part with the boy beside her now. ¡ªHow can one have the best of both worlds in this life? The warm sun continued its slow ascent in the sky. Mu Huanqing sat there quietly, hoping that this moment of peace couldst forever. ... After another pic, all the senior students began to descend the mountain. It''s said that going up the mountain is easy, buting down is hard, and it was true¡ªmany students fell or twisted their ankles halfway down. By noon, all the students had returned to the mountainside. Many were curious about Wang Shuai''s experiences and went to the waterfall to check out the scene, including several instructors. "The crisscrossing marks on the ground don''t seem to be caused by True Qi; there''s no scent of any attribute of True Qi," an instructor said, frowning at the marks on the ground. "There''s only Wang Shuai''s Wood attribute True Qi here. How did the culprit use the Green Snake Seal?" Another teacher spoke up after a moment of silence, "I think these marks also prove that the culprit isn''t one of our students. Although the injuries on Wang Shuai were caused by the Green Snake Seal, it''s clear that the culprit isn''t skilled in Wood attribute True Qi. Perhaps the method used was to reflect Wang Shuai''s Cultivation Technique back at him and then frame it as a deadly dispute among the students." "Reflecting a Cultivation Technique? Does such an ability really exist?" "With the vastness of this world, nothing is strange. Every member of the Nightfall Organization is very mysterious; who knows what special abilities they might have?" An afternoon of analysis led to no conclusions but convinced many people that the Nightfall Organization was responsible, and even an instructor took out his phone and called Wang Shuai''s father, Director Wang, to warn him to be extra cautious in theing days, as he might be targeted by the Nightfall Organization. This made Jian Qi''er stomp her feet in frustration¡ªthe frame-up was just too big, the meid on them was darker than the name of their Nightfall Organization. By the afternoon, the students began to take the public bus back to school, but Fang Ren spoke to an instructor from his ss and took a taxi back with Mu Huanqing instead. Once home, Mu Huanqing felt a bit tired, so shey down on the bed and started to watch a soap opera. Fang Ren also took the opportunity to step out into the yard, taking out several small Red Grasses he had picked on the mountain and found a handy spot to start a small fire under the Small Furnace. Since this stuff attracted the grey Spiritual Root in his body, it must certainly be a very precious Alchemy ingredient. However, to find out what specific effects the Red Grass he had never seen before had, Fang Ren would need to conduct many experiments and even try eating it himself. Since the dawn of the Cultivation Era two hundred years ago, the development of elixirs has depended on countless Alchemists tasting herbs and going through numerous trials to finally determine its value, turning them into elixirs with various effects. Although the method seemed crude, it was the only way, given that there still wasn''t anything in the world capable of analyzing the properties of medicinal ingredients. "This stuff is so spicy, looks like I need to add some White Snake Bamboo to neutralize it; otherwise, I really can''t swallow it." Fang Ren waited for the water temperature in the furnace to rise, examining the Red Grass in his hand. Apart from its color, it really wasn''t much different from ordinary grass. He couldn''t understand why his body''s gray Spiritual Root was interested in it and whether eating it would cause growth. Whoosh¡ª While he was examining the Red Grass, suddenly, a gray tendril flew out from within his body and snatched the grass from his hand, ready to devour it. "Hey! You little rascal, stop!" Fang Ren immediately pped the tendril on the head, and the tendril stopped its actions. The energetic twig began to curl up slowly and gradually loosened its grip on the Red Grass, appearing almost aggrieved. "Bro, I still need this thing. I''ll feed you something elseter." Fang Ren saw the branch behaving and took the little grass from its branch, gently stroking its head with his hand. The branch was very obedient, not snatching anything from him as itid alongside the ground, stretching toward the edge of the Small Furnace. It was as if the branch had eyes, watching Fang Ren refine the elixir. Seeing its spiritual appearance, Fang Ren didn''t pay too much attention to it, as elixir refinement required his full focus at the moment. Seeing that the water temperature was about right, he first ced the White Snake Bamboo into it, and after roughly two to three minutes, he used small tongs to take it out before throwing the Red Grass in. About 10 minutester, Fang Ren took the Red Grass out of the Small Furnace. Its color hadn''t changed, but the water in the furnace had turned blood red. "It should be edible now," he mused. Fang Ren tasted the grass with the tip of his tongue and found the spicy vor manageable, then he started to chew it directly. As he chewed, his brow furrowed¡ªit was still very spicy, but not to the point of being unswallowable. While he was chewing, the little branch kept pointing at him as if it were watching him eat, giving the impression that it was craving. After tasting it a few more times and realizing that it had no other vor apart from the spiciness, Fang Ren swallowed it in one gulp. No sooner had the red grass entered his body than he felt a dry heat throughout his meridians, as if red-hot steel wires were threading through him. "Dammit," he cursed through clenched teeth, not daring to make any other movement and immediately closed his eyes to focus intently on the changes within his body. In his consciousness, he perceived that the originally slender lines of True Qi in his body were widening with the increase of the dry heat, nearing the size of a normal cultivator''s, but then stopped abruptly. As the changes in his veins ceased, so did the hot sensation within him. Sitting on the ground, Fang Ren started to draw a preliminary conclusion about the substance: it expanded True Qi channels, allowing for smoother True Qi flow. What a miraculous thing! However, the flow lines of his veins were still slightly smaller than those of an average cultivator; he needed to eat one more to bring his meridians up to the standard of a normal practitioner. Putting other thoughts aside, he decided to exploit its effects first. Just as he was about to throw another Red Grass into the furnace, the little branch on the ground climbed onto his hand. It didn''t snatch the grass from him but seemed to prevent him from continuing to eat Red Grass. "What''s wrong?" Fang Ren looked puzzled. The little branch twirled in ce as if pondering how to exin, and suddenly, it contracted into Fang Ren''s body. Immediately after, Fang Ren felt a tremendous pulling force detaching from his body. Ssssh¡ª By the time he realized what was happening, a huge gray tree had appeared before him! "Bro, don''t juste out like that, what if someone sees you?" Seeing it emerge, Fang Ren quickly checked the surroundings of the courtyard. After making sure no one was there, he ran back and spoke with an exasperated face. The tree didn''t respond to his words but pointed a small branch at the Red Grass in his hand, then to his mouth, and then its massive body twisted slightly. "Are you saying I shouldn''t eat this stuff?" Fang Ren furrowed his brow. The tree''s branch pointed once more at the Red Grass in his hand, then at its own trunk, itsrge body shaking back and forth as if nodding. "What? You want to eat and won''t let me?" Fang Ren got angry when he saw this. This tree was way too overbearing¡ªit had eaten tens of thousands of them yesterday, and now he couldn''t even eat two. No sooner had he finished his sentence than the tree extended a branch and absorbed the Red Grass from his hand, leaving not a trace within a second! Fang Ren was furious. This tree was too stubborn, snatching things from its master! And now it was even acting haughty with him! But on second thought, he was helpless. If not for this tree yesterday, he might have been the one turned into a vegetative human at the hospital today. "Next time you want to eat something, just give me a heads up, alright?" While Fang Ren was still looking helpless, the gray tree suddenly extended a branch that connected to his abdomen, shing with red light, continuing to transmit into him. "This..." Fang Ren felt the changes inside his body and was dumbfounded. His meridians were expanding again, but without that fiery pain, only a warm sensation. "Directly extracting the effects of the medicinal material and removing all the impurities? It has this ability!?" Fang Ren was stunned. The tree''s abilities were outrageous. To know, refining elixirs of extremely high purity required the removal of some impurities from the materials, but since the beginning of the Cultivation Era, there had been no method topletely clear the medicinal materials of their chaotically mixedponents. But this tree could... Chapter 45: Chapter 45: The Gray True Qi (Second Update)_1 As the red energy from the tree branches continued to flow into Fang Ren''s body, Fang Ren found that the flow of True Qi within his meridians had now surpassed the width of most cultivators. This caught him by surprise. An overall increase in flow meant a stronger flow of True Qi, and cultivators could unleash more energy in actualbat. Of course, there was also a downside¡ªTrue Qi would be consumed quickly. If he encountered a tough opponent without knowing how to control his use of True Qi, that could spell disaster. But at the lower stages of cultivation, hardly anyone fought protracted battles. With limited True Qi, no one could afford a drawn-out fight, and they usually determined the victor within a few dozen exchanges, or sometimes in a single move. Regardless, having faster True Qi bursts than others in the early stages was definitely a good thing. After a while, therge tree withdrew its branches, and its enormous body began to spin on the spot, its branches and leaves dancing as if it was delighted by aplishing something significant. "Hey, hey, hey, big bro, don''t jump around!" Fang Ren immediately grabbed one of its branches and shouted, worried about themotion such arge tree might cause spinning and bouncing around his yard, and how he would exin if it were seen by others. Luckily, Mu Huanqing upstairs liked to watch soap operas with headphones on, so she probably wouldn''t notice any changes in the yard. Besides, the windows of his room didn''t face the yard, so she couldn''t see what was happening there. After spinning for quite some time, the tree finally came to a stop. One of its branches pointed at Fang Ren''s mouth, shaking its body, then pointed at itself, nodding back and forth. It seemed to be saying, "Yours, don''t eat, mine, give me." "Alright, alright, everything else goes to you first," Fang Ren said, looking at the tree, which was two or three times his size, with a helpless expression on his face. "Right, you''re so sentient; I should give you a name," Fang Ren patted a branch as he spoke. Sideways¡ª Therge tree swayed its enormous body up and down twice, as if nodding in agreement. "Seeing you''re all gray, I''ll call you Gray Bark," Fang Ren said off the cuff. Upon hearing his words, the giant tree immediately twisted vigorously, its branches and leaves tossing about. "Hey, hey! Don''t shake them off! If you''re not happy, we can pick another name," Fang Ren said as he watched the huge tree sway, truly worried its branches might snap off. "You''re so big, and there''s colorful light all over you... let''s call you Big Color," Fang Ren clicked his tongue and suggested. No sooner had he finished speaking than the entire tree began to twist even more violently, its branches and leaves shaking even more wildly, like a child throwing a tantrum. Such a huge body... was really not cute at all. "Calm down! How about ''Little Color''?" Twist¡ª "Little Gray?" "Big te?" "Universal Supreme Unrivaled Silent te Tree Warrior?" ... "Fine, let''s pick something more artistic, how about ''Qianye''?" The giant tree paused for a moment, then slightly nodded. "Seems like you''re not very satisfied either," Fang Ren frowned, "You don''t really want me to call you ''Big Bro,'' do you?" The tree nodded vigorously. "No way! Wouldn''t that be embarrassing for me?" The thick body twisted again like a child being yful. "No, this is not negotiable! Your name is Qianye!" After some struggle, the tree reluctantly epted the name, though it still had a fondness for the term "Big Bro" which couldn''t be changed for the moment. Having packed away his furnace, Fang Ren recorded the effects of the Red Grass in his notebook and wrote down a few hypotheses he had in mind. Eventually, the tree also re-entered his body, transforming into a Spiritual Root. Fang Ren then began to probe his body with his consciousness. He was pondering how he could possess True Qi; despite already being a cultivator, he still didn''t have any True Qi to date, which was quite funny. "Qianye, are you really a Spiritual Root?" Fang Ren spoke to it with a worried look in his consciousness. Whoosh¡ª A branch immediately extended from his abdomen and decisively nodded. "Then why don''t I have any True Qi?" Fang Ren frowned and asked, "Did you eat all my True Qi?" The branch paused for a moment and slowly traced a path on the ground, as if pacing back and forth in thought. Suddenly, as if it had an epiphany, it pointed at Fang Ren''s forehead and then at its own roots, before swiftly retreating back into Fang Ren''s body. "Is this... telling me to think about my own issues?" Fang Ren watched its movements and couldn''t help guessing. But there seemed to be nothing wrong with me... My meridians are present, the Spiritual Root is there, and normally, the Spiritual Root is supposed to nourish and produce True Qi. What can I do if it won''t give me True Qi? "Or is it that... I need to establish a conscious connection with it?" Fang Ren felt this guess was more likely, so he sat down on the ground, closed his eyes, and entered his consciousness, attempting to make contact with it. When Wang Shuai tried to kill him yesterday, he had already tried this method, but at that time, he simply couldn''t control it, not even able to touch it. Regting his breathing and stabilizing his mind and body, Fang Ren gradually concentrated his consciousness to its peak state. Unexpectedly, he found that the moment his consciousness touched the Spiritual Root, it directly entered its interior. Complicated patterns ran every which way, a gray world that radiated a riot of colors. It was then he understood that his failure yesterday must have been due to his too frantic state of mind, hence he hadn''t established a connection with the Spiritual Root. "True Qi... how do I handle True Qi?" Fang Ren himself had never heard of his situation before; usually, Cultivators are born able to control their True Qi and Spiritual Roots, but his postnatal Spiritual Root was unheard of. "Should I just directly connect the Spiritual Root with the meridians?" Hum¡ª The moment his meridians touched the Spiritual Root, his whole body stiffened, his eyes snapped open wide, and the meridians in his body began to grow wildly anew! They crisscrossed inplexity, the inner body a chaotic mess like tangled weeds! Creak, creak, creak¡ª The bones in various parts of his body began to make all manner of noises, and his skin started to crack with tiny marks as dark blood flowed from within him. "Ah..." About seven or eight minutes passed before he let out a long breath; the process was truly painful, like a knife moving back and forth over his bones, carving something deep. "Is this marrow cleansing?" Looking at his body, covered in ck blood, Fang Ren furrowed his brows tightly, an unpleasant odor emanating from him. Whish¡ª Just as he was starting to rx his nerves, a powerful surge of True Qi began flowing from the gray Spiritual Root into his body''s meridians. Fang Ren felt a wave of relief wash over him, the pain from before vanishingpletely. His meridians were overlyplex and numerous, so the infusion of True Qi took some time,sting about ten minutes. Only then did he feel the flow of True Qi inside him stop, his body filled with strength. "I finally count as a qualified Cultivator now." Looking at his hands, Fang Ren, eager with excitement, immediately began to instruct his body to release the True Qi within. He exerted force and pushed out a palm. Pff¡ª A clump... of palm-sized gray energy from his palm... slowly floated out. Yes, slowly, as slowly as an elderly person taking a walk. "..." Fang Ren was stunned. What was this thing? A Tortoise Palm? The kind that''s even slower than an actual tortoise? Watching the gray True Qi that still floated leisurely in the air, a few seconds passed before Fang Ren sighed. "Never mind, I''ve just begun Cultivation; haste won''t speed up heating tofu. There''s much I need to learn slowly." With that, he prepared to turn and head inside to bathe. Squeak¡ª Before he could turn, the gray True Qi came into contact with a por tree in the courtyard. Instantly, the gray True Qi entered the por, and the air around the tree began to violently stir. Two meters away from it, Fang Ren''s clothes were whipped up by the force. A crash, and in an instant, the entire por tree turned into particles of gray light, scattering into the air with extreme speed and vanishing from sight within the blink of an eye. The wind stopped, the tree was gone, his clothes quit pping, and Fang Ren was dumbstruck. His eyes dryly stared at the roots on the ground, blinking the only response he could muster, utterly unable to grasp what had just happened. "If it hadn''t done that, I wouldn''t have known how powerful I am..." After a shower in the restroom, Fang Ren''s face was adorned with an unstoppable grin. He finally had True Qi, and now, whenever Qing''er went shopping with him, no matter who tried to take advantage of her, he''d have the power to protect her. Even the hope for future revenge seemed attainable. With the birth of True Qi, he must now take one of the "Qi Concealing Pills" he had made himself. This pill''s effect could hide the True Qi within his body, making it undetectable to other Cultivators. You see, on Earth, every Cultivator''s Qi can be sensed by other Cultivators, and this perceptual power depends on the innate intensity of the Cultivator''s spiritual strength and, of course, their Cultivation Realm. The reason he wasn''t suspected yesterday was simply because there was no True Qi in his body. If he had been in his current state, chattering away with a teacher from the Cultivation System, he would have been thrown into prison long ago. Originally, he created this pill purely out of a sense of exploration, never imagining he would one day need it himself. Certainly, he had never posted the method to make this pill on the Alchemists'' forum. Such a pill was of little use for warriors who defend their country, but for the wrongdoer, its uses were many. Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Visitors from the Fang Family (Part 3)_1 Fang Ren returned to his room and found that Mu Huanqing was still watching soap operas with headphones on, obviously aware of the disturbances that had urred in the courtyard earlier. Opening a drawer, Fang Ren took out his small iron box and began rummaging through it for the Qi Concealing Pill. It was small, green, and the most basic among fifth-grade pills. "What were you up to just now?" Seeing him return, Mu Huanqing took off her headphones and wrapped her arms around his waist, speaking in a somewhat low voice. Fang Ren patted her head, noticing she seemed to have been influenced by the romantic couples in the soap opera, "I just went out to concoct a little pill, but it was a failure." "What kind of pill was it?" "Something simr to Viagra," Fang Ren said with a mischievous expression. "Who is Viagra?" "Viagra is..." Fang Ren bent down to her ear and whispered a few words. "You!" After hearing his exnation, Mu Huanqing pushed him away, her cheeks flushed with anger, "Don''t concoct that anymore!" "Alright, alright, I was just joking," Fang Ren patted her head and turned to walk towards the door, "I''ll go cook for you." "What are you doing with that pill?" "Oh, this one is a failed product, you see how small it is, I had put it in there and forgot to throw it away." "Fine, then I''lle with you to cook." Mu Huanqing took off her headphones and immediately ran out of the room and downstairs. Fang Ren took that opportunity to swallow the small pill in his hand. Watching Mu Huanqing''s retreating back, Fang Ren suddenly wondered ¡ª now that he had True Qi in his body, could she really not sense it? Yesterday morning, she had sensed Wang Cang using True Qi. Or was it just her subconscious cultivation instincts detecting danger? It seemed she hadn''t noticed, so Fang Ren used his consciousness to sense the area around his body, finding he wasn''t exhibiting any traits typical of Cultivators. Only then did he start making his way downstairs to cook with Mu Huanqing. To be honest, suddenly stepping into married life was exciting, with every task filled with a sense of happiness. The meal was simple: two vegetable dishes and two bowls of porridge, as they sat at the table chatting andughing together. Mu Huanqing often talked about the men and women in the soap operas, saying that the male lead was silly and the female lead constantly told white lies. What could be simple ended up bing soplicated with many twists and turns. After the meal, just as they were about to start cleaning up, an out-of-ce sound intruded upon their ears. Bang! A loud noise as the front door flew off its hinges and hit the nearby wall, obviously not the work of an ordinary person. "Who goes there!" After a moment of stunned silence, Fang Ren immediately shielded Mu Huanqing behind him. Looking at the two figures outside the courtyard door, panic surged within him; these two were clearly Cultivators, and likely not weak ones, as they''d managed to kick the door off without even unleashing their True Qi. Fang Ren''s temperament had not yet been hardened through battle, and in the face of danger, he felt a hint of disarray. But as a man, even if it cost him his life, he had to protect Mu Huanqing. As the two figures at the door drew closer, he could see the faces of two men who looked alike; twin brothers, most likely, in their thirties, dressed casually, one with a buzz cut and the other with long hair. "Yo, Young Master Fang, I see you''re not home alone?" The buzz-cut man eyed Fang Ren with a smile, his tone teasing. "What kind of grudge do you have with me that you''d kick down the door like that?" Fang Ren said with a cold stare. The buzz-cut man casually lit a cigarette, rested his other hand on his hip, and tilted his head, saying, "Oh, we have no grudges; in fact, we''ve never even met. But unfortunately, today you have to die." "Why do you want to kill Ah Ran!" Mu Huanqing burst out from behind Fang Ren, her ck pupils beginning to show traces of silver gleam. "What!" The moment Mu Huanqing showed her face, the two casually dressed men simultaneously took a step back, their rxed expressions turning into frowns. "How is this possible!" The buzz-cut man''s cigarette dropped to the ground, his face a picture of disbelief as he stared at Mu Huanqing. "It seems the news circting among the upper echelons is unreliable..." The long-haired man also appeared surprised. "Bro, what do we do?" asked the buzz-cut man with a frown. The long-haired man regained hisposure and said, "Don''t panic, she currently has no cultivation ability. We can still kill a person without her being able to stop us." "I''m asking you a question!" Mu Huanqing shouted angrily. As her words fell, her pupils instantly turned silvery, and an invisible pressure began to fill the space. The short-haired man bit his teeth and smacked his lips, "The meridians are already broken, yet this oppressive aura is still so terrifying..." "Less talk, let''s take this kid''s life and hurry back to report! Don''t screw anything up." As soon as the long-haired man finished speaking, a brown True Qi rose from his body, which instantly condensed into over a dozen stone needles. With a p of the long-haired man''s palm, the stone needles flew swiftly towards Fang Ren Ah Ran''s head. "Qing''er!" Fang Ren Ah Ran immediately pushed Mu Hui Qing in front of him away, ready to stimte his True Qi to resist. Bang¡ª But before he could release his True Qi, a small explosion urred right in front of him, sting him backward and causing him to crash into the wall beforeing to a stop. "Ah Ran!" Seeing this, Mu Hui Qing subconsciously forced her True Qi to circte, attempting to rush outside, but just as a silver glow began to appear behind her, a sharp pain ran through her body, and she spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, nearly copsing to the ground. "Who blocked it?" The long-haired man became alert as he nced around. "Damn it, weren''t we told that there''s only Shang Han with this kid!" The short-haired man also released his True Qi in anger, looking around furiously. Whoosh¡ª Suddenly, a strong wind arose, preventing the few of them from opening their eyes; the two men outside spread out a bit, condensing True Qi around their bodies to form a shield for protection. When Fang Ren Ah Ran opened his eyes and stood up, ready to rush out, he suddenly found an old man in white clothes standing before him. The old man faced him with a kindly smile that made one feel at first nce that he was a good person. "Young Master Fang, I apologize for intervening toote." The elder bowed slightly in front of Fang Ren Ah Ran. "You... Who are you?" Fang Ren Ah Ran looked at the suddenly appearing elder before him, still maintaining a cautious expression. "This humble one was sent by the great lord to ensure Young Master Fang''s safety," the old man said. "And who might the great lord be?" "I shall exin all to Young Master Fang in due course." Turning his back, the elder then addressed the two men outside, "But first, we need to clean up some trash." "Lin Bozhong!" The two men outside were shocked as they saw the old man turn around, their expressions freezing instantly. "People always say that family disgrace should not be aired publicly, and yet the whole Tianjiang isughing at the Fang Family. And now there''s infighting¡ªa trulyughable affair," Lin Bozhong said with a still benign smile. "Lin Bozhong, are you not supposed to remain neutral within the family! What business have you meddling in this!" the short-haired man roared. "I believe the second master''s decision is wrong and thus must support the great lord," Lin Bozhong stated. "Damn it! So you''re saying you are determined to protect this trash today!" The long-haired man angrily gritted his teeth. "Impertinence!" Lin Bozhong''s friendly expression turned instantly to fury, and with a roar, his white True Qi erupted. He extended a hand towards the front, which transformed into a huge white palm, capturing the long-haired man within its grasp. "Young Master Fang is not someone you have the right to insult!" As Lin Bozhong spoke, he tightened his whole palm, and the long-haired man''s face twisted with agony. "Lin Bozhong! Keep your damned nose out of it!" The short-haired man, seeing this, immediatelyunched a long spear made of stone and charged at Lin Bozhong like a flying arrow. "Breeze Palm Style! Turn to Mud!" Suddenly, an evenrger palm appeared behind Lin Bozhong. As the short-haired man was about to rush into the room, the palm struck down hard, pinning him to the ground and creating a deep pit. "I, Lin Bozhong, am determined to protect Young Master Fang''s life! Your demise today is on your own heads for following the wrong person!" With a cold snort, Lin Bozhong''s two enormous white palms crushed the two men until their bones cracked, and the earth of the courtyard turned crimson with their blood. "..." Fang Ren Ah Ran looked at the bloody scene in the courtyard, furrowing his brows tightly. This was the second time he had witnessed someone being killed right before his eyes, and he still found the sight unsettling, his mind in turmoil. After the two men outside were killed, his gaze instinctively searched for Mu Hui Qing, and upon seeing her, he panicked¡ªshe had already copsed on the ground, unconscious, with fresh blood hanging from her mouth. Distraught, Fang Ren Ah Ran ran upstairs, stumbling to retrieve his little iron box. He checked Mu Hui Qing''s pulse to assess her internal injuries. Then, he promptly ced a hemostatic and qi-nourishing pill into her mouth, scooped up some water with a nket, moistened it with his mouth, and used artificial respiration to help her swallow the medicine. After checking Mu Hui Qing''s pulse again and seeing her injuries temporarily under control, he breathed a sigh of relief and turned his attention back to the elder in the courtyard. Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Family Background (Part 4)_1 The old man casually threw the two corpses into the yard, began to retract his True Qi throughout his body, and the previously sharp expression on his face once again became amiable. He turned around, looked at Fang Ren, and smiled, "Young Master, you must be startled." "Who are you? Why did those two want to kill me?" Fang Ren frowned. He had thought that the worst possible scenario involving the sudden arrival of these people was the exposure of his incident with Wang Shuai, and that Wang''s family hade for him. However, these events turned out to be unrted. "This humble one is named Lin Bozhong, your father''s steward. After Shang Han left, he dispatched me to protect you." The old man bowed slightly as he spoke, "As for these two, they were sent by those in a conflict of interest with your father to take your life." "Father?" Fang Ren''s frown deepened, "What father are you talking about?" "This is a matter I must exin slowly. Let me first check on her injuries," Lin Bozhong approached, channeling True Qi in his hand to take Mu Huanqing''s pulse. "There''s no need for you to check; I can handle it myself." As Fang Ren spoke, he hoisted Mu Huanqing onto his back, his expression still wary as he looked at the kind-faced old man. "But Young Master, in her condition..." "I''ve already stabilized her injuries. If there''s anything, just talk to me directly," Fang Ren said. "You know medical skills?" "My specialty is medicine." "All right, it seems the Young Master still doesn''t trust me," Lin Bozhong said with a resigned smile, "Then let me tell you about your origins." "Speak directly." "Tianjiang, the Fang Family, you should know about them, right?" "What does that have to do with me? Could I be from that n?" Fang Ren couldn''t believe this¡ªit sounded absurd to him. He had grown up as an orphan raised by Uncle Han. It was hard for him to ept that suddenly someone was telling him he had a connection to one of thergest families within the Tianjiang. "Please, hear me out," the elder shook his head and smiled. "It all began twenty-two years ago, on a certain day, when the child of the Old Master of the Fang Family and his wife was born." "Then you''re going to tell me that child was me? Do you think this is a soap opera?" Fang Ren frowned andmented. "This... Young Master, please let me finish," the elder said, looking helpless. "Continue." "This... this child is indeed you," the elder continued. "On the very day you were born, the Bai Family of Tianjiang¡ªthe most powerful emperor family at the time¡ªalso had a child. But that child was born covered in blood, with an immense amount of energy within, so much so that the child''s body couldn''t withstand it, and it wouldn''t survive long. The Old Master of the Fang Family and the head of the Bai Family had always been like brothers through life and death¡ªa deep bond. Their children were born in the same hospital. Seeing the Bai Family''s child on the brink of death, an Alchemist said that the Fang Family child had a unique Spiritual Root that could suppress the attributes of other Spiritual Roots. He suggested that if the Spiritual Root could be transnted from the Fang Family child to the Bai Family''s, their child could be saved." "So they just went and cut out my Spiritual Root?" Fang Renmented. "Young Master, please listen to me..." Lin Bozhong reached the peak of his helplessness. How could the Young Master have guessed the entire plot correctly? Although, isn''t it normal... with all the melodramatic TV dramas nowadays? "Ahem." Lin Bozhong continued, "You''re right, at that time, when the Alchemist proposed this drastic measure, the head of the Bai Family, in deep sorrow, pleaded with the Old Master of the Fang Family. As they were brothers bound by life and death, the Fang Family''s patriarch couldn''t bear to let his close friend''s child die, so he chose to give his own child''s Spiritual Root to the child of the Bai Family. And thus, from the beginning of the Cultivation Era to this day, the only human being with two Spiritual Roots was born. In gratitude, the whole Bai Family owed a great debt to the Old Master of the Fang Family. Since the child of the Bai Family was a girl, a marriage was arranged¡ªa baby betrothal¡ªand ording to the Family Head of the Bai Family, no matter how high the girl''s future achievements, she must marry the son of the Fang Family''s Old Master and be beneath him in status, unless the boymitted some immoral act first." Lin Bozhong continued, "Back to our discussion, though the boy''s Spiritual Root was transnted, his life wasn''t endangered. He could still live as a normal person. However, he would never be able to cultivate, and he could only live as a mortal. The Fang Family was a great n, too vast, and its Old Master and his wife couldn''t bear to see their child bullied or looked down upon within the n. So they entrusted their most trusted brother to take their child far away to live the life of an ordinary person. They nned to reveal everything to him after twenty-two years because exposing him to such matters too early could bring about immense pressure and ostracism from the upper echelons, which could crush him." After hearing all this, Fang Ren sighed, "Your story is even more thrilling than a soap opera, but you still haven''t said a word about why these people want to kill me." "Young Master, I was just about to get to that," Lin Bozhong said. "Originally, it was thought that everything would proceed smoothly, and after twenty-two years, the two children would marry and live happily ever after. But unexpectedly, within these twenty-two years, too many changes took ce within the Fang Family. The Second Master of the Fang Family, your biological uncle, felt that the Family Head could not lead the family to its peak. He wanted the Fang Family to surpass the Bai Family and take the ce of the Tianjiang Emperor. So, he sought to unseat the Family Head. However, the Family Head didn''t believe that the family''s status was all that important. What was more critical was strengthening humanity''s defense against the Void, ensuring the safety of the entire human race. He and the current Family Head of the Bai Family were brothers in life and death. There were no major conflicts of interest between the Fang and Bai families; furthermore, with the nned marriage alliance, they would work together to resist the Void." "The Family Head had good intentions, but the Fang Family, being arge n, was characterized by weak familial ties. The Old Master of the Fang Family believed that the head of the family should be the most capable, and therefore did not oppose the rivalry between his two sons. The Family Head did not want the Second Master to vie for position within the n, as it might provoke a war between the two great families. The immediate enemy of humanity was the Void species, and our focus should be clear. The Second Master believed the Fang Family should rise above the Bai Family in status and lead all of Tianjiang before contributing to human society. Their ideological differences led the Fang Family to split into two factions. Now, in pursuit of his goal, the Second Master has be quite deranged. He wishes for his son to marry the Bai Family''s princess, to consolidate his power after the marriage and take the Family Head''s ce. Then, gradually, with the Bai Family''s support, strengthen the Fang Family and secretly surpass the Bai Family to lead the Tianjiang. However, the Bai Family princess has been betrothed to the Family Head''s son¡ªthat''s you, Young Master." After hearing everything, Fang Ren felt overwhelmed. If what the old man said was true, the events in his life were incredibly melodramatic. "So, the two guys in the yard are sent by my what... my Uncle Han to kill me?" Fang Ren faced him with aplex expression. "That''s absolutely correct," the old man nodded. "And I have an arranged marriage with the Tianjiang princess?" Fang Ren''s expression grew even moreplex. "That''s also absolutely true, it was arranged since you were young." "So I didn''t do anything, and misfortune just fell from the sky?" Fang Ren frowned. "That... seems to be absolutely true as well." "Why would such shitty things happen to me?" "That... this old man has no solution." "Are you sure what you''re telling me is true?" Fang Ren still held a skeptical attitude. "What this old man says is indeed true," Lin Bozhong spoke up: "If you still don''t believe it, the letter from Shang Han should reach here in two days. He will exin everything to you." "Why didn''t that old fart tell me everything?" Fang Ren said. "Old fart... Shang Han?" Lin Bozhong''s face was full of helplessness: "Isn''t it because he wanted you to enjoy a few more happy days? After all, you and Miss Mu have just gotten together recently, he definitely wouldn''t want other things to disturb your mind." "That old fart! He pushed his daughter on me but didn''t even help me cancel that damn marriage agreement, is he sick?" Fang Ren cursed out loud, looking at the haggard-faced Mu Huanqing on his shoulder. Well, anyway, he cursed every day, this once or twice didn''t make a difference... "Erm, Young Master, it''s better if I take a look at Miss Mu''s injuries. This old man knows a bit of Alchemy, maybe I could help treat her," Lin Bozhong said. "No need, right now I just want to know how to cancel that marriage agreement, do I need to make a trip to Tianjiang to do it?" Fang Ren said. "That... cancelling the marriage agreement wouldn''t be a good thing for the Old Master...," Lin Bozhong said with some difficulty: "But for you, Young Master, it''s definitely a good thing, at least it will be safer." "Then hurry up and cancel the marriage agreement, quickly, I don''t want to hear any bullshit from the Fang Family. I only know that if anyone disturbs my life or hurts Qing''er in the future, just wait until I have the ability, I definitely won''t let anyone off!" Fang Ren said this and directly turned around, carrying Mu Huanqing on his back, heading toward the rooftop. Qing... Qing''er? Lin Bozhong was stunned. The revered Madame Xuan, she really was being pampered as a dear wife... He wondered what would Young Master''s reaction be when he learned of Madame Xuan''s true identity, a genuine Earth''s peak warrior! Putting away theints in his mind, Lin Bozhong spoke again: "Young Master, if you want to cancel this marriage agreement, you just need to marry Miss Mu. I''ll handle the rest." "Then we''ll marry tomorrow," Fang Ren said spontaneously. "Ah? Didn''t Shang Han say it should be on the twentieth of May?" "What if I''m killed by someone before that?" Fang Ren said. "As long as this old man is here, no one will be able to kill the Young Master, I dare stake my life on it!" Lin Bozhong dered solemnly. When Fang Ren arrived at the rooftop and looked back at his serious face, he paused for a while and then said, "If that''s the case, then I''ll still get married on the twentieth of May. After all, it will have a specialmemorative meaning for the future with Qing''er." "Whatever day you choose is fine, Young Master, but it must bepleted within this year. After a year, that''s the deadline for fulfilling the marriage contract," Lin Bozhong said. "I will." Chapter 48: 48 chapters: Everything can happen_1 Laying Mu Huiqing down on the bed inside the room, Fang Ren immediately took out his Small Furnace and started alchemy to heal her. Although her internal injuries had been temporarily stabilized, the immense pain caused by her damaged meridians was still tormenting her relentlessly. "The young master knows how to craft elixirs?" Lin Bozhong, standing outside the door, looked on with some surprise at Fang Ren''s practiced movements. He had only heard that the young master was the third worst student in his school and couldn''t even grasp the fundamental theories. "I just have a rudimentary understanding," Fang Ren casually replied to him. As he spoke, he continuously searched his room for the hidden herbs, tossing them one after another into the Small Furnace. Lin Bozhong, watching from the doorway, was dumbfounded; alchemy wasn''t this hurried¡ªa different degree of condensation was required for each herb, and tossing them all in at once like that wouldn''t result in any pills forming. "Young master, perhaps I should help you with the alchemy," Lin Bozhong suggested. Too engrossed in his task, Fang Ren didn''t pay attention to what he said and suddenly furrowed his brow, "Damn! How could there be no Yao Guangye?" "This thing? This old man happens to carry some small medicinal herbs with him, and I do have Yao Guangye," Lin Bozhong said as he touched a small bundle at his chest. "You''re a lifesaver, hand it over quickly." "Alright, I''ll get it now." Throwing the Yao Guangye directly into the furnace, Fang Ren then began to prepare Cold Fire and more water on the side. This time, he still nned to use his unique method to speed up the elixir crafting process. Lin Bozhong entered the room and sat beside the Small Furnace with a worried expression. No matter how he looked at it, he thought the young master was just wasting herbs and that it was impossible to create an elixir this way. Moreover, Madame Xuan suffered severe injuries that led to the severing of her meridians. To stabilize her meridians and erase her pain, a Three-level pill was at least needed, so how could a student who couldn''t even learn the theory possibly craft one? However, Lin Bozhong didn''t say anything more, just watching with a frown as Fang Ren crafted the elixir, ready to assist once the young master failed. A few minutester, Fang Ren immediately changed the me at the bottom of the furnace to Cold Fire and poured in arge amount of the water he had prepared earlier. "Young master... with so much water and the use of Cold Fire, even if we burn till tomorrow, no elixir wille out," Lin Bozhongmented with helplessness. Fang Ren put down what he was doing and looked at him, "Don''t worry about it. You saved my life today, and the medicinal herbs you provided were a great help. I appreciate it, but for now, I still can''t fully trust you. I hope you wouldn''t mind stepping outside for a moment." He definitely couldn''t let others witness the special process of crafting a Three-level pill, and since he still didn''t have a clear understanding of what kind of person Lin Bozhong was, it was better to expose as little as possible. "Fine, the old man will just take care of the two bodies in the courtyard." Saying this, Lin Bozhong left the room and closed the door behind him. Seeing him leave, Fang Ren immediately turned up the Cold Fire. Although the elixir crafting process was too rapid and might not yield the original potency, it could still stabilize the meridians within Mu Huiqing''s body and eliminate her pain. Within minutes, Fang Ren immediately retrieved a White Pill from the water and ced it into Mu Huiqing''s mouth. It had to be said, a Three-level pill was remarkable, utterly different from lower-level ones¡ªit melted upon entry into the mouth, not requiring the person to consciously swallow it. "Young master, did you just seed?" Lin Bozhong''s voice came from outside the door. Upon hearing his voice, a shiver went down Fang Ren''s spine; this man could actually discern the birth of an elixir by its aura, which was indeed frightening. Holding his Small Furnace, Fang Ren opened the door and, seeing Lin Bozhong''s astonished face outside, he said, "Yes, I''ve administered it." "Ah?" Lin Bozhong stared nkly at the Small Furnace in his hands and then at him, his mind filled with confusion. Such a method of elixir crafting should have made it impossible to condense into a pill¡ªhow could it possibly have been sessful? And a Three-level pill at that? Could it be that the young master wasn''t as simple as he imed to be? This left Lin Bozhong with a profound doubt. "How many people from the Fang Family came this time?" Fang Ren asked. "It should be just those two," Lin Bozhong replied. "They didn''t dare act earlier because Shang Han was here. Now that Shang Han has left, they must have wanted to time their attack to kill the young master, thinking there are no strong protectors around you at the moment. Sending only two people would avoid drawing attention; sending more would be conspicuous." "You''ve been secretly observing me for several days?" Fang Ren asked. "Actually, I haven''t been scrutinizing your movements, young master. Each time you go out, I make sure to check the surroundings for potential dangers ahead of time, waiting at a distance of a thousand meters once no one from the Fang Family''s right faction is seen. I haven''t been following or investigating your actions," Lin Bozhong exined. "That''s good then." Fang Ren nodded, feeling that the old man''s words were most likely true. After all, it was during their time at Jiulong Mountain that he had crippled Wang Shuai, yet the old man had beenpletely unaware. If the old man had known that he was capable of cultivation, he wouldn''t have appeared immediately when the two people attacked earlier; he would have certainly observed his actual strength first, stepping in to protect him only if he found him incapable of resisting the assants. The old man took out a yellow talisman paper from his bag and said, "Young Master, if you encounter any danger at school, just tear this talisman, and I will be at your side in no time to ensure your safety." "Alright." Fang Ren took the yellow talisman paper from the old man''s hands. "Then I shall take my leave. Remember to carry this talisman with you at all times." Lin Bozhong bowed and, as he did, a white, transparent True Qi emanated from his body, and he flew out the window of the small corridor. Fang Ren returned to his room and carefully inspected the talisman paper, only to find it was a regr signal talisman with no other marks or means to monitor him. It seemed the old man was simply there to ensure his safety. He peered out at the courtyard below, now cleared of bloodstains, and nced at the small iron door, pulled out from the wall and lying on the ground. Fang Ren then drew the curtains, grabbed a towel to wipe the blood from Mu Huanqing''s mouth, washed her feet for her, andstly settled in bed after a quick tidy-up of himself. The events of the evening left him tossing and turning, unable to sleep. To think that he was the eldest son of the Tianjiang Fang Family was something he couldn''t quitee to terms with. The thought that he lost both parents had taken deep root in his mind from a young age, and now, suddenly, he had rtives from a major family emerge. Moreover, his own uncle had sent someone to kill him tonight; this sort of experience would be hard for anyone to ept in the moment. What''s more absurd was that he had been stripped of his Spiritual Root at birth; instantly transforming him from a cultivator with boundless potential into a mere mortal. His parents, fearing he would suffer from others'' disdain, had sent him away from the major family. For 22 years, no one had mentioned these matters to him. Even more outrageous was the fact that he was bound by a childhood marriage contract, and the girl was none other than the princess of the greatest Tianjiang family on Earth. He remembered the Tianjiang princess''s name seemed to be Bai Qi, the only human on Earth with two Spiritual Roots and extraordinary cultivation talent. Currently, she was regarded by everyone as the strongest human for the next fifty years. He was absolutely vexed. Why did all these ridiculous things have to happen to him? Whether he had Spiritual Roots or not, Fang Ren didn''t care much by now; after all, life with Sister Hui Qing was incredibly happy. But why on Earth did they have to set up that marriage contract in the first ce? The Tianjiang princess had nothing to do with him. In the 22 years of his life, he had never seen her, nor had shee to visit her fianc¨¦. Just because of her, his life was in jeopardy, and that infuriated him. There was no rtionship between them; did he really deserve to have his head hunted every day without rhyme or reason? The more he thought, the more displeased he became. If one day he met Bai Qi, he was certain he''d break it off with her. Tianjiang princess? The strongest human for the next fifty years? What nonsense, what does that have to do with him? ------ At this moment, in the central hospital of Yangming City, Wang Shuai, wrapped in bandages and fixed in a support frame,y in aa on the hospital bed, with a circle of Wang Family members standing around. A well-dressed woman sobbed uncontrobly by the bed,ining incessantly at the man beside her, "Our son has been beaten into a vegetative state and you can''t even catch the culprit!" "You think I don''t want to catch the culprit?" A man with a beer belly roared angrily, "If only I knew who did it, I would have them arrested right away!" Among those in the ward stood a familiar figure, evidently another member of the Wang Family, Wang Cang. His face was seething with fury, and he cursed without pause¡ªWang Shuai was his younger brother, and he shared his father''s thoughts as his brother had been reduced to a vegetative state. "We must find that Nightfall Organization!" shouted Wang Cang in anger. At the mention of the Nightfall Organization, the room suddenly became much quieter. With an angry yet apprehensive demeanor, the Chief of the Public Security Bureau, Wang Baidai, was aware that the case hadn''t yet led to the culprit, and as chief, he was in charge of the investigation. But now his son truly had be a vegetable, and the Nightfall Organization''s warning had been extreme. He could not forgive those people; he had to locate the Nightfall Organization and eradicate itpletely! Especially the person who had put his son in this state¡ªhe would make sure they suffered a fate worse than death! Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Giving Up on Repairing Meridians_1 Late at night, at a roadside barbecue stall, a man in a suit was gnawing on stinky tofu by himself at a table while his mobile phone was still in the process of dialing. After a while, someone picked up on the other end of the phone. The man in the suit set down his stinky tofu and said, "Second Master, things have indeed turned out as you expected, the waste by Shang Han''s side was reced with someone even more troublesome." "Did those two die?" A deep voice of a middle-aged man came from the phone. "Dead, after all, the person who came to protect him was Lin Bozhong, and even if I had joined hands with them, there wouldn''t have been the slightest chance of victory," the man in the suit said. "Lin Bozhong? That damned old thing! Always talking about neutrality, and now he''s actually helping my big brother!" "Second Master, there''s something important I need to tell you. Just tonight, I discovered that Xuan Nv is not dead and is living together with Fang Ren." "Though it''s surprising, it''s irrelevant to what we need to do." The man in the suit continued, "No, Second Master, it seems that Shang Han wants Fang Ren to marry his daughter and break off the engagement with Bai Qi." "Ha, you''re still too young. Even if Xuan Nv''s meridians arepletely severed, how would the Mu Family allow her to marry a good-for-nothing? It''s obviously a y directed by Shang Han himself, aiming to blind us, making us believe that Fang Ren and Bai Qi are no longer a possibility. Once this year passes, Shang Han will certainlye out to rify everything and have Fang Ren marry Bai Qi." "Then... Second Master, what do you think we should do next?" the man in the suit asked. "With Lin Bozhong here, it''s going to be difficult. The people capable of defeating him are on the battlefield, and we have no one we can spare to deal with him for the time being." After hearing this, the man in the suit frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, "Right, Second Master, I just remembered that we seem to have captured a Void Beast on the battlefield in the Seventh District, didn''t we?" "What''s your idea?" "I was thinking, we can''t deal with Lin Bozhong for the time being, but we can use the Void Beast. As long as we release it near that waste, Lin Bozhong will surely have to protect him, giving us the opportunity to strike while the iron is hot," the man in the suit said. "Have you gone mad? If anyone finds out that you released a Void Beast in the human safe zone, our entire Fang Family will be held ountable!" the man in the phone rebuked. "Second Master, the Void Beast definitely can''t be released by us. We need to find someone who can take the me." The man in the suit said, "Based on my investigations here, Fang Ren has had conflicts with the son of the local police chief in school, butst night, the chief''s son was suddenly turned into a vegetable by the Nightfall Organization." "You mean..." "Right. Although Fang Ren cannot cultivate, I can fabricate a false fact and me everything on him, using the police chief''s wrath to deal with Fang Ren. Then I can use this chief to execute the subsequent actions smoothly. The chief will ultimately carry all the me, leaving us unconnected." "This n is good. With your identity as a Tianjiang aristocrat, the chief will certainly believe a fabricated incident. But you must ensure that no traces are left behind. After the chief has done his part, you must also get rid of him." "Don''t worry, Second Master. There aren''t that many surveince systems in this small town, making it very convenient to act," the man in the suit said. "Good. I''ll send the Void Beast to you as soon as possible. Remember to be very cautious and don''t give yourself away when acting." ------ The next day, Fang Ren woke up early to check on Mu Hui''s injuries and found that she was still in an unconscious state. This made him quite worried. He had wanted to call in for a leave, but as he was about to take out his phone, he paused. He suddenly remembered that his Spiritual Root had absorbed a lot of Red Grass, which can promote the growth of meridians. If he shared some energy with Mu Hui, perhaps she could recover. Fang Ren used his consciousness to control his Spiritual Root, extending a tiny gray tendril from his body to wrap around Mu Hui''s wrist. "Qianye, is there a way to share some energy with her?" No sooner had Fang Ren spoken than the gray Spiritual Root inside him produced some red energy, which started to transfer down the tendril into Mu Hui''s wrist. Fang Ren touched her ankle with his other hand, feeling the changes in her meridians. Sure enough, as the red energy entered her body, Mu Hui''s meridians gradually began to regain vitality. Each inch of the broken parts slowly expanded and started linking together. "This is incredible..." Fang Ren watched as Mu Hui''s meridians gradually healed, and he was stunned. If he had known that the White Elixer he had specifically created, which could only heal some of her leg''s severe injuries, were not the True Qi Meridians of a cultivator but merely the meridians that supported a normal person''s movement. Yet the energy of the Red Grass was actually able to heal a cultivator''s True Qi Meridians! This was simply miraculous. For 210 years, no one had ever heard of anything rted to repairing True Qi Meridians, not even the slightest direction of research. Fang Ren felt that even if he could restore the walking ability of her legs, it would probably be very difficult to find a way to rejuvenate her True Qi Meridians. Yet for the Spiritual Root, it seemed so simple. Just as Mu Hui''s meridians were about to bepletely restored today, Fang Ren suddenly withdrew the gray tendril from her wrist. His expression became nk; he had just realized that if her True Qi Meridians werepletely restored, she would regain her cultivation ability, and ultimately... as she said herself, once she regained her strength, she would return to the battlefield. He didn''t know which battlefield was hers, but whether it was the most dangerous First District or the rtively safer Tenth District, he didn''t want her to go. He didn''t want her to leave his side. ``` How wonderful it would be to just continue living this happy life, why let her go to the battlefield? She can''t continue to repair her body any longer, she can''t be allowed to regain her cultivation ability, she will leave. Even if he helps her repair her meridians, that should at least wait until he also has the ability to join her on the battlefield, not now. If they have to part ways just after meeting... that would be too cruel. Fang Ren also remembered another statement she made that night, she had said she hoped there wouldn''t be any elixir that could restore meridians, but at the same time she hoped there would be, her inner conflict was intense. She also said she didn''t want to leave him, Fang Ren remembered it very clearly. Since she didn''t want to leave him, and he didn''t want her to leave, then it''s better not to let her regain her strength for now. The battlefield is extremely dangerous after all, he couldn''t bear to let her go and fight against the Void Monsters, risking her life. If it''s about making contributions to humanity, he could contribute all his knowledge as long as she stays away from the battlefield. Though the thought is selfish, but faced with such a situation, how many people can truly be selfless? He didn''t know how strong she was, and he didn''t want to know; right now he just wanted the two of them to be together. While Fang Ren was thinking with a dazed expression, suddenly Mu Hui sat up in front of him, her face filled with concern as she reached out towards the front, crying out loudly, "Ah Ran!" "I''m here." Fang Ren hugged her into his arms, stroking her head with one hand, and soothing her with his voice. "Are you alright?" Mu Hui still looked at him with some worry. "I''m fine, an elder saved me." "What happened thereafter?" Mu Hui asked, looking around the room anxiously. Fang Ren then told her about how he was savedst night, but held back information about his background. He didn''t want her to worry any further, simply saying that those people were local terrorists and made up a reason to gloss over it. "Why are there people like that?" Mu Hui was deeply saddened. Are these the people they were protecting with their lives? How can their hearts be so ugly! "It''s okay, such people are a minority, don''t worry." Fang Renforted her. After much coaxing from Fang Ren, her mood gradually improved. "Ah Ran, I feel like my body is much better than before." Mu Hui stood by the bed, moving her body, her expression one of surprise. "I gave you a little bit of elixirst night, which is good for blood cirction." Fang Ren lied to her again. "What elixir is it? The alchemists in the First District couldn''t even alleviate the pain in my meridians." "It''s the same kind that helped you recover your lower leg that day, but you can''t take it often. You need to take good care of your body and not force the True Qi through your meridians again, or next time I will punish you." "How will you punish..." Fang Ren whispered in her ear with a mischievousugh, "Of course, in bed." "You! You''re bing more and more shameless!" Mu Hui, angered, began to punch his chest with her small fists. But after only a couple of punches, she stopped. She always felt that she''d recently been indulging in excess coyness, such embarrassingly cutesy actions seen only in soap operas, and yet she was capable of doing them herself... Fang Ren, riled up by her teasing, held her and said, "It''s still early; how about we..." "No!" "This is the punishment for making me worry yesterday." "Ah..." ... After a bit of yful bickering and flirting, Fang Ren made her some breakfast. With no actual cooking experience, he simply boiled noodles in in water and added a couple of eggs¡ªjust something simple. Today was Mu Hui''s first day at the university. Somehow Shang Han managed it, but this morning the phone he''d given Mu Hui suddenly received a text message. Her information in the message shockingly showed she was a graduate of Tianjiang Medical University and hade here for further study. This... A graduate from Tianjiang Medical University would be a top talent in the world,ing to this small city''s Mediocre University... for further study? The excuse seemed far-fetched, didn''t it? Having graduated from Tianjiang Medical University, what could you possibly learn in this Mediocre University? It would make more sense if she came to be a lecturer! Alright then, no matter the reason, as long as it meant he could stay with Mu Hui, he wouldn''t fuss over the details. Chapter 50: Chapter 50: But He Wouldnt Understand_1 Today''s weather was exceptionally nice, but Fang Ren''s mood was a bit suppressed. After all, the covert assassination by his own family, his prearranged marriage, and his ability to help her recover her Cultivation abilities were all buried deep in his heart. As soon as he arrived at the school, he noticed many police cars parked at the entrance. After entering the gate, he saw that all the students from the Cultivation System were gathered on the sports field, with the police investigating the incident from the night before. Fang Ren, with Mu Huanqing in tow, made his way to the administration office of the Medical College. It was a good opportunity to check in and get Mu Huanqing her school uniform. "Damn it! It''s indeed you, kid!" He had only taken a few steps when a roar of anger reached Fang Ren from nearby. Turning his head, Fang Ren slightly furrowed his brow as he recognized the person who had wet his pants in the mall yesterday. Mu Huanqing also disliked the neer, her ck pupils shimmering with a hint of silver, her face full of vignce as she watched Wang Cang. "Boss Wang, didn''t get enough of peeing yourself yesterday?" Fang Ren retorted directly, looking at the fuming Wang Cang. Upon hearing this, Wang Cang''s face grew even more furious, his True Qi nearly leaking out, but then he nced at the wary Mu Huanqing and clenched his teeth, holding back. The pressure emanating from this woman was too terrifying. He had no idea how strong she was, and besides, this was a campus with surveince everywhere and so many police officers around. No matter what, he couldn''ty a hand on Fang Ren. "You live off women! You wait! Just don''t let me catch you alone!" Wang Cang hissed through clenched teeth. Hum¡ª Mu Huanqing''s eyes instantly turned silver. Seeing this, Wang Cang was startled and, panic-stricken, he quickly summoned his True Qi to protect himself, stepping backwards repeatedly until he was more than ten meters away, still looking at Mu Huanqing with some fear in his eyes. The terrifying feeling from yesterday was still fresh in his memory; this woman seemed like she could kill with mere nces. In fact, Mu Huanqing hadn''t even exerted pressure on him this time, she only wanted to scare him off; otherwise, if she had, Wang Cang would probably have wet his pants again. "..." Wang Cang thought she was about to attack and immediately shut his mouth, not daring to say another word, and walked off towards the sports field with a look of rage. "Since Boss Wang owns a mall and has money, don''t be too stingy to spend on yourself. Remember to buy more diapers to keep at home, eh?" Fang Ren spoke, although he felt uneasy about being called a freeloader, he couldn''t just strike out. With so many cameras around, using his Cultivation Ability would expose him, and that would be the end of it. "Ah Ran, what does ''live off women'' mean?" Mu Huanqing asked, her silver pupils receding as she looked at Fang Ren with some confusion. "Living off women, well... it''s like, if I, a grown man, stayed at home every day, did nothing, and relied entirely on your work to support me, that would be living off women," Fang Ren exined. "Then I''m willing to let Ah Ran live off women," Mu Huanqing said seriously. "Huh?" "I''m willing to support Ah Ran." "You dummy, I won''t let you support me," Fang Ren dismissed. "Ah? Why not?" "Because I want to support you." ... On the sports field, Wang Cang walked along the track with dissatisfaction. He came here today to find out who murdered his little brother, but he had not expected to encounter his embarrassing nemesis before even getting any leads on his brother''s case. "Pah! What freaking bad luck!" Wang Cang punched the railing at the sports field, his face full of anger. "Brother Zang, what''s wrong?" At that moment, a student wearing the white uniform of the Cultivation System approached and asked. Wang Cang nced at the boy, named Sun Yan, who was a close friend of his brother Wang Shuai. Sun Yan came over this morning to investigate the incident involving his brother and could potentially have some clues. "It''s nothing, just ran into some trash I don''t like," Wang Cang replied angrily. "Brother Zang, are you talking about that Fang Ren?" Sun Yan looked back at the building of the Medical College, furrowing his brows slightly. Seeing him frown, Wang Cang asked, "What, does that guy have some special background or what?" "That kid doesn''t have any special background. It''s just that his behavior at school, me and Shuai both couldn''t stand it. A few days ago at the cafeteria, we even had a bit of a conflict with him," Sun Yan exined. "Shuai had a conflict with him too?" Wang Cang said, his rage intensifying, his mind set even more on teaching Fang Ren a harsh lesson. "Yeah, that kid fought over a girlfriend with Shuai, using extremely despicable methods. Shuai couldn''t bear it and took me to confront him," Sun Yan said. "Damn it! I have to find an opportunity to teach him a lesson!" "By the way, Brother Zang!" Sun Yan suddenly thought of something, speaking up in a rush, "The night beforest, when Shuai met his demise on the mountain, only Fang Ren was at the crime scene!" "So what if he was there? What does that prove?" Wang Cang said disdainfully. "Just a guy studying medicine, a waste, could he even be the one who hurt Shuai like that?" "Brother Zang, I''m not saying Fang Ren hurt Shuai. What I mean is, could it be possible that Fang Ren, with his narrow mind, because of the conflict in the cafeteria that day, deliberately arranged for someone to¡­ you know," Sun Yan hinted. Wang Cang''s expression immediately turned grave, and he said, "That could indeed be possible! Fighting over girlfriends might seem trivial, but can also be a big deal. Who knows what that guy could be capable of?" Chapter 51: Chapter 50: But He Wouldnt Understand_2 "Yeah, Brother Zang, I really think it''s possible!" Sun Yan said excitedly. "Right, the girlfriend that little Shuai fought over with that trash, was it the girl with white hair?" Wang Cang asked. "Uh, no, but that girl with white hair was also tricked by him with some despicable means!" Sun Yan insisted, smearing the other''s name. "Such a character! Petty-minded and malicious! Very likely to kill someone over a minor disagreement!" Wang Cang said with a stern face. "Then, Brother Zang, should we immediately take some people and arrest him?" Sun Yan asked. "Arrest him?" Wang Cang sneered, "Even if we arrested him, we wouldn''t have the evidence to convict him, and he''d just bounce around in the police station. It would be better to y dirty myself, find a chance to cripple him, press him with severe torture, if he''s the murderer I''ll kill him on the spot, if not, then consider it as helping little Shuai settle a grudge!" "That''s right, Brother Zang, taking matters into our own hands is much more effective than locking him up in the police station!" ------ Fang Ren was registering Mu Huanqing at the Academic Affairs Office when Liu Qianqian ran into the office with a smile on her face. "Director, I heard we have a new student in our ss?" Liu Qianqian started the moment she entered. Fang Ren looked at her smiling face, which had shed the worry of the past two days, suggesting thatst night she must have thoroughly studied the notes given to her, and must have found hope in them. But the moment after Liu Qianqian finished speaking, when her gaze shifted to Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing, the smile abruptly froze, her eyes bing somewhat vacant as she looked at Mu Huanqing. "Qian Qian, the new student is her, Mu Huanqing, a graduate of Tianjiang Medical University, she''s here to study abroad. Could you show her around the school and then introduce her to the other students in the ss?" the academic director asked from his desk. Liu Qianqian suddenly snapped back to reality, a smile forced onto her face, though it seemed more strained, not the genuine smile she wore when she first entered. "Oh, sure, Director." Liu Qianqian said, "Hui Qing,e with me, we''ve already met." Leading the way, Liu Qianqian left the office first. Fang Ren paused, puzzled by Liu Qianqian''s momentary vacancy and her forced smile. He had resolved the issue for her; she should be happy. Following Mu Huanqing out of the office, Liu Qianqian stood at the door and said to Fang Ren, "ss is about to start, are youing too?" Fang Ren turned to look at Mu Huanqing, knowing Liu Qianqian would take some time to show her around the campus, and said, "I''ll pass, otherwise I''ll bete and lose points." "Okay." Mu Huanqing nodded, and Fang Ren took her uniform from her hands and ran off toward the teaching building. Watching Fang Ren leave, Liu Qianqian''s expression rxed slightly. She turned to Mu Huanqing with a smile and said, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Liu Qianqian, from now on I''m your ss leader, you cane to me with anything you need." "Okay," Mu Huanqing responded. "Come on, I''ll show you around the school." ... The two girls left the academic affairs office and walked onto the main road of the campus. While pointing out some of the school''s buildings, Liu Qianqian also started making small talk with her. "By the way, how did Hui Qing get to know him?" Liu Qianqian asked with a smile. "Ah Ran? Our families arranged for us to meet." Mu Huanqing replied. "A blind date?" "You could say that." "When did it start? He never mentioned anything like this to me before," Liu Qianqian said with augh. "May fifth," said Mu Huanqing. "May fifth..." Liu Qianqian stopped mid-sentence, suddenly recalling that afternoon on May third, when Fang Ren had abruptly asked her to sit with him by the river. She got there first but didn''t see Fang Ren, so she messaged him to ask when he woulde, but he never replied. When she couldn''t stand the wait anymore and was about to go look for him, she suddenly saw him running toward her, dressed in a neat white suit. He was carrying a bouquet of flowers, his hair was meticulously trimmed, and it was brushed back. Fang Ren was naturally quite handsome, and although he might not be considered extremely attractive, Liu Qianqian thought he looked handsome after putting in the effort to dress up. She still vividly remembered the riverbank that afternoon, his face slightly flushed with a shy look, and when he confessed to her, he blurted out nearly five hundred words of love talk, stammering and avoiding her gaze, now and then fiddling with his hair, then his trousers... nervously twisting and turning like a girl. Liu Qianqian had to admit, she liked that shy and clueless demeanor of his because it was all for her. Unfortunately, with the global university alchemypetition right around the corner, she couldn''t reciprocate his feelings. That day was Fang Ren''s second confession to her. After the first time, she had made up her mind to be ruthless in rejecting him, so she was quite harsh with her words during the second rejection. That day... Fang Ren must have been heartbroken. She remembered that self-deprecating smile of his at the end and how he uttered, "It''s all my own wishful thinking, I''m sorry." After saying that, Fang Ren turned and left, not too fast, with his head down, and not looking back the entire way. Finally, in the distance, he let out a wryugh and tossed the bouquet into a trash bin. She just stood there, watching his sorrowful departure, feeling a stifling mix of frustration, impulsiveness, sadness, and heartache... All of which turned into tears that slid down her face. But as Fang Ren left, he really didn''t look back even once. If he had, he would have seen her in tears, clutching the corner of her skirt and sobbing. After saying those heartbreaking words, she understood that certain things were destined: Fang Ren would never know how long she sat by the river crying that night, how far she walked alone in the night, the forced obligations of her family... nor would he ever know that she had liked him for a very long time. But they couldn''t be together; she couldn''t escape her fate. If she had epted him, when the Liu Family came to this city, it would have caused him immense emotional pain. Later, when she married a genius, he would be upset upon seeing the news. She was very sensible, but Fang Ren didn''t understand her heart. Chapter 52: Chapter 51: In ancient times, Zilong was all courage_1 He moved on from his feelings quickly... Liu Qianqian''s smile had a hint of bitterness as she inwardlyined. Actually, she knew that everything hade to this today because she had been too adamant in her refusal, not measuring her words. If she were in Fang Ren''s shoes, she would have felt disheartened after being rejected so firmly, not once but twice. "I heard you''re getting married soon?" Liu Qianqian came back to her senses, smiled and said. "Yes, soon," Mu Huanqing nodded. "When is it?" Liu Qianqian asked again. "May 20th," Mu Huanqing still told her the truth. "May 20th... That''s really nice, a very meaningful day." Liu Qianqian''s heart suddenly ached. She turned her face away from Mu Huanqing, pretending to look at the garden, and said in a low voice, "It''s just... so soon." Mu Huanqing could feel some changes in the girl in front of her. Her mood did not seem very cheerful, but she always wore a smile, just like Ah Ran whenever he felt down because of her. "Do you like him?" Mu Huanqing directly asked. "Ah?" Liu Qianqian''s expression suddenly panicked, her smile became even thicker, and, pulling her gaze back, she looked at Mu Huanqing and said, "Why would you think that?" "So you don''t like him," Mu Huanqing stated. "He''s about to get married, how could I like him?" Liu Qianqian said with augh, her words bearing an undertone, without giving a clear response. "That''s good then, Ah Ran used to like you a lot," Mu Huanqing added. It was as if she was telling her: He did like you, but that was in the past. Liu Qianqian smiled, "Of course, after all, I rejected him, and now he''s getting married soon." She seemed to be telling her: If it weren''t for the arranged dates by my family, and I hadn''t spoken up to reject him, he''d still like me, and you wouldn''t have had a chance. Without waiting for Mu Huanqing to speak, Liu Qianqian immediately changed the subject, "Let''s go take a look over there, there''s a big fountain that''s quite nice." She chose to shift the subject proactively because she knew that no matter what she and Mu Huanqing discussed, it would be fruitless, after all, the one with Fang Ren was not her. The topic was undeniably sad for her, with the pressure of her family still weighing on her, she didn''t even have the liberty to be in a rtionship of her choosing. The thing between her and Fang Ren was like... what''s that saying? The greatest distance in the world is when I stand in front of you, and you don''t know I love you. That was the feeling. As Liu Qianqian had written in her diary on the night of May 3rd: You stood in front of me professing your love, and heard only my cold words shattering your carefully nned confession, not knowing that it was my lips that tore my own heart to pieces. Afterwards, Mu Huanqing did not say much. She didn''t know why she had just snapped at her, but judging from her recent experience watching soap operas ¡ª she was jealous. Although she was curious about why this girl, who obviously liked Ah Ran, rejected him, she felt more relieved knowing her refusal; otherwise, Ah Ran might not have met her, her leg would not have healed, and she would not have been as happy and learned so much. After walking around for a while, it was just the end of ss, and Liu Qianqian brought Mu Huanqing into the ssroom. As soon as the two girls entered, the bustling noise inside the ss suddenly quieted down, and after a brief pause, the boys in the ss erupted with teasing shouts. "Ranzi! Your wife is here to bring you... again!" "Forget about attending the next ss, man, go out and keep herpany¡ªI''ll take your ce!" "Sister-inw! Remember to buy..." ... Themotion was momentarily uncontroble, as everyone started teasing Fang Ren relentlessly. "Cut the crap! All of you stop!" The more Fang Ren shouted, the wilder the bunch got, almost carrying him out and dumping him outside. "Stop it, stop it, there''s something I need to say." In the end, it was Liu Qianqian who stepped up to the lectern and tapped on the ckboard. Only then did the ss be a bit quieter. "The person beside me today did note to bring something to some hooligan." Liu Qianqian nced at Fang Ren before looking away and continued speaking: "She is a new student in our ss, her name is Mu Huanqing. As for her rtionship with a certain hooligan, I won''t go into details. I hope everyone in the ss will take good care of her and get along well." As Liu Qianqian''s words fell, the noise in the ssroom suddenly died down even more. Many students stared at her in surprise, starting to whisper amongst themselves. "The ss president, who usually values proper conduct so much, actually called someone a hooligan! That''s rare to see." "Crap, could the rumors about the ss president liking Ranzi be true?" "It''s jealousy! Big jealousy!" "In ancient times, Zilong was all about courage; today, our ss president is all about jealousy!" "Nonsense, if the ss president really liked him, why would she reject him twice?" "Hey, maybe the ss president was ying the long game, and it backfired?" "Cough, cough!" Liu Qianqian, hearing the low murmurs below, realized she might have spoken inappropriately and immediately proceeded, "Student Mu Huanqing is here as an exchange student. The university she graduated from is Tianjiang Medical University, and she is a highly talented medical student." "Hah!?" The crowd was astonished. Discussion about Liu Qianqian had just been the hot topic but was quickly overwhelmed. "A graduate from Tianjiang Medical University? For real?" "Doesn''t that mean she can freely enter any Alchemist Guild on Earth? But whye here? Is it for love? Is it for duty?" "Ranzi! How much dog shit did you have to step on to get this lucky!" "Bros, let''s beat him up!" "ss leader, you must be kidding, right? Someone who can graduate from that university...ing to our crappy university... as an exchange student?" "Student Hui Qing''s identity is indeed genuine; ssmates don''t need to be too astonished. After all, her husband is here. Their happy life is just starting, and it''s perfectly normal for her to study abroad here," Liu Qianqian spoke up. "Ouch, do I detect a whiff of jealousy here?" "I felt it too. The ss leader seems to have a vinegary tone all day today." "Sure enough, our ss leader is full of jealousy today." Liu Qianqian immediately tapped on the desk and said seriously, "Please, everyone, stop spreading rumors." "Got it! We won''t spread rumors anymore. We''ll just share the facts." "Nonsense! Don''t take the joke too far." "Alright, alright, let''s stop here. The ss leader is getting serious." "s, from today on, our school has gained another campus belle." With Mu Huanqing joining the ss, Fang Ren had thought he would have plenty of time to spend with her, but before he could even speak a few words to her, a group of girls had already gathered around her, endlessly chatting with Mu Huanqing. "Student Hui Qing, you''re from Tianjiang? I''m so envious!" "Student Hui Qing, is your hair naturally silver? It''s so beautiful!" "Student Hui Qing, how did you get to know Fang Ren? I''m really curious!" "Student Hui Qing..." The girls kept bombarding her with questions, and Fang Ren found himself effectively squeezed out, experiencing for the first time the terrifying nature of girls'' topics, which seemingly never run out once they start talking. He had no choice but to join two sons of the rich and y a mobile game together, idly chatting about stuff. "Right, send me your bank ount numbers," Fang Ren suddenly said. "What''s up? Struck it rich recently?" Jing Haichuan asked. "No, Uncle Han gave me some money. It''s just enough to pay you guys back," Fang Ren replied. "Damn, kid, you''ve really made it big. Someone''s entrusting their stunning daughter to you, and from time to time, even gives you money to support you. You''ve seriously reached the peak of life," Li Xingwang said. "Can''t help it; when good fortunees, you can''t even block it," Fang Ren said, although in reality, he wasn''t very concerned with money as long as he had enough to spend. Still, he wouldn''tin about any easy gains. "I totally want to beat you up. Where in the world can you find such a good uncle, closer than a real uncle." "Real uncle..." Upon hearing that, Fang Ren felt a chill in his heart. Was that real uncle even human? For his own selfish desires, he had wanted to take Fang Ren''s life; he truly didn''t deserve the title of uncle. "Alright, just send me your ount numbers now." Without any unnecessary talk, Fang Ren transferred the money for the medicinal ingredients to the two of them over the inte. He had initially nned to repay the debt with elixirs, but the money left by that old man had taken him by surprise. With that money, there was no need to go through the hassle of selling elixirs. In the morning sses, Fang Ren always sat with Mu Huanqing. This time, the silly Jian Qi''er also stubbornly came over, but she didn''t sit next to Fang Ren. Instead, she took a seat next to Mu Huanqing. Liu Qianqian continued to sit in the front row. Her ssroom demeanor was off today; she hardly looked up at what the teacher was presenting, spending most of the time nkly staring at her desk, lost in her thoughts. Li Xinyue, sitting beside her, just sighed softly and helplessly shook her head without saying anything more. Actually, the situation was quite obvious even to her. In the ssroom, Fang Ren naturally paid attention to Liu Qianqian''s demeanor. He still couldn''t understand why, after seeing Mu Huanqing, Liu Qianqian''s smile became so strained. If the two of them couldn''t be boyfriend and girlfriend, then being ordinary friends was fine. Now that he had someone he loved, Liu Qianqian, as a friend, should be happy for him and offer her blessings. But Liu Qianqian offered no congrattions and even cursed him as a lecher that morning... despite the fact that he had quietly done her a big favor. Today, Liu Qianqian seemed distracted in ss, often looking down at the nk piece of paper on her desk and daydreaming, neglecting to take notes, and not even looking at the materials he had given her the day before. He wondered what was up with her. This concern was simply out of friendly consideration; Fang Ren saw nothing wrong with it. If Liu Qianqian were a man, hemmed in or oppressed by family when it came to marital freedom, he would choose to help in the same way, rather than distancing himself or standing idly by to avoid suspicion. Chapter 53: Chapter 52: Jian Qiers Revenge_1 Over the past few days, Fang Ren''s life had been quite peaceful. The campus was bustling with preparations for the uing sports meet, the Fang Family''s right faction remained quiet, and there were no further developments with Wang Shuai''s incident. His happy life with Sister Hui Qing continued unabashedly. As the sports meet approached, the medical students were still busily upied the day before, because the national intercollegiate alchemypetition would take ce shortly after the sports meet. In a bid to climb out of the bottom ten ranks in the global university leaderboard, the school quite inhumanely demanded additional sses and study hours from the medical students. With the sports meet''s opening ceremony set for tomorrow, students from various departments were seen bustling around on the distant sports field, while most of the medical students faced the ckboard with expressions of utter despair. Talk of college beingx, the mentors in the medical department were far stricter than high school homeroom teachers at the end of the senior year, considering that the rise in university ranking meant bonuses for them. All the students had thought that with Tianjiang Medical University''s genius, Mu Huanqing, joining their ranks, their homeroom teacher might let them off the hook. Little did they expect that the intercollegiate alchemypetition did not include international students, so Mu Huanqing was unable to participate. When Fang Ren heard this news, he was really nervous. Luckily, she couldn''t participate; if she did, her identity as a graduate of Tianjiang Medical University would be exposed. "Alright, today we''ll still practice making the new type of Qi-gathering pill. This time, we must ensure that while the shape remains the same, the color and taste are alsoplete. There''s no requirement for its medicinal effect for the time being," Teacher Huang announced. After exining some theory, Teacher Huang led the entire ss to theboratory. "This time, we will still work in pairs, but as Mu Huanqing has joined, one group will have three people. You can choose your teams freely." As soon as the words were spoken, many girls came to invite Mu Huanqing to join their teams, but she tactfully refused them all. She genuinely didn''t understand alchemy and could only cover up the matter by pairing with Fang Ren. "Ah Ran, do you know how to make this pill?" Mu Huanqing whispered as she sat next to Fang Ren. "Not a problem even if it were a Three-level pill; isn''t this child''s y?" Fang Ren whispered back, though what he really wanted to tell her was that he invented this thing. No sooner had they started kindling the furnace than they saw Jian Qi''er scurrying over, bowing her head with an earnest look and pleading, "Fang Fang Fang, Fang ssmate! Please let me join your group!" "Can''t you speak without stuttering?" Fang Ren said, looking at her silly expression with helpless resignation. "I I will try to correct it!" Jian Qi''er insisted earnestly. "Then let Xiao Qi join us," Mu Huanqing said, as she was quite fond of this somewhat silly girl. "..." Fang Ren felt helpless upon hearing this. If this girl stood by their side, how could he help you with the alchemyter? And how could he make the ssmates believe that you were the one who made the pill? But then he thought, since Jian Qi''er was a bit simple-minded, it probably wouldn''t be a problem; he should be able to find a way to bluff her. "Alright, silly girl, you start by organizing the materials," Fang Ren said. "What makes me silly?" Jian Qi''er put on an indignant expression. "Okay, you''re not silly. Now just organize the stuff." "Why do I have to organize!" Jian Qi''er protested, hands on her hips and looking displeased. Fang Ren pped his forehead, utterly resigned, thinking: If you don''t organize, how can I tell Sister Hui Qing what to do next in the script? "I need to say some things to your sister that aren''t suitable for children; you can''t listen," Fang Ren said seriously. "You''re actually calling me a child!" Jian Qi''er was even more dissatisfied. "Alright, let''s organize together," Mu Huanqing said and reached for the medical ingredients. Fang Ren immediately grabbed her hand to stop her, because her sequence of selecting ingredients was all wrong, and she''d reveal herself as soon as she started. "What''s wrong?" Mu Huanqing looked puzzled. "Come here." Fang Ren quickly pulled her to a corner at the back, whispering, "I''ll subtly touch youter, and you tell me to add ingredients. I''ll handle everything; you just need to follow my discreet instructions to avoid exposure." "Okay," Mu Huanqing nodded in agreement. "What exactly are you talking about?" Jian Qi''er asked curiously. In her heart, she was fuming with anger; as a cultivator, she could hear much further than the average person, and Fang Ren''s words had reached her ears without missing a beat. So that''s how it is, you Fang Ren! Turns out she doesn''t know alchemy; watch me set you up today! "Go on; children shouldn''t hear these things," Fang Ren dismissed her with an indifferent wave of the hand. "Hmph! The ss leader was right, you''re indeed a lecher," Jian Qi''er continued to feign innocence, pretending she hadn''t overheard a thing. "Even if I am lecherous, I''ve got no interest in a silly kid like you." "You!" Jian Qi''er was gritting her teeth on the inside, nearly losing her mind. She, a trending superstar adored and worshipped by millions of fans, couldn''t believe he had no interest in her! If I were to take off my sses and fix my hair, I''d blind you with my brilliance! ... As the water temperature in the furnace rose, Fang Ren chose the perfect moment to discreetly touch Mu Huanqing''s leg. Since they were wearing school uniforms, with thin pleated skirts on the bottom, Fang Ren''s touch resembled the act of a lecherous individual up to no good. ``` Fortunately, the table was in the way, so not many people could see, and no one deliberately observed Fang Ren''s peculiar habits. But Jian Qi''er was different; she had been waiting for this moment. As soon as Mu Huanqing got the signal, she was about to speak when Jian Qi''er suddenly covered her face with both hands and screamed loudly, "Ah! Fang Ren, you pervert! Why are you touching Sister Hui Qing''s thigh!" Whoosh¡ª In an instant, all the students in the ss forgot that they were in the middle of an Alchemy lesson and turned their heads, eyes fixated on Fang Ren''s hand still resting on Mu Huanqing''s leg. Following the gazes of everyone, Mu Huanqing''s face turned red in a sh, and seeing Fang Ren''s hand still on her leg, she quickly pped it away and wanted to exin something to the surrounding students, but couldn''t tell the truth. Instead, she just lowered her head a bit more. "Oh wow~ My brother''s pretty bold~" "This young man has been rather fiery these past few days, can''t even hold back during ss." "You understand nothing, this is called ''having taste''." "Brother Ran, you better be careful, the camera''s watching." "Fang Ren is indeed a pervert! The ss president wasn''t wrong at all!" The girls red at him with disgust. ¡­ The ss was filled with noise andmotion in no time. Completely stunned, Fang Ren thought Jian Qi''er was ridiculously over the top; a perfect example of throwing a teammate under the bus! He''d gotten her into Alchemy ss for an easy win¡ªshe only needed to lie there and collect points. But instead, she''d exposed her teammate''s position to the enemy! Liu Qianqian, who had been distracted by the previousmotion, turned around and caught sight of the scene, and within two seconds, she turned back around, her originally smiling face now furrowed with frowns. Then she grabbed the herbs on the table and began throwing them into the furnace, not caring about the water temperature, continuously tossing them in. Earlier, she had studied Master Qing''an''s unique Alchemy methods, hoping to practice them during this ss. At the start, everything in the furnace matched her notes exactly, giving her a glimpse of hope and thrilling excitement. This sudden turn of events made her lose all interest in continuing her Alchemy. Alchemy? Winning first ce in the national university students'' Alchemypetition? What was all that for? Wasn''t it for the freedom to love without worry, to respond to the person she liked without concerns? But what was this now? In just about a week, how did Fang and Mu get so close? Flirting in ss? What was the point of Liu Qianqian winning first ce then? To spend a lifetime with a Three-level pill? Teacher Huang at the podium was so angry that he mmed his hand onto the desk. He had had enough! It was one thing for Fang Ren to deduct points from the ss for beingte every day, and another for being consistently among the bottom three in grades. He had turned a blind eye to Fang Ren''s attempts to woo the only hard-working student, Liu Qianqian, in the ss. But now, Fang Ren even thought he could corrupt the new high-achieving transfer student! A bad influence! So young, yet such a casanova. Failing to seduce Liu Qianqian, he turned instantly to try his wiles on Mu Huanqing, even touching a female ssmate''s thigh in ss! This was simply¡­ simply reminiscent of his own younger days¡­ But let''s not talk about the past, although he was quite nostalgic. Still, as a teacher of the people, he had to lead by example. "Fang Ren! Get out!" "Teacher, let me ex¡­" "Out!" "Alright¡­" Without being able to exin, Fang Ren was directly sent out of the ss. As soon as Fang Ren left, Mu Huanqing immediately said to the teacher at the podium, "Teacher, I''m feeling a bit unwell, I need to step out." After saying that, she hurriedly ran out of the ssroom following Fang Ren, knowing she would be exposed for not knowing how to do Alchemy if she stayed alone. Giggle, giggle¡­ Teacher Huang''s teeth chattered with anger on the podium. "Look, just look! How many days has it been? How many days?" Teacher Huang said angrily, adjusting his sses, "Mu Huanqing, a perfectly good high-achiever exchange student, has been led astray by Fang Ren to this extent!" The noise and uproar in the ss began to lessen a bit, but most students still smirked and teased beneath their breaths. Seeing Fang Ren embarrassed brought sheer joy to Jian Qi''er. So he dared to harass the grand dame herself? Look at that sorry state of his. Trypeting with me, and I''ll make sure you''ll regret it. "Jian Qi''er! You need to keep your distance from him!" Teacher Huang suddenly said. "Ah?" Still musing to herself, Jian Qi''er was taken aback. "You''ve seen how Fang Ren is. You''re so innocent; one day he might sell you off, and you''d still be counting money for him!" Jian Qi''er blinked nkly, realizing her reputation for being na?ve was deeply ingrained¡­ Chapter 54: Chapter 53: Heaven Never Favors "Fang Ren, since you entered the school, your conduct has been improper! You show no ambition!" Teacher Huang''s pent-up frustration from over the years erupted, as he continued while tapping on the podium, "I remember when Liu Qianqian was a freshman, how hardworking and diligent she was in her studies. She was able to grasp the essence of a Qi and Blood Pill within just three days, and was unanimously recognized by all our tutors as a promising student capable ofpeting at the provincial level this year. But look at her now? It''s been five days since she has been studying the Gathering Qi Pill, and she''s still haphazardly throwing herbs into the furnace!" As Teacher Huang''s voice fell, Liu Qianqian realized that she had thrown all the herbs avable on the desk into the furnace in one go, and the water inside was about to overflow. "Qian Qian, what''s going on with you? Why did you suddenly throw in the herbs so randomly?" Li Xinyue nudged Liu Qianqian''s shoulder and asked with concern in a soft voice. "I... it''s nothing." Liu Qianqian hung her head, not wanting to say anything more. "Ms. Liu Qianqian!" Teacher Huang looked at Liu Qianqian with helplessness and said, "Even though no one can interfere with your private emotions, as your tutor, I sincerely advise you to stop fooling around with Fang Ren every day. Look at yourself when you first enrolled, and then look at you now. You are the best student in our entire medical department. You should prioritize your honor." "I understand..." Liu Qianqian nodded, her face no longer filled with the smiles of the past. The final result of the ss was that only three groups'' pills didn''t meet the standards. The first was Fang Ren''s group; Jian Qi''er was left alone, fumbling about while nearly blowing up the entire furnace. Another was Liu Qianqian''s group; the herbs were thrown in altogether, resulting in a clump of ck charcoal. Thest group was Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang''s; they had never seeded in forming anything through alchemy... With the end of thest ss in the afternoon, Fang Ren could finally return to the ssroom to pack his things and head home with Mu Huanqing. The ssmatesing and going would tease them upon seeing them. Fang Ren wanted to exin, but the group of guys all threw him an ''we understand'' look before leaving. After packing his things, Fang Ren suddenly felt the urge to urinate, so he asked Mu Huanqing to wait for him in the ssroom while he went to the bathroom. A few minutester, Fang Ren came out of the toilet, washed his hands, and ran back to the ssroom. But because he was running too fast, he had just turned the corner from the toilet when he bumped straight into someone. ... After ss, Liu Qianqian left the ssroom alone. Her mood today was extremely troubled and miserable, and she was also very angry. In just one week¡­ Just one week and he was already flirting with another woman during ss. Liu Qianqian couldn''t believe it until now. In fact, if it weren''t for Mu Huanqing telling her personally that day about their ns to marry, she would never have believed that Fang Ren could fall for someone else so quickly. She had always thought that Mu Huanqing and Fang Ren had just confirmed their rtionship and that many things wouldn''t happen so soon. Even when Mu Huanqing came to find Fang Ren that day in the cafeteria, she still didn''t believe the two of them... Because in her eyes, she and Fang Ren had been together for three years, and apart from holding hands, nothing else had happened. Mu Huanqing was just a girl he had known for a few days. What could have happened between them? But today, she realized she waspletely wrong. Some things happen just that fast. She suddenly felt so foolish. They were about to get married; whatever was meant to happen, must have already happened. And yet, she still naively believed that Fang Ren would not progress too quickly with Mu Huanqing for fear of letting go of his feelings for her. She suddenly recognized that her rejections had hit him too hard, and he chose to like someone else instead. Right, no one would keep hurting themselves for someone with no future. As she thought about it, her eyes began to redden. She hurried to leave the bustling teaching building, and as she passed by the small path near the toilet, preupied with her troubled mood and not paying attention to her surroundings, she was suddenly knocked over by someone dashing out of the toilet, falling to the ground with a thud. "Sorry, student!" Fang Ren realized he had bumped into someone and immediately apologized. But after he finished apologizing, he discovered that the person he had bumped into was none other than Liu Qianqian. She was sitting on the ground, looking pained, with her eyes slightly reddened. Liu Qianqian came back to her senses from her self-absorbed distress and, seeing Fang Ren before her, immediately turned her head away, not wanting to look at him. She knew her reddened eyes made it seem like she had been crying. "Did you hurt yourself anywhere?" Thinking she might have been hurt from the fall, Fang Ren immediately squatted down and stretched out his hand to help her up. Smack¡ª Just as his hand reached mid-air, Liu Qianqian pped it away. Fang Ren was stunned for a moment, feeling somewhat helpless. He hadn''t expected that she would dislike him to this extent, to the point where she wouldn''t even let him help her up. Indeed, even the best of friendships can sour once tainted with theplications of love. Liu Qianqian still wouldn''t look at him. She stood up on her own and quickly walked away. She didn''t want anyone to see her in this state. "Hey, Liu Qianqian, are you sure you''re okay?" Seeing that she didn''t want to interact with him, Fang Ren didn''t pursue her but chose to stand there and call out to her. "¡­" Liu Qianqian stopped in her tracks when she heard his words. Without turning back, she bit her lip and said irritably, "Liu Qianqian, Liu Qianqian! You''ve been calling me by my full name these past few days! How much do you want to distance yourself from me?" "Huh?" Fang Ren was taken aback; utterly confused as to why she had suddenly be so irritable. And this matter of setting boundaries, wasn''t it she who made the first move? After his confession, Liu Qianqian had been deliberately keeping her distance from him. How has it now be his responsibility to set the boundaries? "It''s nothing, I just meant to say your girlfriend is really beautiful, and you two seem so in love." Liu Qianqian remarked. Fang Ren responded with a helpless smile, "Can''t you speak inly? You never used to beat around the bush like this." "Isn''t what I said the truth? Mu Huanqing is so beautiful. Anyway, I''m sick of my own face after three years, how can Ipare to the novelty she brings?" Liu Qianqian''s mind was a mess. She didn''t know why she was saying such bitter words that wouldn''t change any of the present facts. "I really don''t understand what you mean." Fang Ren remained standing there, his expression puzzled. "There''s nothing to misunderstand, I just spoke some in words, very easy to understand." Liu Qianqian continued, "Look at you two, such a great rtionship. I heard that you''re getting married just over a week after meeting, much better than someone like me who, after three years, could only end up being friends." "I find your words even more iprehensible¡­" Fang Ren sighed helplessly. If anyone else had overheard their conversation, they would definitely assume that the girl''s acidic tone was due to her feelings for the boy. But nobody else was there. All the words Liu Qianqian spoke were heard by Fang Ren alone. Fang Ren didn''t believe that she liked him. Even though she spoke those words, he didn''t think she held any affection for him. Fang Ren believed that even if she was shackled by her family''s expectations, if she truly liked him, she should have at least been sad when rejecting him. How could she have been so decisive? How could her words sting so deeply? Therefore, the idea of Liu Qianqian liking him was simply inconceivable to him. So he didn''t understand the meaning behind Liu Qianqian''s words. If he had to guess, Fang Ren thought that she was putting on a show to draw a line between them. All he did was call her "Liu Qianqian," yet she took that small matter and blew it up into a reason to set boundaries. "The confession is in the past, we agreed to be good friends, why do you seem to dislike me now? I really don''t have those kinds of feelings for you anymore, I just genuinely want to be friends," Fang Ren said. After hearing him misunderstand her words, Liu Qianqian''s heart reached a boiling point withplex emotions. What did he mean by, "I really have no further feelings for you"? What about, "I simply want to be friends"? The person who had liked her for three years... to say he doesn''t like her just like that... "Fang Ren! You don''t understand anything! You just don''t get it! You''re just a blockhead! So stupid!" Liu Qianqian suddenly shouted, turning her back to him. After speaking, Liu Qianqian didn''t linger and ran off towards the distance, with tears she had been holding back now streaming down uncontrobly. Fang Ren just stood there, watching her suddenly run away, without pursuing her to ask what happened. He truly couldn''tprehend why Liu Qianqian was treating him with such an attitude¡ªcalling him a scoundrel that morning, and now berating him for being a blockhead. Liu Qianqian likes him? What a joke. "Sigh, forget it, if she doesn''t want to be friends, then so be it. After all, I''ve helped as much as I could." With a deep sigh, Fang Ren began walking back to ss. The scene was just like that day by the riverbank when he confessed; he never turned back, so he never saw the tears on her face. Now he didn''t chase after her, so he wouldn''t understand the pain in her heart. ------ In a small house on a street, Liu Qianqiany curled up on the sofa with a nk expression, her gaze fixed on the wallpaper on her phone''s screen featuring her and Fang Ren, shoulder to shoulder, head against head, both faces beaming with joy. "So is it really... over?" Her eyes filled with sorrow, she muttered to herself, "Unable to be together when wecked the power to resist... and still unable to be together when we have the power... Indeed, Heaven has never favored me." As she wallowed in her sadness alone, a dark shadow appeared silently in the room, bending over her and saying, "Miss, will you still participate in the Alchemistpetition this time?" Liu Qianqian slowly sat up from the sofa, put down her phone, and stared at "Master Qing''an''s Alchemy Experience" lying on the coffee table, feeling utterly lost. She flipped through the notebook, gazing closely at the words, and her heart was struck by a profound disappointment; the handwriting didn''t resemble Fang Ren''s at all. She had actually fantasized that the boy who delivered her the notes that day was him, but after the delivery, he must have thrown away the clothes. It had all been wishful thinking. Suddenly grabbing the notebook, Liu Qianqian tossed it directly into the trash can nearby and said, "After the sports meet, I will return to the Liu family with you." "Miss, having gone through this affair, it seems you''vee to a realization," said the woman in ck, smiling upon hearing her words. "You can go now, I want to be alone for a while." With that, the shadow left the room, and Liu Qianqian curled up on the sofa again, closing her eyes. In the past, she had fled her family in pursuit of the freedom to marry whomever she liked, but she had never imagined that one day she would be wounded by the one she cherished, and thus, choose to ept the fate arranged by her family. "How sad it is, me¡­" Chapter 55: Chapter 54: Plan of Lies in Progress_1 "Fuck! How cowardly can that piece of trash be, sticking to a woman''s ass like a shadow!" In a leisure venue, Wang Cang angrily mmed his fist on the table. Young men in bright clothes sat around the room, some smoking cigarettes, others lifting their drinks. "Brother Zang, I don''t quite understand what''s so scary about that woman. She''s just a chick, can''t a few of us take her down?" a man said with evident confusion. "Exactly, Boss Wang. I think the woman is just an ordinary person who studies medicine, what''s there to be afraid of?" another man also chimed in. "You don''t know shit!" Wang Cang said with a furious look: "If you had a direct conflict with her, a mere nce from her could scare you shitless! And if it really came to blows, I bet none of you would even know how you died!" "Ah? Is it really that exaggerated?" "Don''t doubt it, it''s indeed that exaggerated," Wang Cang said, frowning. ¡ªp¡ª Suddenly, the door of the room was opened, and a man wearing a suit and sunsses walked in. He nced at the group of oddly dressed young men, finally resting his gaze on Wang Cang. "Are you the son of Director Wang, Wang Cang?" the man in the suit asked. Wang Cang was already furious, and this man hade barging in without even knocking. Ordinarily, he would have cursed the man out, but since the visitor mentioned his father right off the bat, he assumed it couldn''t be someone unimportant. "Who are you?" Wang Cang asked. The man in the suit took two steps and sat down on a couch, then said, "Have them all leave." Wang Cang frowned, and after two seconds, he waved the others off: "You guys go out first." The vibrantly dressed young men cast unfriendly nces at the suited man. They had never seen anyone who dared to enter without knocking wherever they hung out. If it weren''t for Brother Zang''s word, they''d have kicked the intruder out first. As the group of men left the private room, Wang Cang spoke to the man in the suit: "I''m not in a good mood right now. Everyone''s gone, so speak your piece." The man in the suit, expressionless, took out an identity document from his pocket and ced it on the coffee table, saying, "I''m from the Tianjiang Investigation Group, Sha Baihe, currently in charge of the mission to arrest criminals from the Nightfall Organization in this area. Regarding your brother''s murder, I believe there''s a high probability it''s rted to the Nightfall Organization." "Tianjiang Investigation Group?" Wang Cang''s face changed dramatically, and he quickly picked up the man''s credentials from the table to have a look. The sight shocked him so much that he nearly jumped off the couch. This was a genuine Tianjiang Investigation Group membership card! It bore an unmistakable and highly distinctive code that no one dared to forge, sealed with stamps from the Commanding Officers of the Central Area! Wang Cang, his face filled with shock, carefully ced the credentials back, internally relieved that he had managed to hold his tongue from snapping earlier. Otherwise, his whole family might have been dragged into trouble. "Leader Sha... Should I address you like that?" Wang Cang''s demeanor became much more respectful, and he immediately stopped tapping his leg on the table. "You can call me whatever you like. I''m here to investigate a matter with you," Sha Baihe said as he pulled out a photograph from his pocket and put it on the table, "Have you seen this person before?" Wang Cang quickly grabbed the photo and saw that it was the loser he had been staking out to kill for the past two days! "I''ve seen him. His name is Fang Ren, and he went to the same university as my brother. He was the only one present when my brother was killed," Wang Cang said. "What? He was at the scene when your brother was murdered?" "Yes, Leader Sha, is there a problem with this person?" Wang Cang''s heart suddenly raced with the thrilling thought that Fang Ren might be treated as a major criminal for some reason, and then that woman, Mu Huanqing, would be utterly disappointed in him and show a look of disgust. Sha Baihe seemed deep in thought, his brow furrowed. After a while, he spoke again: "I''ve been tracking the movements of the Nightfall Organization through the city''s street cameras recently, and I found that this university student named Fang Ren entered an alley twice with a suspicious person wearing ck. I don''t know what their connection is, but if that person in ck is a member of the Nightfall Organization, then it''s almost certain that Fang Ren is also a member." "What?" Wang Cang was shocked. He hadn''t expected his suspicions to be so close to the truth. Fang Ren indeed had ties to the Nightfall Organization! Seeing him take the bait, Sha Baihe continued, "However, due to insufficient evidence on our side and to prevent scaring them off, we came to investigate with you. After all, it''s been said that your brother Wang Shuai might have also fallen victim to the Nightfall Organization." "Leader Sha! I get it now! This Fang Ren is absolutely a member of the Nightfall Organization!" After listening, Wang Cang suddenly became very agitated and blurted out, "This Fang Ren had a conflict with my younger brother in the school cafeteria about a week ago. It all started because both of them liked the same girl. My brother saw that Fang Ren''s methods of pursuing the girl were despicable and shameless, so he went and had a few words with him. It wasn''t a big deal, but that evening, when Fang Ren was leaving the school, he said to my brother: ''You will die a horrible death''... And it turned out to be true!" Wang Cang, while speaking, didn''t care about the truth of the incident anymore. He tried to paint Fang Ren as evil as possible and nder him however he could. Anyway, he had already confirmed that Fang Ren was undoubtedly rted to his brother''s death. As long as the person who harmed his brother was punished, what harm was there in twisting the truth? "Is that really what happened?" Sha Baihe asked with a frown. Wang Cang continued, "I was very puzzled on the day my brother was killed, wondering why only my brother fell victim and no one else was harmed. And coincidentally, only Fang Ren was right there at the scene. Why not someone else?" Sha Baihe kept frowning and said, "It seems that this Fang Ren is indeed the person who harmed Wang Shuai without a doubt..." "Leader Sha! Then why haven''t you arrested him yet? For such a person, just seize him and kill him!" Wang Cang said. "Arrest him? Since the evidence is conclusive now, why bother arresting him? Just kill him directly," Sha Baihe said. Wang Cang was startled, "Don''t we even need a trial for the crime?" Sha Baihe replied, "Members of the Nightfall Organization don''t deserve to be arrested and tried for their crimes. The Central District Commander already gave orders three years ago that we can directly kill members of this organization when we encounter them." It was only then that Wang Cang suddenly remembered the order issued by the Central District Commander all those years ago. "However, to kill this Fang Ren, I guess I can''t be the one to do it," Sha Baihe continued. "Why not?" Wang Cang frowned. "Think about it, our organization is specifically aimed at fighting the Nightfall Organization. If they knew that we came here, would they dare show up again? To bait the enemy into a trap and eradicate more members, I definitely can''t be the one to kill Fang Ren." "Leader Sha! Let me do it!" Wang Cang immediately offered, "I want to personally settle the score for my brother!" Seeing his eagerness, Sha Baihe chuckled coldly in his heart but maintained a serious expression on his face, "You must think this through, killing Fang Ren will make you an enemy of the entire Nightfall Organization, and the experts by his side will surely target you. However, after you kill him, our organization will also send experts to protect you. Besides, killing a member of the Nightfall Organization is a great achievement. If you cooperate with us, the Tianjiang Headquarters will certainly promote you significantly." Wang Cang only caught thetter half of the conversation, the promise of a promotion from the Tianjiang Headquarters was indeed tempting, and not to mention avenging his brother, he would also get protection after the kill! Why not go for it? "Leader Sha! For the peace of Earth, my life, Wang Cang, is well worth sacrificing!" Wang Cang spoke fervently. "Good! I admire your spirit, young man." Sha Baihe said, taking out a yellow talisman paper from his pocket and cing it on the coffee table, "However, for your safety, I''ve decided you shouldn''t act personally. This is a Hidden Weapon Talisman. Just ce it near Fang Ren and it will naturally kill him." "It''s that simple? Then why don''t you guys just use a talisman paper and be done with it? The Nightfall Organization won''t even know it was you who killed Fang Ren," Wang Cang said, puzzling over it. "This involves luring the enemy deeper, although giving you the talisman paper is just to ensure your personal safety and a sessful kill. We actually need you to show up in person, to tell the Nightfall Organization that it was you who killed Fang Ren. Only when the Nightfall Organizationes after you for revenge can we kill more of their people," Sha Baihe exined, "Indeed, we could ce the talisman paper, but who would the Nightfall Organization seek revenge from? And how would we lure the enemy deeper?" "Leader Sha''s considerations are really long-term... I was thinking too simplistically," Wang Cang nodded gravely. "Alright, young man, I won''t talk much more with you. Remember tomunicate this matter with your father, and if you need to verify the truth of the incident, you can call this number anytime to reach me." Having said this, Sha Baihe left a phone number and departed. On the sofa, Wang Cang held the phone number, bursting with excitement. He hadn''t anticipated that not only could he avenge his brother''s death this time, but he could also get a promotion from Tianjiang. If he managed topletely wipe out the Nightfall Organization, he would be a hero of great merit! His future prospects would indeed be boundless! Why would he need to be a boss in this rundown little city then? At this moment, downstairs at the clubhouse, Sha Baihe wore a sinister smile, turned back looking at the building and murmured coldly to himself, "For the great cause of the Second Master, I guess your family will have to make a sacrifice." The Tianjiang Investigation Group? Arresting members of the Nightfall Organization? The cameras caught Fang Ren connected to the Nightfall Organization? Hah, ridiculous! With the power of the Fang Family''s right wing, would creating a fake identity for him be anything but trivial? As for the Nightfall Organization, well, they are just scapegoats. Everything was just a lie fabricated to bring about Fang Ren''s death. Chapter 56: Chapter 55: The Marriage Opposed by Everyone_1 Ever since Shang Han left, Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing would have lunch at school, but they cooked breakfast and dinner at home. In the past two days, Mu Huanqing, who had never cooked before, insisted on ying the role of a housewife, not allowing Fang Ren to help with cooking. As a result, until tonight, she had sessfully ckened three pots. "Um... Qing''er, let''s cook dinner together today." Fang Ren stood at the kitchen door, gazing at Mu Huanqing in her apron, and couldn''t help but wipe the sweat off his forehead that was asrge as beans. At this moment, Mu Huanqing was intensely focused on the oil in the pot, cradling a live fish that they had just bought tonight in her arms, with one hand holding the lid, seemingly ready to toss the fish and cover the pot as soon as the temperature of the oil was just right. The fish kept wriggling and pping its tail, its mouth wide open, looking straight at Fang Ren as if begging the human for a swift end. "It''s fine, Ah Ran, I''ve already watched a tutorial. As long as I fry it until both sides are golden brown, I can add water and seasoning, and then I won''t have to worry about anything else," Mu Huanqing said with dead seriousness, not even turning her head. "No, that will ruin another pot," Fang Ren said with resignation. "That''s okay, failure is the mother of sess!" "So the tutorial you watched was about throwing the fish alive directly into the oil?" "No, the tutorial showed to cut open the belly and remove the innards... but that''s just too cruel! I want to give it a quick end!" As she spoke, Mu Huanqing even patted the fish in her arms as if tofort it, as if saying... just a moment, and it won''t hurt anymore. Fang Ren pped his forehead speechlessly. Sister, that''s what you call cruel! Inhuman! Fang Ren immediately went in, turned off the stove, snatched the fish from her arms and said, "I have a more humane method." "Faster than frying?" Mu Huanqing blinked and looked at him. "Of course." As he spoke, Fang Ren took out a rolling pin from nearby, tossed the fish onto the chopping board, and with one strike to the wriggling fish''s head, it stilled in an instant, knocked out. "Ah Ran, it seems in pain¡­" Mu Huanqing frowned immediately after watching him strike the fish. "You are mistaken, it''s thanking me." With that, Fang Ren took up the knife beside him and began to clean and gut the fish, and after some cleaning-up, he finally managed to get it into the pot. Truth be told, Fang Ren had also never cooked before; even the method of banging the fish was learned from the "Fish mming Technique" from Li Xingwang Jing Haichuan during a trip to the countryside. Now, preparing a fish, he had no choice but to look at his phone, constantly checking the time, guesstimating when to sprinkle water, when to add seasoning, and even making sure the fire''s intensity was precisely ording to the online tutorial. With nothing else to do, Mu Huanqing sat next to the rice cooker, watching the rice within and trying her hand at some seasoning. "Ah Ran, I suddenly have a question to ask you," Mu Huanqing said out of the blue. "Then ask away." "What would you do if Liu Qianqian liked you?" Mu Huanqing asked. "Huh?" This question genuinely took Fang Ren by surprise. He looked at Mu Huanqing and smiled, "Why are you suddenly asking such an impractical question?" "I said it''s an ''if.'' If it was the case, what would you do?" Mu Huanqing pressed. "Well, if it''s just an ''if,'' then so be it. I''m about to marry you; could I then go and like her?" Fang Ren said, "Besides, there''s no ''if'' in this matter. She could never like me; she only sees me as a friend." Mu Huanqing did not intend to drop the subject and said with a slightly jealous tone, "Ah Ran, you confessed to her twice, so you must have really liked her..." "That''s all in the past. Now I only like our Qing''er." "You just suddenly stopped liking her after being together for more than three years?" "No choice. I was rejected twice; of course, I had to move on. Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing," Fang Ren exined. "If Ah Ran hadn''t been rejected, we wouldn''t be together now..." "Isn''t it the same for you, Qing''er? If you hadn''t been injured, you wouldn''t be with me," Fang Ren replied, "What happened was destined, what didn''t happen was up to us." If Liu Qianqian could speak her true feelings and if Mu Huanqing hadn''t been injured on the battlefield, the two of them definitely would not have met. "Yeah, I was overthinking it," Mu Huanqing nodded with a slight smile on her face. What she actually wanted to know was not about these events; she wanted to understand why Liu Qianqian, even though she obviously liked him, still rejected him. That she could notprehend. But even though she wanted to know, she couldn''t directly ask Fang Ren, so she went with "if." "Actually, Liu Qianqian despises me now," Fang Ren continued, noticing her hint of jealousy. "Why?" Mu Huanqing inquired. "It''s probably because I discovered her secret the day before we went out for the trip," Fang Ren pondered and said. "Can you tell me about it?" Checking the time and adding a bit of seasoning to the pot, Fang Ren said, "She might be considered a rather unlucky girl." "Because of what?" "Spirit Embryo, you know about this, right? She is a girl with the Spiritual Embryo Constitution. From a young age, her marriage is not her own to decide, and when she reaches a certain age, she must marry some cultivation genius. It''s that kind of destiny that''s determined from birth," Fang Ren said. "Spiritual Embryo Constitution?" "Right." Mu Hui was stunned. In an instant, the knot in her heart unraveled. Liu Qianqian, why had she refused the confession of someone she liked? It turned out she was born to contribute to the Human Race through marriage. "Then her refusal of you was right," Mu Hui said. "Ah?" Fang Ren couldn''t quite understand what she meant by that. Refusing the confession of someone you don''t like¡ªwasn''t that just an ordinary thing? "For the sake of the Human Race, personal feelings... indeed don''t count for much," Mu Hui said. "What are you talking about?" Fang Ren was feeling helpless. "First of all, she certainly has no romantic feelings for me. Secondly, you say personal feelings don''t count for much for the sake of human society, but is the happiness of human society decided by the marriage of one girl?" "The Human Race''s struggle against the Void until now, indeed, is not determined by the marriage of one girl, but every person should do their utmost for the safety of their race. Having the ability, what reason is there not to contribute?" Mu Hui said. Fang Ren couldn''t help frowning and let out a sigh, "So are you saying that she should marry someone she doesn''t like, give birth to a baby with higher cultivational talent, and live unhappily ever after?" Mu Hui looked at him, her expression serious as she said, "Compared to the countless warriors who have paid with their lives on the battlefield for their race, what is one person''s marriage? Those who have the ability but fail to contribute are a disgrace to this era." Fang Ren, seeing her serious demeanor, suddenly found himself at a loss for words. This was the first time he saw her using such a serious face towards him, with a tone that brooked no dissent. "Does it have to be this cruel?" Fang Ren asked. "But the battlefield is crueler," Mu Hui said. "I think her desire to defend her marriage freedom is not wrong." "She isn''t wrong, but I don''t understand why in the current situation she still wants to defend marriage freedom. Just by having a child with an exceptionally talented cultivator, she could prevent many more warriors from losing their lives. Why talk about marriage freedom at this time?" Having heard all this, Fang Ren also began to take it more seriously and said, "On this Earth, there are many more ''able but not contributing'' people than her. Why is everyone only forcing her to contribute? Just because her constitution is special? What about those who would stop at nothing for their own desires, have the ability but don''t go to the battlefield? What are they? Why does nobody force those people to contribute to the Human Race? They are trampling over society, so why is no one forcing them?" "..." Mu Hui was at a loss for words. She believed her viewpoint was correct, but Fang Ren wasn''t wrong either. Many people have the ability to protect their country but fail to do what they should, instead existing in society as a scourge. Compared to these people, what''s wrong with Liu Qianqian wanting to defend her marriage freedom? Seeing Mu Hui silent, Fang Ren sighed. He felt a weight in his chest. This was the first time he felt that Mu Hui was so heartless. It seemed that whenever human race issues arose, she would take the moral high ground to judge everything. But this wasn''t Mu Hui''s fault, after all, being the Xuan Nv, of course, her concerns were always for the greater good. Glug, glug¡ª The fish in the pot was still bubbling away, and the rice cooker still streaming hot. Both of them looked at a pot each, and suddenly, both fell silent. This was the first argument between them. After a long while, Fang Ren spoke in a somewhat low voice, "If you had cultivational ability, would you also have to choose a partner who could father a child with better talent?" "There is no ''if'' about this..." Mu Hui said softly, "I won''t regain my cultivation abilities, and I won''t leave Ah Ran." "I''m talking about if, what if one day you suddenly recover?" Fang Ren asked with furrowed brows. He now had the power to restore her cultivation abilities. This topic was no longer hypothetical, but a question of his own choice. Mu Hui''s gaze darkened, a hint of sadness in her voice as she said, "If I recovered my abilities... I would definitely have to return to the battlefield..." Having said this, Mu Hui looked up at Fang Ren, her eyebrows rxing a bit as she smiled and said, "But mate selection and all that have nothing to do with me anymore. Ah Ran and I are nearly husband and wife, and I can''t possibly recover my cultivation abilities." "In the event of recovering your cultivation abilities, if everyone pressures you to ''contribute to the Human Race'' and tries to forcibly separate us,pelling you to marry another man, would you be willing?" Fang Ren asked, turning to look at her. "I..." Mu Hui was once again speechless. It was only at this moment that she suddenly realized, Liu Qianqian... she too was right. What was wrong with rebelling against the shackles ced on her, just to be with the person she loved? She suddenly found that her perspective on the issue had always been from too lofty a position. After a few seconds of silence... Mu Hui suddenly ran over and threw herself into Fang Ren''s arms, hugging him tightly and affirming, "I''m not willing! I don''t want to be separated from Ah Ran!" It was then that Mu Hui realized the gravity of the situation. Although it was just a ''what if,'' what if it actually became reality... Just the thought frightened her. With her status as Xuan Nv, if she truly regained her cultivation ability, she might indeed be forced by some to marry and bear a child with the man possessing the greatest cultivation talent in the world. At that time, her desire to be with Fang Ren¡ªwould be a marriage opposed by all of humanity. Chapter 57: Chapter 56: Always the Last to Know_1 Mu Huanqing''s sudden embrace wiped away all the pettiness and anger in Fang Ren''s heart, recing it with warmth. He gently stroked Mu Huanqing''s hair and softly said, "It''s okay, silly Qing''er, we won''t be separated." He was now a cultivator as well, but his ability wasn''t strong enough to go to any battlefield. Moreover, he still didn''t know the strength of his own talent. If Mu Huanqing regained her strength too soon and his talent proved to be very weak, then it would be difficult for the two of them to see each other for many years toe. "Even if there is a pill that could restore my cultivation ability, I don''t want to take it anymore..." Mu Huanqing felt a tender spot in her heart prodded, and her eyes began to redden. If she really restored her cultivation ability, then given her cultivational talent, Fang Ren would certainly not be the final choice for a spouse. Because even if Fang Ren started cultivating now and even if he had high talent, he would still be unable to catch up with those geniuses from big families. They were already more than twenty years ahead of Fang Ren, and some even thirty years ahead. Such a huge gap was simply not something he could bridge. Moreover, her talent was too high. The gap between them would only growrger andrger. As of today, on the entire Earth, only Princess Bai Xi from the Bai Family could hope to surpass her, and even that was just a possibility, not a certainty... "Why are you suddenly saying this?" Fang Ren hugged her tighter. "Didn''t you sayst time that if you recovered your ability, you definitely wanted to go to the battlefield to protect humanity?" "I''m afraid we won''t be able to be together..." Mu Huanqing said. When facing the choice between love and societal responsibility, her heart truly reached an extreme dilemma. To choose love meant she had to harden her heart and not think of herrades dying on the battlefield; to protect herrades meant leaving the person she loved the most. Fortunately, there wasn''t a way for her to regain her strength in the present world, so she didn''t have to agonize over making a choice. She could justifiably spend every day in happiness with the boy she loved. Only like this did she not feel the sin of abandoning herrades. "What if I cultivated and could join Qing''er on the battlefield?" Fang Ren said with a smile. Mu Huanqing''s brows furrowed slightly, and she seriously said, "No!" "Why not?" "Because I won''t cultivate." Seeing her attitude so firm all of a sudden, Fang Ren''s heart was filled with warmth. He smiled happily, leaned close to whisper in Mu Huanqing''s ear, and his hands started to sneak under her clothes, ready to tease her. Buzz¡ª However, just at that moment, a rush of air suddenly moved within the living room, and Lin Bozhong walked towards the steaming kitchen with a serious and stern face. As he walked, he called out, "Young Master, there''s a message from Tianjiang saying..." Before he could take two steps, upon seeing the scene inside the kitchen, Lin Bozhong''s solemn expression instantly petrified on his face. What... What is this situation! Are young people these days so open-minded! Flirting in the kitchen while cooking? Fang Ren, who was about to tease Mu Huanqing in the kitchen, was even more stunned. Why had this old man barged in without knocking? He retracted his hands in a panic, while Mu Huanqing was so flustered she covered her face and crouched in front of the small rice cooker, staying silent. Smack¡ª Lin Bozhong snapped back to his senses and immediately pped his forehead, quickly turning to walk out of the room with a confused expression on his face. It was unthinkable that Madame Xuan, revered by all humanity, could exhibit such a demure appearance in front of their Young Master, and even... Ah, these young people... Lin Bozhong hurried into the living room, sat on a couch with his back to the kitchen, and rubbed his temples continuously, his old face somewhat at a loss. "Couldn''t you knock?" Fang Ren walked out of the kitchen, speaking with visible annoyance. "Well, Young Master, I really didn''t expect to encounter this," Lin Bozhong said with an innocent face. Even though it waste at night, who knew something like this would happen in the kitchen... "Could you knock next time youe in?" "Yes, yes, of course." "What''s the matter that you''re so rushed about?" Fang Ren sat down on a sofa nearby, his mood still visibly irritated. No one would be in good spirits after such an interruption, no matter who it was. "Young Master, here''s the situation. Tianjiang has just sent a message that those people from the right faction of the Fang Family are preparing to take action a second time. You should be extra careful theseing days," Lin Bozhong said. "After all, it''s hard to guard against enemies lurking in the shadows." Fang Ren, upon hearing this message, immediately gestured for him to keep his voice down, so as not to worry Mu Huanqing with his family background. After all, he had only told Mu Huanqing that an old man had saved him, but he hadn''t mentioned his family background, and he had depicted those two assassins from the Fang Family''s right faction as "terrorists." Seeing his gesture, Lin Bozhong was slightly puzzled and frowned, "Young Master, have you not been honest about your background with Miss Mu?" "Of course not. Qing''er wants a normal life; how could I possibly bring up such matters?" Fang Ren said in a low voice, looking back toward the kitchen. "Well¡­ okay then." Fang Ren continued to ask, "About what level are those peopleing?" "Based on the current situation in the Battlefield of Seventh District, where the Void Monsters frequently appear, the right faction of the Fang Family simply has no spare experts to send over. The best they can dispatch is someone at the early stage of the Xianyun Realm," Lin Bozhong said. After hearing this, Fang Ren couldn''t help but clench his teeth. He had learned about the various Realms of Cultivators, starting from the lowest Concentration Realm to the Intense Concentration Realm. These were the levels typically attained by high school students. Above that was the Yuanxin Realm, where the majority are ordinary college students, and even higher is the Ruoshui Realm, upied mostly by nobles with exceptional talent from prestigious universities. Above the Ruoshui Realm is the Chongshan Realm, and only above the Chongshan is the Xianyun Realm that Lin Bozhong mentioned, which was the Realm of the enemy who came to assassinate him. For many Practitioners, the Chongshan Realm is extremely difficult to surpass. There are hundreds of millions of Cultivators on Earth who can''t break through it in their lifetimes, and those who can enter the Xianyun Realm can make it into the special forces in the central battle zones. However, as Lin Bozhong said, those of the Xianyun Realm are not even the top experts of the Fang Family''s right faction; they''re just the ones currently avable. Indeed, it''s arge family from Tianjiang; the real masters of the family must be from the much more terrifying Blue Sky Realm! As for that uncle who wants his life, he''s probably at the Yingyue Realm that countless people look up to! Such a person could cause great upheaval on their own. These past two days, Fang Ren also attempted to cultivate, but he couldn''t even break through the very initial stage of the lowest Concentration Realm. The gap between him and the experts of the Xianyun Realm is vast, spanning five major Realms! It was true that the enemy could crush him with just a finger. Seeing him worried, Lin Bozhong spoke up, "Young Master, you don''t have to worry. Although I''m not the strongest among the left faction, I still possess the strength of the mid-Blue Sky Realm. As long as I am here, a bunch of people from the Xianyun Realm won''t be able to harm you. The main reason why I mentioned this is that I hope you can guard against the people around you. Since they don''t dare to confront me directly, I''m afraid they will resort to more sinister methods." "Okay, I''ll be more careful," Fang Ren said. "But I''m really worried¡ªis that damn uncle of mine really in such a rush to kill me?" "There''s no helping it. The internal strife within the entire family is very intense right now. Whether you and Princess Bai Xi end up together or not will directly affect the final oue of both parties'' power, and besides, your marriage is drawing near," Lin Bozhong said. "So, if I don''t marry Bai Xi, does that mean your left faction has no chance of winning?" Fang Ren asked. "Almost no chance," Lin Bozhong replied. "Wasn''t Uncle Han on very good terms with my father... I mean, with the Old Master of the Fang Family?" "Very good. When Shang Han was young and reckless, he got into a lot of trouble, and it was always the Old Master who stood up to resolve them, saving Shang Han''s life more than once," Lin Bozhong said. "Then why does Uncle Han want me to be with Qing''er? Wouldn''t that ruin the Old Master''s advantage?" Fang Ren asked. "Exactly, he wants to ruin your marriage with Bai Xi. It''s not that he wishes to repay kindness with ingratitude towards the Old Master, but because he cares for you. He fears that once you return to the Fang Family, you may nevere out alive. He would rather disrupt the Old Master''s position than let you risk your life," Lin Bozhong exined. "..." Fang Ren clenched his teeth; the trouble that had descended from the heavens involved far more than he had expected. Suddenly, Mu Hui, who had been in the kitchen, came out with a solemn expression and looked at Lin Bozhong: "My father is doing the right thing. Ah Ran shouldn''t have to deal with those matters." Seeing here out abruptly, Fang Ren was taken aback. Their conversation had been so quiet, and with the sound of fish bubbling in the pot, it was noisy in the kitchen. Supposedly, she could not have heard their discussion; yet what she had just said made it clear that she had indeed caught every word of their conversation. As soon as Mu Hui came out, Lin Bozhong immediately stood up from the couch, bowed, and greeted, "I, Lin Bozhong, pay my respects to Miss Mu." "No need for such formality," she retorted. Mu Hui then went over to Fang Ren''s side, looked at him with some displeasure, and said, "Why did you lie to me about what happened that day?" Fang Ren also stood up, speaking with some distress, "I didn''t want you to worry. We both want to live a normal life, and with such a huge disaster suddenly upon us, of course, I didn''t want you to know about it." "Then..." Mu Hui suddenly felt unwilling to me him, but she still continued, "You should have told me though. We''re about to be married; what can''t we face together?" Fang Ren shook his head helplessly, "Alright, my fault." "Actually, I''ve known for a long time that you are the Master of the Fang Family," Mu Hui confessed. "Uncle Han told you?" "Yes." "Why is that old man the only one who didn''t tell me?" Fang Ren said, feeling helpless. "He was just worried that the Young Master would be restless, so he didn''t say," Lin Bozhong added, ncing at Mu Hui before continuing, "There are also some matters that he seems not to have mentioned." "What else?" Fang Ren frowned. "This..." Mu Hui immediately gave Lin Bozhong a look, cutting off what he was about to say. Revealing her identity would make Fang Ren worry too much. Even today, without knowing her status, he was already guessing many things. If he knew her identity, he would surely be even more anxious. Seeing that Mu Hui didn''t want to reveal her identity, Lin Bozhong then said, "These matters will naturally be clear to the Young Master and Miss Mu as you spend time together." "How is that any different from not saying anything?" Fang Ren scratched his head in frustration. After all this, it turned out that he was thest to know everything. Chapter 58: Chapter 57: Its a Pity to Live an Ordinary Life_1 "I know Ah Ran''s situation with the Fang Family, but what''s the deal with his engagement to Princess Bai Xi?" Mu Huanqing asked. "Madam Mu, you need to listen carefully to what I have to exin," he replied. In the following five minutes, Lin Bozhong began to tell Mu Huanqing everything about Fang Ren''s life up to the present moment, including his fate and causes. After hearing all this, Mu Huanqing waspletely upset. Although Shang Han had already told her that Fang Ren''s cultivation opportunity was taken away by someone else, she had not expected that it was approved by Fang Ren''s own biological father. However, for the sake of saving his best friend''s son, it wasn''t considered cruel for Fang Ren to have his Spiritual Root removed as the son of the Fang Family Head, after all, they were his parents who gave him life. But what Mu Huanqing couldn''t understand was, why did the Fang Family Head still intend to let Fang Ren, now an adult, risk going back to marry Princess Bai Xi? Fang Ren had already sacrificed enough; did they still expect him to risk his life to maintain their left faction''s status? "The Fang Family didn''t take care of Ah Ran for 22 years. Isn''t the Family Head''s decision now a bit too devoid of fatherly affection?" Mu Huanqing said somewhat angrily. "Madam Mu, the Family Head really has his difficulties. If there were any other ways to resolve the issues, he would certainly not be willing to let the young master take such a risk," Lin Bozhong said helplessly. "Moreover, once the Family Head heard that the young master and you, Madam Mu, were to marry, he immediately abandoned the decision to have the young master marry Princess Bai Xi and additionally, he sent me to protect the young master thoroughly." Mu Huanqing was still displeased and said, "If it weren''t for my father arranging a private meeting between Ah Ran and me without his knowledge, what would Ah Ran''s fate be in a year? He would still choose to let Ah Ran take the risk and go back." "Madam Mu, you truly don''t know the current situation of the Fang Family. It''s truly helpless for the Family Head to be in that position. And he isn''t as heartless as you imagine. If the Family Head were truly heartless, he would never have agreed to Shang Han''s request for you to marry. He could have just sent me to forcefully take the young master back," Lin Bozhong said helplessly. Mu Huanqing still felt indignant inside, but she said no more verbally. Growing up in arge family, she knew all too well the helplessness that can exist within a family''s politics. Fang Ren just sat on the sofa silently, his gaze fixed on the coffee table, his thoughts unreadable. "Young Master, please don''t me the Family Head; he truly cares about you," Lin Bozhong said, observing Fang Ren''s silence. "Stop talking," Fang Ren stood up and walked to the kitchen, adding, "Try to leave me out of the Fang Family''s matters as much as possible. I just want to live peacefully with Qing''er. If anyonees to disturb us in the future, I will definitely return the favor in my own way." After hearing this, Lin Bozhong sighed and shook his head, feeling very helpless. "Uncle Lin, have you had dinner yet?" Fang Ren came out with a rice cooker, followed by Mu Huanqing who quickly brought out the fish. "Ah? Master?" Lin Bozhong quickly waved his hand, "Please, young master, just call me Old Lin, that title is too much for me." "Alright, Old Lin, if you haven''t eaten yet, why don''t you sit down and join us?" Fang Ren said. "This... Young Master, would that be alright?" Lin Bozhong couldn''t help but recall the scene he had seen when he first entered, and felt that it might not be right for him, an outsider, to stay. "If you remember to knock on the door next time, how could it be inconvenient to join for a meal?" Fang Ren gave him a look, then turned to Mu Huanqing and said, "Qing''er, set another ce at the table." "Okay." Mu Huanqing went back into the kitchen to fetch things. "Then I shall forthrightly take a seat," Lin Bozhong said with a smile on his face and sat down at the table after flicking his white robe. Soon, the three of them were eating a simple meal consisting of a fish, rice, and fish soup. Looking at Mu Huanqing and Fang Ren in front of him, Lin Bozhong felt a sense of relief. The young master had lived as an ordinary person since he was a child. When he suddenly came into contact with high society, he handled things calmly and with the proper etiquette, showing none of the arrogance of the other two younger masters of the Fang Family. Quite the contrary, he was very low-profile. Though capable of making Three-level pills through a remarkable method, he was content to be third fromst in his ss, a distinctive and rare character. "You old man, why are you staring at me when you should be eating?" Fang Ren said, frowning at Lin Bozhong''s gaze. Lin Bozhong smiled and said, "I just feel that the young master and Madam Mu look more and more like a match made in heaven the more I look." Fang Ren suddenly smiled, "Spouting such obvious truths." Mu Huanqing simply smiled, saying nothing. After eating a few bites, Lin Bozhong spoke again, "By the way, young master, I''m quite curious about how you managed to make that Three-level pill. In this world, the youngest person able to make such a pill is over forty years old, and you are only twenty-two. It''s absolutely astonishing." "That thing?" Fang Ren waved dismissively, "I don''t know how it came out either. I just followed what the book said and threw in the ingredients, and somehow, I got lucky." Lin Bozhong smiled awkwardly, and seeing that Fang Ren did not want to talk about it, he did not continue to ask. However, this made him even more curious. Because a twenty-two-year-old able to make a Three-level pill was a prodigy, his status could easily rival that of a genius disciple from a great family! If he could create a new pill, he would practically be hailed as a god by the world! Thinking of this, Lin Bozhong suddenly felt that the two younger masters from the family could notpare to the young master at all. Even though the young master had been denuded of his Spiritual Root and couldn''t cultivate since childhood, he had an exceptional Alchemy Talent at the age of twenty-two and kept it hidden. What was more important was that in all these twenty-two years from childhood to adulthood, And those two young masters of the family relied on the family''s resources and their innate bloodline to be so strong. Yet beneath it all, there was a sense of pride, and an unbnced temperament, which would surely hinder any breakthroughs in theter stages of their cultivation. They were essentially strong only because of their innate resources. At this thought, Lin Bozhong couldn''t help but suddenly recall Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root, which naturally possessed the power to suppress the five elements, a pity it was given to Princess Bai Xi. And up to now, Princess Bai Xi had never revealed the capabilities of that Spiritual Root in front of others, its mystery unknown. After dinner, Lin Bozhong made an early excuse to leave, after all, this couple who had just fallen in love surely had important things to do. "Old Lin, remember toe over for a meal when you haven''t eaten," Fang Ren called out to him as Lin Bozhong was leaving. "I thank the young master," Lin Bozhong bowed mid-air as he flew away. "What''s there to thank for, you''ve kept me safe, eating a few meals is only right," Fang Ren said. "Also, remember to knock beforeing in next time." Lin Bozhong smiled helplessly, then turned and disappeared into the sky. "For young master Ah Ran to live such an ordinary life, it really seems somewhat a pity..." ... After Lin Bozhong left, Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing cleaned up the dishes and then retreated to their little room, drawing the curtains to do some shameless things. ------ The next day, Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing went to school together after a simple breakfast, just like the past few days. Because of Mu Huanqing''s presence, they still turned many heads along the way. On their way, Fang Ren bought Mu Huanqing some snacks and drinks. After all, it was quite boring to just sit there watching the sports meet, where most people would either chat while snacking or y with their phones and watch soap operas, unless there was an exciting moment on the sports field that would make them look up. As soon as they arrived at the school, they saw that the sses had already started assembling under the teaching buildings, and the two of them quickly ran inside. "We''ll start the roll call now. If everyone is present, we''ll head straight to the field." Liu Qianqian, standing at the front of the line, began calling names from a small notebook. Her mood seemed terrible today, as anyone could see that the normally smiling ss president was as cold and expressionless as if ayer of glue had been spread over her face. "Ranzi." Li Xingwang nudged Fang Ren''s arm and pulled him over, whispering, "That rumor that''s been spreading in our sstely, it can''t be true, can it?" "What rumor?" Fang Ren was startled by the sudden pull. "Ah, the one about the ss president setting a long line for you, only to have you slip away," Li Xingwang whispered. "Isn''t that just some nonsense spread by Li Xinyue and a few other girls?" Fang Ren frowned. "Damn it, look at the ss president''s state these past few days, ever since your sister came to school, she''s never been well." "You''re overthinking it, she must have other things on her mind." Naturally, Fang Ren didn''t believe Liu Qianqian had any romantic feelings toward him. From his perspective, those rumors were just absurd jokes, and her distress was clearly due to herck of freedom in choosing her marriage. "How do you know she has something on her mind?" Li Xingwang questioned. "Even if she doesn''t, it''s none of my business, alright. I''m about to get married, so stop spreading this stuff," Fang Ren said with a look of helplessness, pushing him away and returning to Mu Huanqing''s side. "But isn''t it a shame to just let it pass like this?" "What''s there to pass or not pass. She never had any such thoughts about me from beginning to end, and I don''t have any thoughts about her now. We''re just ordinary friends," Fang Ren stated as he moved back to Mu Huanqing. Li Xingwang nced at Liu Qianqian, who was calling names at the front, and then back at Fang Ren, smacking his lips and muttering to himself, "Howe I feel like it''s not as simple as you say, boy. What trouble could she have to be like this?" During the roll call, Liu Qianqian came to the back of the line and didn''t even nce at Fang Ren; everyone could sense that her change was too sudden. After roll call, Liu Qianqian led the ss toward the field, with the entire campus of teachers and students starting to mobilize towards therge sports field. Chapter 59: Chapter 58: Pulling Him into the Organization_1 The opening ceremony of the sports day was an especially dazzling part, with all departments except the medical department having prepared performances for the asion. The main reason being that these past days, the medical department was swamped with overtime work and extra sses, leaving them no time to practice such things. As students from across the campus began to fill the field, those from the medical department made a brief appearance before taking their seats in the stands, while the opening performances from other departments were incredibly impressive. In particr, the performances by the arts department and the cultivation system were especially spectacr, though the cultivation system''s performance was suspected of showing off excessively, with their sword flying disy being quite over-the-top. Then there was a rather lengthy speech by the principal, who eventually dered the sports day officially open. Despite being a Mediocre University, its campus wasrge and spacious, housing about fifteen thousand students across the various departments. On the round bleachers of the great athletic field, sses sat next to sses, departments beside departments, packing the fifteen thousand attendees tightly together. The music ring from the sound system covered the entire campus and spilt onto the streets outside, while the chattering of students had been incessant since the moment they entered, and below in the field, there were a few teachers and students scurrying about busily executing tasks. The whole scene was lively and animated. Liu Qianqian, because she was the vice president of the student council, quickly made her way to the presenter''s stage to coordinate the event with several other student council members after leading her ss to their seats. As time moved on, the sports day began, starting with the preliminary one hundred-meter dash. As athletes from the various departments entered the field, cheerleaders from the same departments started to appear. Beautifully dolled faces holding colorful pompoms, wearing sexy tank tops and short skirts, their youthful and energetic figures caused hormones to surge throughout the field. The medical department''s ss three also had a cheerleading squad joining in, which garnered the attention of all the male students in the school, given that the two most beautiful girls on campus were both from this ss in the medical department. Unfortunately, one of the blossoms was hosting on stage, and the other refused to wear a short skirt no matter what, so even the spectators with telescopes could not spot their targets. The students from the photography department brought out their ''breadwinners,'' while boys from other departments also whipped out counterfeit telescopes which they had preemptively purchased online. "Ah Ran, our ss''s athlete roster has your name on it," said Mu Huanqing, checking the school forum on her phone and spotting him on the roster for ss three of the medical department. "Hmm, the fifteen-hundred meters, right?" Fang Ren leaned over to nce at the information on the phone forum. "It starts at three in the afternoon," Mu Huanqing said. "This is just the preliminaries. There are a lot of departments and they''re divided into many groups," Fang Ren said. "Are those from the cultivation system participating too?" "Yes, but for the sake of fairness, there will be True Qi detection monitors on the track, and cultivators aren''t allowed to use True Qi," he exined. "So, can Ah Ran get the first ce?" she asked with a smile. "Not necessarily. Even if cultivators don''t use True Qi, they have better physical fitness than ordinary people," Fang Ren replied. "A practitioner at the Yuanxin Realm without using True Qi wouldn''t differ much in physical fitness from an ordinary person. I think Ah Ran can take first ce," Mu Huanqing said. "Who knows," he said nomittally. Fang Ren gazed at the track below with a faint smile. In truth, he was confident. After all, having been frail as a child, Shang Han had forced him to train his body. Over time, it had be a habit for him to run to school every day. Now, ever since Mu Huanqing arrived by his side, he had temporarily put aside physical training because, now that he had a Spiritual Root, it was essential to find a way to cultivate True Qi. But his physical condition was still far superior to an ordinary person''s, and in pure physical sports, he wouldn''t be much different from the practitioners of the cultivation system at the Yuanxin Realm. In fact, he might even surpass them slightly. Once all the athletes were checked in, Liu Qianqian on the presenter''s stage once again began to host with a smile, "The most thrilling moment has arrived! Athletes, your footsteps on the field represent the sweat of your hard work; you are like the clouds in the sky with the dazzling colors of the dawn, a galloping steed, and your sprinting strides await your victory ahead¡ªto bless you, to cheer for you!" Her face wore a smile, and her voice did not betray a hint of her troubles; she was a girl quite skilled at concealing her emotions, only revealing them when she absolutely couldn''t hold back anymore. "Bang¡ª" With the sound of the gunshot, several figures dashed out of the starting blocks. "Go, Liu Xuanwen!" "Go, Hou Xinjiang!" "Run, Sassy Pig! Charge!" "Sun ErGou, annihte them! You can''t keep a low profile anymore! Run on all fours! Four, I said! Are you giving the others a handicap by using just two?!" "Qin Shou! You can''t let those bastards from the cultivation system win! Otherwise, they might steal your girlfriend!" "Wang Ermazi! Your girlfriend is in my hands! If you don''t finish in the top three, don''t me your brother for not being human!" ¡­ The entire stands were filled with howls and shouting, the deafening noise drowning out the music ying through the speakers, making one''s blood boil with excitement at a single nce. Due to therge number of participants, just the men''s 100 meters preliminaries took five heats toplete a single event. In the end, the eight who advanced from the preliminaries included four boys from the Cultivation System. After all, with four sses, all thepeting students from the Cultivation System had moved on. "Next up is the women''s 100 meters preliminary race..." ... At this moment, in a deserted corner at the very back of the stands, Jian Qi''er was speaking with someone on the phone. "Have you discovered any trace of the Indra Sky organization at that school recently?" a woman''s voice came through the cellphone. "Not yet," Jian Qi''er replied, slightly frowning. "Master, could there be an error in our organization''s information? Maybe Indra Sky isn''t hiding in this school at all." "Impossible, thest test subject disappeared here three years ago. And Qi''er, the organization has already rified Fang Ren''s identity¡ªhe does not have any connections to Indra Sky, but his background is rather special." "Special?" Jian Qi''er was slightly startled. "Is he our enemy or not?" "Hard to say. Although he has no rtions with the Indra Sky organization, his identity is that of the Tianjiang Fang Family''s head, Fang Zheng''s own son." "The Tianjiang Fang Family!?" Jian Qi''er was shocked. That was one of the top ten colossal families on Earth! How could Fang Ren, an ordinary college student living in a small county town, be... But then she thought about it and realized Fang Ren''s identity wasn''t actually that surprising. Without the support of such a powerful family, how could he possess such peerless Alchemy Talent at such a young age? "For the time being, we can be sure he is not our enemy," the woman on the phone continued. "A twenty-two-year-old who can produce a Three-level pill and craft a Space Ring, if such a rare talent could join our organization, it would bring about a qualitative leap for us." "But Master, everyone has the wrong idea about our organization, and Fang Ren probably thinks we''re an evil force that everyone should rightfully eliminate," Jian Qi''er said. "Besides, that night when I killed the mayor, the witness was him. I told you to take care of it, but actually... I couldn''t bring myself to do it. I''m sorry... Master." There was silence on the phone for a moment before the woman''s voice re-emerged, "What you did was both right and wrong. Fang Ren is an unparalleled genius in Alchemy, a person capable of guiding the future of the Human Race, and must absolutely not be killed. But ording to the discipline of our organization, any eyewitness who sees us during a mission must be killed. Although you vited the organization''s disciplines, since Fang Ren could bring vast benefits to the Human Race, let''s drop the matter." Jian Qi''er frowned and hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Master, actually, I don''t think we need to kill those witnesses... Aren''t we the righteous ones? None of them saw our faces, and they''re all... innocent, so why should we kill?" "Don''t entertain such thoughts!" the woman''s voice turned icy. "Have you forgotten how Sister Chun died? Even if our actions are righteous, those innocent witnesses could turn around and bite us once we let them go!" "I... I understand," Jian Qi''er nodded her head slightly. "While you''re investigating Indra Sky, also think of a way to pull Fang Ren into the organization. If he doesn''t join, don''t force him, but we definitely can''t let him think we are just a bunch of murderous lunatics." "Yes, Master, I willplete the mission well," Jian Qi''er affirmed. After hanging up, she turned and walked towards the stands. ------ Soon it was the lunch break, and Fang Ren and Mu Huiqing went to the cafeteria. Although it was just a Mediocre University, the food was pretty good, just not as upscale as what one might find at a restaurant outside. Jian Qi''er, this peculiar girl, had stopped skipping sses and was now making her way into Fang Ren''s group every day. Her presence also made it easier for Li Xingwang and Jing Haichuan toe along. Without this girl, the two men would feel like two thousand-watt light bulbs; her being there made it less awkward for Mu Huiqing to chat. Whoosh¡ª While the five were eating and chatting, suddenly a streak of True Qi shot across the table. Though it injured no one and did not hit the food, this provocative act was infuriating. "Dammit! Which little bastard did that!" Li Xingwang mmed the table and stood up roaring in anger. They turned to see three boys in the white uniforms of the Cultivation System looking disdainfully in their direction. The leading boy was clearly Sun Yan, previously one of Wang Shuai''s underlings. "Fuck! I''ll remember this, you piece of shit!" Jing Haichuan immediately jumped up as well. "If you ever get to use a condom in your life, I''ll write my surname, Jing, upside down!" "Oh, don''t be angry, my dear sirs," Sun Yan said with a smirk. "I was just giving Fang Ren a polite little greeting and didn''t mean to upset you big guys." "Wang Shuai turned into a vegetable, and you took his ce?" Li Xingwang said with contempt. "Heh, my big bro had an ident, so the things he didn''t do I''ll have to take care of, won''t I?" Sun Yan sneered. Hearing this was directed at him, Fang Ren put down his chopsticks and retorted, "My bro left many things undone. If you''ve got the guts, don''t let him get enema through a urinary catheter. Take his shit and piss for him." Chapter 60: Chapter 59: The Beginning_1 "Heh, sharp silver teeth, quite impressive!" Sun Yan red coldly at Fang Ren before continuing, "Isn''t it 1,500 meters this afternoon? I just happen to be participating too. You might want to beg me now, maybe I''ll let you save some face." "Your mom! Believe it or not, this afternoon I''ll make you beg me to let you off?" Li Xingwang got more and more irate. Ranzi didn''t do anything, yet this bunch of bastards always liked to stir up trouble, bullying people just because they had the advantage of being able to cultivate from birth. Sun Yan nced at Li Xingwang and ignored him; even Wang Shuai, the son of the head of the Public Security Bureau, didn''t dare to provoke him lightly because of the gang-affiliated family backing him¡ªnaturally, Sun Yan didn''t dare to, either. "What''s the matter, got nothing but your charms with thedies? Lost even the slightest semnce of manly vigor?" Sun Yan continued, taunting Fang Ren. In fact, as soon as Fang Ren heard Sun Yan boasting about teaching him a lesson in the 1,500 meters, he was outright stunned. Does Sun Yan really want to embarrass himself? In the past, even when he didn''t have a Spiritual Root, his physical condition was already very good. Now, with a Spiritual Root, any gap between him and Cultivators had been bridged. Just with that, Sun Yan, a minor Practitioner who hadn''t broken through the Yuanxin Realm, couldn''tpete with him even in a state without using True Qi. Besides, he had Conceal Qi Pills on him. As long as he took one of those, as long as he didn''t let his True Qi show, the monitors on the running track couldn''t detect anything. So no matter how you looked at it, it was Sun Yan who was looking for embarrassment. "Who said that? Fang actually charmsdies in eight different ces! You must be jealous that Fang has Qing''er as such a beautiful girlfriend!" Jian Qi''er immediately chimed in, not seeming clever, just foolish. "Heh." Sun Yan red coldly at Jian Qi''er. Jian Qi''er quickly looked away meekly, but inside she was fuming, itching to draw a knife across his neck. What status did she have, to be red at by him? Fang Ren then tried to speak: "This afternoon''s race..." But before he could finish, Mu Huanqing suddenly stood up, her face icy as she stared at the opposing Sun Yan, "Is bullying the weak your idea of manly vigor?" "Heh, Fang Ren, now you''re even living off a woman?" Sun Yan sneered upon seeing this. "Apologize!" Buzz¡ª Mu Huanqing''s eyes suddenly turned silver, and an invisible pressure emanated from her, speeding towards Sun Yan and the other two. "..." In an instant, the faces of Sun Yan and his twopanions turned deathly pale, their faces frozen, the scorn wiped clean off them. Their eyes twitched as they stared at Mu Huanqing, their legs shaking visibly to those around them. The three of them clenched their teeth hard before they realized they could just barely steady themselves. "Let''s go..." Clenching his teeth, Sun Yan said to the two behind him and immediately dragged his shaking legs, releasing True Qi to help himself quickly make for the cafeteria exit. Seeing this, the other two didn''t linger. They too released True Qi to support themselves and hurriedly followed Sun Yan out. "What the hell is going on?" Jing Haichuan watched puzzled as the other side made a hasty retreat. Fang Ren looked at Mu Huanqing, who had shielded him, and smiled helplessly in his heart. His wife really acted like a protective maniac, always stepping in front of him. Li Xingwang turned to look at Mu Huanqing, equally baffled: "Little sister-inw, what kind of power is that, scaring them off with just a word?" Fang Ren quickly tugged at Mu Huanqing''s hand andughed, "Maybe those guys just suddenly got a pressing need to pee." Mu Huanqing immediately withdrew her silver pupils and sat back down, not looking very pleased, "Why is there always someone causing trouble for Ah Ran?" "Can''t help it. Who told Ranzi he found such a good wife? Just jealousy on their part," Jing Haichuan said with augh. "Exactly, don''t take it to heart, sis-inw. Getting angry over this kind of person isn''t worth it. These idiots are the kind that bully the weak and fear the strong in school; they find joy in this, their brains are sick," Li Xingwang also sat back down. Mu Huanqing lost her appetite. She couldn''tprehend why there were so many people treating the hard-won peaceful life with such disregard when soldiers were sacrificing their lives on the front lines to secure it for them. "Alright now, Wang is right, they''re incurably brain-sick, it''s not worth getting upset over," Fang Ren said, patting her head with a smile. Mu Huanqing nodded, still somewhat unhappy. But at that moment, Jian Qi''er was staring at Mu Huanqing in shock. However, it only took a few seconds for her to regain herposure, hastily picking up her chopsticks and pretending to eat calmly. Those silver eyes, silver hair, and that aura of pressure... such a simr figure... Xuan Nv... she''s still alive! And right by her side! Suddenly, she felt like any attempt to act normally came across as abnormal, no matter how many years of acting skills she had, she couldn''t fully hide her behavior and expressions. "Silly girl, are you really that clueless? The troublemakers just left, and now you''re calmly chomping down your food?" Jing Haichuan couldn''t help but say as he watched Jian Qi''er taking big bites of her meal. "I... I just think you all make a lot of sense. We shouldn''t let their craziness spoil our mood," Jian Qi''er said seriously. ... "Damn it! Who is that woman? Just one look from her, and I''m sweating bullets!" Outside the cafeteria, Sun Yan was still recalling the terrifying gaze that seemed as if it could crush him underfoot, his very soul struggling to flee his body. "Brother Yan, she''s definitely no mortal! That gaze alone says she must be at least from the Chongshan Realm. We''re at least a whole Ruo Shui Realm away from her level!" a male student said in a panic-stricken voice. "Yeah, to exert that kind of pressure, she has to be a high-level expert from the Chongshan Realm! Besides, I''ve heard that this girl came from Tianjiang Medical University. Although the students there mainly study medicine, many are also cultivation geniuses. She must be one of them!" another male student added. "This is just some rotten luck!" Sun Yan spat through clenched teeth. A momentter, Sun Yan felt the talisman paper in his pocket, and his vengeful thoughts intensified. Fang Ren, Fang Ren! Today, I will make you die miserably right on the sports field! I want over fifteen thousand people to witness your death! Then I''ll let your little girlfriend taste the bitterness of being unable to find the killer and only being able to weep helplessly! ------ Soon it was 2:00 PM, and all the students started to enter the stadium once more, the deafening music starting up again. The students who had just rested after lunch were clearly pumped with excitement. And under the bustling cheers of the entire school, a murder was quietly unfolding. Two new figures added themselves to a corner of the school bleachers, clearly Wang Cang and his father Wang Baidai. Ever since Wang Baidai learned from Sha Baihe of the Tianjiang Investigation Group that the culprit who left his son in a vegetative state had been found, he was boiling with rage and wanted to ughter that person. But after Sha Baihe revealed everything about the Nightfall Organization to him, he suddenly thought he should prioritize the bigger picture¡ªafter all, eradicating the Nightfall Organization was a golden opportunity for him to rise through the ranks. Since he could avenge his son and gain a promotion at the same time, why wouldn''t he cooperate with Sha Baihe? Today was the moment the culprit who killed his son would meet a wretched end, and he had to witness this scene firsthand to sate his vengeance. However, regarding cing the assassination charm that Sha Baihe instructed them to do, Wang Baidai thought it best not to get himself and Wang Cang involved. After all, that act was like a ma for all the Nightfall Organization''s hatred. If Sha Baihe couldn''t protect them when the time came, wouldn''t that be a huge loss? So, he let Wang Cang give the assassination charm to Sun Yan. This way, when the Nightfall Organization sought revenge, it would have nothing to do with them, and they would still receive a reward. Why not? At the same time, in a small restaurant outside the campus, Sha Baihe was sitting at a small table, sipping wine and enjoying his meal, continuouslymunicating with Wang Baidai and others through his cell phone. Once the timing was perfect, the moment the Void Beast was released, Lin Bozhong would undoubtedly try to protect Fang Ren by subduing the Void Beast. But such a creature was not something he could conquer alone. After Lin Bozhong was injured, Sha Baihe could go directly to kill the father-and-son duo of the Wang family to silence them, then turn around to eliminate Fang Ren, leaving the city in one fell swoop. No one would know where the Void Beast came from, and the me would fall on the dead Wang Baidai and his son. "Male participants for the 1500-meter race, please proceed to the check-in area¡­" As the announcement came from the host on the stage, Fang Ren ran over in a ck sleeveless top and shorts, his body covered with lean and symmetrical muscle lines. Arriving there, he naturally saw Sun Yan, who had been shouting at midday. Sun Yan was dressed in a white summer sports outfit, apparently, Cultivation System students preferred colors simr to their specialized uniforms. "Make sure you don''t embarrass yourself too much." Right upon meeting, Sun Yan sneered at Fang Ren. "How about you worry about yourself instead?" Fang Ren replied with a smile. "Heh, let''s see if you can still smile after this!" Sun Yan red at him fiercely, then walked towards a secluded corner of the crowd. He stuffed the prepared assassination charm into his race number bib, loosening the pins on the bib slightly. He just had to run in front of Fang Ren and pretend to identally drop the bib. As soon as Fang Ren got close to the fallen bib, the assassination charm would activate immediately. ording to Wang Cang, once activated, the charm waspletely invisible and intangible. Within three meters of the target, it could hit its mark unseen, destroying most of the victim''s nerves and simting a facade of dying from overexertion during exercise. Everyone would only see that he dropped a race number and that Fang Ren had copsed from overexertion. Other than the Nightfall Organization, no one would have evidence to suspect that he was the killer. Chapter 61: Chapter 60: Total Beyond (One More Update)_1 "On your marks!" Following the referee''s shout, Fang Ren and a group of people walked onto the track. "Fang Ren, go for it! Medical ss Three, victory is ours!" "Sun Yan will win! Cultivation is invincible!" ¡­ The cheerleading squads in the field began to dance again, and Fang Ren, moved, watched the usually unreliable girls from his ss vigorously waving the pom-poms in their hands. These guys always heckled him, calling him a scumbag, but they still showed their support when it mattered. Bang¡ª At the sound of the referee''s starting gun, a group of athletes immediately began jostling for the innernes. Fang Ren''s track was too far from the innerne; he only managed to secure the third position before deciding not to fight for a better spot. As soon as the race began, students in the stands erupted into deafening cheers once more. "Ranzi, take them down! We can''t lose in spirit!" "A bunch of weaklings! Let Sun Yan show them the huge gap between us!" "Li Wenbo! If you win, Cui Hua is yours! I''ll give up my pursuit for your sake!" "Ranzi! If you win, Jing''s family will send you three cases of Kidney Treasure! Condoms for life, free of charge! Get it arranged for me!" Er Gou from a certain ss frowned and said, "Damn it! Mr. Jing''s offer is quite tempting. Maybe Da Qiang should just give up the race and go get some Kidney Treasure from Mr. Jing?" A student sitting far away quietly pointed at the figure of Er Gou and whispered to a ssmate, "Who is he? Seems like he''s in every story, like a stic case on every book." ssmate: "Don''t you have a clue who the protagonist is?" For a time, all sorts of shouting filled the sports field, and the teachers in the stands, faced with all sorts of explicitments, were at a loss. After all, the university''s sports meets had always been like this. No matter how they tried to control it, it was unmanageable. If they nabbed one person here, ten more would emerge elsewhere, growing more excited the more they were reprimanded... On the track, Sun Yan took the lead, followed by a student from another ss in the Cultivation System. Fang Ren was still in third ce. One couldn''t ignore the fact that students of the Cultivation System naturally had stronger physiques. Even if they were just Practitioners in the Yuanxin Realm and didn''t use True Qi, they could still pull ahead by over twenty meters from the average person by the end of the firstp. As the firstp neared its end, the students from other systems were nearly thirty meters behind those from the Cultivation System. Still, Fang Ren maintained his third-ce position without falling behind or overtaking anyone. Sun Yan had no intention of revealing his strength in the firstp. After all, keeling over dead from excessive exertion after just onep would be too unrealistic, and assassinating Fang Ren right away seemed too dull for Sun Yan. There were three sses in the Cultivation System, hence threepetitors. Fang Ren was sandwiched in third ce, with Sun Yan firmly in the lead and Zhang Chao from the second ss of the Cultivation System in second ce, followed by Wu Bin from the third ss in fourth position. "The guy from the Medical System must be an idiot to think he can run against those from the Cultivation System. He won''t be able to move in thest twops! Dying for face." "I bet he''s going to be thest one this time. With that speed, he''s definitely going to run out of energy by the thirdp." "Damn it, Ranzi is actually taking the bait from Sun Yan!" "If he slows down now, he might still make top five, but the kid doesn''t seem to have any intention of stopping!" Most people in the stands thought Fang Ren was just trying to look strong for the first twops, but would end up embarrassed in thest two. The firstp ended, and the secondp was already a tenth done. "Heh! What a fool!" Sun Yan, in the lead, looked back at Fang Ren, who was still in third ce after onep, and couldn''t help but sneer to himself. In a sh, Sun Yan increased his speed dramatically to pull away from the few people behind him. In his eyes, the fact that Fang Ren dared to stay among them, the Cultivation Practitioners, during the secondp was clearly a response to his provocation. If he sped up, Fang Ren would surely be unable to keep up. Seeing Sun Yan speed up, Zhang Chao, who was behind him, wasn''t willing to be shown up. He immediately elerated as well. Fang Ren just kept following behind Zhang Chao, matching his pace whenever he elerated, moving unhurriedly. Wu Bin, who was in fourth ce, couldn''t hold back any longer; he had been trailing behind Fang Ren, a regr student, which was quite embarrassing. Now with Sun Yan elerating, he was determined to overtake Fang Ren, the non-Cultivation Mortal. Wu Bin quickly surpassed Fang Ren, then overtook Zhang Chao, pursuing Sun Yan closely behind. Seeing himself fall to thest among the four, Fang Ren immediately chased after them, surpassing Zhang Chao to retake third ce. Zhang Chao, feeling ufortable at being passed by a non-Cultivation Mortal, immediately picked up an even faster pace to overtake him. Inspired by this, Fang Ren surged ahead, surpassing both Wu Bin and Sun Yan to take the lead. "Damn it! Just what I needed!" Seeing the others getting fired up, Sun Yan immediately sped up, faster than Zhang Chao, to take first ce. He believed that if they kept up the chase, Fang Ren would quickly run out of steam. Not only would Fang Ren lose face, but Sun Yan could also drop his number card, creating the illusion that Fang Ren had died suddenly. Fang Ren also picked up speed from behind. As long as he fell to fourth ce, he would immediately surge to third, and upon reaching third, he wouldn''t try to overtake anymore. With these few suddenly picking up speed and chasing each other, the students in the stands screamed in excitement, and the cheerleaders at the center of the field waved their pom-poms like mad. "Go Sun Yan! Our ss must take first ce!" "Wu Bin, beat them from ss One! I freaking couldn''t stand ss One''s guys all along!" "Zhang Chao, what are you doing! Overtake and take first! Stopparing yourself with that guy from the Medical System!" "Ranzi, for God''s sake, slow down..." Up in the stands, Li Xingwang and Jing Haichuan covered their faces, afraid to watch any further, worried that Fang Ren might suddenly slow down, unable to run, and be overtaken by the group behind. The speed of the four runners was still on the rise, constantly changing positions as if they were now seriouslypeting, their pace alreadyparable to a hundred-meter sprint! "Holy shit! Have these guys lost their minds? There are still twops to go!" "Damn it! It''s almost the thirdp already! And they''re still speeding up!" "Ranzi, slow down a bit... let''s just aim for the top five..." Jing and Li could only cover their faces, feeling helpless. ... On the track, the few runners were persistently overtaking each other, with Fang Ren consistently maintaining the third or fourth position, never more than four meters behind the leader. As they raced swiftly forward, the students who had been left behind were just beginning their secondp while these four were already on their third, extending the gap to a fullp from the trailing group! "Holy shit! It''s thestp now!" "Damn it! They still haven''t slowed down! Are they out of their minds?" "Ranzi, don''t exhaust yourself, slow down..." Jing and Li began to sense that something was terribly wrong. As the finalp was underway, Sun Yan''s expression turned ferocious when he realized Fang Ren was still closely behind him, without falling back even slightly and not showing any signs of fatigue. "Fuck! Go die!" Unable to take it anymore, Sun Yan flicked his arm, discarding the number bib on his chest. Fang Ren, right behind him, had no way of avoiding the swift killing blow of the assassination charm. As Sun Yan''s bib hit the ground, Fang Ren stepped right over it, and a cold smile started to spread across Sun Yan''s face. Fang Ren continued to run. 1 second, 2 seconds, 3... Sun Yan''s smile froze on his face. Fang Ren was still running normally, already three seconds in! Fang Ren had run three meters past the bib and the assassination charm hadn''t activated! What the hell was going on! In the stands, Wang Baidai and Wang Cang were also stunned. The assassination charm hadn''t triggered! Fang Ren had clearly stepped right over it. Normally, he should have dropped dead on the spot, his nervous system shattered! "Did the charm Leader Sha gave us malfunction?" Wang Cang frowned. "No, wait a bit longer. Maybe it takes more time to activate," Wang Baidai''s eye twitched as he chose to continue waiting. "Only 300 meters left in the men''s 1500-meter race! We can see that these four athletes have been speeding up since their secondp to get to this point! What kind of changes will the next 300 meters bring? And who will snatch the first ce in the group race..." A young man on the announcer''s tform held the microphone and spoke with impassioned exuberance, igniting the audience''s emotions to a fever pitch. "Holy crap! This guy from the medical department is still in the top three! His endurance is insane!" "It''s useless, in thest 300 meters the three from the Cultivation System can easily widen the gap by nearly fifty meters. Just you wait and see." "Ranzi, you''ve held on this long, just let loose and go for it!" No sooner had these words fallen than the four runners on the track were only 200 meters away from the finish line. At that moment, Fang Ren''s legs suddenly tensed, and he burst forward from fourth ce with a surge of speed. He was incredibly fast, while Sun Yan and the other two were at the brink of exhaustion. Compared to them, Fang Ren appeared as fresh and energetic as if he had just entered the field. After seven or eight strides, Fang Ren directly overtook the three to move into first ce. "Bastard!" Seeing this, Sun Yan gritted his teeth to speed up, but the numbness in his legs and the dizziness before his eyes left him feeling helpless, and he even wished he could use True Qi to catch up right now. "Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! How can this guy from the medical department be so fierce!" As Fang Ren surpassed Sun Yan and the others, everyone in the stands was dumbfounded! "How is this possible! A normal person''s body still has reserve strength at this point!" "Damn, damn, damn! He''s still speeding up! The three from the Cultivation System have been left behind by ten meters! He must be on steroids!" "Sun Yan! What the hell is wrong with you?" "Wu Bin, don''t disgrace our ss!" "Bro, take those guys from the Cultivation System down! Show them who''s boss!" The stands erupted into a cacophony of shouts and jeers. Jing and Li, who had been facepalming until then, suddenly leapt from their seats at the sudden turn. "Damn it! Ranzi, crush him! Crush that Bastard for me!" "Mock him! Look back! Piss the fucker off!" Li Xingwang snatched off Jing Haichuan''s T-shirt in one quick move, twirling it over his head as he jumped around. "You son of a bitch!" Jing Haichuan was baffled. He hastily yanked out his belt and also started swinging it around in the stands, creating quite the scene. So, there were the two brawny men, one shirtless with a belt in hand, and the other holding up his pants with one hand and waving his shirt with the other, making for a most outrageous disy! Chapter 62: Chapter 61: The Arrival of the Void Beast (Second Update)_1 Watching as there was only thest fifty meters to go, Fang Ren had already pulled a hundred meters ahead of Sun Yan and the others behind him! His speed remained unchanged, and the finish line had been strung up ahead of him. Mu Huanqing had been waiting at the finish line with a bottle of mineral water for a while, and as she watched Fang Ren running towards her, a happy smile spread across her face. "Ah! Keep it up, scumbag!" "Victory to the scumbag! Ah!" Just as he was about to reach the finish line, Fang Ren could clearly hear the girls from the medical department''s ss three yelling, and it almost made him trip and fall. Smack¡ª As Fang Ren crossed the finish line, all the students from the medical department burst into an uproar, the scene turning rowdy. It wasn''t unprecedented for an ordinary person to win against cultivators at a campus sports event, but such an oue was almost impossible in long-distance running due to the extreme test of endurance. Even if there had been one or two narrow victories in the school''s history, this was. A margin of victory of over a hundred meters like this was unheard of, it was a total rout! After crossing the finish line, Fang Ren ran straight to Mu Huanqing, lifting her high into his arms and burying his face in her silver hair. "Awoo!" Watching a scene that seemed to ur at almost every sports event, the entire spectator stand howled. "Sis, your boyfriend is so awesome!" ... "Put me down! So many people are watching!" Mu Huanqing''s cheeks turned red as she lightly pinched his waist with her hand. "So what, we''re all adults," Fang Renughed as he put her down. "You jerk!" Mu Huanqing kicked him lightly, her face getting redder with the noise all around, and she bent down to unscrew the cap of the mineral water for him. Fang Ren smiled, took a few sips of the water she had given him, and sneakily kissed her forehead when she wasn''t paying attention. "You..." Mu Huanqing pinched his waist again. "Damn! I recognize him! That''s the beast who was showing off in the cafeteria!" "Damn! I''m so jealous! How lucky must he be to have met a goddess like that!" The group of instructors in the stands could only smile at the sight, reminiscing that youth was indeed wonderful. This was college, not high school, and they had seen this kind of scene many times. By the time Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing, along with the medical department''s ss three cheerleading squad, had left the field, Sun Yan and the other three were just crossing the finish line. "Damn it! What the hell is this talisman paper!" Sun Yan, furious, threw a punch at the air, watching Fang Ren''s departing figure with increasingly venomous eyes. Meanwhile, up in the stands, Wang Baidai immediately took out his phone to make a call, his expression equally ferocious. "Beep beep beep... Hello, the mobile phone you have dialed is switched off..." "Shit! Is Leader Sha ying us?" Wang Baidai bashed the railing with his fist, saying viciously. "Dad, calm down, how could a man like Leader Sha make a joke at a time like this?" Wang Cang frowned as he looked across the track and field. Meanwhile, at a restaurant outside, Sha Baihe was still sitting at the table sipping his drink, with a small tabletputer in front of him disying a string of rapidly updating information. What he gave to Wang Cang wasn''t an assassination charm at all, but a Teleportation Talisman used to transport Void Monsters. All those ims about taking lives within three meters were fabricated by him, just to make Wang Cang believe his words. As for when the Teleportation Talisman would be activated, he didn''t care, as long as it was brought into the school and within a four-hundred-meter range of Fang Ren. When the formidable Void beast appeared, half the school would be annihted in an instant, and Lin Bozhong''s power alone wouldn''t be enough to withstand it. Even if he chose to protect Fang Ren and escape, he would be gravely injured by the aftermath of the Void beast. Then, when they made their move, everything would be easy to handle. "Brother Sha! We''vepleted our investigation! Apart from Lin Bozhong, we also found a woman in ck lurking in the shadows. We''re not sure which power she belongs to," a man''s voice came from theputer. Upon hearing this, Sha Baihe frowned, but he was d he hadn''t hastily activated the Teleportation Talisman and instead had his people scout the campus perimeter. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have known how many experts were protecting Fang Ren, and if they failed to kill him, they would be doomed. "How strong is that woman?" Sha Baihe asked. "The woman is in the same realm as you, but I don''t think she''s from the Fang Family''s left faction." "State your reasons." "ording to our observations, the woman has been watching a female student inside the school and hasn''t paid much attention to Fang Ren''s surroundings. Moreover, her clothes are adorned with two opposing silver des," was the reply. "Two opposing silver des... A guard from the Liu Family?" Sha Baihe murmured, his brow furrowing further as if he had just remembered something. "Didn''t the Liu Family''s Miss Liu disappear from home three years ago, and isn''t this city where she was rumored to be?" "That... I remember the rumor back then said she went to a small county town; could it be... that girl is Miss Liu?" "Very likely," Sha Baihe rxed his furrowed brows and smiled, "The Fang Family''s left faction really has no one else but Lin Bozhong they can send right now. Since that woman is Miss Liu''s Guard, then she''s a friend, not a foe to us." "True, Miss Liu is set to be Mr. Li Zhong''s wife, so her guard would surely help our right faction." "Nonsense!" Sha Baihe said, "Although the Liu Family will stand with our right faction in the future, we can''t let her know about the crime of releasing the Void beast!" "So, Brother Sha, what do we do?" "We proceed with the n! That woman will definitely be able to keep Miss Liu safe, and no one will know the Void beast was released by us." ------ Although Fang Ren had already finished the 1500-meter run early and returned to his ss''s team, there were still students from other sses left with onep to go on the track. There wasn''t much to see, but there was value in the spirit of persevering to the end. Sun Yan, with a face full of anger, cut across the track to pick up the number te he had dropped there earlier. But as soon as his hand was about to touch the number te, a blue light suddenly radiated from it and shot up into the sky! Humm¡ª¡ª The blue pir of light pierced through the clouds, and the clouds in the sky were churned into a vortex. The sound roared like thunder, startling everyone at the entire sports field. Being too close, Sun Yan was directly swept up into the sky by the pir of light, but fortunately, as a Cultivator, he used sword flight to escape in the sky. "What the hell... is this an assassination charm?" Sun Yan looked at the massive blue pir of light and felt panic surge within him. The students in the stands became even more restless because with the appearance of the pir of light, the ground of the entire field started to shake, as if it could copse at any moment. "What is this thing?" "It seemed like it was Sun Yan who caused it just now." The instructor on the hosting stage widened his eyes, almost unable to speak as he looked at the pir of light: "This... this is a teleportation formation!" "Teleportation formation?" "Ah? Can teleportation formations be this huge? The rune master who can create such a formation must be at least at the Grandmaster level, right?" "What''s inside it?" "What the hell is going on! Is Sun Yan not convinced just because he lost?" As the sports field became more and more unrestful, the pir of light began to rapidly expand, and a huge dark shadow inside gradually came into view of the people. "This is! This is the aura of the Void!" One of the instructors on the stands trembled all over, immediately ran to the hosting stage, grabbed the microphone, and shouted, "Run! Everyone, evacuate from here quickly! Hurry up!" "Ah? What on earth is happening?" "Damn it, why care so much, whatever is inside mustn''t be anything good! Run quickly!" "Hurry up! Don''t grab anything! Go!" the instructor on the hosting stage yelled frantically: "There''s something from the Void inside! If you don''t run, you''ll definitely die! Hurry up and run!" "Ah? The Void!" "Shit! What are you waiting for! It''s life or death!" "Ahh!" Instantly, the sports field was filled with screams, as fifteen thousand people quickly fled outwards. Many students from the Cultivation System immediately took to the skies with their sword flight. Though their characters were not exemry on regr days, when faced with a crisis, they still remembered to grab a few ssmates who couldn''t cultivate and took them flying out to safety. Meanwhile, on the hosting stage, a dark shadow shed by, and a woman in cknded directly in front of Liu Qianqian. "Miss Liu, please leave with me!" Before Liu Qianqian could even speak, the woman in ck had already grabbed her and flown away. "Who is that!" The group of instructors on the hosting stage were all baffled. Mu Huanqing stood motionless in the stands, staring at the dark shadow in the sky. Her fists clenched tightly, her expression was cold, and her pupils were beginning to turn silver. A Void Beast! Inside was a giant monster from the Void! Seeing her motionless, Fang Ren immediately rushed over, picked her up, and ran towards the outside of the field. "Young master!" Lin Bozhong, dressed in a white robe, flew to Fang Ren''s side and immediately proceeded to take him and Mu Huanqing away towards the exterior. However, just at that moment, the pir of light in the sky suddenly vanished and a shadow, over thirty meters tall with a body as massive as a mountain, fell from the sky. Boom¡ª¡ª With the shadow hitting the ground, the earth cracked open. Before the true form of the dark giant could be discerned, waves of purple fluctuation kept spreading from the shadow, shockingly surging outward. Wherever it passed, stones shattered, and dust filled the air! "Gathering wind technique! Thousand walls!" Lin Bozhong, seeing the rolling purple wavesing, realized there was no time to flee and immediately released all his True Qi, mming his palm onto the ground in front of him. In a sh, a hundred-meter-tall wall of wind surged from the ground, shielding all the students within a hundred-meter radius. A sound like thunder exploded, the purple surge smashed into the wall of wind, which instantly crumbled, and Lin Bozhong was sent tumbling backward by the force. However, the purple light waves also came to a halt. Lin Bozhong''s wall of wind merely blocked an area of around one hundred meters. The students within this barrier remained unharmed, but the majority outside that range were not so lucky. "Ahh!!" "Help me!" "My hand! Ah¡­" Many students hadn''t managed to run far enough and were directly blown into the air by the purple light waves, with some dying on the spot. Even the students farther away were affected; at least two thousand people were blown far off, bloodied all over, fainting at various locations throughout the campus. Chapter 63: Chapter 62: Full Effort in Repairing the Meridians (Third Update)_1 ``` Many teachers were making strenuous efforts to rescue students, but still, over a thousand students died on the spot! In an instant, the entire yground was destroyed into ruins by a purple shockwave, and the music that had been ying over the loudspeakers was reced by the screams of tens of thousands of students. Roar¡ª A beast''s roar came from the center of the yground; the dust and ash that filled the air shook and flew everywhere as students scrambled in panic, their inner terror too overwhelming to dare a backward nce. "Old Lin!" Fang Ren carried Mu Huanqing to the top of the stands only to see Lin Bozhong covered in blood, his entire back embedded in the concrete wall, while he continuously spat out blood. "Young master... run away..." Lin Bozhong gave him a forceful push, signaling him to leave him behind. "Let''s go together!" Fang Ren didn''t care anymore and immediately took out a white pill and stuffed it into Lin Bozhong''s mouth, followed by an outburst of gray vital energy from his body. With one arm cradling Mu Huanqing and the other clutching Lin Bozhong, he charged at full speed towards a distant location. "Ah Ran, you..." Mu Huanqing, upon seeing the gray vital energy erupting from him, looked at him with surprise. Lin Bozhong, mped under his arm, was unable to speak, but his aged, trembling eyes betrayed his shock. The young master lost his Spiritual Root... and yet he can still cultivate! Ao¡ª The Void Beast at the center of the yground suddenly raised its head to the sky and shot a column of blue me from its mouth, instantly tinging the clouds above with blue. Sun Yan, who hadn''t yet realized what he had done, saw the pir of fire rising from the ground and immediately tried to escape. However, before he could react, the fire engulfed himpletely. "Ah! Ah!!" Screams filled the sky as he turned to dust within the pir of fire! Hum¡ª The Void Beast, as if driven by madness, continuously spewed fire pirs in all directions, as if to vent the rage of being imprisoned by humans. mes descended to the ground everywhere, as if signaling the end of the world. Several campus buildings were sliced at their waists by the columns of fire, copsing from the sky, whilerge fires ignited in the nearby bamboo groves and gardens, spreading rapidly into the distance. Outside the school, the road was pitted with crater-like holes from the mes, and many vehicles caused chain collisions in their attempts to avoid them. People strolling on the distant streets stopped to look at the campus sky aze with blue mes, mistaking it for a novel cheer at a college sports event, and took out their phones to take photographs of the distant sky. ... Fang Ren desperately fled across the stands; regretfully, not being a Yuanxin Realm practitioner, he was unable to fly and could only rely on his legs to run. The Void Beast roared angrily, and from the sky, a column of blue me surged towards Fang Ren. At this sight, Fang Ren sprinted in a frenzy. He didn''t head towards the densely popted areas but instead towards a sparsely popted path, hoping to minimize casualties. A me column several meters thick pursued Fang Ren closely. While evading and running, he was not very agile with Mu Huanqing and Lin Bozhong in his arms. Soon enough, a burn scorched his back, causing a piercingly painful sensation that forced him to clench his teeth. The Void Beast seemed to harbor personal enmity, singling him out as mes chased him and him alone. By now, most students had evacuated several hundred meters from the yground, and some finally dared to look back at the Void Beast that had descended from the heavens. With one nce, the shocked and fearful expressions on their faces intensified. The Void Beast stood about thirty meters tall, turtle-like in form with robust limbs, and a tail studded with sharp, armor-like scales. A blue mini-volcano continuously erupted from its shell, and its head bore a rhino-like horn. The monster''s body was mottled purple-gray, streaked with patterns of blue me. Its massive body filled the entire yground, each movement causing the ground below to thunder and roar. With a sweep of its tail, it gouged grooves into the earth. "This is... this is a Fourth-Order Void Beast!" eximed a Cultivation System teacher in panic. "Fourth-Order!?" The surrounding teachers and students, upon hearing this, disyed the grim visage of despair. "Fourth-Order Void Beasts should only appear in the battlefields of Fifth to Seventh Districts! How could ite here!" a teacher bellowed in rage. "It''s over... our entire city is doomed... this creature will destroy our whole city within a day!" "The Central war zone is too far from here! It''ll take at least sixteen hours for help to arrive!" "By the time help arrives, who knows how many of us will still be alive..." "It''s all over! All over!" "First let''s escape and warn other citizens to take refuge! Run as far as you can!" "Not many can get out... the whole city trying to flee will clog up every road!" Some people, upon seeing the Fourth-Order Void Beast, began to despair. Boom¡ª With a loud boom, a vast crevice of mes tore through the campus path; Fang Ren was sted away, and Lin Bozhong and Mu Huanqing, whom he had been clutching, tumbled to the ground. "Ranzi! Run!" From a distance, Li Xingwang and others could only stand still and shout, unable to get closer. "Damn it! Why can''t I be a cultivator!" Jing Haichuan eximed in anger, pping his thigh. "Get out of here quickly! I''ll save them!" A cultivation system instructor immediately wanted to rush down the path, but the sky was filled with sparks continuously smashing into the ground, creating deep pits. The center of the spark explosion was where Fang Ren was, and those sparks were sttering everywhere like a torrential downpour. "Roaming Dragon Sword Qi!" The instructor''s body immediately emitted a dragon-shaped aura, enveloping him in protection as he rode his sword into the sky. Hum¡ª¡ª But it was impossible to get close to Fang Ren; he had barely rushed forward a few dozen meters when a cluster of exploding sparks forced him back, his skin scorched and bleeding. "Teacher Liu! Come back! Save more students'' lives first!" another instructor shouted to the one who had just charged out. Teacher Liu, seeing the sky full of descending fireballs, could only grit his teeth and return to the group escorting the students, his gaze filled with unwillingness as he watched Fang Ren. "Damn it!" Fang Ren endured the pain and crawled up from the ground, his body releasing gray vital energy to its utmost, protecting Mu Huanqing and Lin Bozhong in front of him as he continued to run forward. His face was covered in blood, the skin on his back was charred, and thest explosion had injured his waist bone; now carrying two people, his running speed had greatly decreased. Meanwhile, in the distance, three men in ck robes floated outside the school, closely watching everything happening within. "Brother Sha, this Void beast is too fierce; we can''t get through to kill our target," one man said as he watched the sky full of fireballs. "Heh, do you think we still need to take action now?" Sha Baiheughed, looking down at the miserable Fang Ren. Another man said, "This Void beast is really acting to our liking, as if it''s specifically targeting Fang Ren." Sha Baihe said, "Mainly because this Void beast fears the energy on the body of the Nine Heavens Mystic Lady, otherwise it wouldn''t have spared tens of thousands of others and only targeted them three." "So, we just watch him die?" a man asked. Sha Baihe coldly responded, "Otherwise, what? Do you want to rush in and be burned to ashes?" "I... I just feel it''s hard to swallow not killing him with my own hands." On the ground, Fang Ren was still fleeing with Mu Huanqing and Lin Bozhong. The blood on his body kept increasing, and even as a cultivator, he was struggling to withstand the injuries. "Ah Ran, put me down!" Mu Huanqing suddenly said. "Put you down, my ass!" Fang Ren wouldn''t listen to her at all. "It wants to kill me!" Mu Huanqing began struggling to get down. "You listen to me!" Fang Ren shouted angrily. Mu Huanqing was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. Lin Bozhong bit his teeth and said, "Young Master... let this old one go..." "Shut up!" Fang Ren didn''t listen to either of them, dodging and running, the gray vital energy on his back still shielding him from the fire''s harm. Without thisyer of gray vital energy, he would have been charred long ago. Boom¡ª¡ª Another explosion erupted, and Fang Ren was once again blown away. Thud¡ª¡ª Hitting the ground hard, Fang Ren felt his knee bones shatter, losing almost all sensation in his legs; he couldn''t even crawl up. He turned and saw the fireballs continuously flying over, his face turning an extreme shade of pale. "Ah Ran!" Seeing this, Mu Huanqing immediately scrambled up and flung herself onto Fang Ren, hugging him tightly to shield him from the descending fireballs. Fang Ren looked at Mu Huanqing, who had thrown herself on him, his heart in utter turmoil, and screamed, "Qianye! Come out and entangle it!" Swish swish swish¡ª¡ª In an instant, hundreds of gray tendrils burst out from Fang Ren''s body, rapidly coalescing into a massive over a dozen meters wide, set up in front of the three of them. Boom boom boom¡ª¡ª The fireballs from the sky kept crashing down onto the gray, sending blue mes spraying in all directions. But in the end, they didn''t touch a hair on his beloved. Roar¡ª¡ª The Void Beast roared furiously, as a column of blue mes began gathering in its mouth, preparing to spew forth towards Fang Ren. Seeing this, Fang Ren clenched his teeth tightly; he had only just reunited with Mu Huanqing, and now they were about to be separated again... "Qianye! Fully restore her meridians!" Fang Ren ordered through gritted teeth. Swish¡ª¡ª A tendril wrapped around Mu Huanqing''s wrist, and bursts of red energy continuously flowed into her body. As long as Mu Huanqing regained her strength, at least they could escape from here, but then she would go back to battle, and if he couldn''t join her, they might never see each other again. But little did he know, his order would lead to far greaterplications that would unfold... Chapter 64: Chapter 63: Descending into the World (4 updates)_1 "Quick! We''re almost at the school gate!" "Hold on! Once we''re out, we''ll be safe!" Tens of thousands of students rapidly fled towards the outside, but during the escape, clusters of fireballs in the sky kept crashing down towards them. Boom boom boom¡ª Dozens of Cultivation Department tutors constantly blocked the fireballs aimed at the students, their arms already charred and bleeding profusely. Even though they put up such desperate resistance against the falling fireballs, many students were still struck dead on the spot. After all, those tens of thousands were simply too many for just a dozen tutors to protect. Moreover, the students from the Cultivation System couldn''t block the fireballs raining down from the sky and could only drag the injured students behind them, fleeing outside. Seeing the students'' corpses burnt and lives snatched away by mes, and hearing the cries of those covered in blood struggling on the ground, many tutors felt an unprecedented amount of heartache. The entire campus was like hell itself! Just as they were about to leave the campus, the students at the front suddenly stopped. "What''s going on!" a tutor bellowed. "Tutor! The gate ispletely blocked with wrecked cars, and they''re still exploding!" a student from the Cultivation System yelled. Boom¡ª Just as the student finished speaking, a truck on the road outside exploded, blowing several cars into the air. Bang bang¡ª Several Cultivation System students immediately flew up to block the flying cars. At this moment, a tutor who had gone out to scout the road conditions in the distance returned with a look of desperation, "It''s no use. We can''t get out; even if there was nothing blocking the way, an area of five miles outside is covered by the Void Beast''s power! Whether we go or stay, there''s almost no difference!" "What! Five miles?" "Then even if we make it out, we''ll almost all be dead!" "It''s over... Are we going to die like this!" "Why is this monster appearing here! Damn it!" ... More than ten thousand students roared in despair, many girls'' faces streaked with tears as they wailed, and a few Cultivation System students even flew out on their swords. But before they got far, without the tutors'' protection, they were directly hit by the fireballs from the sky and lost their lives. Meanwhile, under the cover of the ruins of a teaching building, Jian Qi''er was taking a Night Walk Robe out of the Space Ring given to her by Fang Ren. She was determined to save Fang Ren. Even if Fang Ren chose not to join the Nightfall Organization, she needed to rescue him. A genius in medicine like him simply couldn''t die here; he still had more miracles to create, more to contribute to human society. Putting that aside, just the fact that Fang Ren had given her a Space Ring was enough reason for her to save him. Even if he would never be part of her life in the future, even if he might be an enemy of the Nightfall Organization, her sense of obligation was clear. However, before she could put on the Night Walk Robe, several fireballs from the sky crashed down around her. Her True Qi immediately erupted, and she drew a long sword from the Space Ring to strike. Bang¡ª But as she swung her sword, she was sted away, crashing into the ruins of the teaching building, her head buzzing. "Fourth-order Space Beast... so powerful..." She struggled to get up, but before she could stand, another fireball crashed beside her, knocking her out cold. On the sports field, the huge body of the Void Beast kept moving towards the path, as blue mes gathered to a climax inside its nearly fifty-meter-wide maw. Fang Ren clenched his teeth and urged his True Qi, pouring the energy from his Spiritual Root massively into Mu Huanqing''s wrist. He could see her meridians rapidly healing. Just a little more, just a tiny bit more! Mu Huanqing held him, filled with shock in her eyes. She could feel the red energy from the grey twig healing her body''s meridians at an incredible rate. And as her meridians continued to mend, she could feel her Spiritual Root beginning to revive. "This power..." Mu Huanqing looked at the pained Fang Ren, her stunning face furrowed with concern. She felt an overwhelming fear mixed withplexity. If she didn''t regain her cultivation abilities, she and the man she loved would die, but if her powers returned, would she be what Ah Ran had describedst night? No one would agree to their union, and countless people would want to tear them apart¡ªtheir rtionship would be opposed by all of humanity. But what could be done? She didn''t want Fang Ren to die. As for the future, she would think about it when it came. Ah Ran didn''t yet know her identity; he must have thought purely of helping her heal her meridians so that they all could survive, but she knew very well what would happen next. Giggle giggle giggle¡ª She could feel her meridianspletely restored, the Immortal Qi from her Spiritual Root flooding her body like a tide. Her ck pupils turned silver, shining with a brilliant silver light. Feeling Mu Huanqing''s meridians restored, Fang Ren''s expression turned even more tortured; the branches on his body still connected to her wrist; he couldn''t quite believe what he perceived happening to her. Her Spiritual Root... Immortal Qi... Xuan Nv... How could this be... Seeing Fang Ren''s bloodied face, Mu Huanqing''s eyes reddened, tears streaming down as she understood he had realized everything. She hugged him tightly, kissing him passionately on the lips. Hum¡ª The blue me pir in the mouth of the Void Beast suddenly burst forth, piercing through the air, bathing the entire campus in blue light once more. The pir, like a dragon swallowing skyscrapers, surged towards Fang Ren. Firelight shot into the sky, the earth shook, and a cloud of dust filled the horizon. "Ah Ran..." More than ten thousand students at the school gate stood dumbfounded, a tumult of emotions swirling in their hearts. If it weren''t for Fang Ren Ah Ran attracting the Void Beast, they doubted they would have been able to run as far as they had. But at that moment, fear dominated their hearts. "Damn it... Did Ah Ran just... disappear like that?" A group of people stared at the exploding scene, momentarily stunned. Roar¡ª Seeing its strike connected, the Void Beast immediately turned and headed toward the school gate, where more than ten thousand people were gathered. mes burst more violently from its body, and it began to gather another column of fire in its mouth. Whiz whiz whiz¡ª Hundreds of blue fireballs were hurled towards the students at the school entrance. "Scatter! Run wherever you can! Don''t look back!" A tutor roared as he charged with his longsword into the sky, while the students below scrambled in a panicked rush toward the school entrance¡ªthe scene grew even more chaotic. "Scatter! Scatter!" Other tutors seeing this kept shouting in the air, confronting the oing fireballs as they soared up. But the group of students below had already lost their ability to judge for themselves, with many standing in ce, staring nkly as the fireballs fell from the sky. "We''re done for... We''re all going to die..." Despair, despair was in the hearts of over ten thousand people. Even the dozen tutors flying toward the sky were prepared for death. They could have escaped on their own strength, but somehow, facing this disaster and seeing their own students dying, from the bottom of their hearts, they didn''t want to flee. Just as Fang Ren Ah Ran had said to Mu Huanqing, the world is still beautiful, and there are always more good people than bad. Just when everyone was in despair, suddenly a giant silver wheel appeared out of nowhere, blocking above the heads of more than ten thousand teachers and students. A series of deafening explosions sounded, yet the people below were unscathed. One second, two seconds, three seconds... "Are we... still alive?" "Am I already dead? Cui Hua... hit me with your ten-centimeter-thick palm." p¡ª "I''m still alive!" "Look at the sky!" "That is..." Everyone looked up to the sky and saw a kilometer-wide giant wheel floating overhead. It spun continuously, emitting a sacred silver radiance, withplex patterns crisscrossing in order but without chaos, making one feel as if it contained the principles of heaven and earth. Surrounding the perimeter of the silver wheel, strands of silver thread were connected to variousplex weapons, spears, swords, halberds,nces... all in a sacred silver. "Madame Xuan..." "Isn''t that Madame Xuan''s Spirit Form?" "Madame Xuan is still alive!" "How is this possible! Am I already dead?" A silver figure burst forth from the dust on the path below and flew towards the crowd at the school, stopping in front of Li Xingwang Jing Haichuan. Everyone watched, stunned, as Mu Huanqing cradled Fang Ren Ah Ran in her arms, and with her other hand wrapped in silver True Qi, she held Lin Bozhong, descending from the sky with a holy presence. She was no longer dressed in the school uniform but wore silver battle armor, crafted from True Qi. Her pupils had turned white, and an aura around her body made her unapproachable. "Take good care of them." Her silver eyes swept over the two young masters. Mu Huanqing set down Fang Ren Ah Ran and Lin Bozhong, then turned to fly up to the Silver Wheel. Everyone forgot to speak, watching in awe as Mu Huanqing stood atop the Silver Wheel in the sky, unable to describe the shock in their hearts with words. Sensing a threat to its life, the Fourth-order Void Beast became even more enraged. It aimed the blue me gathering in its mouth towards Mu Huanqing. Mu Huanqing waved her hand in the air, and the kilometer-sized Silver Wheel behind her instantly shrank to three meters, floating behind her. A thread on the Silver Wheel snapped, and a Silver Long Spear flew from the wheel into her hand. "Heaven''s Creation Divine Art! y!" She whispered the incantation, and her voice echoed like thunder across the heavens. The Spear in her hand shone with a cold light, drawing clouds in the entire sky toward her head. She charged towards the Fourth-order Void Beast''s fiery column as a beam of light with the Long Spear tearing through the surging fire that roared like a dragon, shattering the sky-filled fireballs with the silver light she emitted. Like a meteor streaking across the sky, she pierced through the fire column, shattered the Void, and when her figure reappeared, she was already behind the Void Beast. While the Void Beast was still roaring, preparing to turn and attack, a series of shattering sounds echoed across the sky. Crack crack crack¡ª The massive body of the Void Beast fractured as it moved, with blue blood and entrails spurting into the sky; the small volcanoes on its back copsed...and its head dropped to the ground instantaneously! Chapter 65: Chapter 64: The Curtain Falls_1 ``` In the ruins of the schoolyard, the figure in the silver battle armor was pure and magnificent, like a fairy from legends, radiating an awe-inspiring aura that one couldn''t help but revere and dare not approach. She slowly swung the long spear in her hand behind her, and the spear transformed into a streak of silver light that entered the silver wheel on her back. The weapons on the disk were once againplete, casting wave after wave of brilliance around. Hum¡ª¡ª The silver wheel behind her soared into the sky again, turning into a huge heavenly disk that covered a five-mile radius. She sent beams of silver radiance skyward from her body, ceaselessly infusing the huge heavenly disk with True Qi. Before long, white streams of light rained down from the sky above the entire area. The streams of light fell to the earth, covering the school''s streets, the small river, and the forests, extinguishing all the blue mes that were burning, unveiling a charred wastnd. People who were shopping at a distance, unaware of the true situation, continued to take photos with their phones and post on socialworks. More than ten thousand people at the school''s gates were still in a daze, watching the silver light falling from the sky. In their hearts, they were like souls in hell who had seen a savior angel descending. "Nine Heavens Profound Girl¡­ It really is Madame Xuan¡­" A tutor, eyes filled with immense shock, looked towards the field, still bleeding profusely. Suddenly, their body went limp and they knelt in mid-air, the longsword used to protect the students falling from their grasp, a hint of moisture glistening at the corner of their eyes. "Madame Xuan is not dead¡­ It''s her who saved us¡­" "How could this be¡­ Is this an illusion? How could Madame Xuan have been by our side all along?" "It really is Madame Xuan! The Ten Thousand Instruments Spirit Phase! The Creation True Qi! It''s truly her!" "Was everything that just happened a dream¡­ How could a Void beast havee here? How could they have died? And how could Madame Xuan possibly be alive¡­" "Stop thinking about it, this is not a dream, what''s important is¡­ our entire city has finally been saved!" ... After a long while, a girl in the crowd suddenly knelt down, crying and looking up to the sky in anguish: "Finally¡­ I''ve finally survived! Wuu¡­" Following this girl''s tears, the nerves of the entire crowd were drawn back to reality, and the crowd descended into chaos once more. "Xiao Rui! Xiao Rui!" A boy immediately rushed out, turning back to search for his girlfriend, who had been separated from him in the turmoil. Subsequently, more people rushed to the fallen bodies, searching for their closest friends and the ones they held dearest in their hearts. After a short time, the school field was filled with the cries of students, some holding the bleeding corpses and howling to the sky, while others, upon seeing their most familiar faces gruesome and beyond recognition, knelt on the ground with their faces covered in their hands. The huge celestial wheel in the sky returned behind Mu Hui, and the silver armor on her body converged into streams of silver light that retracted into her body. She stood in ce, looking at the campus littered with bodies and seas of fire, listening to the wails and sobs of her kin, her beautiful and captivating silver eyes filled with sorrow. Just a few minutes before, every one of them was a vivid life thriving in happiness. In just a few short minutes, they had experienced hellish terror, losing their entitlement to the mortal world. The scene was cruel, brutal, but the battlefield in Area One was a hundred times, even a thousand times more grievous. Her True Qi surged, and she turned into a beam of light once more, returning to the crowd. Her silver pupils turned ck, and she was dressed in a ck school uniform, with her three thousand locks of white hair gently swaying in the breeze, her face showing only a fatigued expression. Fang Ren was being supported by Li Xingwang Jing Haichuan, drenched in blood from head to toe, with his back and knees of his legs a gory mess, his expression covered in ayer of sorrowful ash, his sclera filled with blood vessels. Looking at Mu Huanqing approaching him, his heart felt as if it was being constantly pricked by silver needles, causing an excruciating pain. He had a lot of words he wanted to say and questions to ask, but when the words reached his throat, all he could do was clench his teeth tightly, feeling a choked sensation. At this moment, he felt no pride or arrogance because his beloved was the Nine Heavens Profound Girl, whom billions revered. All he felt was sorrow and confusion. He had never loved her for her high status or her superb Cultivation talent. He would rather she were just a mortal, with a lifespan of not more than a hundred years, with beauty that could age¡­ so they could live a peaceful life together, without anyone trying to tear them apart. Yes, he had a gift for alchemy, even capable of creating his own elixirs; yes, he was talented in crafting as well, even able to create the first Space Ring in human history¡­ But what were all these things in front of the stature of the Nine Heavens Profound Girl? She was too powerful. For the sake of ensuring the continuation of powerful Cultivation genes, how could humanity possibly allow her to be with him? What''s the use of being strong in alchemy, what''s the use of being strong in crafting, if his Cultivation ability couldn''t reach the pinnacle among Earth''s younger generation, the whole world would not agree to Mu Huanqing marrying him and having children! "I''m sorry¡­" Mu Huanqing, looking at Fang Ren with aplex expression, was also in turmoil, and what came out of her mouth turned into this simple apology. Fang Ren turned his head away, unable to bear looking at her directly. After clenching his teeth for a few seconds, he finally spoke, "It''s okay, I will¡­ try very hard! Very! Hard!" Mu Huanqing, seeing him like this, couldn''t help her eyes from reddening again. She walked over and stretched out her arms to embrace him tightly, whispering in his ear, "We''ll be together¡­ We definitely will!" The people nearby, witnessing this scene, were filled with all sorts of shock and surprise, unable to utter a single word. Fang Ren¡­ How had this ordinary medical studente to have such a connection with Madame Xuan, the Nine Heavens Profound Girl? They were supposed to be people from two different worlds. They simply couldn''tprehend it. "If you''re Madame Xuan, why didn''t youe to save everyone sooner!" At that moment, not far away, a student cradling the body of his girlfriend yelled at Mu Huanqing with red-rimmed eyes. After his shout, the whole scene fell into silence for a few seconds, expressions furrowed as people nced at Mu Huanqing, then swiftly scattered away. Just then, another female student knelt on the ground and cried out, "Yes! Aren''t you the Xuan Nv of the Nine Heavens? Aren''t you supposed to protect the human race? Why did you just watch them get killed one by one? Why!" The words that burst forth from these two people were like igniting a bomb buried in everyone''s hearts. All eyes turned to Mu Huanqing, showing bafflement mixed with profound sorrow, yet no one spoke another word. Mu Huanqing, faced with the iprehension in the surrounding faces, suddenly felt very heartbroken. "If only you had acted sooner, A-Ming wouldn''t have died!" The girl holding her boyfriend''s body sobbed, shouting at Mu Huanqing. "Yes... why didn''t you act sooner..." "I really can''t understand, it was almost like hell here just now, and you only acted at the very end..." "What was Madame Xuan thinking..." Hearing the low murmurs of the crowd behind him, and seeing the sorrowful expression on Mu Huanqing''s face that seemed to carry an exnation she found difficult to voice, Fang Ren held back the pain in his body and turned his head, "Do you really think she wanted our ssmates to die? Do you think she didn''t want to save people?" The pressure of various troubles intertwined in his heart, making his voice incredibly agitated and angry. Was Mu Huanqing really to me? Shouldn''t the person who unleashed the Void beast be the culprit? Why question her when students have died? If she could have saved people, she would have done so long ago! But were things really that simple? "Cough cough cough..." No sooner had Fang Ren finished speaking than he began to cough up blood, feeling as if his chest might explode. Mu Huanqing used her True Qi to relieve his pain, telling him to stop talking. Once again, the scene returned to silence until, after a long while, a helicopter descended from the sky. Numerous police officers ran down¡ªthere were no battlefield warriors here, only public security police. Several instructors immediately went forward to inform the police officers about the events that had taken ce here. After a moment of surprise upon seeing Mu Huanqing, they approached her respectfully to offer greetings. Fang Ren only felt darkness before his eyes, then he fainted. ------ Meanwhile, far away, Sha Baihe and others were fleeing at great speed, ncing back asionally as they ran. "Damn it! Why did Mu Huanqing suddenly regain her strength!" a man cursed in horror. "It''s good we were far enough away! There were also many cultivators present, otherwise we definitely would have been exposed! If that had happened, the entire Fang Family would be dragged into this mess!" another man said with lingering fear. Sha Baihe''s face was pale with fright. Mu Huanqing''s sudden restoration to full strength, given her abilities, could surely detect their presence! Thankfully, it was only because the situation had been too chaotic, and they had stood so far away without strong power. Even if perceived by Mu Huanqing, they would have been mistaken for city residents fleeing in panic. Otherwise, as the other man had said, the whole Fang family would have been implicated¡ªboth the left and right factions! Sha Baihe couldn''t help feeling relieved at that moment, grateful that they had already dealt with Wang Cang father and son beforehand and that Sun Yan had been killed by the Void Beast. Otherwise, trying to take action now would be utterly impossible! "What on earth has happened to Mu Huanqing! She should have died from the injuries she received on the battlefield! Not only is she not dead, but she has also regained her strength! This... Is this good or bad for the right-wing faction of our Fang Family..." Elsewhere in the city, atop a tall building, a woman dressed in ck stood beside Liu Qianqian, both gazing toward the distant horizon. Liu Qianqian''s expression was filled with pain, while the woman in ck had an ice-cold countenance. "Is it that hard for you to save his life!" Liu Qianqian angrily confronted the woman next to her, her eyes bloodshot. "Young Miss, his death will finally put an end to those thoughts of yours. It''s a good thing for you," said the woman in ck, her voice void of emotion. "His death is a good thing?" Liu Qianqian''s rage could no longer be contained. She roared, "Just because I love him? Just because I love him, does he deserve to die in your eyes!" "Young Miss, I am considering the future of the Liu Family and the entire human race," said the woman in ck. "Look, with his death, you will be able to marry Mr. Li Zhong in peace. The child born from that union will surely protect more people. Thus, Fang Ren''s life in exchange for many others is well worth it." "Nonsense!" Liu Qianqian shouted. "How twisted can your thinking be! Can''t you save his life? Will it not suffice if I don''t like him? Just save his life, and I will immediately return to the Liu Family to marry! I''ve made myself this clear, why do you persist with this nonsense, insisting that he must die!" "His existence would only lead to emotional conflicts between you and Mr. Li Zhong. I believe his life is truly unnecessary," said the woman in ck. "Once I return to the Liu Family, you won''t have it easy!" Liu Qianqian said through gritted teeth. "For your loving rtionship with Mr. Li Zhong, even death would be a sacrifice worth making," said the woman in ck, bowing deeply. "You''re all insane!" Liu Qianqian covered her face and began to cry. Chapter 66: Chapter 65: They Are People from Two Different Worlds (Additional Update)_1 "This is Xiaofeng, a reporter from xxx. We are currently at the campus destroyed by a Fourth-order Space Beast. As you can see, looking around, it''s all ruins. Everything has been burned to the ground¡­" "Excuse me, are you a teacher from this school? Why do you think the Fourth-order Space Beast suddenly descended here? What happened at that time¡­" "Is the Nine Heavens Mysterious Girl really a student of this school? Did she really study here?" "This is Ah Qiang, a reporter from xx. Regarding the rumors of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Girl having a boyfriend at school, let''s interview some of the students¡­" ¡­ With the descent of the Fourth-order Space Beast in the small county and the major incident of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Girl''s resurrection to save the city, reporters from all over the world crazily flocked to Yangming City, with endless reports emerging. Various apps and forums on the intepletely exploded with spection and wild guesses about the previous news of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Girl''s death. The emergence of the Fourth-order Space Beast was still a mystery, but most of the news online was about how the Nine Heavens Mysterious Girl was resurrected and the scandal of her rumored boyfriend. Currently, the question of how the Nine Heavens Mysterious Girl was resurrected has been resolved, but it was not the Nine Heavens Mysterious Girl herself who replied, but the Tianjiang Mu Family that responded to it. The gist of the response was: The Nine Heavens Mysterious Girl had been severely injured on the battlefield, which led to a long period during which she couldn''t use True Qi. To allow her to retire from the battlefield, the Mu family released the news of her death. Today, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Girl suddenly emerged to protect the citizens, forcibly using True Qi, which has worsened her condition and her life is in danger. As for the scandal about the Nine Heavens Mysterious Girl''s rumored boyfriend, the Tianjiang Mu family''s response was: There was absolutely no truth to it. In less than an hour, all the posts and news about the Nine Heavens Mysterious Girl having a boyfriend were thoroughly censored online. The only ones who knew the factual truth were the students and teachers of Yangming City University, but since the Tianjiang Mu Family had spoken, naturally, no one dared to speak recklessly, or else they would be used of spreading rumors. "Why fabricate such rumors of Qing''er''s death! Do you know the great impact this has on the reputation of my Mu Family!" In the grand hall of the Mu Family, an old man with white hair stood livid, ring at Mu Yingying and Shang Han standing below, his tone full of fury. With sadness, Mu Yingying said, "Father! You don''t understand the severity of Qing''er''s injuries! Her meridians werepletely severed, surviving that was a miracle itself. And even if she survived, she would have to spend half her life in a wheelchair! All we did was for Qing''er''s own good!" "That still doesn''t justify such absurd actions!" Grandpa Mu pped the table angrily, continuing, "What status does Qing''er hold! How could you spread rumors of her death like this? And you two even kept me in the dark!" Below, Shang Han frowned deeply and spoke, "Father-inw, on this matter, I believe Yingying and I made no mistake. Are you still unaware of the reasons behind Qing''er''s injuries on the battlefield? If we proimed she wasn''t dead, would certain people give up? There are even those beasts who wanted to continue exploiting her to create formations! Were we wrong to do what we did?" Grandpa Mu stood up immediately, still consumed with anger: "Since Qing''er wasn''t dead, you two could have told me! Are you afraid I''d harm Qing''er?!" Shang Han replied, "Father-inw, I also believe that Yingying and I did the right thing. If we hadn''t, you surely would have never agreed to let her date an average boy, then marry and have children, living out the rest of her life." "Ridiculous!" Grandpa Mu roared, pointing at Shang Han. "Even if Qing''er has lost her Cultivation Ability, even if she had to spend her life in a wheelchair, her status is not something an ordinary person could match! Both of you are being foolish!" Shang Han''s frown deepened, and his tone grew heavier as he spoke, "It''s precisely because you have such thoughts, father-inw, that we didn''t dare tell you! You always believe Qing''er should marry the most outstanding young man in the world, yet you have never considered her perspective." Grandpa Mu red at him fiercely and retorted, "So what gives you, a father who hasn''t been with her for twenty-two years, any right to decide!" "Father, this was my decision!" Mu Yingying spoke. "You''ve always known to follow his nonsense from a young age! Even after getting married!" Grandpa Mu kicked the table in anger, yet underneath it all was helplessness. After a while, Grandpa Mu calmed his emotions and said, "Both of you, tell me the truth, was there really no possibility of Qing''er''s meridians recovering? Did you deliberately hide this from me?" "There was no possibility," Shang Han said with a frown. "Many masters from the Central Area came to examine Qing''er, her meridians werepletely severed, her Spiritual Root was in a necrotic state; it was impossible for her to cultivate again." "Then how do you exin Qing''er''s sudden recovery now?" Grandpa Mu asked. Just then, Second Young Master Mu, who had been standing on the side in the hall, came forward, saying, "Father, Qing''er has a unique Spiritual Root; perhaps it recovered on its own post-trauma. Sister and brother-inw can''t be med for this." "Not me them?" The words seemed to infuriate Grandpa Mu even further. "They were about to marry Qing''er to a mortal boy! And she''s lived with him for many days! Now that Qing''er''s abilities have recovered, her future husband will certainly be Song Mobei. If these matters be public, what face will be left for my Sword Sect! The two of you are really trying to infuriate me to death!" "I don''t agree!" Shang Han immediately said, "Father-inw, I don''t agree with you separating them, and I definitely won''t agree to Qing''er marrying Song Mobei! Even if Qing''er regained her strength, her husband could only be Ah Ran. Father-inw, I beg you not to break up true love." Old Master Mu angrily said, "It doesn''t matter if you don''t agree! Since you were young, you and Yingying have done foolish things! And now you even want to involve your own daughter in your foolishness! Shang Han, I''ve treated you like my own son all these years, can you not understand me at all?" Seeing this, Second Young Master Mu immediately tugged on Shang Han''s arm and spoke up, "Brother-inw, Qing''er is no ordinary person. With her status, she absolutely can''t marry a mortal who can''t cultivate. Otherwise, it would waste her excellent genes, and the children born would have mediocre talents. Then the whole world would me the Mu Family for being irrational!" Shang Han looked at Old Master Mu, who was angrily heaving his chest, and felt extremelyplicated. He really didn''t want to upset his father-inw, because his father-inw truly treated him like his own, always treating him as a real son... Mu Yingying said resignedly with her head lowered, "We never thought that one day Qing''er would be able to regain her strength..." "Now the problem is that Qing''er has recovered! You two must not continue being so foolish!" Old Master Mu said this and immediately walked towards the outside of the hall, telling several people beside him, "Follow me to bring Qing''er back!" "Father-inw!" Shang Han immediately ran out to stop him, his face full of pleading, "Why must you insist on separating them!" "How can we not separate them?" Old Master Mu looked at Shang Han and said, "Qing''er''s cultivation gene is unprecedentedly strong in human history, a genius among the younger generation. Only Tiandao Sword Sect''s Song Mobei is her natural match! They are more suited to be together, and the children they have will definitely inherit both of their talents! You say I am breaking up a pair of mandarin ducks. Are you not the one separating a couple made for each other?" "Father-inw! Qing''er and Ah Ran are the ones with feelings! She hasn''t even met that Song Mobei!" said Shang Han. "It is precisely because Qing''er hasn''t met him that she has a temporary affection for that kid from the Fang Family! Once Qing''er has spent more time with Song Mobei, she will naturally forget about that boy!" said Old Master Mu. "Doing so will definitely cause Qing''er a lot of pain!" Shang Han argued. "Better a short pain than a long one." Old Master Mu nced at Shang Han, then told the servants beside him, "Keep a close watch on your son-inw, don''t let him go outside." "Yes!" A group of Mu Family servants immediately ran to Shang Han''s side to stop him from following, among them were many practitioners at the Chongshan Realm. "..." Shang Han watched his father-inw''s retreating figure and then nced back at his wife who was hanging her head, he gritted his teeth and shouted, "Can''t you let me go!" Old Master Mu didn''t turn around, "No! You scoundrel only know how to do nonsense! Just stay at home properly, or I won''t acknowledge you as my son-inw when Ie back!" Shang Han felt utterly helpless within. He really wanted his daughter to be with Ah Ran, but that would mean facing the pressure of the entire world, including the rebukes from his own conscience. After all, if his daughter truly ended up with Ah Ran, the children born would indeed not have great cultiovational talent, and the Central Area would adopt all kinds of inhumane methods in their quest to obtain children with superior cultivation genes... They would use powerful force when necessary to forcibly take Mu Hui away from Fang Ren, imprison her,pel her to bear a child with Song Mobei, and even end up killing Fang Ren... The means were inhumane, but such things had happened many times before, though only the upper echelons knew of it, while ordinary people could only see the happiness that came after the union of two powerful individuals. The world was a dark ce for Mu Hui, who had fallen in love with Fang Ren. If she had never met Fang Ren, she would have naturally epted her fate without so much trouble. But the problem was, as Mu Hui herself had said: there are no ifs in life. She had someone she liked now, and she had begun to want to be with that person. The pressure of this marriage... it was not something mere humans could withstand. If they didn''t separate soon, they would face the brutal interventions from the central powers. "Ah Ying... did we really do something wrong back then?" Shang Han looked into the distance with a sorrowful face and murmured. Mu Yingying came to his side, rested her head on his shoulder, and said in a low tone, "I don''t know... but looking at it now, they could never be from the same world, they are destined to be separated." "If only Ah Ran''s Spiritual Root hadn''t been taken from him, perhaps everything could have been reversed," Shang Hanmented. "That child is fated for hardship... he is only fit to live as a normal person." Chapter 67: Chapter 66: If I Part with Him, I Will Discard My Cultivation Level_1 In a small vi at Century Garden, Fang Ren, who had been in aa for the entire day, finally opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the familiar ceiling; he knew he was in his own room. Before he could turn his head, a face as beautiful as a fairy''s obscured his vision, followed by the sensation of three thousand strands of white silk touching his face. Mu Hui Qing propped herself on the pillows at either side of Fang Ren''s shoulders, with one foot on the ground and one knee on the bed, she looked down at him. "Awake?" A smile appeared on her face, bringing a measure offort to the freshly awakened and emotionally tumultuous Fang Ren. Fang Ren immediately reached out with both hands to hold her close, his cheek buried in her chest, he closed his eyes and said nothing, his face void of any expression. Mu Hui Qing gently stroked his head, the smile on her face gradually tinged with mncholy. After a while, Fang Ren let go of Mu Hui Qing and sat up on the bed. His legs were wrapped in bandages, and aside from the two of them, Lin Bozhong sat in a chair, his face wearing a gentle smile. "It''s so noisy downstairs," Fang Ren said, ncing at the window. "It''s the reporters," said Mu Hui Qing. "Can''t they just roll away?" Fang Ren spoke coldly, expressionless, as the mor from outside seemed to tell him that the whole world knew the woman he loved was about to leave him. Seeing his displeasure, Mu Hui Qing casually sent out a sh of silver light, silencing the noise outside. All the reporters and photographers were temporarily knocked unconscious. Lin Bozhong also saw his disturbed mood, stood up from his chair, and walked towards the outside: "This old man will step out for a walk." With that, he turned and closed the door behind him, descending to the first floor. As the door gently closed, the noise from outside ceased, making the room seem exceptionally silent. Both had a lot of words they wanted to say, but neither did. Fang Ren was afraid to speak because as soon as he did, he would have to ask her why she was leaving, while Mu Hui Qing didn''t know how to begin, her heart tangled in turmoil. A few secondster, Mu Hui Qing suddenly pounced onto the bed, gently embraced his cheeks, closed her eyes, and kissed him. Neither wished to let go, feeling as if something dreadful would happen once they did. This kiss, more than their first, stirred their hearts even more deeply. There was no need for words of love; a prolonged kiss revealed how deeply they felt for one another. But what was inevitable would eventuallye. About sixteen minutester, suddenly, chaotic footsteps were heard outside... At the vi''s entrance, two rows of formally dressed men and women stood around, and an old man with white hair, dressed in a ck robe, walked into the vi. "Mu... Grandpa Mu!" Upon seeing the white-haired old man, Lin Bozhong first showed a look of surprise, then quickly greeted him with respect. Upon seeing Lin Bozhong, a hint of displeasure shed across Mu Qing Mountain''s face as he said, "Where''s Hui Qing?" "She''s with the young master in the room," Lin Bozhong replied. Mu Qing Mountain''s brow twitched slightly, "May I go in?" "This... Grandpa Mu, I should ask for their permission," said Lin Bozhong. Grandpa Mu flicked his robe in irritation, ring at him, "It''s one thing for Shang Han and Ah Ying to y around, but you''re getting involved too!" Without another word, he headed upstairs. Lin Bozhong sighed softly, knowing that even though the young master had miraculously grown another Spiritual Root and could start Cultivation, at twenty-two, he could not surpass his peers of the same age who were geniuses. The genes of Cultivators aren''t fixed for life at birth, their strength could evolve along with their Cultivation Level. So, even if the young master initially had exceptional Cultivation genes, to be acknowledged alongside Madame Xuan, he needed to surpass all the young talents with his Cultivation Level. Otherwise, it was an impossibility. Power was the ultimate truth. Moreover, in this world, there were many with better initial Cultivation genes than the young master, some of whom remained mortals and others who were supreme talents. Outside the second-floor room, Mu Qing Mountain frowned slightly and paced back and forth a few times before he raised his hand and gently knocked on the door. "Er, Hui Qing, it''s your grandfather... do you mind opening the door?" There was an awkwardness in Mu Qing Mountain''s voice. Even without saying it, anyone could guess what a man and a woman alone in a room might be doing. Upon hearing the voice, Mu Huanqing in the room suddenly released her lips, her expression instantly turning as deste as if she had fallen into an ice cer. She buried her head in Fang Ren''s chest, not saying a word, nor did she want to open the door. Fang Ren hugged her expressionlessly, looking at the door. Two secondster, he directly grabbed the cane beside him and got out of bed, with Mu Huanqing immediately supporting him. Click¡ª Fang Ren opened the door and, upon seeing the white-haired elder in a ck robe, showed no change in expression. Upon the door''s opening, Grandpa Mu saw his granddaughter supporting the bandaged Fang Ren, her face still slightly flushed. His eyebrows furrowed instantly and a wave of invisible fury rose in his heart again. "Qing''er,e home with me," Grandpa Mu demanded in a stern tone of an elder. "Grandpa, I''m not nning to go back just yet," Mu Huanqing said low-spiritedly, looking at Grandpa Mu. "You!" Grandpa Mu''s eyes twitched, and he let out a heavy sigh, "You''re just trying to anger me like your parents did!" "Ah Ran is injured, I need to take care of him," said Mu Huanqing, unyieldingly. "Have you forgotten who you are!" Grandpa Mu said, chest heaving with anger. The crowd downstairs, upon hearing the argument, immediately ran up, with Lin Bo quickly saying, "Grandpa Mu, please don''t be angry. Madame Xuan has already developed mutual affection for the young master, perhaps you could consider..." "It''s not your ce to speak!" As Grandpa Mu was already irate, he nced at the people and finally settled his gaze on Fang Ren, trying to calm his emotions before saying, "Fang boy, you know better than anyone the status of Qing''er. There''s simply no possibility between the two of you. Continuing this entanglement will only bring you both pain. It''s better to let go sooner rather thanter." Fang Ren, with a poker face, looked at him and said, though struggling, "As long as a shred of her heart hangs on me, I will not let go." Grandpa Muughed out of sheer anger, "Do I need to make it even clearer to you? Everyone under the heavens knows that the Nine Heavens Fairy and Song Mobei of the Tiandao Sword Sect are the true match! How can you, a mortal without any cultivation ability, provide happiness for Qing''er?" "I am happy when I am with him," said Mu Huanqing. "Stop making a scene, Qing''er," Grandpa Mu continued, looking at Fang Ren, "Right now, the Void Race is constantly invading Earth. The needs more powerful individuals to protect the safety and wellbeing of the human race. Qing''er possesses the best cultivational talent among women in the world, while Song Mobei is the most talented man in the past two hundred years. Only together can they bring forth a new hope for humankind. But if you stay with Qing''er, you''d be destroying the future hope for humans! You are also a human; can''t you consider the future of the entire human race for once?" Faced with the overwhelming argument of "the future of the human race," Fang Ren said nothing. Before such a statement, all that he had seemed pale and powerless. "Grandpa!" After hearing Grandpa Mu''s words, Mu Huanqing could no longer restrain her emotions and spoke out angrily, "I will not be with that Song Mobei. My marriage will never be subject to anyone else''s arrangements!" "Nonsense!" Grandpa Mu shouted, "Being the Nine Heavens Fairy, admired by all, you would abandon the future of the world for your personal desires! Do you realize your marriage directly affects the lives of countless warriors on the battlefield?" "I know!" Mu Huanqing replied, her face brooking no contradiction, "But I know even better that my legs have healed and my cultivation level has recovered all because Ah Ran loves me! If you force me to leave him and be with that Song Mobei, I will disable my cultivation and sever my own legs right now! Let''s see if Song Mobei dares to marry me!" As she spoke, a cluster of silver True Qi gathered in Mu Huanqing''s other hand, ced over her chest, her expression more resolute than ever before. "Madame Xuan, please stay calm," Lin Bo said, his face full of panic, for if she truly disabled her cultivation, the young master would likely be unable to help her recover. "You..." Seeing the determination of his granddaughter, Grandpa Mu was momentarily stunned; it was as if she was telling him that she might as well die if they were separated. He had never once considered that his granddaughter''s affection for this young man had reached such an extent. Moreover, Grandpa Mu was shocked. Based on what his son-inw Shang Han had said, Qing''er''s legs and meridians were injuries not even a top Grandmaster from their sectors could cure. That meant there was no one on Earth who could heal Mu Huanqing. Grandpa Mu looked at Fang Ren once more, calming his emotions before kindly asking, "The leg you fixed for Qing''er?" "True," said Fang Ren. "And... her meridians too?" Grandpa Mu could hardly believe it. "Also true." Grandpa Mu then turned to look at Lin Bo. Lin Bo immediately said earnestly, "Grandpa Mu, this matter is absolutely true. If there is any falsehood, you may take my head and life at any time!" "..." Grandpa Mu was suddenly dumbfounded. Even though this Fang boy was in no way a match for his granddaughter, he... indeed was his granddaughter''s benefactor, and a significant one at that. Grandpa Mu had always been a man of gratitude and clear distinctions between love and hate, and it troubled his heart greatly to be in such a situation now. To have saved his granddaughter and been in mutual love with her, yet now he was supposed to tear them apart¡­ This was simply... Thinking of his previous attitude, he suddenly felt the urge to p himself. Chapter 68: Chapter 67: Two Years, Chongshan Realm_1 Mu Qing Mountain wanted to apologize for his earlier tone of speaking, but as an elder and sitting in the position of Family Head of the Mu Family, he always found it difficult to swallow his pride and speak those words of apology. "Ahem, ahem." After an embarrassed cough, Mu Qing Mountain quickly changed the subject and spoke with the air of an elder, "You... what method did you use? As far as I know, since the start of the Cultivation Era, no one has been able to restore severed meridians." Before Fang Ren could respond, Lin Bozhong next to him couldn''t wait to speak up, his face full of excitement, "Grandpa Mu, you don''t know, our young master actually wasn''t a mortal incapable of cultivation at all, it was just that his Spiritual Root emerged a bitte. Our young master''s Spiritual Root is very special, born with the ability to repair meridians, and it even has a Spirit Form!" "Spirit Form?" Mu Qing Mountain was astonished, knowing that a Spirit Form was a miraculous thing. A Spirit Form was the divine entity inherently carried within a Spiritual Root, such as the Silver Wheel behind Mu Huanqing, which people called the Hundred Martial Divine Weapon, or the Spirit Lion of the Central Area Military Commander, or Song Mobei of the Tiandao Sword Sect with his Giant Heaven Gang Sword... These were all Spirit Forms. There were innumerable cultivators on Earth, but those owning a Spirit Form numbered no more than a thousand, and each person possessing a Spirit Form had an extraordinarily exceptional Cultivational Talent. Spirit Forms were born from Spiritual Roots and contained unique Cultivation Techniques inherent from birth, such as Mu Huanqing''s "Creation Divine Art," the Central Area Military Commander''s "Mad Lion Scorches Heaven Art," and Song Mobei''s "Heaven Gang Sword Art"... These were all Cultivation Techniques born from their Spirit Forms, incredibly powerful and beyond the current understanding of humanity. Moreover, only the possessors of the Spirit Forms could cultivate these techniques, which were inessible to others. When Lin Bozhong said that Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root had a Spirit Form, he was truly taken by surprise. "May I have a look?" asked Mu Qing Mountain, looking at Fang Ren. Hearing this, Fang Ren thought, since the fact that he could repair himself was already known to them, revealing his Spirit Form was no big deal. "Qianye,e out for a moment." As soon as Fang Ren called out, the whole vi exploded into action. Boom¡ª The entire second floor roof of the vi was sted into the sky, and behind Fang Ren, a four-meter-tall gray giant tree stood in the room, covered inplex patterns, lush with branches and leaves, and emitting a kaleidoscope of shining lights. Each tip of its branches bore a small fruit of varying colors, and the luxuriant roots at the base of the tree were ethereal, directly prating through the floor and extending downward. "This..." Both Lin Bozhong and Mu Qing Mountain were stunned by this sight. It was the first time either had ever seen a Spirit Form that was a giant tree, and Mu Hui, standing next to them, was also looking at the tree with a face full of surprise. As the rooftop of the vi was ripped off and sunlight began streaming in, most of it was blocked by Qianye''s branches and leaves. Fang Ren looked at the lifted-off roof, frowning, "You were supposed to extend a branch, who told you to wreck the house?" "..." Following Fang Ren''s words, the giant tree suddenly bent down its trunk, stretching a branch to scratch its own main body as if a child who had done wrong was preparing to get scolded. "This thing... it has its own consciousness?" Mu Qing Mountain was visibly amazed after seeing this. It was the first time in his 210 years since the start of the Cultivation Era that he had encountered a Spirit Form with a self-consciousness. The giant tree scratched its head, then, as if struck by a thought, suddenly straightened up. The branch that had been scratching its head waved excitedly towards the sky, as if celebrating its own cleverness. Whoosh¡ª The next instant, the entire four-meter-tall giant tree transformed into a cloud of gray brilliance which scattered down, eventually consolidating into the size of a palm on the ground. Then, a small creature popped out from the midst of the gray light. The small creature was entirely gray and only the size of a palm, its bodyposed of six round pieces of wood of various sizes; a round piece for the head, with two eyes and a mouth but no nose or ears, a round piece for the body without a belly button, and four round pieces for the limbs, with neither ws nor feet. It looked extremely cute, akin to a toy doll from a toy store. Above the small creature''s head floated a small gray halo that followed it wherever it went. Pat pat¡ª As the small creature ran around, its footsteps made a very pleasant sound as they hit the ground. It wasn''t until it stopped at Fang Ren''s feet that the small creature ceased its movement, looking up at Fang Ren with two round eyes sping Fang Ren''s foot, its eyes narrowing and mouth curving into a silly smile, and it even let out a sound, "Hei ha~" "Hei ha?" Lin Bozhong, Mu Qing Mountain, and Mu Hui stared dumbfounded at the little fellow,pletely stunned. A Spirit Form that could transform? That could speak? A living being! "A most rare Spirit Form," said Mu Qing Mountain with a furrowed brow. As Mu Qing Mountain was speaking, the small creature suddenly began to emit a red aura, which transferred from Fang Ren''s foot into his entire body. Fang Ren immediately felt a slight warmth in his body, but before two seconds had psed, the red glow enveloping the creature clinging to his foot suddenly dispersed, vanishing into the air, and the heat within his body dissipated along with it. "Hee-ha~" The little creature joyfully circled Fang Ren, who squinted at it, afraid it would bump into his crutch. He thus extended his hand to move the crutch aside. However, with this movement, Fang Ren suddenly realized that when he flexed the muscles in his back, there was no apanying sensation of effort¡ªan instantter, he remembered Qianye''s ability. He then moved his legs and found that sensation had returned to both of them, and the stabbing pain in his knee had also disappeared. Fang Ren flexed his legs a few times, the bandages around them bursting open from the force, revealing clearly the movement of his knee bones. Mu Huanqing and Lin Bozhong, upon seeing this, had disbelief written all over their eyes. They knew all too well the extent of Fang Ren''s injuries, especially theminuted fracture in his knee. Even with a Bone Repairing Pill, it would take a week to heal. The little creature had merely emitted a red light for less than two seconds and had directly healed Fang Ren''s leg? Mu Qing Mountain was also astonished. Fang Ren hade out leaning on a crutch and supported by his granddaughter, which surely meant a broken leg. This was an injury Mu Qing Mountain understood well; it was impossible to heal instantly, and yet, the reality was right there in front of them. Turning his gaze from the little creature, Mu Qing Mountain looked at Fang Ren and said, "It''s indeed a very magical Spirit Form, but it seems to serve only a medicinal purpose,cking in offensive power. Its ability can indeed benefit Human society, but Qing''er''s Spirit Form is the offensive Hundred Martial Divine Weapon. The next generation should inherit an aggressive Spirit Form, and you two don''t quite match." Upon hearing Mu Qing Mountain say they "don''t quite match," Lin Bozhong''s expression turned to a smile as it seemed Old Master Mu was considering whether Fang Ren could be a suitable suitor for his granddaughter, significantly softening his stance from before. "Old Master Mu, this humble individual believes that with Madame Xuan''s ability, possessing such a recovery power on the battlefield, coupled with relentless attack, would be far stronger and more practical," Lin Bozhong said. Mu Qing Mountain red at him, then hesitated for a long time before finally asking Fang Ren, "When did you acquire your Spiritual Root?" "Less than a week ago," Fang Ren replied. "And your current Cultivation Realm?" "Early stage of Qi Gathering." Mu Qing Mountain was somewhat disappointed. Although it was true that someone who had just started cultivating for a week could not break through the initial stage of Qi Gathering, Fang Ren was already twenty-two years old. Without the ability to ovee huge barriers, he still would not be suitable for his granddaughter. "Are you offering me an opportunity?" Fang Ren noticed the implication in his words and asked. With a furrowed brow, Mu Qing Mountain looked at him and said, "Your help in restoring Qing''er''s Cultivation Ability is something I, as her grandfather, am certainly grateful for. But you must understand, everyone believes Qing''er and Song Mobei are a match made in heaven, and even now, I still believe this. If you want to marry Qing''er, you must surpass Song Mobei or get infinitely close to him. But for you, who started Cultivation sote, the chance is almost nil." "How much time can you give me?" Fang Ren asked directly. After struggling inwardly for a moment, Mu Qing Mountain answered, "If you can reach the Chongshan Realm within two years, I''ll acknowledge that you are worthy of Qing''er. Then, I''ll choose to help you." Mu Hui immediately furrowed her brow at his words and said, "Grandpa! Reaching the Chongshan Realm in two years is an impossibility!" Between the Qi Gathering Realm and Chongshan Realm, there are the Intense Concentration Realm, Yuanxin Realm, and the Shuiru Realm¡ªthree major tiers. In other words, in two years, Fang Ren must advance through four major Tiers to reach his goal, which is, frankly, impossible. Even she, with the highest Cultivational Talent in Human history, was fifteen years old when she broke through to the Chongshan Realm. She started Cultivation at the age of five, and it took her a total of ten years to progress from Qi Gathering Realm to the Chongshan Realm. Asking Fang Ren to aplish in two years what took her ten years was essentially demanding that he possesses a talent five times greater than hers! "Old Master Mu, can''t you give a little more time? The young master has only just begun Cultivation; even with exceptional talent, the start is always hard to adjust to," Lin Bozhong also pleaded on the side. "That is the maximum time I can offer," Mu Qing Mountain said to Fang Ren. "If you can breach the Chongshan Realm in two years, I can give you another five years. That is, if your strength approaches that of Song Mobei before Qing''er turns thirty-two, I''ll agree to your marriage. But let''s make it clear upfront, if you can''t pass this two-year test, then don''t expect me to fight for you for the next five years." "Grandpa, even if you set these terms, I won''t agree to marry someone else when the timees," Mu Hui Qing dered. "Old Master Mu, can''t you see how much they love each other? Please give them more time," Lin Bozhong interjected. Ignoring thements from the side, Mu Qing Mountain continued, looking at Fang Ren, "Do you agree?" "If I don''t agree, are you going to force Qing''er to marry that man?" Fang Ren asked. "What do you think?" Clenching his teeth, Fang Ren stated, "Fine! I agree! Two years¡ªin these two years, you are not allowed to force Qing''er into anything!" "Me, force my own granddaughter?" Mu Qing Mountain frowned. "The whole world operates this way. I''m just looking after the bigger picture and the family''s honor, doing what I''m supposed to in my position." Chapter 69: Chapter 68: I Will Become Very Strong_1 Mu Qing Mountain continued, "Since you also agree, young man, then it''s settled. If you don''t reach your target within two years..." Without hesitation, Mu Huanqing interrupted him, "Then I will disable my own cultivation level." "You girl!" Mu Qing Mountain''s just-calmed emotions surged again in an instant. His granddaughter had always been an obedient treasure. When had she ever been so rebellious? "Grandpa," Mu Huanqing went on, "let me put it to you this way. I am a member of the human race, and naturally, I will go to the battlefield to protect our kind and do my best to kill the enemy. But I hope you understand that the abilities I possess are gifts from Ah Ran. Whatever he desires, I will fulfill with my actions, and no one can stop me!" Mu Qing Mountain, unable toe up with a retort, angrily flicked his sleeve and remained silent. Even if Fang Ren didn''t reach the level of Song Mobei, as long as he could approach the top of the prodigies, Mu Qing Mountain could bear the world''s nder himself and let the two of them be together. But the problem was... now Fang Ren was too weak. "Qing''er is already at the age to discuss marriage. She''s twenty-five now, and the whole world is watching her wedding," said Mu Qing Mountain, looking at Fang Ren with furrowed brows. "Giving you two years is already my limit." Fang Ren said nothing. Indeed, at twenty-five, he was already beyond the usual age for discussing marriage. The eyes of the world were fixed on this matter, and as the Family Head, Mu Qing Mountain allowing Mu Huanqing to marryte was to bear the pressure of public opinion. Seeing that he didn''t respond, Mu Qing Mountain took a string of beads from his hand and said, "This is actually made of Sun Stone, which can roughly test a person''s talent. Try to inject your True Qi into it." Fang Ren gave him a look and then ced his hand on the beads. The grey Spiritual Energy gathered in his palm, beginning to channel into the beads. Crack¡ª As soon as the grey True Qi appeared, the entire string of beads suddenly exploded, shattering into fragments that flew in all directions. Mu Qing Mountain suddenly retracted his hand, clenching it tightly into a fist, his brows furrowed and his face somber. "This..." Lin Bozhong, who was beside them, was stunned. The Sun Stone wasmonly known among Earth''s people as a True Qi Testing Stone, used to roughly test a cultivator''s talent. Since the test involved the infusion of True Qi, the stone was supposed to be very sturdy. How could it possibly shatter from just a touch of True Qi? Mu Huanqing was also somewhat dazed. How could the Sun Stone shatter just from a bit of True Qi? Mu Qing Mountain clenched his fist tighter as if he had not seen what happened in his hand, instead looking at Mu Huanqing and saying, "When are you returning, Qing''er? Even if you''re not getting married, the battlefield in Zone One is tense and really needs you." "I..." Mu Huanqing looked at Fang Ren, her eyes filled with reluctance. "Wait a minute," Fang Ren frowned and said. "What was the cause of her loss of cultivation level in the first ce? Uncle Han said it was man-made, so if it was intentional, sending her to the battlefield in Zone One is sending her to her death, isn''t it?" Mu Qing Mountain frowned and replied, "The instigator has been found, but weck sufficient evidence to convict. The perpetrator has already left Zone One, and with the Nine Heavens Corps by Qing''er''s side, such negligence won''t happen again." "Who''s the perpetrator?" Fang Ren asked. "It''s of no use telling you," Mu Qing Mountain replied impatiently. "Since you''ve given me a chance to prove myself, I might have a chance to kill the mastermind behind this," Fang Ren said. Mu Qing Mountain nced at him and revealed, "Leader of the Tiandao Sword Sect''s daughter, Xia Fu Lan." "Xia Fu Lan..." Fang Ren silently noted the name in his heart, then turned and said, "So if the daughter of the Leader of the Tiandao Sword Sect wants to harm Qing''er, how can you still let her marry Song Mobei from the Sword Sect? Isn''t that just endangering her?" Mu Qing Mountain shook his head, "You really don''t understand the Tiandao Sword Sect. The Sect Leader is a veteran who has dedicated seventy years to the human race on the battlefield, admired for his upright and incorruptible character. If he were to confirm Xia Fu Lan''s misconduct, he would personally cripple her cultivation level and apologize publicly. Furthermore, Song Mobei is universally recognized as a gentleman of integrity. Although he''s sibling disciples with Xia Fu Lan, if this matter is confirmed, he definitely won''t side with her. So these two issues are unrted." "What evidence is missing?" Fang Ren asked. "All witnesses on the battlefield are dead, and the physical evidence has been thoroughly destroyed. It''s almost impossible to convict Xia Fu Lan. Currently, she''s finished her trial and is being punished by the Leader of the Tiandao Sect for fleeing the battlefield," Mu Qing Mountain sighed. Fang Ren remained silent, his face expressionless. Without evidence to convict the guilty, he would solve it in another, more personal way. Feeling he could no longer persuade his granddaughter, Mu Qing Mountain turned and began walking downstairs, adding, "Qing''er,e home soon." "I''ll escort you, Grandpa Mu." Lin Bozhong witnessed the conversation and,ing out of his shock, promptly followed. Seeing her grandfather leave, Mu Huanqing couldn''t bring herself to feel happy. The battlefield in Zone One was urgent, and regardless of whether Mu Qing Mountain urged her or not, she would have to hurry back. However, she remained resolute on the issue of marriage. Fang Ren knelt down to pick up the little Qianye that was still circling on the ground and asked Mu Huanqing, "When will you be leaving?" "I... want to spend a little more time with Ah Ran." Mu Huanqing gently embraced him from behind. Soon, all the Mu Family members downstairs had left. Lin Bo returned upstairs, saw the two quietly embracing, and smiled, "I''ll step out for a while." After all, they were about to say goodbye to each other in a short while. "Take this with you." As Lin Bo turned to leave, Fang Ren tossed Qianye out to him. Lin Bozhong immediately caught the little guy, who looked at Fang Ren with a wronged expression on his face. Smack¡ª Fang Ren suddenly didn''t close the door properly, and Lin Bozhong stroked the little guy in his hands, saying, "Your master is very sad right now; let''s not disturb him." The little guy folded his arms across his chest and turned his head away in anger. Right after, Lin Bozhong flew off with it towards the outside of the vi. In the room, Fang Ren tightly held Mu Huanqing, his expression filled with distress: "I must reach the Chongshan Realm within two years." Mu Huanqing stretched out her hand and touched his head, whispering softly, "It''s okay. Even if you were a mortal, I would still marry you." "That way you would suffer too much. I don''t want to see everyone speaking ill of you." "I also don''t want to see you in pain from pushing yourself in cultivation..." Fang Ren cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed her passionately on the lips. After a long kiss, Mu Huanqing casually released a breath, covering back the roof that had been blown away by Qianye, shielding everything from the outside. Having done this, Mu Huanqing pushed Fang Ren to the edge of the bed. With one step, she pinned him down, their lips parted, and their faces inches apart, they looked at each other, breathing hard. "Ah Ran..." "What is it..." "Let me have your baby..." "..." After a brief pause, Fang Ren pressed her beneath him, gazing into her aroused eyes, he said with a sorrowful voice, "I never thought that one day, I would sleep with the Xuan Nv of the Nine Heavens." "Then what do you want to see from me?" Mu Huanqing asked. "I want to see every side of you." "Mm, I''ll show them all to you." With that, her eyes turned silver, and a holy white radiance began to emanate from behind her, making her appear like a sacrosanct saint. But the words "sacrosanct" had never existed in Fang Ren''s heart regarding Mu Huanqing; she was his wife, and their intimate union was righteous and natural. Mu Huanqing took the initiative to undo his clothing, and the room was filled with the air of spring. This was theirst frenzy before parting¡ªthey were so active in their desire; he was so reluctant to let go, giving her everything she wanted. ... Around four o''clock in the afternoon, Mu Huanqing suited up in her silver armor, her tall figure wrapped in pieces of Silver Armor yet still looking so slender. Fang Ren was in his shorts, his upper body bare, wearing slippers, standing opposite her with a resigned smile on his face. The madness that had to be unleashed was over; it was time to confront the challenges ahead with courage. The Silver Armor aura used to shield the vi''s rooftop had been retracted by Mu Huanqing, and sunlight began to shine on the faces of the two. "Ah Ran, I will make time toe back soon," Mu Huanqing said to him with a smile. "And I definitely won''t let you down," Fang Ren said. Mu Huanqing still had a sweet smile on her face, her hands nervously twiddling behind her back; her gaze briefly lingered on the bedside before saying, "Ah Ran, you don''t need to force yourself in cultivating; I will solve everything." "What are you talking about?" Fang Ren went up and stroked her silky hair, a mixture of happiness and sorrow in his smile. This moment felt like the saying: Having such a wife, what more could a husband ask for! Mu Huanqing kept the sweet smile on her face and said, "I will be very strong, strong enough to annihte all the creatures of the Void, to restore peace to the world, strong enough to break free from everyone''s constraints so that no one dares to impede our being together." Her tone was exceptionally earnest. "You silly thing," Fang Renughed, "I won''t let you struggle alone. I will also be very strong. Within two years, reach the Chongshan Realm, and surpass Song Mobei within seven, and marry you uprightly, allowing no objections from anyone." After a long look at each other, Mu Huanqing suddenly turned her head and said, "I have to leave now, Ah Ran." Her eyes reddened. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, it would be even harder to leave him. "Yeah, go on and be safe on the battlefield," Fang Ren said, watching her back. He wanted to hug her from behind, but he was afraid that if he did, Mu Huanqing would burst into tears. "I wille back to see you very soon." After Mu Huanqing finished speaking, her True Qi surged and she flew directly into the sky. Still, tears fell from her face. Chapter 70: Chapter 69: Asura Path_1 ``` On a certain stretch of highway, inside a ck, extended luxury car. Mu Qing Mountain slowly opened his left hand. His brow furrowed tightly as he looked at the Sun Stone in his hand that had shattered into powder. He took out a tissue to wrap up the powder from the Sun Stone, his left palm starting to be exposed. At this moment, his palm had already be charred, and a piercing pain emanated from the center of his palm. "This kid''s True Qi is so lethally strong, indeed, those with a Spirit Form are monsters," Mu Qing Mountain''s aged eyes couldn''t help but tremble. Mu Qing Mountain, who was at the midterm phase of the Yingyue Realm, suffered an injury from Fang Ren, who was just a beginner practitioner and had just acquired a Spiritual Root. He hadn''t even broken through to the initial phase of the lowest Realm of Cultivation, Qi Gathering. That Fang Ren could inflict injury on him was utterly inconceivable. Even if he didn''t protect his body with True Qi at the time, his strength as a Yingyue Realm expert was genuine. Practitioners of the weaker Roaming Waters Realm couldn''t leave a scratch on him without True Qi. The True Qi of this Fang Ren... One must realize, the gap between Qi Gathering Realm and Yingyue Realm is a full seven major Realms! What kind of True Qi could possibly defy the natural order to such an extent! In fact, when Fang Ren shattered the Sun Stone in his hand, Mu Qing Mountain already had the thought to give him two more years, but he held back. Youth need pressure to grow, and besides, Fang Ren was already twenty-two years old. If he didn''t push himself, how could he ever catch up to geniuses like Song Mobei? If he had revealed his palm at that time, he reckoned Fang Ren might have be overly excited, losing sight of the pressure on him. Does Mu Qing Mountain not love his granddaughter? Of course, that''s not the case. Can he really bear to see his granddaughter cry because of a marriage? Certainly not. On the contrary, he eagerly wished to see his granddaughter happily live with the man she loves. But the current situation was not looking good. The Void Hole was gradually expanding, and the Void Monsters inside were bing stronger. Humans really needed stronger practitioners. "Will the pressure I put on this kid crush him? What if he loses heart and spirit?" Mu Qing Mountain suddenly regretted it, feeling that he should have extended the deadline from two years to four. ------ Fang Ren stood in front of the window sill. The tear drops on his face and the passing streaks of light in the distant sky were the farewells she had left him for the day. A very lonely feeling suddenly rose in his heart, but within a few minutes, he turned that loneliness into motivation. Mu Huanqing had spoken her mind, and she would definitely put forth the effort to achieve what she said. She was making efforts to get closer to him, and he must try as well. To be stronger, strong enough to crush all the perceptions people ced on Mu Huanqing. Although Mu Huanqing did not wish for him to be too powerful, and even wanted to shoulder everything on her own, he was still a man and could not let a woman who loved him so deeply bear the burden that belonged to both of them alone. With these thoughts in mind, he immediately sat at the edge of the bed and began cultivating. The True Qi inside his body surged through his meridians at high speed, and his whole spirit entered into a state of intense concentration. After a while, Lin Bozhong returned to the second floor of the vi with Qianye, looking at Fang Ren who had entered a state of cultivation on the bed, Lin Bozhong''s face showed a helpless expression as he shook his head. Reaching the Chongshan Realm within two years was not an easy task. Even if one were to triple the Cultivation Talent of Xuan Nv of the Nine Heavens, it might not be achievable, let alone for the young master who started Cultivationte. "Haha!" Suddenly, Qianye jumped out of Lin Bozhong''s hands, scampered over to Fang Ren, and promptly climbed onto his head. Pat¡ª Qianye sat atop Fang Ren''s head, her two round arms touching, her eyes closed, and the grey halo on her head began to spin. Lin Bozhong initially wanted to pull the little guy off Fang Ren''s head, but then he thought that as a Spirit Form, whatever it was doing was sure to help its master. He decided it was best not to disturb them. Lin Bozhong quietly went over to a chair, releasing his True Qi to envelop Fang Ren, protecting him from any external disturbances. ... Even while cultivating, Fang Ren followed the mostmon method, manipting and circting his True Qi before finally inhaling and exhaling the True Essence present in the heavens and earth. His Spirit Form had not given him any special Cultivation Techniques, so the only method he knew was the same as that of amon practitioner. This method was certainly much slower than those of the geniuses, but it was the only one he knew, so he had to persistently and vigorously struggle with it. Although he possessed exceptional talent in Alchemy and weapon refinement, in terms of Cultivation, ever since acquiring his Spiritual Root until now, he felt quite ordinary, without any particr Cultivation Talent. Several hours passed swiftly, and it was already evening. Fang Ren, sitting on the bed, opened his exhausted eyes which were filled with bloodshot lines. His entire body''s meridians were filled with a numb feeling, which was obviously a sign of a junior practitioner who had overexerted himself in training. The little Qianye perched atop his head also imitated his movements, opening its eyes and lowering its round arms that were previously touching each other. However, unlike Fang Ren, its expression was one of happiness. Whoosh¡ª¡ª Lin Bozhong withdrew his presence from around Fang Ren and, observing his appearance of having over-cultivated, approached and said with furrowed brows, "Elder young master, cultivation is not aplished in a single day. Moreover, you''ve just gained the ability to cultivate. It''s quite normal to not see any progress in this aspect. You must not continue to over-cultivate like this; it can cause problems with your meridians." Fang Ren shook his head wearily, listening to Lin Bozhong''s words. Although Lin Bozhong''s concern for him was genuine, saying that it was normal for him to make no progress in his cultivation was clearly an attempt to console him. This initial phase of the Qi Gathering Realm was the very beginning realm for practitioners. Some geniuses, upon their initial exposure to cultivation at the tender age of three to five, would be able to break through two to three minor realms within a mere few days, reaching the initial phase of intense concentration. He had been exposed to cultivation for six or seven days now, yet he didn''t even experience the slightest breakthrough, not even a minor realm. Could the gap between him and those cultivation geniuses truly be that vast? "Young master, you must not rush such matters. The more impatient you be, the more likely you are to disrupt your foundation, and then you would have to start all over again," Lin Bozhong advised. "I understand." Fang Ren said and directly went downstairs. The second floor''s roof had been blown off and waspletely uninhabitable. He wasn''t in the mood to dine that night, and after exchanging a few more words with Lin Bozhong, he turned and entered the room where Shang Han used to sleep, lying down on the bed with a face full of unwillingness. He had the determination to endure any hardships for the sake of being with Mu Huanqing, but the problem now was that his will was strong, but his power was weak. He wished that all the talent he possessed in alchemy and crafting could instead be manifested in cultivation. Seeing him this way, Lin Bozhong left the little vi and began patrolling the surrounding area of themunity. The group of reporters who had fainted outside the vi during the day had all been thrown far away by him, and by now they should have all gone home. After all, the news that Xuan Nv had returned to the battlefield had been released, and those reporters didn''t dare to follow Fang Ren, especially since Xuan Nv''s rumored boyfriend''s affairs were being rigorously suppressed by the Mu Family. In times like these, inurate reporting could result in more than just losing their job. Inside the room. Fang Ren''s mood was extremely tumultuous. He reached out to catch the little lord above his head into his palm, looking at it tiredly with a sigh. Somewhat resentfully, he said, "Others'' Spirit Formse with innate cultivation techniques, but you''re an oddball¡ªalive and active, yet good for nothing but healing." "Hee ha..." Qianye stood in his palm, blinking its two eyes incessantly, appearing not to understand what he was saying at all. "Still staring? Did you hear what I said this afternoon? My marriage is obstructed, my wife''s enemy is still atrge, and there are people in the Fang Family who want me dead. I must be stronger quickly," Fang Ren bemoaned. Qianye continued to gaze nkly at him. Suddenly, Fang Ren pped his forehead, muttering to himself, "I must be sick, babbling to a tree." As he spoke, he closed his eyes, ovee by fatigue, and his brain began drifting towards sleep. Qianye stood on him, and its expression turned mncholic; it rested a round arm on its chin as if contemting something. Before long, Qianye''s expression brightened suddenly, as though it had thought of a solution. Then, it hopped over to a nearby table in two or three steps, and within the gray halo above its head, it began to extend a small tree branch. The tip of the branch was very sharp. It reached the table and started to carve. The grating noise made by the branch as it carved into the table left Fang Ren, already in turmoil, feeling irritable. He opened his eyes and looked with tightly knitted brows at Qianye on the table, engrossed in its carvings, and got up, intending to nab the annoying little creature. Just as he got up and walked to the edge of the table, Qianye''s branch abruptly retracted. Its round legs hopped about on the table surface, and it looked at Fang Ren with delight, pointing a round arm at its carving. "Hee ha! Hee ha!" Fang Ren was about to grab it as it continued to make amotion, but his gaze fell upon the table where he halted his reaching arm. Three crooked and nted characters had been etched into the table. Although the handwriting was unsightly, he could ept that, considering they were written by a tree, and Fang Ren could understand them. "Asura... Path?" Fang Ren stared at the three characters on the table, frowning in confusion, unable toprehend why the little creature would write these words. Could they possibly be rted to his own cultivation? Chapter 71: Chapter 70: Chaotic World, Asura Gate_1 "What does that mean? Cultivation?" Fang Ren frowned as he looked at the tiny Qianye on the table. Qianye nodded vigorously, then ran to another nk space on the table. From the grey halo above its head, another branch sprouted, carving four characters onto the table: Shortcut to Strength. "Cultivating this will make me be strong quickly?" Fang Ren was startled, "Heh-ha!" Qianye nodded emphatically and began to carve a few more words onto the table, namely: Killing Frenzy, Return to the True Self, and Supreme Detachment. "What do all these mean?" Fang Ren was stunned. Seeing the nk expression on his face, Qianye quickly hopped onto Fang Ren''s head. Its wooden round face suddenly puffed up as if it was holding its breath, then it let out a heavy exhale. Humm¡ª The grey halo above its head suddenly expanded, erging to a diameter of one meter. Slowly, the grey halo began to fall from atop its head, until it reached the ground around Fang Ren''s feet, transforming into a grey cylindrical barrier that enveloped himpletely. Whoosh¡ª Fang Ren only felt a wave of dizziness wash over his brain, and when he reopened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by chaos, a jumble of colors blending together. They constantly devoured each other in an endless cycle, without ever showing signs of merging. With a nce, there was no heaven or earth, no sun, moon, or stars, and no boundaries. "This is..." Fang Ren found himself floating in the midst of chaos, unable to move his body in this space, nor did he feel any force present. Fang Ren tried to move but realized he could go nowhere. "Qianye?" he called out. But then he discovered he could not make a sound after opening his mouth. Is there no medium for sound transmission here? Fang Ren was puzzled for a moment, but then why could he breathe? There should be air. After a few seconds of confusion, he called out again with his mind. "Qian¡ªye¡ª" Boom¡ª A thunderous boom resounded throughout the world, causing Fang Ren to instinctively cover his ears, but he found that even with his ears covered, he couldn''t stop the sound from entering his nerves. "Is this... my voice?" Fang Ren was dumbfounded. As his voice echoed, the multicolored world began to twist together frantically at an incredibly fast pace. The colors started to weave and devour each other, leading to a violent change. After a long while, all the colors turned into a mass of grey, and apart from the grey, everything else was pitch ck. Fang Ren stared nkly,pletely clueless about the situation. Gradually, under his gaze, a sprout emerged from the mass of grey light. The sprout waspletely grey, covered in various patterns, simr to those on Qianye''s body. Giggle-giggle-giggle¡ª The grey sprout started to grow, its roots devouring the mass of grey light, and the main trunk began to grow rapidly, sprouting many branches. The small sprout had already grown to the size of a small tree, but it continued to grow. Two meters, ten meters, twenty meters, fifty meters... The small tree grew faster and faster, as if it had gone mad with growth. In a matter of seconds, Fang Ren waspletely dumbfounded as the trunk in front of him turned into what seemed like a grey "giant wall." Although it was a circr trunk, his field of vision was like a t wall blocking all his sight. After a while, the tree finally stopped growing. Fang Ren stared dumbfoundedly at its base; he could only see a few of the tree''s roots, but each of them was massive and extended into the darkness beyond, his vision following the root fibers and finding no end. Then Fang Ren looked up and found himself swallowing his saliva in shock; he couldn''t see a single branch or leaf above the tree. Where the heck did this thing grow to... Swish¡ª Suddenly, a thin branch flew down from the dark end of the sky, wrapping around Fang Ren''s waist. "Hey, what are you doing..." The next moment, Fang Ren felt his vision blur as he rapidly ascended like he was on a rocket. When his vision finally cleared up, he found himself atop arge tree branch, no longer seeing the base of the tree. "Damn..." Fang Ren swallowed again, that instant feeling even faster than a rocket ride, everything was a blur, and his head buzzed. Just as he was beginning to rx, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind. He immediately turned his head and saw the little Qianye jumping around on the branch, smiling at him like an idiot. "You little..." Fang Ren sighed and asked, "Where is this?" "Heh-ha~" Qianye didn''t answer him, turned its head, and ran towards the end of therge branch, making a smacking sound with its steps. Fang Ren saw it running and immediately tried to follow, only to find himself weightless, unable to move at all. With a frown, he closed his eyes and began to use his consciousness to move his body, and to his surprise, he found it quite magical. Without moving his body, he seemed to fly, rapidly shifting positions. He moved quickly, immediately catching up with Xiao Qianye and asked, "Where are you going?" "Hei ha~" Xiao Qianye pointed with one of its spherical arms towards the distant part of the huge branch. "What''s over there?" Fang Ren asked again. Xiao Qianye blinked then wrote two characters on his hand with its spherical arm. Fang Ren roughly sensed what it wrote, and it seemed to be "cultivation." Then, he elerated towards the end of the branch. As he approached the end, Fang Ren saw an arched stone gate with a spinning blue vortex at its center. At the very top of the gate were some twisted characters. Because the characters were so warped, Fang Ren couldn''t understand the first two, but thest one seemed to be "gate." Xiao Qianye hopped down from Fang Ren''s palm, ran to the gate, turned around to look at him, and his originally silly smile turned serious. It pointed at the spinning vortex with one spherical arm while continuously murmuring "hei ha hei ha..." which Fang Ren couldn''t understand at all. "You want me to go in?" Fang Ren asked with a furrowed brow. "Hei ha hei ha!" Xiao Qianye suddenly jumped up, waving its two spherical arms vigorously, looking serious. "Do you actually want me to enter or not?" Fang Ren asked, unable to understand what it was trying to convey. Xiao Qianye hung its head as if in thought for a moment, then seemed toe up with an idea, hopped onto Fang Ren''s head in two or three leaps, and one of its spherical arms shone brightly as it gently tapped the top of his head. As the light faded, Fang Ren''s gaze became distant. At that moment, in his consciousness, a series of hair-raising voices bombarded his brain. The voices screamed and howled, piercingly sharp, more like demons than human cries. Fang Ren instinctively covered his ears, feeling as if his brain would be prated by the noise. However, the sound originated from his consciousness, and no matter how he covered his ears, he couldn''t block it out. Before him was a blood-red world, with blood flowing like rivers and seas, the sun hanging high but without light. Above the crimson seas, the carcasses of various creatures writhed, countless and endless, as if alive, constantly ughtering and devouring each other... The image was extremely gory. The howling of the wraiths in his ears grew louder and more numerous, the noise directly causing his spirit to tremble. It was the oppression from the killing of billions, a fear beyond all else. Just as his spirit was about to descend into madness, the gore-filled scenery abruptly stopped, and then, lines of text began to float before his eyes. Biting down on his teeth, Fang Ren was immensely shaken inside, "Is this the Asura Path?" He lifted his head to read the floating text. Although it was still somewhat twisted and contorted, this time he could recognize all the characters. "The Path of Asura begins with the cultivation of the heart through ughter, traversing endless killing challenges to reach the state of ''No Self, No Sentiment''..." "Followed by refining the fruit of the path with blood and desire, ''Return to the True Self'', finding a hint ofpassion, to reach the state of ''True Self, True Sentiment''..." "Finally, the bacsh against the spirit, annihting the self to enter the Peak, stepping onto the supreme path of killing, to the state of ''Ultimate Severance of Sentiment''..." Reading these three sections, Fang Ren vaguely understood that this was perhaps the so-called Asura Path, with its three realms. This Taoist principle seemed extremely brutal. But right now, he didn''t care about that at all. All he cared about was how to quickly improve his cultivation level to do whatever he wanted, rather than being squeezed by the world''s rules at every turn, ughtered by the private desires of officials. Looking at the simple first two sentences of the Asura Path, Fang Ren felt it didn''t matter; as long as he could be stronger, that was all that mattered. But thest sentence of the third line made him hesitate. Ultimate Severance of Sentiment? If he really became emotionless, wouldn''t Qing''er cry her heart out? As he hesitated, the three lines of text before him suddenly vanished, and a new line appeared: "To tread the Asura Path, one must first descend into Purgatory!" After reading it, Fang Ren woke from his consciousness and looked at Xiao Qianye standing sternly at his feet, finally understanding what the little guy had been trying to tell him earlier. It was a warning of the perilous journey ahead, of bing dispassionate and heartless. "Is this the only way for me to cultivate the fastest right now?" Fang Ren asked, seated on a tree trunk looking at the little one. Munch munch¡ª Xiao Qianye nodded seriously. "Ultimate Severance of Sentiment... does that mean cutting off all emotions and desires?" Fang Ren asked. The little one nodded again. "But if I sever all emotions and desires, wouldn''t it be meaningless if I don''t love Qing''er anymore?" The little one thought for a moment, then took his hand and wrote three characters with its spherical body: "Cultivate Second Realm." "But can only cultivating to the second realm get me to the Chongshan Realm within two years?" Fang Ren asked. Xiao Qianye confidently thumped its little spherical chest with its arm and wrote on Fang Ren''s hand: Can. "Then I won''t worry about it anymore." Saying that, Fang Ren began to fly into the gateway, directly entering the vortex of the stone gate. Xiao Qianye stood outside the gate, blinked its eyes, and soon a line of text appeared over its head: [The Asura exists in heaven but is not the god of heaven, possessing God''s Power butcking a heart of sentiment, hating all living beings, lost in search for something, falling into ughter... a lonely and iplete god.] Xiao Qianye saw this line of text, immediately jumped up and tore it to shreds, and ate each character into its belly. Chapter 72: Chapter 71: The Arduous Path of Cultivation_1 As Fang Ren stepped entirely through the Asura Gate, he felt the weight around him return to normal, and before his eyesy a narrow tunnel, surrounded by a reddish hue. The temperature here was high, and no sooner had Fang Ren entered than he felt his skin burn as if scorched in pain, while from the crimson walls wafted a pungent, blood-like stench. To tread the path of Asura, one must first descend into Purgatory. Is Purgatory ahead? Fang Ren looked back and found that the door through which he had entered had vanished; there was only a narrow tunnel with no end in sight. Feeling the pain on his skin and the bloody odor all around, an invisible pressure made his spirit tremble, and instinctively, he wanted to shrink back. But then he remembered the sorrowful look of Mu Huanqing as she had left earlier in the afternoon and the words spoken by Mu Qing Mountain, so he clenched his teeth and sprinted forward. "Why should I be afraid of this damn thing!" As he continued running forward, the burning sensation on his body grew more intense, and the scent of blood was no longer just pungent but seemed to clog his chest with every breath he took. After barely a quarter of an hour, Fang Ren reached the end of the crimson tunnel, where arge stone stele blocked the way, inscribed with two lines of crooked characters. After reading the inscription, Fang Ren''s eye twitched involuntarily. The lines were horrifying: "Flesh stripped, bones picked, the soul purified; bear the world''s utmost pain, suffer all evils." Is this truly Purgatory? "Stripped flesh, picked bones," these four words alone were cruel beyond measure. Could one reallye out alive after entering? And the rest about suffering the world''s utmost pain, various evils¡­ It was heavier than the karma of some of the worst viins! "Damn it! There''s no other way to go!" With a clench of his teeth, he reached out a hand and ced it on the stele. The moment his hand touched the stone, the entire tunnel began to twist, the stele levitated, and the ground beneath his feet started regenerating. The bloody tunnel transformed into a massive pit beneath his feet, and a geyser of blood shot skyward. Looking down, the pit was filled with fresh blood and the carcasses of various creatures, just like the world he had seen before entering the Asura Gate. Ao¡ª¡ª The bones of various carcasses emitted harsh howls, as they ughtered each other, grinding down each other''s bones with arms, legs, and even teeth. The wails of misery and the fury of ughter intertwined, and Fang Ren felt his hair stand on end, his brain nking out. Weng¡ª¡ª Suddenly, he started falling from mid-air, and the carcasses below, seeing something they craved, converged crazily toward him with gaping maws. "Aah!" Fang Ren''s inner trembling reached its peak, and with a grimaced face, he circted his True Qi and charged down towards them. Bang¡ª¡ª One punch shattered a carcass''s head, but before he could react, other carcasses surged like starving wolves, pouncing towards him. Chichi¡ª¡ª In the blink of an eye, a chunk of flesh was bitten from his left arm by one carcass, which ran off to the side and chewed it like a starving wolf. Fang Ren went mad at the sight, attacking the carcasses that were throwing themselves onto him in a frenzy, while the blood sea below kept swallowing his legs, causing him to continue sinking. In a matter of moments, after having thrown off over twenty carcasses, his one arm had already been gnawed down to the bone, agony consuming his brain, and the omnipresent threat of death wearing away at his will. After another few seconds, his body was so mangled that it was gushing blood, barely visible as human. Plop¡ª¡ª He was suddenly pulled to the Bottom of the blood sea. An eye that remained intact weakly opened, watching countless carcasses above still roaring to drag him up and devour him, but they were all held back by some force. Gurgle gurgle¡ª¡ª Blood surged around his ears, his body continued to fall, and everything around him grew darker; he could neither breathe nor move. A few more seconds passed by, and everything around him turned pitch ck, yet he knew he was still in the blood sea because of the tactile sensation of blood he couldn''t forget. As his consciousness was about to fade, he vaguely heard the sound of chains and the shing of weapons rising from the blood sea. The blood sea churned, and Fang Ren''s entire body was enveloped in ayer of steel. He couldn''t see its shape or color, only felt as if it were crushing his bones. A sharp object pierced his chest, he opened his mouth wide like a fish being ughtered, followed by countless things impaling his body, relentless pain torturing him. (The scene is too gruesome to describe in further detail.) His nerves had copsed. Now, he only wanted to lose consciousness quickly, but the pain in his body wouldn''t let his consciousness slip away. The bone-deep pain continued to intensify, and as time passed, his desire was no longer to lose consciousness. His body''s protective instincts wanted him to hurry up and die, beginning to reject the idea that Fang Ren''s continued existence was right. Chapter 73: Chapter 71: The Arduous Path of Cultivation_2 ``` Hiss¡ª Suddenly, a sharp object pierced Fang Ren''s heart, and at that moment, he finally felt a hint of relief. But he was terribly unwilling. Am I to die just like this? He had not yet married the woman he loved, the woman who was still striving ceaselessly to be with him. He had yet to exact revenge on Xia Fu Lan of the Tiandao Sword Sect; the people of the Fang Family who wished him dead had not yet faced retribution... To die like this, Qing''er would surely grieve deeply, and those despicable people from the right faction of the Fang Family would surely show their loathsome, triumphant faces. Gradually, his consciousness faded away, and his body no longer felt any pain. ... Time passed, and he abruptly opened his eyes, staring nkly around him, feeling his own body, still enveloped in pitch darkness and without any sensation of pain. He touched his chest and limbs, and found, to his astonishment, that he waspletely unharmed. "What is this¡­" Before he could rejoice, the sound of chains surging underwater came again. His eyes widened as he immediately tried to summon his True Qi to escape, only to realize that his body was still immovable. Boom¡ª Huge chains wrapped around him again, cruelly crushing his bones, the intense pain made him want to scream, but submerged in the sea of blood, no sound coulde from his mouth; here, one could only use consciousness. Sharp objects pierced through his chest again, countless des moving inside his flesh, and his consciousness sank into despair once more... Time psed, and once again something pierced his heart, ending the agony in his body. However, it was not long before he woke up in terror, finding himself still surrounded by darkness, his body still intact. He became insane, desperately trying to swim upwards, but his body did not move at all. Then, the sound of chains echoed through the sea of blood once more... He struggled, he contorted, he raged, he copsed... His bones shattered, his flesh sttered, his life cycled through reincarnation... The same scenes repeated, ying out incessantly in the depths of the sea of blood. Each instance of torture was identical, the physical destruction reaching such an extreme it was even more brutal than being ground into mincemeat. After an unknown number of repetitions, Fang Ren was reborn once again with no struggle, no resistance, epting the forting torment like a corpse. Soon, he was cruelly killed again. Subsequently, for what felt like an eternity, he had no idea how many times he had died. Perhaps a hundred times, perhaps a thousand, or even tens of thousands... Each time he was resurrected, his face showed no fear; he transitioned from copse to madness, finding a twisted pleasure in the cruelty of this so-called Purgatory. The chains once again began crushing his bones, and a crazed smile spread across his face. "Come on! Bring it on!" Using his consciousness, heughed wildly in the water. His chest was pierced through once again. "Gurgle¡­" Blood spurted out, but his face retained its maniacal grin. "Hahaha! Not enough, not enough! More, bring more!" "Gurgle¡­" Another gush of blood spurted out. "Hahaha! Hahahahaha!" The entire sea of blood reverberated with his insaneughter, echoing like the shrill screams of the corpses above the sea of blood. Then, after what may have been hundreds or even thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of cycles more... This time, when the chains came again, there seemed to be a changepared to before. Fang Ren only felt his bones being crushed, yet he did not notice the sharp object piercing through his chest anymore. His face was expressionless, he no longer screamed, he waspletely numb. From the beginning, when seconds dragged like years, to now, when not being in pain felt abnormal, he didn''t know how many years he''d spent in this ce, how many times he''d been killed, or how many times he''d been resurrected. He waited quite a while but when the thing that was supposed to pierce his chest didn''te, his expression turned bored: "How uninteresting." Gurgle, gurgle¡ª As his voice faded, the huge chains suddenly released him. Fang Ren still bore a bored expression as he turned around, his gaze settling on a patch of darkness. His smile grew increasingly manic as he sent out a mocking, yful message with his mind toward the depths of the sea of blood: "Come on, kill me~" Sizzle¡ª Suddenly, a sharp object pierced his chest, yet the smile on his face remained unchanged: "Hehehe, that really hurts, huh? Come on, why don''t you just y the flesh off my entire body? Hahahaha!" Hum¡ª As he continued tough madly, he was pushed by a ck mass toward the surface of the blood sea. Thud¡ª He stood upon the blood sea, surrounded by the frenzied ughter of carcasses. As Fang Ren emerged on the surface of the sea, all the carcasses surged towards him as if they''d gone mad. One of his arms was suddenly bitten off by a corpse. He dully watched his severed arm, then turned his head to nce at the carcass gnawing on his limb, his smile once again turning into insanity. It was as if he had found a new source of amusement, charging at the carcass with madness. He shattered the neck of the carcass with a punch, and with his other hand, grabbed the detached skull, looking at it with a mad smile. "You''re really cute~" His smile, demonic, heughed out loud, his eyes brimming with a brutal, bloody light. Countless carcasses continued to pounce on him, his back flesh being torn and bitten, but it was as if he felt nothing, ying with the skull in his hands, breaking it open, tearing it apart, crushing it. Without care for anything, there was nothing he deemed worthy of his concern. "Your turn." After a long while, he turned his maniacal gaze toward the group of carcasses tearing at him. He punched into the skull of a carcass, dragging it, and mockingly dismembered its entire body into pieces. By this time his body was gnawed down to bone, yet he seemed to feel no pain at all. He turned around, grabbed another carcass by the neck with his exposed bone arm, and viciously killed it. His flesh continued to be devoured as he nonchntly ughtered one carcass after another. No matter how many carcasses there were, he killed them at an unworried pace, as if indulging in pleasure. ------ Finally, he became a carcass, and on the blood-red sea, all the carcasses except for him were killed one by one. Calm, everything became calm. "Ahahahaha..." He looked at the mountains of bodies floating on the sea and began tough loudly, his bone arm propping up his skull, asionally kicking fragments of bone debris beneath his feet. Fear to the point of copse. Copse into madness. Madness into numbness. Numbness into fearlessness. Chapter 74: Chapter 72: Only Asura, Not Wounded God (Part 1)_1 Among the corpses strewn about, only Fang Ren remained. Heughed for a very long time before suddenly sitting expressionlessly atop the sea of blood, his head gently tilted, hands limp as if everything before his eyes had lost its vor. Hum¡ª¡ª Just then, the sea of blood began to churn, swallowing all the mountains of corpses and seas of bones. Fang Ren watched quietly, as if he was somewhat anticipating what woulde next. Whoosh¡ª¡ª A streak of silver light shed, and the entire sea of blood turned into a calm white mirror, leaving only whiteness in the sky above. The surrounding cliffs vanished without a trace, and all one could see was boundless white. Suddenly, there was only him left between heaven and earth. He began to rise to his feet and look around, as the skeleton that was left of his body slowly grew flesh and blood, gradually covering all the white bones. Atst, skin began to form, and sight, smell, hearing, touch... all the senses were restored to their original state. His entire person reverted to being unscathed. No longer was there the strong smell of fresh blood; the air was very fresh. Fang Ren touched the familiar skin on his arm, a slight smile appeared on his face, "What else is there? Bring it all on." Thump! No sooner had he spoken than he was pulled into the mirror, and then countless lights from all over the world shone towards him incessantly. He began to frown slightly, the world in front of him a blinding white, seeing no existence of any object, including his own hands. "Blind?" Fang Ren didn''t care much; he couldpletely control himself without any senses to do anything he could do before. The light grew more and more intense. His body was not scorched by the fierce light, nor did he feel any heat, but his entire person was abnormally irritated and in pain. This feeling did not originate from the body but from the consciousness, or to be more precise, the soul. "The flesh has been cut and bones have been picked, nowes the purification of the soul?" Fang Ren sneered disdainfully. What kind of pain hadn''t he experienced? Was he afraid of this agony? However, not even ten seconds had passed, and he scrunched up his entire face. He found that this thing was nothing like he had imagined, He didn''t care about the pain, but this irritating feeling just couldn''t be suppressed, like millions of ants crawling chaotically over his heart, not letting him find peace. The feeling continued to worsen, he clenched his teeth. He started to go mad and wanted to reach out and destroy his body, letting his pain offset this restless feeling. But he then realized he could not move at all. "Ah!" He yelled in frenzy, capable of enduring extreme physical suffering, but the refining of his soul had just begun. It was as if he had returned to the depths of that sea of blood, the conflict deepening continuously, and his entire brain went insane, only this time everything surrounding him was bright. He could spew every curse in a rant, but it was futile. The cycle began again. Every time his consciousness endured to the limit, it would restart, each time tormenting him immensely; seconds felt like years. Time passed, an unknown amount of time, an unknown number of cycles, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands... He went from frenzy to breakdown, from breakdown to numbness, from numbness to indifference. ... Eventually, he just stood there, nonchntly, his brow unknitted, teeth not clenched, the torment on his soul beginning to turn into something so mundane in his mind. Bang¡ª¡ª He was thrown onto the surface of the mirror. Hey there dazed, his eyes starting to regain their vision. Looking at the calm white surroundings, he did not feel anyfort. Now, the only thought left in his mind was the original purpose ofing here: he would marry Mu Huanqing, he would get revenge on Xia Fu Lan, he would avenge himself against his second uncle; he would crush the "responsibility" imposed upon her from their moral high ground. Smack smack¡ª¡ª As hey there dazed, a familiar sound came from not far beside him. He turned his head, only to see Qianye gazing at him with a troubled look. His eyes were like those of someone who hadn''t woken up, devoid of any emotion. "Heh ha heh ha..." Qianye ran to his knee, pushing against his thigh with two round arms, looking very worried and uttering iprehensible words. "You want me to leave?" Fang Ren could roughly understand what the little guy was saying. "Heh ha!" Qianye nodded vigorously. "Isn''t there still the utmost evil to face?" Fang Ren asked it expressionlessly. Qianye immediately shook its head vigorously, its two round arms embracing one of his fingers and pulling him towards the outside, but its strength was too small to move him. "Why do you want me to go?" Qianye stood seriously beside him, iling its two eyeballs in hand, continuously calling out "heh ha." "Are you afraid I can''t withstand it?" "Heh ha heh ha!" Qianye, in a flurry, used a branch from its head to scratch a few characters on the mirror. First two: Master. Then two more: Wounded God. Immediately after, Qianye crossed out the characters for "Wounded God" with a branch, shaking its head at Fang Ren continuously. After that, it wrote two more characters next to it: True Immortal. Then it checked the characters for "True Immortal." Fang Ren''s face remained unchanged as he asked, "Are you saying that I should not follow the path of the Wounded God and instead cultivate the Tao of the True Immortal?" Qianye seemed pleased when he showed interest and eagerly nodded her head in agreement. However, Fang Ren had no idea what this Wounded God was, nor did he understand what a True Immortal was. He only knew that on Earth there were Cultivators, and their goal was to be powerful enough to contend with the Void. As for bing a True Immortal, the people had never established a standard for the term "True Immortal." Even the concept of Realm was something the people had explored and established on their own. "It doesn''t matter what it is, as long as I be stronger," Fang Ren said. Qianye shook her head again and wrote a few words on the mirror: Asura, the Good Path. Fang Ren had heard of the legend of the Six Paths on Earth, where the Path of Asura was one of the Three Good Paths. However, the Asuras were not to be trifled with ¨C fierce andbative, acting on whims and desires, they did not shy away from great good or great evil. It was also a way of seeking one''s true heart to its limits. But this was, after all, merely a legend from Earth. To truly understand the Path of Asura, he would have to experience it for himself. "Are you advising me to be kind?" A slight smile formed at the corner of Fang Ren''s mouth, yet he resembled a hideous Demon. Qianye shook her head and then wrote two more characters on the ground: True Heart. Seeing this, Fang Ren felt that some of Earth''s legends were indeed fascinating. There really was a Path of Asura, and the method of cultivation was as described in the legends: cultivating the True Heart. "So what conflict does evil incarnate have with these?" Fang Ren continued to ask. Qianye frowned and turned in circles on the spot as if she couldn''t figure out how to express herself. Then, with a sigh, she turned and ran off into the distance, disappearing into a ss panel and leaving Fang Ren alone in the space. The moment Qianye left this world, a variety of scenes started suddenly emerging on every mirror. Fang Ren raised his head to look, and the smile on his face vanished. The grating noises from each scene reached his ears ¨C men''s roars, women''s wails, livestock''s cries of despair, weeping, ughtering... He saw a city besieged by arge army, where soldiers exchanged and ughtered their own children for food; he saw a woman find pleasure in front of her dead husband with another man; he saw an official tie up his wife and send her to another man''s bed in exchange for a promotion; he saw a skeletal woman throw her flesh and blood into fire to fill her stomach... Countless scenes of unimaginable evil yed out before him, his nerves shocked like never before. His heart was in turmoil; he covered his ears and closed his eyes, trying to flee, but he could still see the images, and the sounds still reached his ears. Whoosh¡ª Suddenly, a vine wrapped around him and yanked him into the mirror. Crack¡ª All the scenes before his eyes shattered, and all the noises in his ears abruptly ceased. Gritting his teeth, he opened his eyes to find himself back in the blood-red tunnel, with Qianye looking at him with concern at his feet. "Sins incarnate... What would happen if I endured it in there?" Fang Ren asked Qianye, shivering inside. Qianye touched the nearby stele, and a line of text began to emerge: Heartless and desireless, a heart harder than stone, facing utmost evil without feeling, confronting the highest good without sincerity. With aplex look on his face, Fang Ren shook his head and said, "Is that even human?" Qianye looked at him, then shook her head slightly and carved two characters into the stele: Wounded God. "The Wounded God is this..." Fang Ren let out a small sigh, suddenly understanding why Qianye had stopped him before. He still wanted to marry Mu Huanqing, and he still desired revenge. If he were to shoulder the weight of all sins, he would probably feel nothing for Mu Huanqing, nor anger over the assassination plots from the right wing of the Fang Family. He wouldn''t even be human anymore. "In Earth''s legends, Immortals are also devoid of emotion. What then, is the Way of the so-called True Immortal?" Fang Ren asked as he looked at her. "Heh ha! Heh ha!" Qianye suddenly began running out, and the Asura Gate began appearing before her. Fang Ren followed her out of the Asura Gate. Outside the gate, Qianye suddenly used a vine to bind him and flew up into the sky. What Fang Ren saw were countless massive vines, each ending with a gate, each gate inscribed with various characters. Each gate represented a different Path. HIs heart was shaken. There were endless vines here, and Taoist principles were limitless. He never knew there could be so many different paths in the world. After what felt like a very long time, Qianye brought Fang Ren to the top of this boundless tree. Qianye began talking beside him again, making "heh ha" sounds, but he couldn''t understand a word. "Can a True Immortal possess passions and desires?" Fang Ren asked. Qianye paused for a moment and then suddenly jumped onto his head, gathering light in her hands and patting his head. Immediately, a flood of information poured into his brain. A whileter, a slight smile emerged on Fang Ren''s lips. The Taoist principles of this world were infinite, including those that embraced emotion as a path. The so-called True Immortal was mysterious, possessing eternal life and the supreme Taoist principles, capable of destroying worlds and traversing different dimensions on their own. But above that... there seemed to be even higher beings. Fang Ren didn''t dwell on these thoughts. He just wanted to resolve his own world and his own matters. Moreover, ording to the information from Qianye, bing a True Immortal would take thousands to tens of thousands of years, an opportunity that was virtually unattainable. Whether he could live that long was in question; why worry about such things? Gradually, everything in the world before him began to disappear, and his consciousness became blurry... Qianye''s voice came to his ears. Fang Ren slowly opened his eyes and saw the morning light shining through the window. He was still standing in Uncle Han''s room, with Qianye perched atop his head. His gaze slowly fell on the few characters Qianye had carved on the table, and the corners of his mouth lifted into a slight smile. Chapter 75: Chapter 73: Peak of Intense Concentration (Two Updates)_1 Looking at the familiar room, Fang Ren gently pulled down little Xiao Yuan from atop his head and walked to the window, his gaze beginning to drift towards the distant dawn. "How much time has passed?" Fang Ren asked. "Hei ha~" The halo atop Xiao Yuan''s head stretched out a branch and inscribed two characters on the nearby table: one night. "Just one night?" Fang Ren frowned. He had clearly felt as if he had spent a very long time there, even to the point of calcting it in years. Xiao Yuan then carved out a few more characters on the table: Time inside and outside differs. "So how long had I spent there?" On the table: six hundred and thirty-nine days. "..." Fang Ren blinked and said, "If I cultivate there, wouldn''t that be many times faster than in this world?" Xiao Yuan shook its head, tapped his head with a branch, then a sh of light spread out, and a stream of information entered Fang Ren''s mind. The general idea was that time within the Asura Gate was very slow, but if he stood on that giant tree, then time would flow at the same rate as this world. If he wanted to cultivate, he would have to enter various Taoist Gates. However, even though he had the slow passage of time, it was impossible for him to improve his cultivation level, because thews within the Taoist Gates would force him to cultivate Taoist principles, not enhance his Realm Cultivation Level. So it was fine to cultivate Taoist principles there, but increasing his cultivation level was not possible. After hearing its answer, Fang Ren wasn''t disappointed. After all, if he really could obtain more than 1200 times slower passage of time, that would be invincible. Others might cultivate for one year, but he could cultivate for over 1200 years. "However, it seems that my realm has not improved." Fang Ren felt his internal energy and frowned, "Could it be that after experiencing such long torment, I''ve simply entered the path of Asura?" "Hei ha!" Xiao Yuan nodded, then hopped down from Fang Ren''s hand and ran to the table with a silly smile, its round arms resting on its halo as if waiting for something. Fang Ren watched the little creature without saying anything, just quietly observing it. Not long after, a slender branch began to extend from the gray halo above the little creature''s head. It was curved, and the tip was not yet revealed; instead, half of a body appeared first. It seemed like there was some weight hanging at the tip of the branch. Pop¡ª¡ª Suddenly, the branch fully extended, revealing a mature fruit hanging from the pig''s head. The fruit was entirely red, with ripples that scorched the surrounding air, visibly distorting it to the naked eye. Xiao Yuan hugged the red fruit and ran toward Fang Ren, bouncing with a silly smile. "This... you want me to eat it?" Fang Ren was stunned. A branch from Xiao Yuan''s halo reached out and pulled his hand, picking the red fruit and cing it in his palm. "What is this?" "Hei ha! Hei ha~" Xiao Yuan, with a silly smile, chirped and scrawled on the table, but Fang Ren couldn''t understand its meaning. Since it wanted him to eat the fruit, he just went ahead and bit into it. He bit into the red fruit, and Fang Ren paused, shocked. It was as hot as a piece of red-hot iron. If it weren''t for the numbness to pain, he had gained from the Asura Gate, he probably would have been rolling on the floor in agony by now. After swallowing the red fruit in a few bites, Fang Ren''s skin began to heat up. Then, a red aura started to emanate from his body, bathing him in a sanguine light. This red aura was also incredibly hot, making the surrounding air twist and turn, visible to the naked eye. Hum¡ª¡ª Suddenly, a series of information surged into Fang Ren''s brain. His gaze became vacant for a moment, then returned to normal. "Nine Extinctions Life-ying Technique?" Fang Ren slightly furrowed his brows. This red fruit turned out to be a cultivation technique. This technique, as its name implies, is divided into nine levels of cultivation, and it is the Asura Gate''s most supreme core technique. It aids cultivation with ughter, focusing entirely on offensive power without any defensive means. The main philosophy of the technique is to ce oneself in a do-or-die situation, using a resolve to y enemies with a belief in certain death. As soon as one entersbat, the thought of living must be discarded. It could be said to be a technique that kills a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of oneself. However, this technique suits Asuras perfectly, as they don''t mind the pain. Even if they lose eight hundred, so what? "Ruthless enough, I like it," said Fang Ren, with a faint smile on his face. But because of his experience in Asura Gate, his smile was abnormal, looking very terrifying and sinister. Giggle giggle¡ª¡ª At that moment, the true Qi within his body began to surge wildly, and the red aura around him started to converge. He furrowed his brow and then immediately closed his eyes to meditate, beginning his cultivation. Seeing this, little Qianye also immediately jumped onto his head and began to mimic his posture, sitting down with two round arms embraced in front of her chest and eyes closed. After a long while... Fang Ren''s True Qi suddenly calmed down, and waves of energy surged around the room, lifting the table and the bed into the air. He slowly opened his eyes, moving his body a little, and then released a clump of gray vital energy from his hands. Looking at the True Qi in his hand that had solidified into shape, no longer crooked as before, Fang Ren casually flicked it away. Hum¡ª The bundle of gray vital energy directly and swiftly struck the ss window, where a small round hole immediately appeared in the center, and the gray vital energy continued to fly toward the distance, turning into strands of light that dissipated in the air after traveling over thirty meters away from Fang Ren. This True Qi was who-knows-how-many-times faster than the sluggish True Qi he had previously released. Fang Ren slightly furrowed his brows, looked at his own hands, and once again sensed the energy within his body: "Is this... the peak of intense concentration?" It was quite evident that he had broken through a major realm as the True Qi could now take shape and easily shift its form. Clearly, he was no longer in the Qi Gathering Realm. Moreover, he could feel that his consciousness had be many times stronger than before and was showing signs of an imminent breakthrough, which was clearly the peak of the next major realm. In other words, just one more step, and he would be able to enter the initial stage of the Yuanxin Realm, catching up with the average students of Mediocre University. Crack¡ª Suddenly, the door was forcefully pushed open. Lin Bozhong rushed in with a panicked expression, scanning the room vigntly with True Qi coiled around him. "Young Master! What has happened! I just sensed..." Lin Bozhong hadn''t finished his sentence when his gaze fixed on Fang Ren in a daze. He blinked nkly for a few seconds, then blinked again. He suddenly felt like he was dreaming. The Young Master had somehow progressed from the initial phase of the Qi Gathering Realm to the peak of intense concentration overnight, which was tantly wrong, very wrong. Even Xuan Nv took a day and a half to go from the initial phase of the Qi Gathering Realm to the initial phase of intense concentration. And to reach the peak of intense concentration, Xuan Nv took a full half-month to break through. The Young Master''s cultivation talent was mediocre at best. Beforest night, he hadn''t even made a breakthrough in the most basic realm, so how could he possibly have leaped from beginner to the peak of intense concentration in just one night? "It must be a dream, surely I''m overly concerned for the Young Master," Lin Bozhong muttered to himself, pping his own face. Ouch, it hurt, somewhat realistic for a dream... Two secondster... "Young Master?" Lin Bozhong called out tentatively as he came to his senses. "No assassins, just had a sudden breakthrough," Fang Ren casually replied as he looked at him. "A sudden breakthrough..." Lin Bozhong blinked stupidly, was this sudden breakthrough nearly spanning two major realms? While in the path of cultivation, there was a concept of umting quietly before surging forward. But even that required years of umtion to be possible. The Young Master had just started cultivation less than two weeks ago; how could there be any umtion in such a short time? "Hmm, I didn''t expect it to be this fast," Fang Ren withdrew the vital energy he had released and took little Qianye down from his head. The little creature seemed a bit tired now,zily sprawling in the palm of his hand. Lin Bozhong was suddenly at a loss for words, but after a while, a smile of relief spread across his face. Although the Young Master had been deprived of his Spiritual Root since childhood and spent 22 years as a mortal outside the family, never having been born with any inherent advantages, now he was young and able to concoct three-level pills, and even his cultivation talent was outstanding! If the Young Master continued at this rate, reaching the Chongshan Realm within two years wouldn''t be too difficult. However, the key issue was surpassing Song Mobei before Xuan Nv turned thirty-two, and that would be challenging. After all, Song Mobei''s talent was recognized as the number one amongst Earth''s younger generation. If the Young Master was progressing rapidly, had Song Mobei ever paused? Shaking his head, Lin Bozhong stopped thinking about those matters. After all, there were still seven years until those events, and if the Young Master seized these two years, then in the next five years, wouldn''t it be possible for the Young Master and Xuan Nv to have a child or something? Even if the Mu Family didn''t give them the opportunity to live together, Xuan Nv''s heart ultimatelyy with their Young Master, and they couldn''t stop it. With that thought, Lin Bozhong''s heart grew even more content. But with this development... the left faction of the Fang Family was in trouble... Ding-dong¡ª A message tone suddenly sounded in the room. Fang Ren reached into his pocket, touched his cell phone, lit up the screen, and saw over forty missed calls and dozens of emails. He swiped the screen gently, looking at the familiar contacts disyed and felt a warm sense in his heart. Like Lin Bozhong, who had burst in with a panic-stricken face, although Fang Ren didn''t show much on the surface, he was quite moved by Lin''s concern for him. After all, he had spent six hundred and thirty-nine days in Purgatory before seeing these people again; dering no feelings of longing would be false. Especially for Mu Huanqing... that was yearning. And Uncle Han... Chapter 76: Chapter 74: Void Split (Part 3)_1 There were seven calls on the phone from Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang, while the other thirty-nine were from Liu Qianqian. There were also eight emails from Liu Qianqian. Fang Ren then opened the messaging app to discover that two privileged young men had sent many messages in a discussion group of three. Most of the messages were news reports from the past couple of days, and they also inquired about his current health condition. Because so many reporters were around his house, neither of them hade over; otherwise, if the reporters caught them entering his house, they would definitely probe to the bottom of it. Additionally, there were 99+ messages from Liu Qianqian, most of which were expressing concern for his health. Knowing that he was unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she mentioned the matter of Mu Hui being the Xuan Nv of Nine Heavens, and finally, she asked about his love life. Moreover, at the end of Liu Qianqian''s messages, there was a notification that the school''s teaching building had been so damaged that sses could not be held, and all students from the school would need to report to a university in the neighboring Linyang City called Baili University to attend sses with the students there. After checking the time, Fang Ren turned to Lin Bozhong and said, "I need to go to another university for sses. Please find someone to fix this vi for me." As he spoke, Fang Ren took out the bank card that Shang Han had given him. "Young master, please keep your money. I''ve already taken care of this matter, and I estimate that someone will arrive here soon. I have also hired a housekeeper for you. After all, your current strength is not strong enough, and since I still need to protect you by your side, I cannot always attend to this ce," Lin Bozhong said. Fang Ren nodded. Seeing that he refused to take the money, he simply opened the door and walked toward the second floor, saying, "I have two things for you." Lin Bozhong followed him curiously. Fang Ren entered his room and bent down to open a drawer at the bottom of his cab¡ªa drawer he had made himself, where he kept some of his better elixirs. He took out a small box from the drawer, opened it, and took out two purple elixirs into his pocket. Then he handed the box to a stunned Lin Bozhong. Lin Bozhong stared at him nkly, then swallowed hard, stuttering, "Young, young, young master! Were those, just now, fifth-order elixirs?!" "Yes, there is also a fourth-order and another fifth-order inside. They should be of some help to someone of your realm," Fang Ren said nonchntly. Lin Bozhong felt utterly dumbfounded, catching the box Fang Ren handed him, his gaze trembling as he opened it to find indeed, one fourth-order and one fifth-order elixir inside¡ªone shimmering gold, the other radiating a dazzling purple light! "Did you make them yourself?!" Lin Bozhong almost shouted out loud. "Yeah, I never thought I''d ever need these things, but it turns out there was a day I''d be forced to use them," Fang Ren said with a helpless smile. "Ah?!" Lin Bozhong nearly jumped up from the ground when he heard him admit it himself. These were genuine fifth-order elixirs! The top Alchemy Grandmasters of the Ninth District could only refine one such precious rarity a day at most! And most of those top Alchemy Grandmasters from the Ninth District were already over ny years old! And the young master? He was just a youthful twenty-two! That''s a gap of sixty-eight years! The young master''s talent in elixir making waspletely defying the heavens! If this were to be revealed, the young master would directly be the Xuan Nv of the Elixir Field! No, male! He would create a sensation across the whole world! "Alright, I need to head to school now; I can''t bete on my first day at another university," Fang Ren said, promptly leaving the room. "Young, young, young, young master!" Lin Bozhong immediately rushed after him, his eyes wide as he called out, "Forget about bloody school! Come back home with this old man! I''d like to see which beast dares to harbor ill intentions toward you!" "What''s the point of going there, to see the parents I haven''t seen in over twenty years, then for them to offer me warmth? I don''t need it," Fang Ren said, continuing to walk past him. "But if you''re staying here..." "I''ll return there in my own way. As for what I''ll do, I''ll decide for myself." Then Fang Ren looked at him and added, "Oh right, isn''t there a global university students'' elixirpetition? I heard my second uncle is going to take the first ce winner as his Closed-door Disciple. I''m eager to see what he can teach me." Having said this, he walked out with a slight smile on his face, and the little Qianye was sleeping soundly in his hand. Behind him, Lin Bozhong stood stunned, his face a mix of shock and excitement. Staying low-key is a life principle, but in the face of marrying Mu Hui, it''s worthless. He doesn''t want to stay low-key. He doesn''t want Mu Hui to be sad. He doesn''t want to see Shang Han''s helplessness. He doesn''t want to see his second uncle''s smug face, nor does he want to see Xia Fu Lan beyond the reach of justice. He wants Mu Qing Mountain to acknowledge him. He wants to shatter the world''s strong ideals about marriage. He wants to live vibrantly, to see his second uncle looking annoyed yet incapable of doing anything about him. Starting today, from this moment on, he''ll march forward with a song, crushing everything in his path! "The young master... has changed..." Lin Bozhong, holding the elixirs, stood in ce, murmuring to himself. ------ Meanwhile, in the vast battlefield of the Ninth District. Mu Hui Qing, donned in silver armor, frowned at the trembling Void Hole in the sky. Behind her were tens of thousands of female warriors d in Silver Armor, and on both sides were the millions-strong armies led by other generals. In front of her, stretching onto the distantnd,y an endless mountain of Void beast corpses. A battle had just ended, leaving numerous warriors still covered in blood. "It seems like a big one is about toe down." The middle-aged man in ck armor beside her frowned. "The arrival of the Ninth-order Void Beast didn''t cause such amotion. What could be inside this one?" "Let''s just hope it''s not something we''ve never encountered before." An old man dressed in a long robe stepped forward and said with a grave face, "Hui Qing, activate the Large Formation. The Nine Heavens Corps will protect Hui Qing''s formation; the rest of you, follow me!" Upon the elder''smand, Mu Hui Qing flew up into the sky and threw the Hundred Martial Divine Weapons behind her up into the air, covering dozens of miles around. Soon after, the Large Formation spanning those miles began to awaken. Boom¡ª¡ª At this moment, the trembling amplitude of the Void Hole in the sky began to increase significantly, and the movements of the millions of soldiers on the ground also hastened. "Something''s wrong! The Eighth Zone and Ninth Zone just sent messages! The edges of the Void Hole are trembling too!" shouted a middle-aged warrior d in ck armor. "What! Does that mean the entire Void Hole is unstable?" "This couldn''t possibly be the work of a Void beast, could it¡­" "Look quick! Cracks are starting to appear in the center of the hole!" Everyone simultaneously looked up at the sky, at the distant Void Hole that extended to the horizon, which had begun to sprout all manner of cracks,rge and small. "Is this¡­ could the Void Hole be fracturing?" one of the elders asked, dumbfounded. "Does that mean¡­ Earth is safe now?" "Don''t getcent! Everyone, stay alert!" ... Snap, snap¡ª¡ªsnap, snap¡ª¡ª The Void Hole in the sky began to split and fragment, continuously breaking apart before everyone''s eyes. "Have we¡­ have we really ended the resistance?" one soldier eximed, ecstatic at the sight. "It''s broken! It''s really broken!" "Is it really over? Damn! We''re going home!" "Momma! I can finally go home and reunite with my wife!" At that moment, the entire battlefield erupted into cheers. Yet some of the veteran warriors remained grim-faced with furrowed brows, and Mu Hui Qing did not lower the Large Formation she held in her hands. The sky was erratic and ever-changing; nobody knew what kind of anomaly it would produce next. Hum¡ª¡ª The fragmented Void Hole in the sky began to divide into twelve portions, slowly moving towards the distance. Each fragment started to re-form into a circle, with the space inside constantly changing. "Damn it! It''s dispersing!" One of the elders roared, "Stop celebrating! Chase after them! General Sun, immediately contact the other battle zones! Keep up with these fragments!" "Damn it! It''s not breaking apart, it''s splitting! Where is this thing heading?!" "Shit! Could the Void be consciously avoiding the Large Formation?" "It''s over! If they leave the range of the Large Formation and drop a Ninth-order Void beast, we''re going to suffer even more casualties!" "Chase!" Sitting on the bus to Baili University, Fang Ren was emotionlessly flipping through news on his mobile phone. There were many reports about the return of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady to the battle zone and the sudden appearance of a Fourth-order Space Beast, yet there was not a single message about the connection between the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady and him. Ding dong¡ª¡ª He received a message on the chat app. He opened it and saw it was from Liu Qianqian. [Are you nearly here? ss starts in half an hour; there will be a lot going on today. I''ve reported your absence in the dormitory, and I also collected some of your things and took them to my dorm. When you arrive at school, I''ll fetch them for you.] [Thanks for the trouble, ss leader.] Fang Ren replied casually to Liu Qianqian''s message. Afterward, Fang Ren returned to the news app and refreshed the news feed, only to see a prominent headline pop up. He read the headline and then frowned. "Alert! Global alert! The Void Hole is splitting and moving towards various global positions!" Fang Ren immediately clicked on the news article and the deeper he read, the more his brows furrowed. The gist of the news was that the Void Hole had suddenly split into twelve parts early that morning, slowly moving in various directions across Earth. Thergest fragment, with a diameter of three hundred miles, was moving towards Tianjiang, while four medium-sized fragments, each covering a hundred-mile diameter, were moving in the east, south, west, and north directions. The remaining seven smaller fragments, each fifty miles in diameter, floated unpredictably, with no discernible pattern or direction. "Does this mean that any ce around the world could be a battlefield now?" Fang Ren''s face was expressionless. He didn''t know whether the news was good or bad. The good news was that with the drift of the Void Hole, he might be able to see Mu Hui Qing soon. The bad news was that if the Void Hole came to this area, with the descent of the Void beasts, he didn''t know whether the people he cared about would die in the disaster. Chapter 77: Chapter 75: The Incident at the School Gate (Fourth Update)_1 Within a short time, everyone on the bus who was looking at their phones began to notice the news. "Hey! Check out thetest headline! The Void Hole has detached!" "I''m looking at it right now! Oh my God, isn''t this just terrifying?!" "How could this happen? With the Void Hole drifting outside the Large Formation, how are we going to deal with the High-Order Void Beasts that fall from now on?" "Yeah, and there are seven holes drifting aimlessly, what if they drift our way?" "We''re done for, if there''s ever a war, we''re going to die too! Just think about the Fourth-order Void Beast in Yangming City! It killed who knows how many people!" "What''s going on with the Central District Command? How could they let the Void Hole separate! Talking about protecting the people! This is just causing people to suffer!" ... As time passed, the discussions among the bus passengers became more intense, and Fang Ren checked his stop, casually put away his phone, and got off the bus. After walking for probably a few hundred meters, he could see the gate of Baili University. This university was much bigger than the previous Mediocre University, and in the global rankings, it wasn''t like the universities in Yangming City, which were in the bottom ten. Instead, it was a pretty good university with strict admissions standards. After all, Baili University had the best reputation in the surrounding cities. Looking at the studentsing and going at the university gate, they were divided into two major groups. One group wore ck uniforms, males and females alike; these were students from Fang Ren''s university. Of course, the attire for the Cultivation System was white. The uniform for Baili University was red, and the special attire for their Cultivation System was purple. So it was easy for Fang Ren to distinguish which students were from his own university and which were not. "Hey hey hey, why do we have to share a university with trash from a Mediocre University?" A Baili student wearing a red uniform looked at the students in ck uniforms entering the school in the distance with disgust. "Exactly, I worked so hard to get into this university, and these trash get in just because their school was destroyed? Did they even consider our feelings?" "If their school was destroyed, just stop going to school. Damn it, why run over here? Seeing these trashy school guys just annoys me." "Ugh, it''s like having flies around, disgusting. I don''t know what disease our headmaster caught to actually take in these trashes from that garbage school." A group of Baili University students looked at the students from Yangming City University with disdain, their expressions filled with disgust. At the campus entrance, the students entered the school grounds in two divisions. On the left were those wearing ck uniforms, a handful of whom were wearing the white attire of the Cultivation System from Yangming City University. On the right was a crowd of students wearing the red uniforms of Baili University, among them a few wearing purple uniforms, the special attire for the Baili University Cultivation System. The middle path at the school''s main entrance was almost empty. Even if someone did walk there, it was those from the Baili University Cultivation System. They looked down on the Yangming City University students even more, and even muttered some vulgar words as they walked. Fang Ren didn''t care about the gazes of others and went straight through the widest part of the main entrance toward the interior of the school. The way is made for walking, and the Asura follows the heart, acting as one desires. As Fang Ren stepped onto the middle section of the road into the school, he could feel the gazes from students of both universities on both sides. The bunch of students from Yangming City University, the moment they saw Fang Ren, all reacted as if they had discovered something incredible, whispering excitedly to the students beside them. "No way! It''s him! Fang Ren! Ren God!" "Holy shit! It really is Ren God!" "Huh? What''s Ren God?" "The top guy in the flirting world, the god of flirting!" "I didn''t believe his flirting skills at first, thinking he failed to woo Liu Qianqian with thatte arrival tactic. But who would''ve thought, in just two or three days, he actually managed to win over the Xuan Nv!" "Damn! What I admire isn''t that, it''s the fact that Ren God got the Xuan Nv to personally deliver condoms to him! And even asked which kind he prefers!" "His injuries have healed so quickly? I remember just the other day his knees were shattered! How is he able to walk already?" "Isn''t that obvious, with the help of the Alchemy Grandmaster by Xuan Nv''s side, is treating such an injury anything but easy?" "Ren God, a man destined not to be publicly known for all time, but who will be remembered by us for a lifetime!" The students of Baili University looked at the suddenly excited group of students from Yangming City University with bewilderment. However, what annoyed them even more was seeing Fang Ren, a student from Mediocre University, daring to walk on the path of their university''s Cultivation System students. "Fuck, just a student from a Mediocre University''s ordinary department dares to walk on the path of our Cultivation System? So arrogant, huh!" "This guy seems to be quite famous in their school. Look at that bunch, they get as excited as if they''ve had a shot of chicken blood at the sight of this kid." "I also heard someone inside shouting about some big shot or something. Could this kid be the big shot of the university?" "Hey, I''m going to put him in his ce today and let them know that for the next year, even a dragon would have to coil up for me here!" "That''s right, let''s embarrass this guy first!" With that, seven boys from Baili University walked over to the path in front of Fang Ren and blocked him directly. A few of them had their shoulders-to-shoulders, standing with their backs to Fang Ren, blocking the middle of the road. They pretended to chat andugh while deliberately walking slowly, with smirks of mockery on their faces, muttering insults like flies, trash, and other indirect jibes. "Fuck, are these Baili University assholes sick in the head?" "Exactly, if they don''t wee us, that''s one thing, but deliberately making things difficult for someone from our school?" "Bullshit, I''ve heard long ago that students from Baili University, apart from their good grades, are morally corrupted, and seeing them today proves it!" Students from Yangming City watched as Fang Ren was blocked by seven people, all looking angrily at the students from Baili University. But what could they do about it? Under the roof of another, they needed to finish their year without causing trouble or face expulsion, so the students from Yangming City also felt helpless. "Hey, let''s quickly pull Ren God back to us. It''s obvious those bastards are trying to set an example, they''re disgusting." "Let''s go, let''s go, no matter what, we can''t let our school''s student be wronged." "Exactly, Ren God''s girlfriend even saved my life once." A few boys in ck school uniforms talked among themselves and emerged from the crowd of Yangming City University students. They wanted to find a not so embarrassing reason to pull Fang Ren back into their group so he wouldn''t be harassed by the students from Baili University. Yet before these students could manage toe over to him, what happened next left them stunned within two seconds. Even though someone was in the way, Fang Ren continued to walk at a steady pace. Just as he was about to collide with the person in front, suddenly Fang Ren kicked out at a student from the School of Baili in front of him. Thwack¡ªThump¡ª As Fang Ren kicked, the Baili school student in front of him was sent flying about three meters and fell to the ground, face first. "Fuck! My back! Ah..." The student immediatelyy on the ground, clutching his waist and crying out in pain; the intense pain meant he couldn''t move at all. "What the hell are you doing, kid!" "Fuck! You haven''t even entered our school gates, and you''ve hit our student!" "Such a piece of trash from a Mediocre University!" "Guys, drag him to the Academic Affairs Office and expel him! Trash like that doesn''t deserve to attend our school!" The remaining six students from Baili immediately turned their heads and roared at Fang Ren. Fang Ren, feeling fed up with this kind of troublemaking, had been bottling up a deep resentment ever since he left the Asura path. With over six hundred days of physical agony and soul torment, there was a lot of anger awaiting release. Thwack¡ª His arm suddenly swung out, hitting another Baili student squarely in the chest. Crack, crack, crack¡ª The student''s body flew backward, with the sound of breaking bones emanating from his chest. Fang Ren looked impassively at the five remaining people in front of him. Suddenly, he reached out, grabbed the cor of a Baili student, and pulled him close, a hint of a bloodthirsty smile on his lips, and then he spoke. "Wanna fight? If I hit you, you''ll die from it." Chapter 78: Chapter 76: Mass Transfer to Another School (First Update)_1 The student from School of Baili, whose cor was seized by Fang Ren, red at Fang Ren with twitching eyes and roared furiously, "Just you wait to be disciplined by the school! And then to have your record noted at the Public Security Bureau! You''re never going to have it easy again!" Fang Ren couldn''t care less about what he said. The sly smile still hung on his face as he spoke in a voice neither too loud nor too soft, "Can''t understand human speech?" After that, he flung his arm, sending the male student flying through the air. The student''s entire back slid across the ground until he stopped some ten meters away, leaving many bloodstains on the ground. All the students at the gate immediately stopped in their tracks. Many students from Baili University took out their phones to take pictures and post on forums. The general content was about a trash student from Mediocre University attacking their student as soon as he arrived at the school; they also dered a firm opposition to trash students entering the school. "Sure enough, only trashes from inferior schools!" "Why let this trash into our campus? Get out!" "Exactly, get out! All of you, out!" "How are we supposed to continue studying at this school with trash like this around? Did I study for nothing to score so high?" ... A group of students from Baili University immediately started cursing at Fang Ren and the students from Yangming University, their faces angry and their words sharp. Fang Ren suddenly turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the Baili students watching him. The smile on his face turned a bit maniacal, blood-red light started to seep through the depths of his ck pupils, and the scent of death around him began to invisibly press over towards the students across from him. "Get out..." "I''m telling you..." "Trash school..." As soon as his gaze passed over those groups of Baili students, their cursing words were abruptly bitten off and swallowed back into their stomachs. Their faces all bore an instinctive expression of panic. What emerges from Purgatory is something almost impossible for mortals to look directly at. The aura of killing that emanates from them can even crush the nerves of endurance in mortals, just like his gaze. "Keep shouting?" Fang Ren watched them with his maniacal smile and said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft. Any student who made eye contact with him instinctively retreated backwards, an instinctual fear much beyond that of being watched by a wild beast. The voices of the students from Baili University came to an abrupt halt. Fang Ren''s face lost its smile, returning to an expressionless state, and continued walking slowly forward. Meanwhile, a few students from the Cultivation System of Baili who had originally been walking ahead, saw this scene, and collectively turned around to walk towards them. Their purple school uniforms were quite conspicuous. "Damn, why is he so impulsive? He''s going to get expelled and have a record, and that''s a stain for life!" a student from Yangmingmented with a furrowed brow. "I think he did the right thing. Damn it, a bunch of jerks made it difficult for us on our first day of school. Are they sick or something? We didn''t provoke them first." "Exactly, I think there''s nothing wrong with hitting them." "Bullshit, dare you take a record sanction?" "Hey, hey, hey, the students from the Cultivation System are stepping in!" "This... We can''t Cultivate, so we dare not ask too much." "I have to notify the ss monitor. If this continues, Ranzi is definitely going to suffer!" said a student from the same ss as Fang Ren, who then ran out. There were five people walking towards Fang Ren, with the one in the lead being a boy holding a notebook, his expression listless as if he hadn''t woken up yet, but always seeming to look down on everyone. "Su Sen? Damn! Why is it this guy?" A student from Yangming University''s Cultivation Department furrowed his brows upon seeing the boy with the notebook. Then another student from the Yangming Cultivation Department looked over and said, "Damn, just entering the school and we run into this guy. He got third ce at the provincial level inst year''s Cultivationpetition!" "Oh man, Fang Ren is going to be in trouble now." "Bullshit, what are you spouting doing nothing? Are we just going to stand by and watch our schoolmate get beaten up?" "The thing is, Fang Ren started it, how do we help?" "If it wasn''t for those students from Baili starting the trouble, would Fang Ren have kicked them? At this point, who cares about right or wrong, I just know Fang Ren is from my school." "Right, although I don''t particrly like Fang Ren usually, we are after all from the same school, and his girlfriend once saved a life of our school." "Now you''ve mentioned it, that''s really the case. Damn it, even if the opposite side is Su Sen, we can''t lose our momentum on the first day of school. Let''s go!" With that, several students from the Yangming Cultivation Department started walking directly towards Fang Ren. In their eyes, Fang Ren was, after all, a mortal. Facing a Cultivator like Su Sen, who was third in the provincest year, he had no chance of resisting. Although Fang Ren had disyed surprisingly strong physical power just now, it was useless in front of Cultivators. Su Sen stopped one meter in front of Fang Ren with a look of listlessness. His gaze was elsewhere as he spoke with a disdainful and arrogant tone, "Now you have two choices, one is to kneel and apologize to them and then go to the Academic Affairs Office, or I make you kneel and apologize and then you go to the Academic Affairs Office." Fang Ren sensed this man''s aura, which seemed to be at the Yuanxin Realm Peak, an entire major Realm higher than his. Upon hearing this, Fang Ren''s face revealed a smile, "You try." Asuras naturally crave battle, they get excited when facing the strong, not fearful. "Ignorant of the heavens and the earth." Su Sen gave him a disdainful nce as azure True Qi began to surge from his body, and the surrounding temperature started dropping quickly. Ice attribute Spiritual Root. Seeing this, Fang Ren was about to activate the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat when suddenly, three men in white school uniforms rushed to his side, shielding him behind them. Students from Yangming University''s Cultivation Department. "Su Sen, what''s it to you if mortals fight? Doesn''t it disgrace a cultivator to stoop to fighting mortals?" A slender male student, standing in front of him, looked at Su Sen across from him and spoke up, and then brown True Qi began to surge around his body. Hearing his words, Fang Ren was slightly taken aback. It seemed they still didn''t know he could cultivate, probably because of the chaos at the sports field the day before yesterday, these people hadn''t seen him use True Qi. Immediately after, a tall and burly male student in white school uniform patted Fang Ren on the shoulder and said with a righteous face, "You go first, we''ll take care of the rest." Fang Ren nced at him, not expecting that these cultivators from his school, usually so unsightly, could actually be of some use at the right time. However, since the trouble hade for him and no actual fight had taken ce, why would he leave? Besides, all three male students had only reached the early Yuanxin Realm, while aside from their leader, the other four on the opposite side were at the mid Yuanxin Realm. With the gap in numbers and the difference in strength, these three guys dared to stand in front of him; they were indeed brazen, but Fang Ren didn''t dislike such fellows. "I''ll give you three seconds to get lost, or the three of you will end up just like him," Su Sen said disdainfully. "Tsh, you''re quite the joke for a provincial third rank, getting interested in a fight between mortals. Ha, you''re like someone who bullies the weak and fears the strong," the slender male student replied with disdain. As soon as he finished speaking, True Qi also burst forth from the four people behind Su Sen. With a wave of his hand, Su Sen addressed the four behind him, "I alone am enough, you just watch." As his words fell, the True Qi of the four behind him also subsided. "3!" Su Sen revealed a scornful smile, starting the countdown as he watched the three across from him. "Su Sen! Teach them a lesson!" "Let them see the difference between Mediocre University and us!" "Exactly! What''s this junk thinking,ing here to rebel? Beat them up!" "2!" Su Sen continued the countdown. "Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat! First Technique! Begin!" Fang Ren didn''t care whether he was counting or not; a maniacal smile crossed his face, and the True Qi within his body instantly activated, causing scorching waves of heat to ze around his body. Boom¡ª With a stamp of his foot, Fang Ren transformed into a streak of red light, soaring past the three in front of him, aiming a kick right at Su Sen''s face, who was in the midst of counting. Caught by the sudden attack, Su Sen quickly raised his arms in front of his face to block, while shouting, "Ice Sword!" But before the Ice Sword could fully form, Fang Ren''s kick alreadynded on his blocking arms. The sound of shoes scraping the ground pierced everyone''s ears, and the immense impact sent Su Sen shooting backward at high speed, his shoes leaving twin four-meter-long ck streaks that continued to emit ck smoke on the ground. "What the... what''s happening?" "Su Sen got kicked flying?" "Fang Ren... is a cultivator?" Grit, grit, grit¡ª Su Sen''s teeth ground together, smoke rising from his arms where the skin had been kicked charred by Fang Ren''s foot. An Ice Sword had formed and appeared before him, but he had already been hit and hadn''t managed to block Fang Ren''s kick. Gone was the disdain from Su Sen''s face, reced by sheer anger. The three Cultivation System students from Yangming who had just run up to help Fang Ren were stunned, ready to make their move in that instant but Fang Ren had taken the lead, causing Su Sen to be at a disadvantage. Fang Ren, wreathed in a fiery aura, faced Su Sen, who was grimacing with rage, with an excited smile blooming on his face. "Useless trash!" Su Sen roared in fury as azure True Qi burst forth from his body, and with a longsword in hand, he charged at Fang Ren. Seeing this, Fang Ren''s True Qi burst forth as well, the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat running at full throttle as he threw a punch directly at Su Sen''s head. Hiss¡ªbang¡ª There was a crisp snap, followed by a heavy thud. Fang Ren''s chest wascerated with a twenty-centimeter-long bloody gash, from which blood poured continuously. His smile grew more exhrated. Su Sen, on the other hand, was sent hurtling backward by the punch, his shoes'' soles worn through, and the flesh on his shoulder muddled into a blur by the force of the punch, blood flowing uninterrupted. Unable to hold onto the Ice Sword, it fell to the ground. Clenching his teeth in pain and anger, he couldn''t understand how Fang Ren, merely at the Peak of Intense Concentration, a whole major Realm lower, could match his speed and even punch through his True Qi body shield, dislocating his shoulder! It was iprehensible! Chapter 79: Chapter 77: Hastily Concluding (Part 2)_1 "Stop fighting!" Just as the two of them were about to continue their brawl, and even as other students from the Cultivation System were preparing to join in, a girl''s voice suddenly echoed through the chatter that sprang up all around. Everyone turned to look and saw a group of students with student council badges on their shoulders running towards them. Among the student council members, not only were there students from Baili University, but also from Mingyang University; it seemed the temporary amalgamation of the two schools had resulted in a merged student council as well. In the center of the student council crowd, a striking figure was especially noticeable, and that was unmistakably Liu Qianqian. She was wearing the ck uniform of Yangming University, a pleated skirt swaying gently past her knees, and on her feet were a pair of white canvas shoes. Her expression was one of panic as she ran quickly. It was apparent that most of the male students from Baili University had also noticed this stunning figure, their gazes shimmering with admiration, even involuntarily forgetting this girl was from what they referred to as ''Mediocre University''. After all, if one did not take Mu Huanqing into ount, Liu Qianqian had been Yangming University''s unrivaled campus belle for over three years, both in terms of temperament and appearance, she was top-notch. "Tch!" When Su Sen saw the student council arriving, a sh of annoyance crossed his face. He then dissipated the True Qi around his body, withdrew his Ice Sword, and clutching one shoulder, he looked at Fang Ren and said, "I held back with thatst strike. Otherwise, it would be your neck that''s bleeding right now." Fang Ren''s red aura retracted back into his body, and his smile returned to a more normal state, not resuming his chase to fight the other. His practice was the way of the Asura, not the petty ways of the tiger; he wasn''t like those fools who had to kill someone at the slightest provocation and then get entangled in a feud with their powers. "As if you could still be alive if I hadn''t held back." Fang Ren said with augh, shaking the blood off his hands. His smile carried a hint of chilling malevolence. Seeing him still smiling while blood flowed from his chest, Su Sen inexplicably felt a chill down his spine, which annoyed him. He was usually the one making people feel this way. "You do have some audacity, but that doesn''t give you the right to attack students from our school," Su Sen said. "Are you blind? Isn''t it allowed to kick a few blocking rats?" Fang Ren replied, ncing at the Baili student he had previously sent flying with a kick. "Who are you calling a rat! Damn it, a bunch of trash from a Mediocre University!" "Yeah! Get out of our school!" "Coming here to study and still so arrogant! Do you want a beating?" ... Upon hearing Fang Ren''s words, a group of Baili University students erupted into curses. The students from Yangming couldn''t just stand by; although they might not excel in fighting, they definitely couldn''t lose the war of words! "Hey, damn! You care about us kicking your school''s rats, are you freaking sick?" "Believe it or not, I''ll bring a bag of rat poison tomorrow and poison all the rats in your school?" "Is this the first time your Rat University has seen people? Haven''t you seen a man before that youe up with your ass turned up for a kick?" "Yeah, I clearly saw 7 of your school''s rats with their asses up, begging for a kick! And now you''re ying the victim?" "Trash from Mediocre University!" "Rats from Rat University who haven''t taken their medicine!" In an instant, the university''s main gate became a spray of verbal exchange as two groups squared off, and members from both student councils started doing their utmost to maintain the situation. "All of you, stay right there!" A young man with golden hair and green eyes suddenly came forward, staring at Fang Ren and the three Yangming Cultivation Department students who had been involved earlier, and said. The previous student who had been kicked to the ground stood up immediately, angered, and said to the green-eyed young man, "President! We were just walking along when this guy suddenly kicked me, and he even attacked my two buddies! Su Sen saw this as an opportunity to enforce justice, but it''s all his fault!" Liu Qianqian hadn''t even had the chance to stop the verbal fight between the two sides, listening to the Baili student''s words which she couldn''t believe at all, she said, "First take those injured to the hospital. We''ll investigate the causeter." After speaking, Liu Qianqian immediately ran to Fang Ren''s side and only then did she see clearly how serious the wound on his chest was, which scared her and drained her face of color. "Quick,e with me to the hospital!" Liu Qianqian said as she grabbed Fang Ren''s hand, intending to lead him out. Fang Ren stood his ground and didn''t intend to go with her. He gently pried her hand off, his ominous bloodlust subsided, and with his usual expression restored, he said, "It''s fine, it''ll heal in a bit." His body had been conditioned countless times within Asura Gate, and coupled with the effects of the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat, regr wounds on his body could recover quickly. "What are you talking about!" Liu Qianqian, seeing her hand released, immediately furrowed her brows and tried to pull him again, this time gripping his hands tightly and pulling him outside. "I''m really fine." Fang Ren continued to pry at her hand, but found that she was holding on firmly. Fearing he might hurt her fingers if he exerted too much force, he could only stand there, unable to move her. "Would you walk already? There''s so much blood! Hurry up!" Liu Qianqian was so anxious her eyes reddened, seeing him motionless, she was filled with both worry and anger. "It''s really nothing." Fang Ren touched his chest, finding the wound had already begun to heal. This level of pain was virtually nothing to him. At that moment, students from both universities finally ceased their verbal conflict, each walking into their campuses with faces full of anger. The student from Baili School continued to bitterlyin to the president, painting Fang Ren as viinously as possible, conveniently omitting their earlier act of blocking the way. "All of you, go to the Academic Affairs Office!" Baili School''s president Li Shi said with displeasure. Liu Qianqian was unhappy upon hearing this and said to Li Shi, "No, he''s too badly hurt, I have to take him to the hospital, we can discuss the details when wee back." Li Shi nced at Fang Ren, then at the hand held by Liu Qianqian, a flicker of displeasure crossed his eyes, but he spoke seriously, "Qianqian, let other students take him instead. You have to join us for a meetingter to discuss how to deal with the student council issue." "It''s fine, let the other Student Council members speak for me, I''ll go with him," Liu Qianqian said. "That won''t do, you are your school''s Student Council President now, we can''t have these talks without you," Li Shi insisted. "President Li Shi, I think we should deal with the matter at hand before worrying about those issues. The student''s health is more important," Liu Qianqian said, frowning. Li Shi continued, "But sending this student to the hospital is such a simple task, others can take care of it." "I don''t trust anyone else," Liu Qianqian stated firmly. As she finished speaking, Li Shi''s eyes twitched violently but he still maintained hisposure and could only nod, saying, "Well... alright then, Qianqian,e back as soon as possible." Fang Ren saw the subtle changes on Li Shi''s face and could guess what he was thinking. He then nced at Liu Qianqian, who seemed to have no particr feelings for this Li Shi. Seeing this, Fang Ren turned around and started walking towards the school''s exit. Liu Qianqian saw him following, and immediately quickened her pace, running with him. Behind them, Li Shi nced at Fang Ren, biting his lip in frustration. ¡­ Soon, Fang Ren and Liu Qianqian arrived at a bus tform not far from the school. Fang Ren gently pried her hand away, this time she didn''t grip it tightly. "We really don''t need to go to the hospital, I just need to wash up in the school restroom," Fang Ren said. "Wash what? You have such a big wound!" Liu Qianqian retorted angrily. Fang Ren shrugged it off, saying, "I didn''te out with you because my injury was severe, it was because I saw that the president is interested in you, and you clearly don''t feel the same for him, so I followed you." "At a time like this? You still have the mood to talk about this!" Angrily, Liu Qianqian murmured, she immediately hailed a taxi on the road and dragged Fang Ren into it. Fang Ren didn''t want to get in, but she clung to him firmly, so he quickly sat down to appease her. Minutester, inside the hospital. "Miss, please don''t make things difficult for us, his chest has no injuries, what do you want us to stitch up?" In the hallway, a distressed doctor looked at Liu Qianqian. He was driven to the brink of madness by her insistence on checking over someone who waspletely unharmed, demanding stitches for non-existent wounds. Liu Qianqian said anxiously, "But his chest..." "Stop, stop, stop! Although I don''t know what happened before, I''m quite sure the blood isn''t his, there''s not a scratch on him! Youngdy, please stop this nonsense," said the doctor helplessly, before turning and walking away. Liu Qianqian stood stunned, rushed into a room, and found Fang Ren half-naked, with the blood washed off his chest, revealing no signs of injury. She was dumbfounded. Back at the school''s entrance, she had clearly seen a long cut on Fang Ren''s chest. How had it disappeared so suddenly? "That''s not right..." Liu Qianqian rushed over, scrutinizing his chest. She then reached out and touched it directly, only to find, astonishingly, that there was no wound. Fang Ren, feeling her touch, quickly stepped back, looking a bit embarrassed, "I told you, it''s nothing." Only then did Liu Qianqian realize what she had done, turned around quickly, her face slightly reddening as she stammered, "I... I was just concerned about your wound, nothing else, really!" "I know." Fang Ren nodded, picked up the blood-stained uniform beside him, and frowned. It was no longer wearable. Chapter 80: Chapter 78: What is Wood? (Three More)_1 "Forget it, I''ll just wear it for now and go buy a new er," he said. Fang Ren directly donned the bloodstained clothes over his body. "About that... I texted you yesterday, why didn''t you reply?" Liu Qianqian asked softly with her back to him as he was getting dressed. "Yesterday? I was kind of tired and slept all day, never got around to checking my phone," Fang Ren replied casually. Liu Qianqian gently nodded, her expression a bitplex, before she spoke again, "There are many things... I''ve never heard you talk about." "Mm." Fang Ren finished dressing and started walking towards the outside, telling Liu Qianqian, "You go back to school first, I''ll buy some clothes and then head back." "I''ll go with you," Liu Qianqian immediately followed him. "You should go back to school. It''s just buying some clothes, I can go by myself," Fang Ren said. "It''s fine, there''s not really a big meeting at school anyway, and... oh right," Liu Qianqian paused, then said, "I suddenly remembered I lost my favorite hair tie. I was just going to buy one." Fang Ren nced at the hair tie she used for her ponytail and remarked, "Isn''t that your favorite one?" "Ah?" Liu Qianqian was momentarily flustered, then awkwardlyughed and said, "You remember, huh." "Hmm, it seems like it was from our sophomore year," Fang Ren nodded in response. Liu Qianqian smiled and said, "Yeah, we went shopping together back then, and the wind was so strong that day. I remember I liked my hair down, but it kept getting in my eyes, so you suggested buying a hair tie. You wanted to see me with a ponytail." Fang Ren didn''t really understand why she suddenly brought up these memories. He simply nodded, "Yeah, that was a long time ago." Back then, he liked her but had never dared to confess his feelings, always beating around the bush with various hints. But Liu Qianqian treated him just as a friend, never considering any other possibilities. Liu Qianqian continued, smiling as she reminisced, "And then you apanied me to pick one out. Actually, I really liked the sky-blue one, but you said the pink was cute, so I bought a pink one. Then you said I looked great in a ponytail, so from that day on, I wore my hair like that every day." "Yeah." Fang Ren nodded. He wouldn''t think of her words in a romantic way because Liu Qianqian had always said things and made gestures that made him misunderstand a lot in the past. It was only after his failed confession that he realized her words never had any hidden meanings; she was just describing things candidly. The words she just said probably had no such intent either. Watching Fang Ren casually acknowledge with a nod and a dismissive reply, Liu Qianqian felt a sense of loss within. He no longer said things with a hidden edge, nor did he yfully tease her with words like he used to. He no longer liked her. Liu Qianqian felt saddened, ever since Mu Huanqing appeared, she had been deeply hurt; however, she had no choice. If she were to be romantically involved with him, when her family eventually came to take her away by force and made her marry another man, how heartbroken would he be then? They left the hospital and started walking down the street. "You go back, I''ll be heading back soon too," Fang Ren said. "It''s okay, I really want to buy a hairclip," Liu Qianqian said with a smile. Fang Ren blinked, "It feels like I haven''t seen you smile in a long time." "With all the pressure from the family, I couldn''t smile at all those days," Liu Qianqian said with augh, but what she really wanted to say was, how could I smile when you''ve been with another woman? "Problems resolved by now?" asked Fang Ren. "Yeah, it''s actually quite a coincidence. You told me in the afternoon that everything would be sorted out by tomorrow, and the next day it really was," she replied. "That''s really great," he said. ... The two of them remained silent for a while after, Fang Ren didn''t want to strike up a conversation. All he wanted now was to quickly change out of his blood-stained clothes; he didn''t see anything wrong with walking along the street with Liu Qianqian, as she only saw him as a normal friend. Liu Qianqian''s silence, however, was filled with questions she wasn''t sure how to voice. "I used to think... the Nymph Xuan Nv was long gone," Liu Qianqian suddenly said. "Not just you, I thought so too," Fang Ren responded. "I never imagined Hui Qing was actually the venerated Nymph Xuan Nv, admired by countless people," Liu Qianqian said thoughtfully. "And I really didn''t expect that you would meet her, and be in such a good rtionship." "Hmm, I didn''t expect it either. Everything happened so suddenly; it was only when that fourth-order void beast appeared that I finally realized," Fang Ren replied. "Has she... returned to the Central Battlefield now?" "She has gone back, her strength has been restored," he answered. "Her marriage... is it a matter of her own choice?" Liu Qianqian asked. "Not at all. The societal pressure, the mandate from the Central District Command, and some nonsense mission forced on her, designating her to be with that Song guy as a matching pair; she has no freedom whatsoever," Fang Ren spoke with evident distaste. Liu Qianqian frowned slightly, "Then why did she choose to be with you? Didn''t she consider how you would feel after she left?" Liu Qianqian couldn''tprehend why Mu Huanqing did what she did. She thought Mu Huanqing was too selfish ¡ª knowing she couldn''t stay with Fang Ren forever, why did she get involved with him only to leave him behind heartbroken? "At that time, her meridians were all shattered, with no possibility of recovery. She could only live as a mortal, which is why she met me. But who would have thought, all sorts of things happenedter on," Fang Ren spoke. "So that''s how it was..." Liu Qianqian then retracted her previous judgment about Mu Huanqing in her heart. She felt Mu Huanqing was lucky, yet also unlucky. Lucky because she had the chance to put everything aside and love someone she wanted to love but didn''t dare to love; unlucky because fate yed tricks on her, forcibly tearing apart her marriage bond. Thinking of this, Liu Qianqian suddenly felt she was actually the lucky one. She now had the qualification to be the winner of the Global University Alchemy Competition and obtained the freedom to marry. Additionally, the person she liked had lost his love, and she could now be with him. She could disregard the opposition from her family, she didn''t have to worry about someone hurting Fang Ren, and she could respond to him happily and loudly by the river that day, "I like you too!" Liu Qianqian continued, "I was nning to leave here after the school''s sports meet, but now I suddenly don''t want to go." "Why?" Fang Ren asked casually. "I won''t tell you yet, it''s still a secret," Liu Qianqian smiled. Fang Ren didn''t ask further about it, as long as she had her marital freedom, that was good enough. At least she wouldn''t be seen crying like she did that afternoon. "Oh right, that day at the school, in the afternoon, when I bumped into you by the restroom door, I thought you didn''t want to be friends with me anymore," Fang Ren suddenly remembered Liu Qianqian crying that day. "That day..." Liu Qianqian reminisced for a moment. That day had been filled with extreme sorrow for her. Upon learning that Fang Ren was really going to marry Mu Huanqing, she cried and said many uncontroble things: I said your girlfriend is so pretty, you two get along so well... Mu Hui is so pretty, after all, I''ve been bored with my face for three years. She''s fresher... I heard you only met recently and are getting married just over a weekter. That''s way better than just being friends after three years... Fang Ren! You don''t understand anything! You don''t get it! You''re just a blockhead! So stupid! Everything she said was so sour, like she had eaten an entire lemon. On that day, she had made herself very clear, but Fang Ren kept saying that he didn''t understand what she meant, even dodging the topic. That day, Fang Ren really didn''t understand the meaning behind Liu Qianqian''s words because the thought "Liu Qianqian could never like him" had be deeply ingrained in his subconscious. Liu Qianqian said too many things, did too many things that led him to misunderstand; subconsciously, he wouldn''t think her words had anything to do with romantic feelings. But in Liu Qianqian''s eyes, Fang Ren actually understood her feelings; he just pretended to be ignorant and refused to acknowledge them, not wanting to reveal the truth to avoid embarrassment for both of them. Now that Fang Ren could no longer be with Mu Huanqing, Liu Qianqian felt that Fang Ren''s heart would soon return to her. She just needed to stay by his side, soothe the wounds left by Mu Huanqing, and with patient waiting, soon, the boy who used to like her would confess his feelings to her again. Patience, patiently waiting. She couldn''t tell him those words right after he split up with Mu Huanqing when he was still significantly affected. Otherwise, Fang Ren might continue to feign ignorance due to not being able to ept a new rtionship so soon. She believed that Fang Ren would definitelye back into her life. "There''s onest thing I want to ask," Liu Qianqian said. "About Cultivators?" Fang Ren asked. "Yeah," Liu Qianqian said. "You never told me you were a Cultivator." "Oh, I only acquired a Spiritual Root recently; before that, I was just genuinely a mortal," Fang Ren said. "Recently acquired? Around when?" "A week ago." "A... a week?" Liu Qianqian was stunned. "Mhmm." "So, you mean... just seven days?" Fang Ren nodded. "..." Liu Qianqian, looking at his undisturbed face, waspletely dumbfounded. Although she was a mortal with no Cultivation Ability and couldn''t discern Fang Ren''s Realm. However, it was clear at the school gates that Fang Ren had fought evenly with Su Sen! Su Sen wasst year''s provincial Cultivator''spetition third ce! His current Cultivation Level had reached the Peak of the Yuanxin Realm, just one step away from advancing to the next Realm! Fang Ren fought evenly with him, which meant he, at the very least, needed the same Peak of the Yuanxin Realm. But... he had only possessed a Spiritual Root for seven days! Seven days from acquiring True Qi to the Peak of the Yuanxin Realm? Seven days to cross nearly four major Realms! This Cultivation Talent... had far surpassed the Xuan Nv... Chapter 81: Chapter 79: A Needle at the Bottom of the Sea? (First Update)_1 Liu Qianqian''s heart suddenly panicked as she thought about this. She immediately spoke up, "So, you want to marry her after you be stronger?" Fang Ren looked at her, as if it were obvious, and said, "Otherwise?" "..." Seeing Fang Ren''s assured expression, the joy that had risen in Liu Qianqian''s heart suddenly vanished without a trace, leaving only a slow-growing heaviness. "But, but even if you have great talent, it would take decades to catch up to her..." Liu Qianqian said with a frown. "Why do I have to catch up to her?" Fang Ren said. "I just need to be the strongest man among the younger generation." "But Song..." Liu Qianqian wanted to continue, but then she abruptly stopped. She felt that she shouldn''t point out that there was a huge gap between him and Song Mobei. Even with his talent, he had started toote, and it would take at least thirty years to catch up, but saying that would discourage him. She didn''t want to spoil his mood while they were out shopping together. "It''s nothing. I just mean that if you ever get tired on the road to bing stronger, don''t forget that I''m still by your side," Liu Qianqian said with a smile. When Fang Ren heard this, heughed, "You still manage to say things that can easily be misunderstood." Her words sounded like she was saying, if you get tired of chasing her, don''t forget that I''m here to be that person for you. But Fang Ren wasn''t going to overthink those words now. Liu Qianqian just meant what she said literally, as an ordinary friend, without any other implications. Liu Qianqian was momentarily taken aback when she heard his response. She thought she had hinted clearly enough, but Fang Ren seemed to believe there wasn''t any deeper meaning to her words. He probably doesn''t want to confront it, Liu Qianqian thought to herself. "What misunderstanding? There''s none," Liu Qianqianughed. She insisted that her words had no misunderstanding, hinting at him. Fang Ren justughed and shook his head. To him, her words seemed like she didn''t understand the implications of what she herself had said. Indeed, her words probably carried no deeper meaning since he was the one who had misunderstood before. At a clothing store, Fang Ren casually picked out a ck short-sleeve shirt and started walking towards the fitting room. Liu Qianqian, meanwhile, picked out another blue shirt and said, "I think this one would look better on you." "The ck one''s better. It''s the same color as the school uniform, so it won''t be too awkward at school," Fang Ren still opted for the one in his hand and went straight into the fitting room. Outside the fitting room, Liu Qianqian''s smiling face gradually fell, looking at the blue short-sleeve shirt she had chosen for him, feeling a sourness in her heart. She remembered how in the past, when they went shopping for clothes together, Fang Ren would always ask her, "How do I look in this?" and wouldn''t buy it until she said it looked good. Or if she picked something casually for him, he''d buy it right away, thinking the shirt was fine, even if it didn''t fit well or looked a bit unattractive. And now he''s talking about matching the school uniform... He never cared about such things before. Before long, Fang Ren came out of the fitting room, looked at himself in the mirror, and, finding no ws, went directly to pay. Liu Qianqian put back the blue short-sleeve shirt she had in her hands and caught up with him, "Wait a second." "What is it?" "Let me take off the tag for you." As she said this, Liu Qianqian reached out towards the tag to unfasten it. "I can do it myself," Fang Ren said, attempting to remove it himself. "It''s okay." Liu Qianqian blocked his hand and quickly removed the tag. Holding it, she smiled and said, "For the past three years, every piece of clothing you''ve bought, seems like I''m the one who always takes off the tags for you." "Hmm..." Fang Ren nodded and then asked, "Don''t you want to buy a hair cover?" "Youe with me," Liu Qianqian said as she pulled on his arm toward the essories store above. Fang Ren looked at the hand she had on his arm, aplex expression on his face as he said, "This doesn''t seem appropriate. I can walk by myself." Liu Qianqian didn''t let go, instead turning back with a smile, "What, now that you have a girlfriend, I can''t pull your arm anymore? There was no problem when I did it for three years." "But it''s indeed different now," Fang Ren gently freed his hand. Watching Fang Ren pull away, Liu Qianqian''s expression fell, and she turned to walk ahead, saying, "You favor your love over your friends!" "I don''t think that was my intention..." ... Soon after, the two entered the essories store, filled with various ornaments, earrings, and hairpins. Fang Ren stood at the entrance without moving further in. "Come help me choose," Liu Qianqian said, pulling him by the arm toward the inside. Fang Ren frowned, feeling that her habit was not good. He thought he should find an opportunity to make things clear, not to let her do this anymore. "Does this look good?" Liu Qianqian put on a hairpin with a pink blossom on her head and, turning to Fang Ren, smiled and started speaking. "You look very handsome; anything would look beautiful on you," Fang Ren said, stating a very objective truth. The smile on Liu Qianqian''s face instantly turned into a sigh as she looked at him with a intive gaze and said, "Why are you being so casual? You didn''t use to say it like this." "I just told the truth..." Fang Ren replied. "Then can''t you put in some effort to help me choose?" "Sure." As Liu Qianqian spoke, she changed to another hairpin, still pink, and with a smile back on her face, she looked at Fang Ren and made a yful winking gesture before speaking, "How about this? Does it give off a cute vibe?" Fang Ren nodded and responded, "I think you should pick a sky-blue one, it would really suit your temperament." Liu Qianqian''s temperament was that of a gentle and refined woman, someone who appeared calm and intelligent, andtely, her expressions had been somewhat cool. A sky-blue hair essory would seem more fitting for her. The reason he had previously liked to pick pink for her was because he had a fondness for the cute style in his heart, and so he wanted the Liu Qianqian he liked to develop in a cuter direction. Liu Qianqian was taken aback and asked, "Don''t you like cute girls a lot?" Fang Ren smiled and said, "Before, I felt that for the person I liked, I wanted to change every detail about them into what I liked the most. But now, after being with Qing''er and experiencing our rtionship, I''ve realized that I could grow fond of everything about her, including all her aspects." However, after listening to him, what Liu Qianqian deciphered from his words was that because he didn''t like her, he no longer wanted her to change into what he liked. "I see." Liu Qianqian forced a smile and didn''t reach for the hairpin he had chosen; instead, she paid for the pink flower hairpin she had selected herself. If asked why, since she couldn''t be the person he liked, then she would at least be the appearance he liked the most. Fang Ren blinked. He remembered that Liu Qianqian used to like blue, but every time he rmended pink, and for some reason¡ªwhether she thought he had a better eye or something¡ªsince then, she let him choose many things for her. After leaving the hair essory store, Fang Ren nned to return to the school. Liu Qianqian''s mood had also suddenly turned a bit low for some reason, but he didn''t ask;tely, her emotions seemed to fluctuate unpredictably. He didn''t know why, nor did he dare to ask more. Liu Qianqian tried to calm her emotions and suddenly spoke, "Let''s walk back to the school?" "It''s too far; let''s take a taxi," Fang Ren suggested. "No need, in case there''s something I want to buy suddenly," Liu Qianqian said. Fang Ren looked at the almost empty street ahead and said, "There''s not much left to buy up ahead." Upon hearing this, Liu Qianqian furrowed her brows slightly and said with a resentful tone, "Can''t I just feel down and want to talk more with you?" "We can talk in the car..." "I get carsick." "If I''m not mistaken, you seem to take the bus to school every day..." "I get carsick in taxis!" "There''s a bus stop ahead." "I don''t have coins." "I have some." Suddenly feeling very angry, Liu Qianqian blurted out, "Are you that eager to avoid spending more time with me? Do I annoy you that much!" Fang Ren looked at her sudden fury,pletely dumbfounded, "I... what did I say wrong?" "Nothing! You did nothing wrong!" As she spoke, Liu Qianqian angrily walked toward the bus stop, clutching the hairpin, feeling very aggrieved. She''d made it so clear that she just wanted to spend more time alone with him, and yet he didn''t seem willing! Fang Ren stood there, blinking. The saying ''a woman''s heart is a deep ocean of secrets'' couldn''t be more urate; how had she gotten angry all of a sudden... Just as Liu Qianqian, with a face full of anger, was heading toward the bus stop, suddenly a silver light shed across her field of vision. She promptly looked up toward the distance and saw a woman in ck gathering True Qi, evidently targeting the area where Fang Ren was. Instantly, Liu Qianqian turned and ran towards Fang Ren, looking back at the concealed woman in ck with an angry expression. As Liu Qianqian positioned herself in front of Fang Ren, the woman in ck frowned, withdrew her True Qi, and disappeared from the spot. "What''s wrong?" Fang Ren asked, puzzled by her sudden return. "Nothing, something just came up; you go ahead," she replied. After saying that, Liu Qianqian began running ahead. "Hey, are you sure you''re okay?" Fang Ren called out. "I''m fine! Be careful on your way back," Liu Qianqian shouted without looking back. Fang Ren, watching her figure growing increasingly distant, shrugged and began waiting at the stop for a taxi or bus toe by. Chapter 82: Chapter 80: Down and Out All the Way (Second Update)_1 In a certain park. Liu Qianqian shouted angrily, "Wu Hui,e out!" Whoosh¡ª As her voice fell, a ck figure appeared in front of Liu Qianqian, bowing respectfully and speaking, "Why must the young miss be so agitated?" "You''re going to kill him!" Liu Qianqian roared furiously. "As you have seen, indeed," Wu Hui nodded and said. "Do I need to say it again! If you dare to kill him, I will take your life once I return to the family!" As she spoke, Liu Qianqian drew out the longsword Wu Hui carried, ced it directly against Wu Hui''s neck, and with bloodlust flickering in her eyes, she continued, "I really want to kill you right now!" Wu Hui didn''t dodge or flinch, saying emotionlessly, "Firstly, if I die, certain people will capture you. To increase their Cultivation Level, they are capable of doing anything to you." "You''re already going to strike him down! I don''t care about that!" With the longsword in her hand, Liu Qianqian chopped towards her neck. Hum¡ª Wu Hui''s body was enveloped in ayer of white True Qi, and as the longsword struck the white True Qi, it was deflected and thrown out, buzzing loudly. Wu Hui, still expressionless, said, "Secondly, young miss, you don''t have the strength to kill me." Liu Qianqian''s eyes reddened, and she rushed to pick up the longsword from the ground, bit her silver teeth, and made a ten centimeter cut on her own arm, blood spurting out continuously. Wu Hui immediately snatched the longsword from her hands with a flicker, her expression turning frantic. Liu Qianqian looked at her very seriously and said, "I''m telling you, if you dare to have any ill thoughts about him next time, I''ll slit my throat directly! If he died and you could have saved him but didn''t, I''ll just go to my death! I want to see how the Liu Family will deal with you then!" "Young miss! Next time I definitely won''t harbor any intention to kill that person! I promise!" Saying this, Wu Hui immediately used True Qi to carry Liu Qianqian and flew towards the hospital. "You can force him to not be with me, but if you dare to kill him, I will not live in this world..." "I understand, it was my fault. There will be no next time, please believe me." Wu Hui said earnestly. ------ On the bustling streets of Linyang City, filled with a constant stream of cars and people. A young woman in denim shorts and a white short-sleeve shirt with a sun hat sat on a stone bench by the street, looking downcast. Her slender legs were curled up, her arms wrapped around her knees, her head bowed, and her ck hair draped over her shoulders, covering her face with the sun hat. She was a stark contrast, emotionally low, to theughing people on the street around her. Gurgle~ A sound came from her stomach. "I''m starving..." Bai Qi rubbed her little belly with a wronged expression, and just the thought of the grievances she had suffered these days made her want to cry. Her mother had used such a fierce tone to pressure her into marrying someone, a way she had never seen her treat her before. Unable to bear it, in a fit of anger, she decided to run away from home, determined to fight to the end for her freedom to marry, to find that boy named Fang Ren and tell him she couldn''t be with him, she would find another way to make it up to him, and then properly apologize to him. Of course, she believed that upon seeing her, Fang Ren would definitely not agree to annul the marriage, especially since she was so beautiful. The boy named Fang Ren would surely fall for her and not let go easily... However, less than half an hour after she left home, she discovered that her bank cards and mobile payment apps, anything that could be used for spending, had been frozen. In a rage, she threw away her mobile phone to prevent her family from tracking her location. Initially, she wanted to book a flight to Yangming City, but after checking the cash in her pocket, she realized she could only get there by flying on her own Qi. Later on, while flying on her sword, she suddenly discovered that a Spirit-Dispersing Seal had been cast upon her. She could only continually consume her True Qi and couldn''t draw from the energy of heaven and earth, nor could she recover her True Qi by herself. It turned out her mother had anticipated her running away and had secretly ced the seal on her in advance. Because she could not recover her True Qi, she had exhausted all her True Qi when she had covered ny percent of the distance. Subsequently, she used thest three hundred yuan on her to take a high-speed train across a province to get here. But when she got off the train, she found that she still had more than a hundred li to go to her destination. Too hungry to bear it any longer, she spent thest forty yuan from her train fare to eat a bowl of rice noodles at a roadside stall. Who would have thought that the vendors near the high-speed train station would be so ck-hearted, charging her twenty-four yuan for a bowl that should have cost five! That nearly made her explode with anger! She silently made a vow that once she got divorced and returned, she would take her money, buy that store, and catch the unscrupulous shopkeeper, starve him for a day, and then make him watch her eat rice noodles and covet her meal! But she had more pressing matters to attend to now and had to endure. ``` The sixteen dors left on her couldn''t cover the taxi fare to Yangming City, and out of desperation, she had to walk. On the way, she finally experienced the hard struggles of being without True Qi. After walking for a whole day, she still hadn''t reached Yangming City, and had even bought three bottles of mineral water for one dor each. As a result,e evening, she didn''t have enough money for a hotel and had to make do with a bench in the park. When she woke up the next day, both of her feet were in pain, and she could barely walk. Afterforting herself a little, she bought a few steamed buns and two bottles of water by the roadside, spending a total of six dors, and continued on her way to Yangming City. By the end of the day, she was still thirty li from her destination, and she had spent all her money. She was very hungry, but there was nothing she could do except endure the hunger and spend another night on a park bench. Upon waking, she had thought she couldplete thest thirty li in one day, but she hadn''t anticipated that two days of hunger would leave her without the strength to go on after fifteen li. Looking at the restaurants along the street, she couldn''t help but swallow her saliva. Under normal circumstances, her status alone would have been enough to scrounge food and drink anywhere, but because of the particr situation she was in, being recognized would mean being quickly captured by her family''s people. So the idea of using the Bai Family''s little princess status to freeload waspletely out of the question. But there was no choice, she didn''t have True Qi to use, and with her stomach growling, she did the most bizarre thing of her life¡ªshe dined and dashed! As a result¡­ she, the Bai Family''s little princess, was caught by the restaurant owner, and she had to work off her debt by cleaning, carrying tes, and washing dishes. On her first day working off her debt as a waitress, she almost burst into tears¡ªit was unheard of for someone to just grab her and put her to work washing dishes and cleaning¡­ She nearly couldn''t take it and was about to take off her sun hat to let the boss see who she really was, but the thought of her familying for her stopped her. And, after all, since she had dined and dashed, she felt paying off her debt was only fair. Just that¡­ it was just too humiliating. During her days as a waitress, many people were curious about why she didn''t show her face, and she was always vignt against the chance that someone might suddenlye and take off her sun hat. The boss was quite nice. Knowing that she had no money for food, he allowed her to eat something in the kitchen when she was hungry. After a week, seeing that she had a good attitude towards work and hadn''t stolen anything or run away, he let her leave directly. After leaving the restaurant, she finally arrived in Yangming City after much hardship. The moment she set foot on Yangming soil, she almost burst into tears. However, when she reached Fang Ren''s school and saw a construction site in ruins, she did cry. The fellow she had gone through so much trouble to find had gone to study in the city where she worked because his school had been destroyed!! She had to return the way she came¡­ On the way back, she got thirsty and drank some sample beverages at a supermarket, only to be scolded by a store aunty for having no shame, wondering how much she had already drunk¡­ Walking along the road, and with only two li left to reach the university where that Fang guy was, she stepped into a hole¡­ and twisted her ankle. All she could do was sit on a roadside stone bench, feeling dejected, thirsty, and hungry, her clothes not having been changed in many days. And more importantly, her period was due tomorrow! And she didn''t bring any sanitary pads! This was an absolute disaster! Although Cultivators who reach the Xuanyang realm can subsist without food and women no longer get their periods, her problem was that she hadn''t reached the Xuanyang Realm¡­ Between being caught by the restaurant owner and scolded by the store aunty, the thought made her eyes redden and tears began to swim in her eyes, and her nose started to sniffle. Pulling out a photo of Fang Ren from her pocket, Bai Qi wiped away her tears in distress and started descending from the stone bench to head towards the school. "Wait until I find you, you must take me to have delicious food¡­" At the bus stop, Fang Ren had been waiting for a bus for over twenty minutes, but taxis passed by full of passengers, and for some unknown reason, not a single bus heading to the university had appeared in that time. "Forget it, let''s walk to the next stop." Fang Ren didn''t want to wait any longer and began to walk to the next bus stop. "Fang Ren, you jerk¡­ once I find you, you must take me out for a meal, and you''ll buy me sanitary pads too, wuu¡­" Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard a girl''s crying behind him. He paused, surprised she was calling his name. And not only that, she was calling him a jerk and saying something about buying her sanitary pads? He turned around instinctively, spotting a girl in denim shorts and a white short-sleeve shirt, wearing a sun hat, crying and mumbling to herself as she walked with a limp, her dirty white shoes showing some peeled off parts. "Fang Ren, you jerk¡­ wuu¡­ You didn''t even leave a phone number¡­ I''ll never like you¡­ ah wuu¡­" Chapter 83: Chapter 81: Helping Others Is Fine, Just Dont Help Fools (Third Update)_1 Hearing the words spoken by the girl in front of him, Fang Ren stood rooted to the spot,pletely stunned, watching as the girl limped away, blinking repeatedly. For some reason, he felt that there was something very familiar about this girl''s presence. However, he really didn''t recognize her, and the Fang Ren she was referring to might not necessarily be him. Turning around, Fang Ren continued to walk forward, and it just so happened that the girl was also heading in the same direction as him. "I really want to go home..." Bai Qi''s head hung low, her small hand wiping away tears again, as she sadly muttered to herself. Right now, she really didn''t want to call off the engagement; she just wanted Fang Ren toe out soon and take her for a meal. As for calling off the engagement, she decided to consider it after seeing what kind of person Fang Ren was. For instance, if he wouldn''t take her out to eat, then he must be a wicked person, definitely not someone she could marry! "Hey, miss, wait a minute!" Just then, a man''s voice suddenly came from behind. Bai Qi stopped in her tracks, quickly pulling down the sun visor on her hat to cover her entire face. As she turned around, Bai Qi saw a man in a suit, holding a bag of snacks and looking at her. She did not recognize this man, but there were no other women around, so he must be calling her. Fang Ren, on the other hand, continued walking, only thinking about seeing Su Sen again, so that he could hurry up and say to him, "Have the guts and don''t leave after school." Such a phrase was perfect; he was worried about not having anyone to practice with, and Su Sen''s skill level, being the third in the province, was definitely good enough for him to improve. "Miss, just now I heard you say you were hungry on the roadside. It looks like you are in some difficulty, so I casually bought you something to eat," said the man in the suit with a friendly smile looking at Bai Qi. Upon hearing this, Bai Qi''s eyes, already reddened from crying, suddenly froze, her gazending on the bag of snacks held by the man, involuntarily wanting to swallow. But her upbringing as a princess forbade her from showing it. "Really... can you really give it to me?" Bai Qi asked in disbelief. "Of course, you can." The man in the suit smiled and handed the bag of snacks to Bai Qi. Moved by the gesture, Bai Qi thought to herself that there are still many good people in this world. "Thank you! I really appreciate it so much!" Bai Qi, feeling a bit embarrassed, took the bag of snacks and immediately started to express her gratitude. "You look pretty thirsty; have some water before eating. Otherwise, it''s ufortable if you choke," said the man in the suit, handing her a bottle of water. "Thank you." After taking the water, Bai Qi silently thought that once she returned home, she would definitely give a generous amount of money to the person who had helped her. "Hee-haw! Hee-haw!" Fang Ren was walking ahead when suddenly, little Qianye, who had been dozing off in his pocket, burst out in a leap. "Hey! Where are you going, kid!" Fang Ren saw it running away out of the blue and immediately turned to chase after it, but Qianye did not pay him any heed and scurried towards Bai Qi, smacking its lips. "Hee-haw!" Qianye reached Bai Qi''s side and immediately hugged onto her ankle ring, looking up with sheer joy on its face, continually crying out, "Hee-haw hee-haw!" to Bai Qi. "Huh?" Bai Qi had just taken the water intending to drink it when she suddenly felt her ankle ring being grasped. Looking down, she saw an extremely cute little creature smiling at her and continuously making sounds she couldn''t understand, seeming overjoyed to see her. Finding the little creature extremely cute, Bai Qi bent down to pick it up in her palm, and upon being lifted, it''s smile widened even further. It then jumped onto her shoulder and hugged her neck, a round little face rubbing affectionately against hers. "Hee-haw hee-haw~" "Where did youe from?" Bai Qi asked the little creature on her shoulder. No sooner had she spoken, Qianye frowned at the water bottle in her hand and then, from the grey disk above his head, a grey tendril shot out, piercing the water bottle Bai Qi held. "Hee-haw hee-haw!" Qianye pointed one of its round arms at the man in the suit with a wary face, its voice sounding like a warning. "What''s this thing doing!" The man in the suit saw his gifted water bottle pierced and his expression suddenly turned to anger, moving to seize Qianye. "Hee-haw hee-haw!" Qianye swiftly hid behind Bai Qi''s neck, furiously staring at the man opposite. "What creature is this!" The annoyance in the man in the suit grew upon hearing Qianye''s voice. Smack¡ª Just as he was about to grab Qianye, a hand suddenly grabbed his arm. The man in the suit was taken aback, looking at Fang Ren who was holding his arm, speaking with displeasure, "Are you this little thing''s owner?" Fang Ren didn''t respond; instead, he nced at the mineral water bottle in Bai Qi''s hand, noticing it had been opened, and that the water inside was clearly not normal, with a bit of white powder at the bottom, which would not be visible unless closely inspected. Poisoned. Smack¡ª Fang Ren directly shook off the man''s arm, and the man spun around a few times on the spot before falling to the ground with a joint of his hand striking the floor with a crisp sound, probably a fracture. Fang Ren then turned around, grabbing the little Qianye that had climbed onto Bai Qi''s neck, and frowned at him, "ying the hero, huh?" "Hehe..." Little Qianye sat in Fang Ren''s palm, looking up at him with a wronged face. "Fuck! You''ve got some nerve! I''ll call the cops right now! If I can''t extort you into bankruptcy, I lose!" The man lying on the ground yelled and immediately took out his phone to snap a photo of Fang Ren before starting to dial for the police. Fang Ren nced at him and walked over in two steps, stepping on the man''s hand that held the phone and crushing the phone with his other foot. Looking at the man lying on the ground, Fang Ren''s smile began to turn maniacal, "I''ll give you the chance to wet your pants and save your life." "..." The man in the suit had one hand pinned on the ground, and the intense pain made him want to cry out, but upon locking eyes with Fang Ren, his whole body started trembling with an expression of utter terror. Then, a warm flow continuously surged from his crotch, quickly wetting his trousers. "You''re going too far!" Bai Qi suddenly came up and pushed Fang Ren, looking very angry as she said, "Even though it was wrong of him to grab this little guy, if you hadn''t stopped him, I would have. But there''s no need to beat someone like this!" Fang Ren looked at Bai Qi displeased and said, "Idiot." After saying that, he turned his head and walked away, and to the man lying on the ground behind him, he said, "Continue to call the police, I want to see who ends up in the station." The man in the suit realized that his act of drugging had been found out. What was the point of calling the police now? "Hehehe!" Little Qianye climbed onto Fang Ren''s shoulder and kept calling out to Bai Qi behind him. "Shut up." Fang Ren grabbed Little Qianye by the hand and flicked its little backside, saying, "Remember this for next time, it''s fine to help people, but not idiots." "Hehe..." Little Qianye looked up at him with a despondent face. "Who are you calling an idiot!" When Bai Qi heard the other party calling her an idiot, she suddenly lost her temper, setting off to catch up and argue with him, but as she began to run, her bottle of mineral water suddenly dropped to the ground. She immediately bent down to pick it up, and that''s when she noticed that the bottle had been previously opened, and there were some white powdery residues at the bottom of the bottle. Suddenly, she understood everything and turned around angrily, throwing the mineral water and a bag of snacks back, yelling, "How can there be such scum like you in society!" If it wasn''t for the fact that she could not use her True Qi at the moment and was too hungry to have any strength, she would have definitely caught this guy and taken him to the police station. After saying that, she immediately ran after Fang Ren. He had helped her, and she had spoken to him with that attitude; she had to apologize properly. "Hehehe!" When Little Qianye saw Bai Qiing after him, the depressed look on his face instantly turned into joy, and he leaped from Fang Ren''s shoulder into Bai Qi''s palm. "You little rascal!" Fang Ren turned his head and saw Little Qianye run into Bai Qi''s hands again, knitting his brows instantly. "I''m sorry, I''m so sorry!" Bai Qi immediately ran in front of Fang Ren with Little Qianye and apologized, bowing her head, "I really didn''t expect to encounter such a bad person. Even though you were helping me, I still said those things to you. I''m truly sorry!" Seeing her apologizing three times in a row, Fang Ren let go of the matter and reached out to take Little Qianye back, "It''s okay." After saying that, he continued walking forward. However, in the moment after he turned his head back, Bai Qi''s face stiffened. Then, she immediately ran up, stood in front of Fang Ren, took out a photograph from her pocket to look at it, then looked up at Fang Ren''s face, and was instantly stunned. "What''s wrong with you?" Fang Ren saw her blocking the way and started to get a bit annoyed. But watching the girl suddenly take out a photo, look at it, and then keep staring at his face, he couldn''t help but suddenly think of the earlier words the girl had been shouting at him, asking him to take her out for food, buy her sanitary pads, and such. He couldn''t deny that he felt a sense of affinity towards the girl in front of him, even familiarity, as if he had seen her somewhere before. Could it be... an acquaintance of some sort? "Fang Ren!" All of a sudden, the girl in front of him shouted his name and then took off her sun hat in one swift move, with an excited expression looking at him. Her eyes, red and swollen, immediately filled with tears, and then she burst into tears. "Fang Ren! Do you have any idea how hard I''ve been looking for you! Wuuu..." "Huh?" Fang Ren waspletely dumbfounded: "Hey, this, you, don''t cry, okay!" Chapter 84: Chapter 82: The Amicable Termination of the Contract (Four Updates)_1 "Hey, don''t cry!" Fang Ren was instantly flustered. This wasn''t because he couldn''t stand to see a woman cry. Having seen life and death recur many times in Asura Gate, even the tears of a beautiful woman were nothing more than the sorrows of an ordinary creature in his eyes. But somehow, when he saw the girl''s eyes red with tears, a familiar feeling in his heart suddenly affected his whole mood, causing his words and actions to be somewhat panicked. "Do you have any idea how I was dragged off to wash dishes and mop floors, do you know I was scolded just for having a few extra drinks, do you know how far I walked because I had no money for the bus..." Bai Qi wiped away tears with one hand as the grievances she had suffered these past days burst out. Having been spoiled since childhood and treated like a star by the entire Tianjiang, how could she have endured such humiliations outside? Unable to pay for a meal and forced to wash dishes and mop floors, so thirsty that she drank a few extra samples of beverages only to get scolded, and finally, thinking she had found someone kind with food and drink, only to realize he was a scumbag. She had experienced every kind of bad luck over the past few days. "Stop, stop, stop, let''s talk calmly, and please stop crying," Fang Ren looked around, aware that his flinging of the suited man had already drawn much attention, and he feared that it might lead to a misunderstanding. "Heh-hah..." Little Qianye even climbed onto her shoulder, trying to wipe her tears away with its paw. Vexed, Bai Qi bit her lip and forced herself to hold back the tears. The unfairness she had felt over these days was too much to bear, and she couldn''t help crying. "I really am sorry about just now, I truly didn''t expect someone like that..." Bai Qi''s voice still held a hint of sobbing. "It''s all right, I wasn''t really calling you foolish, I just said it without thinking, don''t take it to heart." "Okay, thank you for helping me," Bai Qi dried her tears and let down her arm, looked at Fang Ren with a sniffle, and asked softly, "Could you take me to get something to eat? I''m so hungry, I haven''t eaten since yesterday morning..." Fang Ren took out his wallet, extracted a red bill, and said, "I need to get back to school, I''ll give you some money so you can go eat by yourself." Bai Qi looked at the money in his hand, reached out to take it, but suddenly thought of something and withdrew her hand, looking at Fang Ren, she said, "I''m retracting what I just said." "Which part? The one about me taking you to eat?" Fang Ren asked. "Yes," Bai Qi nodded and said, "It''s not appropriate for me to ask you to take me to eat now because there''s something very important I haven''t mentioned yet, and you might really hate me after I say it, so I won''t take your money, and I''m retracting the invitation to dine." "What is it?" Fang Ren didn''t understand what she meant. Bai Qi rummaged through her pockets, took out her ID card, and handed it to Fang Ren, saying, "First, I need to apologize, this may make you angry, but I still have to say it, I''m here to cancel our engagement. I have someone I like, and I can''t fulfill the marriage arrangement made by my father and Uncle Fang." Fang Ren was momentarily stunned upon hearing her words, then looked at the ID card. Only then did it dawn on him why he had found the girl so familiar upon first sight. No wonder, she was the Little Princess of the Tianjiang Bai Family, Bai Qi. She was also his current fianc¨¦e. After hearing Bai Qi''s words, Fang Ren didn''t harbor any bad feelings inside. Bai Qi was polite in her speech, and as the princess of Tianjiang, she didn''t show any arrogance, giving him an approachable impression. Moreover, she came to cancel the marriage, and this made Fang Ren feel as if a weight had been lifted. Without much surprise, Fang Ren smiled and said, "Don''t worry about me getting angry. Actually, if you hadn''te to call off the marriage, I would havee to you. You have someone you like, and I have someone I like, too. It''s best if we can both agreeably cancel this engagement." Bai Qi, hearing his response and seeing his smiling face, suddenly felt a sense of relief, "I thought you would be angry if I came to you to call off the engagement. I''m sorry for thinking so poorly of you before." Fang Ren was taken aback by her continued apologies. The princess of Tianjiang turned out to have such a good temperament. Although she had cried all the way like a child, her understanding and mature attitude were quite evident. "It''s fine, really," Fang Renughed, "Aren''t you hungry? I''ve changed my mind; let''s have a meal together, and we can talk about calling off the engagement." Seeing his reaction, Bai Qi also felt that this man had a great character. His good upbringingpelled her to say thank you again, "Thank you, I''ll pay you back for the meal after I return to my family." Though she had been spoiled from childhood and developed some bratty traits, her interactions and moral character were still influenced by the nurturing of a great family. In her words, brattiness was meant for her family, while politeness was for outsiders. "Did you escape to find me and call off the engagement?" Fang Ren asked. Otherwise, why would a princess be unable to afford a meal? Her bank card must have been frozen by her family. "Yes," Bai Qi replied, "My mother also ced a dispersing spirit mark on me, so now my True Qi is depleted, and I don''t really understand much about formations, so I had no choice but to walk here from Bailin City." Fang Ren''s confusion cleared, but hearing Bailin City, he was somewhat surprised. Bailin City was about a hundred miles from Yangming City, and around seventy miles from here, Linyang City. Without her True Qi, she had walked so far on foot, no wonder her shoes were falling apart. Seeing her limping, Fang Ren simply said to the little creature perched on her shoulder, "Qianye, help her out." "Heh-ha!" A small branch suddenly grew out from the halo above Qianye''s head and wrapped around Bai Qi''s leg, emitting a red glow which, after no more than two seconds, dissipated, and Bai Qi''s twisted ankle began to heal. "It''s better..." Bai Qi moved her foot, looking in astonishment at the tiny Qianye on her shoulder. "Little guy, you''re this powerful?" "Heh-ha!" Qianye rubbed her face, all smiles. After crossing the street, Fang Ren immediately took her into a small restaurant and, settling into a seat, told her, "Order whatever you like, no need to stand on ceremony with me." That Bai Qi had taken the initiative toe find him to annul their engagement had already saved him a lot of trouble. Moreover, being a princess, her temperament really didn''t bother him, and she carried an affinity around her that he found quite endearing. Aside from some initial misunderstandings, he was more than happy to sit opposite her like this, enjoying a meal and amiably resolving all matters. As for her current inability to use True Qi, he would help her with anything she needed assistance with for the time being. Bai Qi now had her sun hat on again, afraid that people around might recognize her. She worried that photographs and rumors might spread far and wide, which would be troublesome. "I''ll just have some of these." Bai Qi ticked off two vegetarian dishes on the menu, then pushed the menu towards Fang Ren. Fang Ren looked at the dishes she had marked, slightly stunned¡ªthey were two of the cheapest items: bean sprouts with vermicelli and sour shredded potatoes. "It''s just a meal; you don''t need to worry about eating me out of house and home," Fang Ren said. "It''s not that; I''ve liked vegetarian dishes since I was little," Bai Qi responded. As she spoke, her stomach continued to growl, causing her to blush. She pulled down her sun hat, not uttering another word. In truth, what she really wanted right now was some expensive meat dishes. But she had learned from her mother that Fang Ren had always lived the life of an ordinary person from childhood till now and, being a student, he didn''t have much money. She couldn''t ignore his feelings just because he agreed to take her out to eat. Fang Ren nodded and said, "I''m quite fond of meat dishes." He then ticked off several pricier items on the menu and handed it to the waiter. He, too, was lying. In fact, he preferred vegetarian dishes over meat in his everyday life. However, he could tell what Bai Qi wanted right now. Soon a table full of dishes arrived, and Bai Qi swallowed hard before starting to eat. When she took the first bite of meat, her heart suddenly soured. Since running away from home up until the time she met Fang Ren, she hadn''t eaten any meat. While working at the restaurant, she only had simple vegetarian food and steamed buns to eat. She wasn''t dissatisfied with this situation¡ªshe knew the owner was actually quite kind to her. "Why aren''t you eating?" After taking a few bites, Bai Qi noticed that Fang Ren, sitting opposite her, had just added some dishes to his bowl without actually eating any of it and asked him. "It isn''t even noon yet; I haven''t even digested my morning meal, and I''m not the least bit hungry," Fang Ren replied. "Then why did you order so much expensive stuff?" Bai Qi frowned. Fang Ren chuckled nonchntly: "Don''t I have you to cover the bill?" After hearing that, Bai Qi nodded. She had indeed said that she would reimburse Fang Ren for the meal, so it was entirely reasonable for him to think and act that way. Only... she just thought about saving him money moments ago, and now she suddenly felt her consideration was superfluous. He didn''t care about those things at all. However, after thinking it over, she felt it was kind of fair. After all, once the engagement was annulled, there wouldn''t be any interaction between the two of them. Fang Ren didn''t need to be polite or try to please her. She was already grateful that he took her out for a meal. "When we were first betrothed, was there a betrothal agreement or something like that?" Fang Ren asked. "Yes, my copy was taken by my grandfather, and yours should be with Uncle Fang," Bai Qi replied. "But now that we both have someone else we like, as long as we both agree to annul the engagement, then the betrothal papers will naturally be invalidated." "So, just a verbal agreement between us would suffice?" Fang Ren inquired. "Definitely not, they won''t believe it," said Bai Qi. "Wait a moment, record a video with your phone of us discussing the annulment of the engagement, and then send me a copy. I''ll show it to my grandfather and Uncle Fang, and then the two betrothal papers will be invalidated." "Just use your phone to record it then, to save you the trouble of having to pass it on." "Hey, I ran away from home, remember? If I carried a phone, they''d surely locate me with it." "Then how shall I send you the video after I record it?" "I''ll give you my chat ount. You can add me as a friend and send it to meter." "Then that''s settled," Fang Ren nodded. Chapter 85: Chapter 83: Dont Persuade Others to Be Magnanimous_1 Fang Ren opened his phone camera and ced it aside, perfectly framing both of their faces. "I voluntarily dissolve my engagement with Bai Qi, with absolutely no consideration for any benefits, but solely for our mutual emotional freedom," Fang Ren said to the camera. After finishing his statement, Fang Ren turned his head to look at Bai Qi and asked, "Is that sufficient?" "It should be enough," Bai Qi nodded, flipped her sun hat back, faced the camera, and said, "I also voluntarily dissolve my engagement with Fang Ren, not for any benefits, but for the freedom of our feelings." Having said that, she pulled her sun hat down again, quietly observing whether the people around dining had noticed her. Then Fang Ren retracted his phone, checked the short video they had just recorded, and felt that the words they had both spoken had a certain ceremonial sincerity. This video would definitely serve as a solid piece of evidence within the extended family. "All right, what''s your ount number? I''ll send the video to you," Fang Ren said. After taking a big bite of meat, Bai Qi replied, "My messenger is Easy Chat L, and my ount number is 88868... "Why so many eights?" Fang Ren couldn''t helpmenting reflexively after hearing her ount number. "Of course, after all, I spent 60,000 yuan to buy it," Bai Qi said, her mouth full of meat, as she gestured at Fang Ren''s phone. "You could have spent 60,000 yuan on better things than buying an ount." "I never cared about that kind of money before, but now it feels like 60,000 yuan could do so much more." Bai Qi mused over her economically humble journey so far, and her chopsticks began to move faster. Although her cheeks bulged with food, she ate without showing her teeth. After eating for a while, Fang Ren had only had a few bites from start to finish, with Bai Qi finishing most of it. After finishing her meal and taking a few sips of water, Bai Qi spoke up again, "Oh, there''s one more thing." Seeing her ready to speak, Fang Ren asked, "The money for the ne ticket back? I can lend it to you." "Not that," Bai Qi shook her head, "I mean... how much do you know about our childhood?" "I know it all," Fang Ren nodded. Seeing him nod nonchntly, Bai Qi paused and then looked down, asking softly, "Then you don''t hate me?" Fang Ren nced at her expression and casually waved off the concern, "What reason could I have to hate you?" Bai Qi looked at him earnestly and said seriously, "Your Spiritual Root is with me. You could have had a brilliant life, but you lost your qualification to cultivate because you saved me." "The Spiritual Root wasn''t given willingly by me, but also wasn''t requested by me. We were both infants at the time, understanding nothing. Everything was arranged by our families. I''m not insane, why would I hate you?" Fang Ren replied. Upon hearing his words, Bai Qi''s face turned sadder as she said, "I have now grown up safely, and I can now fully control the True Qi within me. Your Spiritual Root... I am truly grateful for it saving my life, and also to you. Even though it was the family''s arrangement, the Spiritual Root that saved me was taken from you. There is no way I can repay this life-saving debt, but I am not prepared to offer myself in return, since I have a man that I love, and fortunately, you''ve had your eye on another woman for a long time..." "Isn''t that all for the best?" Fang Ren said indifferently. But Bai Qi was still serious, her voice lowered, "For saving my life, all I can say is that aside from offering myself in return, there is nothing I wouldn''t do for you, Bai Qi, if you ask." "You think too much," Fang Ren chuckled. "No matter what you think, I will definitely do so," Bai Qi said with determination. "If it hadn''t been for the fact that the Spiritual Root could not be removed after infancy, I would have found a way to return it to you... Although I can''t repay you for the debt, I hope that my benefactor can live well." "I am living well now," Fang Ren replied casually. "You don''t need to worry about such things. I don''t care about debts of gratitude. The decision was made by the patriarch of the Fang Family, not me. You should be grateful to him, not to me." "I am naturally thankful to Uncle Fang, but I am equally thankful to you." "I''ve told you, I had nothing to do with it. It wasn''t my sacrifice." "Even if it was a forced sacrifice, I should..." Bai Qi paused, then asked, "By the way, do you hate Uncle Fang?" Fang Ren looked at the table, troubled for a moment, then said, "Well, if I had a brother as close as life itself, and his newborn daughter were dying in front of me, and my son had something that could save his daughter''s life, I think I would make the same decision as him. In that respect, I can understand him. But the fact that he left me out there for twenty-two years and never once came to see me, for that, I cannot forgive. It''s not that I resent him for not letting me enjoy the luxury of the great family; it''s that for the past twenty-two years, I lived as if I were an orphan. Suddenly this father and a whole family of rtives appear, and I feel as though I am easy to rece in their eyes or could be treated so casually." Bai Qi stayed silent for a while; she didn''t tell Fang Ren how busy Uncle Fang was or try to persuade him to understand. She couldn''t grasp his sorrows, so what right did she have to advise him to be magnanimous? "Enough about that. I don''t have enough cash on me for your ne fare, soe with me to withdraw some," Fang Ren said, standing up and heading to the front desk to pay the bill. "Okay." ¡­ After leaving the restaurant, Fang Ren led Bai Qi toward an ATM. Little Qianye still hadn''t returned to Fang Ren''s side, but instead clung persistently to Bai Qi''s shoulder, continuously rubbing her little face against Bai Qi''s neck, looking incredibly foolish. "What kind of animal is this little guy? I''ve never seen anything like it before," Bai Qi said, reaching out to touch the wriggling Little Qianye on her shoulder. Fang Ren answered bluntly, "Spirit Form." "Spirit Form? There''s such an animal..." Bai Qi''s expression on her face stiffened, suddenly realizing something was very wrong. After a few seconds, she immediately cradled Little Qianye in her palms, observing carefully. "The Spirit Form you''re talking about... is it the Cultivators'' Spirit Form?" asked Bai Qi. Fang Ren nodded. "Ah? Are you sure?" Bai Qi was stunned. Looking at Little Qianye in her hands, she couldn''t believe that this creature was actually a Cultivator''s Spirit Form. It clearly looked like a living being, so how could it be a Spirit Form? "If you don''t believe it, then forget it." Fang Ren walked into the ATM, inserted his bank card, began to enter his pin, and casually responded to Bai Qi. "But... how can a Spirit Form be alive?" Bai Qi touched Little Qianye with her hand, affirming that it was 100% a living, thinking individual, nothing like a Spirit Form. "Nobody ever said that Spirit Forms must be dead things," said Fang Ren. "Hee-ha, hee-ha!" Bai Qi watched as Little Qianye in her hands kept reaching out its arms to her, as if a child wanting to be held, so she ced Little Qianye back on her neck, letting it rub against her face wildly. For some reason, Bai Qi felt, from the moment she saw this little fellow, not only that it was cute, but that there seemed to be some unseen, intangible connection between them. She felt a very friendly sensation from Fang Ren, but with Little Qianye... she felt as if it was like a child that had fallen from her own body. Bai Qi frowned slightly as she looked at Fang Ren, "So, are you its master?" Fang Ren withdrew a stack of Renminbi from the cash machine, looked at the foolish Bai Qi, stuffed a bunch of red banknotes into her hand, and said, "Isn''t that obvious?" With a dumbfounded look, Bai Qi nced between Fang Ren and Little Qianye and said, "But your Spiritual Root is with me, how could a Spirit Form possibly be born from you? And as far as I know... this Spiritual Root isn''t supposed to have a Spirit Form." "Who knows?" Saying so, Fang Ren picked up Little Qianye into his hands and said, "This little guy probably sensed the Spiritual Root on you, that''s why it''s so affectionate." Bai Qi looked at Fang Ren and then at Little Qianye, asking, "What abilities does it have?" "Why, do you want it?" Fang Ren asked. "No, no, no, I''m just curious," Bai Qi hastily waved her hands and said, "I''ve already used your Spiritual Root to save my life, how could I possibly think about taking your Spirit Form away? Wouldn''t that be utterly ungrateful?" Fang Ren gave Little Qianye a pat on the buttocks and offhandedly said, "Haven''t you seen it before? It can heal injuries rapidly, that''s about all it can do." "Quite a magical ability," Bai Qi nodded and said. "Hee-ha, hee-ha!" Little Qianye, upon hearing Fang Ren''s words, became discontent, calling out incessantly in his hands as if to argue with him. "Shut your yap!" Fang Ren flicked Little Qianye''s little buttocks, instantly making it behave, as it looked pitifully at Bai Qi across from them. "Hee-ha..." Seeing its expression, Bai Qi felt pity and snatched it back from Fang Ren''s hands, saying, "Why are you hitting it? It hasn''t done anything wrong." As she spoke, Bai Qi started to gently rub the ce where Little Qianye had been smacked, looking reproachfully at Fang Ren, "As its master, you should treat it well, don''t just hit it for no reason. Look how much it hurts." "..." Fang Ren''s face twitched, It hurts? What a joke, even if he was in pain, it wouldn''t be. Chapter 86: Chapter 84: Crisis (Supplement)_1 "By the way, should you be heading back by ne now?" Fang Ren spoke up. "Yeah, I didn''t expect you to agree so readily. If I had known, I wouldn''t havee all the way here starving," Bai Qi nodded and said. Fang Ren frowned as he looked at the worn-out white sneakers on her feet and said, "You really are clumsy..." Bai Qi puffed out her cheeks, feeling wronged, and said, "I had no idea I had a dispersing spirit mark ced on me." "Alright, get a cab and hurry back home." As Fang Ren said this, he took the little Qianye back into his hands. "Hee-ha hee-ha..." Little Qianye looked up at Fang Ren, its round ball-like arms consistently stretching out towards Bai Qi, seemingly asking for a hug. Seeing its appearance, Bai Qi suddenly felt an irresistible sense of attachment and said to Fang Ren, "Be nicer to it, and don''t hit it all the time." "..." A twitch appeared at the corner of Fang Ren''s eye, but he didn''t respond. Him being rough with little Qianye? Impossible. "By the way, Spirit Forms need spiritual energy to grow. You don''t have a Spiritual Root, so the little guy might not grow up healthy," Bai Qi said as she stroked the head of little Qianye. She hesitated for a moment, then continued, "How about when I recover my strength, I''lle over periodically to give the little guy some spiritual energy?" "No need, I have some," said Fang Ren offhandedly. "Huh?" Bai Qi looked at him nkly and asked, "Your Spiritual Root is with me, how could you possibly have spiritual energy?" "You don''t need to worry about that, just hurry home by cab. Your family must be worried about you too," said Fang Ren, then he walked towards the school carrying little Qianye. He had taken a pill to mask his energy, so unless he took action, other Cultivators would not be able to sense his spiritual energy. It was only natural for Bai Qi to think he was an ordinary person. "..." Bai Qi nkly looked at the wad of cash in her hand, waved towards Fang Ren''s retreating figure, and yelled out, "If you ever encounter something you can''t handle, you must tell me! Except for offering my body, I, Bai Qi, would brave fire and water to help you!" The scorching sun was overhead, and the streets were bustling with endless streams of traffic. At that moment, she looked entirely down on her luck. Yet she couldn''t have imagined that with that very shout, she would soon indeed brave fire and water for his sake... "Just go already, dummy," Fang Ren said without looking back, waving his hand. Meanwhile, little Qianye in his arms was chirping and squeaking, seemingly saying something. Upon hearing his words, Bai Qi frowned. This guy had called her a "dummy" three times in one day, which was truly infuriating. However, after thinking about thedy at the mall, she suddenly found the term "dummy" rather endearing... ... In a nearby alley, a man dressed in ck watched Bai Qi and spoke into a phone at his ear, "Group leader, I can confirm that this person is Bai Qi!" "Are you sure?" a woman''s voice came from the phone. "Absolutely. She took off her sun hat while withdrawing money, and there''s no doubt it''s Bai Qi!" "Send me the location. I''ll dispatch someone to capture her!" "Wait, group leader. Bai Qi''s strength appears to be restricted by something. I can handle it alone!" "She''s a peak Yingyue Realm power. Can you be sure in your judgment?" "I am certain." "Fine, execute the mission now, but I''ll also send backup your way," the woman replied. The man in ck immediately hung up the phone. Green Spiritual Energy burst from his body as he leaped over the alley and rushed through the crowd on the main street towards Bai Qi. Bai Qi stood there, about to hail a taxi. With the True Qi inside her depleted, she was oblivious to the distant danger. Whizz¡ª Suddenly a buzzing sound entered her ears, and Bai Qi quickly turned around. But as she did, she saw a dark figure already at her side. She tried to mobilize her True Qi, only to find her meridians felt powerless. The dark figure quickly covered her mouth with one hand, grabbing her arm with the other, and ran off into the distance. The crowd on the street began to stir, and Fang Ren on the opposite side of the road hadn''t turned back yet. "Hee-ha! Hee-ha!" Suddenly, little Qianye in Fang Ren''s arms became furious, hopping out of his grasp and loudly shouting in the direction of the man in ck. Fang Ren immediately turned around, and the moment his gaze fell on the man in ck grabbing Bai Qi, rage surged through his mind, and True Qi burst forth instinctively from his body. It felt as though he was watching someone snatch something dear to him. "Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat! First Strike! Release!" Whizz-- In a sh, a red, searing aura exploded from Fang Ren, and with little Qianye in his grip, he rocketed off the ground in chase. The man in ck nced back at Fang Ren and maintained his escape pace. Soon cing a simple walkie-talkie to his ear, in a conflicted voice, he said, "Group leader, I''ve captured Bai Qi, but I''ve run into Fang Ren." A few secondster, the walkie-talkie crackled back, "Why is he there?" "I don''t know. It turns out he''s a Cultivator, and he''s chasing me down, seems quite familiar with Bai Qi," said the man in ck, his brow furrowed. "What''s his strength?" "He''s just at the peak of the Intense Concentration Realm, but somehow, his speed is almost on par with mine!" "Intense Concentration Realm? Forget it then. Find a way to shake him off, and if you really cannot, teach him a lesson." "Yes, sir." ... After ending the call, the man in ck immediately turned his head and ran towards a certain park with Bai Qi. There were still quite a few people around, so he needed to find a deserted ce to persuade Fang Ren to back off. "Qianye! You go after him!" Seeing that he couldn''t keep up with the man in ck, Fang Ren immediately yelled at the little Qianye in his hand. "Hey ha!" A grey branch burst from the halo above little Qianye''s head and rapidly shot towards the man in ck in the distance. "Where did this thinge from?" The man in ck ahead, sensing a branching from behind, immediately swung a stream of Green Spiritual Energy towards his back. Bang¡ª The strike of Green Spiritual Energy resonated upon impact with the branch. People in the park were shocked by themotion and consequently fled in all directions. "Hey ha!" With a roar, little Qianye channeled Green Spiritual Energy along the branch, propelling it back towards the man in ck who was sprinting ahead. The man in ck was taken aback to see his own Spiritual Energy reflected back at him! As the charged Spiritual Energy hurtled toward him too fast to dodge, the man in ck positioned Bai Qi behind him as his own True Qi surged violently: "Divine Wood Shield!" Boom¡ª Suddenly, a wall of greenery grew from his feet into a shield that blocked the return strike of Qianye''s Spiritual Energy. And because of the man in ck''s pause, Fang Ren had caught up, leaping into the air with a fist glowing bright red with intense heat, and smashed it down upon the nt shield. "Shatter for me!" Bang¡ª The fist pierced straight through the nt wall, and upon seeing this, the man in ck swiftly dodged backwards. Just as he retreated a few seconds, the shield withered away, turning to ash and scattering in the wind. "This kid..." The man in ck red at Fang Ren in fury, mumbling to himself, "He''s at the peak of Intense Concentration, yet he can smash through my Divine Wood Shield at the mid-stage of the Ruoshui Realm?" Upon seeing the restraint on her lifted, Bai Qi immediately ran over to Fang Ren, looking terrified at the man in ck, then at Fang Ren: "Why can you still cultivate?" "That''s not the point." Fang Ren casually replied, his gaze filled with murderous intensity as he stared at the man in ck. The anger on his face slowly turned to mocking amusement. Another fight was upon them, whether or not it would result in death, that was something it didn''t know. "What''s your rtionship with her?" asked the man in ck, his face showing displeasure. "Even if I told you, you wouldn''t believe it." Indeed, the fact that Bai Qi was his betrothed¡ªif he mentioned it, he would probably be considered insane by others. Having said that, Fang Ren charged at the man in ck opposite him, his body turning red as the scorching aura engulfed him, his arm''s meridians bulging ominously. The man in ck immediately stepped back, quickly forming another nt shield in front of him. He blocked Fang Ren''s attacks whileunching Green Spiritual Energy from his hands into the ground around him. Bang¡ª Fang Ren''s punch shattered the shield once more, but his methods of attack were too straightforward, relying only on his fists. The opponent was just as fast and kept dodging with defensive moves without directly engaging. It was hard for him to get close enough to inflict any damage on the opponent''s body. But that was to be expected, as he was at the peak of Intense Concentration, and his opponent was in the mid-stage of the Ruoshui Realm¡ªthat was a whole major realm and two minor realms apart. The fact that he could keep up with his opponent''s speed was a miracle in itself. Seeing that the man in ck was cornered against a pir, Fang Ren intensified his assault. If the man in ck was forced into a dead end, there was an eighty percent chance that his punch wouldnd. And if hended that punch, everything afterwards would be easy. "Kid, although I don''t know what''s between you two, you can''t interfere with this! Let the thistles grow!" As soon as the man in ck saw Fang Ren lured in, he roared, and green thorns burst from the ground beneath him, wrapping around Fang Ren''s legs. Bang¡ª Fang Ren''s punch hit nothing but air, and he was yanked into the sky by the thorns, crashing heavily into the ground, where hey in arge pit, spitting out blood. "Fang Ren!" Bai Qi rushed forward to help Fang Ren but found that the scorching aura surrounding him prevented her from getting close. Thinking Fang Ren had lost all ability to move, the man in ck couldn''t help but smile wryly and said, "You''re a legendary figure, kid. Instead of doing something worthwhile, you''re meddling in our organization''s affairs." No sooner had he spoken than he reached out to grab Bai Qi¡ªtaking her back was his top priority. "You''re damn right¡ªI''m destined to be a legend!" Just as the man in ck grabbed Bai Qi and was about to leave, Fang Ren slowly stood up from the pit. His smile twisted into madness, and his speech was filled with disdainful arrogance. Chapter 87: Chapter 85: The Secret Known to the Higher-Ups_1 The man in ck looked at him as he got up, his face expressing helplessness as he turned back around, "Can''t you just stop bothering me? I can''t bring myself to kill you..." He had not finished speaking when his gaze met Fang Ren''s eyes, and he abruptly cut off the words that were about to leave his lips. In that instant, an instinctive fear washed over him as he saw what seemed like an endless surge of murderous aura rolling towards him from behind Fang Ren. "Cut it out, will you!" The man in ck was slightly angered by his own reaction and immediatelyshed out a thorny vine towards Fang Ren''s legs. Crack¡ª Fang Ren reached out to grab the vine, pulled hard with both hands, and once again charged towards the man in ck. "You little punk!" The man in ck was truly enraged, unleashing all his True Qi, his fist gathering green True Qi as he bellowed, "Divine Wood Fall!" Hum! His fist solidified into a ck piece of wood that he thrust towards Fang Ren''s chest. Boom¡ª A loud sound echoed as Fang Ren was struck to the ground and then hurled into the air, blood spraying from his mouth. But the man in ck stood there stunned, noticing that his own arm was now punctured by a bloody hole from Fang Ren''s attack. "Don''t kill him! Just take me, take me! Don''t kill him!" Bai Qi yelled out to the man in ck. This time, the man in ck didn''t linger; he couldn''t afford to waste his life force like this. He immediately turned and grabbed Bai Qi, running towards the distance. "Hey ha!" Branches flew from atop little Qianye''s head, but the man in ck smartly blocked them with a nt Wall Shield; he knew well enough that the little guy''s branches could rebound, thus avoiding aggressive techniques. "Come back here!" Just when the man in ck thought he could finally make his escape, a figure enveloped in red aura charged at him from behind. He turned around, his whole person frozen in shock as he saw Fang Ren, covered in wounds but still approaching at his original speed, which he simply couldn''t avoid in his current state. Putting Bai Qi down, he erected another nt Wall Shield in front of him. Boom¡ª Undoubtedly, Fang Ren''s fist once again smashed right through it, and seeing that his techniques were nearly exhausted, the man in ck had no choice but to confront Fang Ren directly. "Divine Wood Fall!" Boom¡ª This time, before the man in ck''s fist could strike Fang Ren, he saw Fang Ren''s foot cleave down from the air, smashing the man into the ground. Crack, crack, crack¡ª The sounds of breaking bones continued to rise. "How is this possible..." Full of incredulity, the man in ck immediately tried to rise and counterattack. Fang Ren gave him no chance, pulling him up from the ground, a manic smile on his face, looking at him like a madman, "Ruoshui Realm mid-stage? Not so impressive after all!" "..." After locking eyes with Fang Ren, the man in ck''s pupils began to tremble uncontrobly. Boom¡ª Fang Ren punched him in the chest, and the man in ck flew backward like a kite with a broken string, breaking through two stone pirs beforeing to a stop. "Cough! Cough cough cough..." Lying on the ground, the man in ck coughed up blood continuously. Looking at Fang Ren, who kept closing in, panic surged within him; he had only intended to stop Fang Ren from chasing him, not expecting thetter to fight as if it was a matter of life and death! Biting his teeth in desperation, the man in ck erupted with True Qi to its limit, "Such carelessness! To think that someone at the peak of Intense Concentration would force me to use a life-shortening move just to survive!" "Wood Patrol!" Hum! A huge tree trunk tore out of the earth, enveloping the man in ck within and speeding off into the distance at an rming rate. The tree''s speed was so fast that Fang Ren could barely move a meter before the tree had already surged forward twenty meters or more, fast as a rocket,cking only a thruster. Watching the man in ck flee, Fang Ren''s expression suddenly turned dull. He retracted the red aura into his body, and the surrounding bloodlust halted abruptly. "Fang Ren, how are you!" Bai Qi immediately ran over with little Qianye, looking at his blood-soaked figure with a worried face, panicking to the extreme. "Little guy, quickly stop his bleeding! I''ll take your master to the hospital! It''s very close to here!" As Bai Qi spoke, she tried to pick up Fang Ren and run towards the hospital, but her True Qi waspletely depleted at the moment, and she was solely relying on the robust physique of a cultivator to hold on, which was utterly insufficient to move Fang Ren. "Forget it, it''s not a big deal." Fang Ren waved his hand at her and grabbed little Qianye in his hands. Soon the little creature began emitting a red glow that enveloped his entire body. "Hurry up!" Bai Qi, seeing that he wouldn''t let her carry him, turned around and tried to pull him, but her strength was like nothing in front of Fang Ren. A few secondster, the red glow from little Qianye dissipated, and the wound on Fang Ren''s chest instantly healed, leaving his skin unblemished, although his clothes were torn and tattered. "This..." Bai Qi stared nkly at the scene, blinking her eyes: "Even such a severe injury can be healed instantly?" She had seen it clearly just a moment ago: Fang Ren''s chest had been sunken in, and it was evident that several bones had been broken, with flesh and blood blurred together, yet it had healed in just a few seconds? Bai Qi waspletely stunned; the healing ability of this little creature was outrageously strong! "Who is this person? Someone from your family''s enemies?" Fang Ren looked at the traces left by the man who had fled the tree trunk, frowning. Bai Qi shook her head and replied, "I don''t know, my Bai Family never makes enemies with other ns; we are wholeheartedlybating the Void. Besides, this person is only at the mid-stage of the Ruoshui Realm, my family could not possibly have offended someone so weak..." "It seems like he only wanted to capture you, without any intention to kill." Fang Ren shook his head, looking at his torn clothes somewhat helplessly. "By the way, how can you cultivate without a Spiritual Root?" Bai Qi asked, utterly puzzled. "Oh, it just suddenly grew back," Fang Ren said offhandedly. "Grew back?" Bai Qi was dumbfounded. Everyone is born with only one Spiritual Root, and they have only one for their entire life, so how could it possibly regrow after being removed? "That''s too strange..." Bai Qi murmured to herself: "Additionally, it''s unbelievable that you, at the peak of Intense Concentration, could defeat someone in the mid-stage of Ruoshui Realm... That''s too impressive." "No choice, I''m destined to be a legend." Fang Ren said nonchntly, as if joking, yet it felt like he was somewhat serious, leaving one unsure of what exactly he was thinking. "..." Bai Qi watched him and blinked, temporarily unable to refute this seemingly jesting remark, since back when she was at the peak of Intense Concentration, she could at most defeat practitioners at the peak of Yuanxin Realm. As for the Ruoshui Realm... that would be utterly impossible. The gap spans nearly two entire realms; no amount of skill could bridge it. "You should hurry home. If someone is targeting you out there, I won''t be able to help," Fang Ren said. After speaking, he picked up little Qianye and walked back, his clothes tattered, needing to head back and buy new ones. Bai Qi watched his retreating back, sighed faintly, her gazeplicated as she murmured to herself, "I should be the one helping you, yet once again you''ve helped me..." Shaking these thoughts from her head, she ran up to Fang Ren and earnestly expressed her gratitude, then not daring to linger any longer, she caught a taxi on the road and rushed to the airport. Before long, Fang Ren had bought a new outfit and put it on. As he left, he happened to catch the bus to school and took it back to campus. Meanwhile, at the site of Fang Ren''s recent battle with the man in ck, an elder dressed in a in, traditional outfit descended to the ground. The elder looked at the traces of the battle on the ground, a slight smile lifting the corners of his mouth as he murmured to himself, "Interesting, Young Master Fang from the Fang Family can regenerate his Spiritual Root, and within that root, there''s a Spirit Form, and he managed to defeat someone at the mid-stage of the Ruoshui Realm while at the peak of Intense Concentration¡ªtruly shocking in every aspect." Observing the marks left on the tree trunk by the escaping man in ck, he frowned slightly: "The Nightfall Organization... Is that woman still unwilling to give up?" The elder sighed deeply, then his figure turned into a streak of light and headed toward the nearby airport. At that moment, in the airport waiting hall, Bai Qi was cautiously covering her face, overwhelmed by the recent events, and feeling frustrated and helpless. Her, a peak Yingyue Realm expert, had almost been captured by someone just at the mid-stage of the Ruoshui Realm, which was like an ant dragging an elephant back home. It was intolerable. She was determined that once she returned home, canceled the engagement, and regained her strength, she would capture that unscrupulous shop owner and force him to watch her eat rice noodles, then buy that mall and allow everyone in except for the woman who scolded her. Lastly, she would find out who was trying to capture her and certainly put him behind bars. "Your Highness, the Princess." As Bai Qi was visualizing her revenge, the voice of an elderly man echoed in her ear. She immediately turned her head, only to see an old man in simple ancient attire bowing respectfully to her. "The butler?" Bai Qi said, slightly startled upon seeing the old man: "Why are you here?" The old man answered with a gentle smile, "Your Highness, the Princess, ever since you left Tianjiang, this old servant has been secretly following you." "Were you there when I was captured just now?" "Yes, I failed to intervene in time, and I hope Your Highness the Princess will not me this old servant. I only wanted to assess Young Master Fang''s character, but I didn''t expect to witness so many of his secrets," the old man said. Chapter 88: Chapter 86: The Man Who Cannot Defy Fate (Supplement)_1 "You''re too cunning!" Bai Qi immediately lost his temper and stood up and said, "You just watched as I starved for so many days! Watched me sleep in the park, sweep the floors and wash dishes, and even get scolded by others!" "This old one is helpless, thedy instructed to let Her Highness the Princess suffer a bit more, and unless she is in life-threatening danger, it''s forbidden for this old one to intervene." The old man said. "I was almost kidnapped just now! And you just looked on!" "Come now, Your Highness the Princess, don''t be angry. I believe this journey has helped you grow somewhat, and the benefits outweigh the harms," he said. "If you''ve been following me the whole time, why didn''t you take me back? And you even let me go and cancel my engagement with Fang Ren, was that also permitted by my mother?" Bai Qi asked. The old man smiled and said, "Regarding this matter, please forgive my frankness, but in truth, Your Highness, you are engaging in a futile effort." "Futile effort? Both he and I have someone we like and have agreed to annul the marriage agreement. How is that futile?" Bai Qi was quite displeased. "This marriage agreement simply cannot be dissolved. It involves too much, and neither of you two has a say. Even the Old Master of the Fang Family''s desire to dissolve it is futile," the elder shook his head and said. "What?" Bai Qi showed an expression of iprehension. "Both of us agreed, so why isn''t it possible? And you''re saying even Uncle Fang''s suggestion to dissolve it doesn''t work? Uncle Fang was one of the people who arranged the marriage in the first ce, he should have a say!" The old man frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Let me exin it to you like this, Your Highness. Your marriage is like the one between the Xuan Nv and Song Mobei of the Tiandao Sword Sect, who are fated to be together and can produce offspring with higher talents. And the only person in the world who can father better offspring with you is Young Master Fang." "Is it because you saw that he can cultivate, so you are saying this?" Bai Qi was very displeased. "No, even if Young Master Fang could not cultivate for his entire life, you two would still have to be together. All of this is the lord''s decision," the old man said. "My grandfather''s decision?" After hearing this, Bai Qi sighed helplessly and slumped back into her seat, her brow tightly furrowed. Her grandfather, the former Family Head of the Tianjiang Bai Family who had retired many years ago, was also one of the Commander-In-Chiefs of the Central District Command. Although he had not been seen in public for a long time, anymand from him could not be opposed by anyone. "Why must I marry him?" Bai Qi asked in distress. "He clearly has someone he likes, and I have someone I love. Can''t we both just be with whom we love?" "Your Highness, you are still young and there''s much you don''t understand. In the upper echelons, no one has the freedom to choose their marriage partner, including the lord, who was also forced to be with thedy. But as of now, it is evident that the prosperity of the Bai Family stems from the union of the lord and thedy," the elder said. "So my parents were also forced to be together?" "No, they were put together to be raised right after their talents were determined at birth, having been childhood sweethearts who were fond of each other from a young age." "Then why do my brothers and sisters in the family get to like people who are less talented than themselves?" Bai Qi asked angrily. "Because, Your Highness, you are the strongest in our lineage and are destined to surpass the Xuan Nv to be the most powerful. Therefore, your marriage cannot be taken lightly; your partner must be able to father children with even greater talents," he exined. After hearing the old man''s words, Bai Qi was even more confused and furrowed her brows as she said, "Housekeeper Grandfather, you know who I like..." "Are you referring to Song Mobei?" "Yes, Brother Song has the highest cultivation level among the younger generation of men. Why does grandfather not allow me to be with him?" Bai Qi frowned and said. "He and the Xuan Nv make a matching pair." "But Sister Hui Qing doesn''t like him at all, and she... doesn''t even know what it feels like to like someone." "Even though Song Mobei''s talent is indeed outstanding among his generation, it is only with Young Master Fang that the Spiritual Root within you can be fully developed and passed on perfectly, creating a Practitioner born with Dual Spiritual Roots whose talent will undoubtedly be the highest in human history. Moreover, you have only touched the tip of the iceberg of that Spiritual Root, and only with Young Master Fang will you be able to fully explore its depths," the old man exined to her. "But I just don''t want to have the strongest child. I just want to be with the person I love. Is that wrong?" Bai Qi said with dissatisfaction. "In previous eras, your feelings would not have been wrong, but in this era, those who have the ability but do not fulfill their potential are erring," he said. "What if I insist on doing the wrong thing?" The elder frowned: "Your Highness, I urge you not to contemte such things. The consequences can be very cruel. Whether it''s you or the Xuan Nv, should you make a mistake, the Central District Command will immediately administer punishment, and ultimately even use force to ensure you and the suitable partners have children..." "Why!" Bai Qi burst out in anger. "Why does grandfather have to do this! He should know how painful it feels to be forcibly separated from someone!" "Your Highness, forgive my bluntness, but this thing called romantic affection... it mostly exists before most people turn thirty. After thirty, romantic feelings for men and women be essentially dispensable, and one''s mind is upied with honor and vengeance," the elder stated. "But I''m not even thirty years old yet, and I feel certain that I am not one of those many people," Bai Qi said. "s, there''s no benefit in me saying more. You should wait until Princess, you return home and discuss it with the old master yourself," he sighed. "I must object to this matter!" As the ne was about to arrive, Bai Qi angrily turned his head after speaking his mind and thought to walk off into the distance. The white-haired one watched her from behind, sighing and muttering to himself: "In the world, only the four of you must never defy fate..." ------ ------ "Director! Look at the injuries on them¡ªthey were all caused by students from Yangming University!" In the office of the educational administration of Baili University, a Baili University student pointed angrily at the three students from the Yangming City Cultivation Department. While speaking, a student from Baili University dragged over a male student whose chest was injured and continued: "Director, look at this injury. I estimate even the chest bones are broken! You must make the student who did this withdraw from school!" p¡ª The fat man sitting at the desk suddenly stood up with a p on the table, his face full of rage as he red at the three students from the Yangming Cultivation Department: "You lot! Our school''s president kindly took you in to study here, and before even starting school, you injured our students! No gratitude and extremely low quality!" "Director, you have not yet understood the situation, only listening to one side from your school''s students¡ªis this how you convict us?" one of the students from Yangming University Cultivation Department said displeased. "It was clearly you who started the fight! Our students were merely walking in front! And you insist our students were obstructing the path!" one of the Baili students shouted angrily. "This is outrageous!" The fat director pped the table again and said directly: "Expel them at once! And make sure to keep the students of Yangming University far apart from our students! Additionally, take those who injured our students to the police station for a record!" "This is simply too much!" the three Yangming students shouted in anger. Just then, the president of the Baili Student Union, Li Shi, spoke: "Director, it was not these three who hit our school''s students; it was a student named Fang Ren. His attitude was extremely obnoxious; despite being a cultivator, he injured our ordinary students. In the end, it was Su Sen who taught him a lesson, sending him to the hospital, but Su Sen also suffered a slight shoulder injury." Upon hearing the name Su Sen, the director''s brows furrowed, but as soon as he heard Su Sen was injured, he erupted in rage and roared: "What kind of trash! A cultivator dares to hit people from our regr department! And dares to injure Su Sen? Bastard! Bring this Fang Ren to me at once! What hospital? Send him straight to the police station! Expulsion andpensation! And have his information recorded in the police files! And more! Expose this person''s identity to the reporters! Have the reporters cover this incident extensively!" "Director! That''s going too far!" "Exactly! It''s just a campus brawl. Do you really need to report it under his real name?" "Furthermore, even if Fang Ren is at fault, aren''t your students even more to me in the first ce?" As students from the same Yangming University, and all from the Cultivation Department, the three naturally sided with Fang Ren. Besides, it was their school''s students who deliberately provoked the altercation. Although Fang Ren went too far in injuring an ordinary student, to record it in the files and have reporters publicize Fang Ren''s identity was simply inhumane! Only murderers or major criminals deserved to be reported by their real names. At worst, Fang Ren was simply involved in a brawl; the director was practically trying to ruin Ren''s life! "Since the three of you weren''t involved in the brawl, you''d better go back to ss immediately. If you arete or miss sses, reaching a certain number, our school will likewise enforce your expulsion. And if you continue to distort the truth in here for the assant, I will also issue you with an expulsion!" the director said with a cold look in his eyes. Giggle, giggle, giggle¡ª¡ª The three Yangming Cultivation Department students were infuriated, but they dared not speak, because if they had any aspirations and ambitions for the future and were expelled while in university, they wouldn''t be able to enter any sects in the world after graduation. "Wait a minute!" Suddenly, the door of the office was opened, and Liu Qianqian rushed in, her left arm wrapped in a bandage, and a furious look on her face. "Student Liu Qianqian, are you also going to shield the students from your school?" the director said coldly. Liu Qianqian scanned the surrounding students with her gaze, finally fixing her eyes on the director: "Now, I''ll give you two reasons not to expel him¡ªno, to make it so that you don''t dare to expel him!" Chapter 89: Chapter 87: Rage_1 "Hmph!" The director sneered, his entire obese belly trembling as he looked at Liu Qianqian and said, "Liu Qianqian, the moment you uttered those words, I had every reason to expel you from school. And you still have the time to worry about whether others are being expelled or not?" "Qian Qian! Hurry and apologize to the director!" Li Shi immediately stepped forward, pulling on Liu Qianqian''s arm, and said to the director, "Director, she''s not familiar with what happened at that time, and she has only heard a one-sided story from their students, which is why she''s agitated. Please, don''t take it to heart." "Heh, even Li Shi is speaking up for you," said the director coldly as he looked at Liu Qianqian. "Fine then, I''ll give you a chance to understand the whole story. Bring me a separate written reflection to my office to apologize, and we''ll consider the matter closed." Smack¡ª Liu Qianqian pped away the hand Li Shi had on her arm and looked at him with a cold expression, "President Li Shi, touching my body without my permission is simply hooligan behavior! Is this how your Baili University educates its students?" Li Shi, trembling with anger after hearing her words, eximed, "Liu Qianqian, you!" He was clearly helping her, but she did not appreciate it and used him of being a hooligan instead! "Vicious and sharp-tongued! Liu Qianqian, it seems you just want to degrade yourself!" The academic director mmed the table and said, "Fine, I''ll indulge you! Let''s see how you like being publicly named in the news!" The three students from Yangming University''s Cultivation Department couldn''t stand it anymore and burst out cursing: "Do you guys have any sense of reason at all? Just for speaking up for a ssmate, you want to report them by name in the news!" "I think this academic director''s head is full of shit!" "It''s no wonder why your university ranks hundreds of ces above ours! The quality of education and the ability to judge right from wrong are even more bloody marvelous than a three-year-old!" ... "Make a scene, keep making a scene!" shouted the academic director, his belly quivering with rage, pointing at the ceiling camera and saying, "All your actions today are recorded in there, every one of you will be expelled! Even the entire student body of your university will suffer because of you! Get out of our university!" Liu Qianqian turned and red coldly at the director, saying, "What an attitude! You''re just an academic director. If someone like you were the principal, would the entire university still be fit to educate anyone?" "Keep making a scene; the more outrageous it is, the happier I''ll be," the director said with a sneer on his face. "Weren''t you going to give me two reasons to scare me from expelling Fang Renran? Well, tell me about them!" Liu Qianqian directly said, "First, Fang Renran is still the boyfriend of Xuan Nv! If you dare expel him, the higher powers will crush this group of universities!" "..." Suddenly, the air in the entire office stagnated. After a few seconds, several students from Baili University and the academic director burst into loudughter. "Hahaha! Have you gone mad?" "The boyfriend of Xuan Nv? Hahahaha! When you said that, weren''t you afraid the police would arrest you and charge you with a serious crime?" "Seeing how pretty you are, I never would have guessed you were such a brainless idiot! Hahahaha..." ... The three students from Yangming Cultivation Department were also stunned. They never expected Liu Qianqian to bring this issue to light, and even though the matter was absolutely true, the Mu Family was putting tremendous pressure on this issue. Anyone who spoke recklessly about it would be arrested for spreading rumors. How could she just blurt that out... Liu Qianqian didn''t care about the mocking faces around her. She threw a pile of documents she had brought onto the director''s desk and said, "Second, I have absolute authority to bring Baili University to its knees in an instant!" "No wonder you''re ranked among the bottom ten universities worldwide. The students you educate neither possess quality nor intelligence." The director sneered, reaching out to pick up the documents on the office desk to have a look. His smile was still as radiant as ever when he flipped through the first page, but as he turned to the second page and saw the Special Grade Stamp of the Tianjiang Government, his expression started to be somewhat more somber. But as he continued reading, his smilepletely disappeared, his originally ruddyplexion turned deathly pale, and his steady hands began to flip through the pages more rapidly. When he saw a line of text regarding Liu Qianqian''s identity, his whole brain seemed to buzz as if it had exploded. "Hahaha, this woman has truly gone insane. Director, just expel her and be done with it, despite having such a pretty face," one said mockingly. "Exactly, even when President Li Shi is looking out for her she doesn''t ept. I''ve never seen someone so shameless and stupid!" "I think we should not only expel these people, but we must also resolutely kick out those students from Mediocre University!" ... The Baili University students standing nearby were still making a racket, uttering very confident and aggressive words. Meanwhile, the academic director standing by the desk, with his chubby hands trembling and face as pale as death, looked utterly terrified. Thump! The Academic Director''s entire obese body copsed to the ground, clutching the documents tightly in his hands, filled with extreme regret as he looked at Liu Qianqian''s cold face. "Director, what''s happened to you..." The group of students around him also sensed trouble and turned their gaze toward Liu Qianqian. Their previouslyughing faces became frozen. "You... all of you, get out! Leave Liu Qianqian here alone..." the Academic Director said between gasps. The surrounding students looked at each other, at a loss for a moment. "Get out!" the Academic Director roared. The group of students from Baili University immediately turned and ran out of the office, while the three Cultivation System students from Yangming University also walked out, looking bewildered. "Liu Qianqian, if that brainless idiot dares to do anything improper to you, just shout, and the three of us will burst in immediately," one of them said. "That''s right, even if it means getting expelled or being reported by name in the news, we''ll barge in and cripple this guy!" another dered. "Exactly! Do they think we have no one to stand up for us?" another added. ... Liu Qianqian nced at them, moved by their solidarity. The Cultivation System students were usually arrogant and had poor rtions with regr students, but she had not expected them to band together at this moment. A slight smile appeared on Liu Qianqian''s face as she said, "Don''t worry, I absolutely won''t let Fang Ren and the three of you get expelled." Seeing a hint of a smile on Liu Qianqian''s beautiful face and hearing her assure them they wouldn''t be expelled, the three students felt their hearts race. After leaving the office, the three students pressed their ears against the door, their concentration intense. "Damn it, I''d go to prison today to keep Liu Qianqian safe!" one of the Yangming Cultivation Department students shouted angrily. "Me too! The goddess went all out to protect me! I will go all out to protect her too!" another eximed. "Count me in, damn it!" the third one chimed in. The students from Baili University, who saw the three students leave the office and then be furiously angry, subconsciously took a few steps back. There was a murderous aura emanating from these three! Inside the office: Thud! The Academic Director suddenly dropped to his knees, his forehead striking the floor repeatedly, soaking the back of his shirt with sweat, and he pleaded in a trembling voice, "Miss Liu! I was just talking nonsense because my mind was muddled! I beg you to show mercy, please don''t take what this lowly creature says seriously! I beg you!" Liu Qianqian looked at him coldly and threw his words back at him, "Keepughing, the more youugh the happier I get." "I don''t dare! I really don''t dare anymore! I know I was wrong! I will rescind their punishment right away! Please don''t let me lose my job! I beg of you!" the Academic Director''s forehead hit the floor even harder this time, the sound reverberating loudly. m¡ª The office door was suddenly kicked open and the three students from Yangming Cultivation Department barged in, faces filled with rage. "You fat pig! You damn bastard! How dare you touch my goddess..." They roared in fury, their True Qi about to erupt, but as soon as they saw the scene inside the office, they froze. "Leave," Liu Qianqian said, ncing at them. m¡ª The three of them immediately exited the office and closed the door, standing outside with befuddled expressions, hardly believing the scene they had just witnessed. The Academic Director of Baili University was actually kneeling and knocking his head on the ground in front of Liu Qianqian... "Lose your job?" Liu Qianqian looked at the Academic Director with an icy gaze and scoffed, "If you had tried to make me drop out, losing your job would have been the least of it. But you tried to make him drop out, and sadly, your loyalty means nothing. I will have people investigate all your past deeds and make sure you can never recover!" "Miss Liu! I''ll be your ox and horse! Please don''t utterly annihte me!" The Academic Director screamed like a ughtering pig, almost running over to cling to Liu Qianqian''s legs. Liu Qianqian turned and opened the office door, responding icily, "Tomorrow, the only one named in the news will be you." With that, Liu Qianqian mmed the door and left, while inside the office, the Academic Director''s wails could be heard. The crowd of students outside stared at the office, each lost in their own thoughts. ... After leaving the office, Liu Qianqian went straight back to her ssroom. Upon her return, the students in the ss swarmed around her, eagerly asking about the status of Fang Ren''s expulsion. After all, the matter was no longer just about Fang Ren, but it had escted to affect the conflict between the two universities! Chapter 90: Chapter 88: Silent Contribution_1 Fang Ren walked towards the campus, still unsure of where the academic buildings of his school were located, but that wasn''t what upied his mind at the moment. All he could think about was the issue with his own strength. He was supposed to be just a weak chicken at the Peak of Intense Concentration, yet he could fight on par with a practitioner at the Yuanxin Realm Peak like Su Sen. This had already reached the limits of what cultivators could achieve in terms of challenging beyond their level. The current record was held by the Xuan Nv, Mu Huiqing. But this noon, he had actually defeated a man in ck at the mid-stage of the Ruoshui Realm, whichpletely shocked him. His challenge beyond his level had surpassed the record set by Mu Huiqing back then... Fang Ren kept his head down, furrowing his brows slightly, looking like he was deep in thought. After a long while, he suddenly looked up seriously and spoke to the small Qianye in his hand, "Qianye, do you think... I might actually be destined to be a legendary figure?" "Heh heh heh heh heh..." Little Qianye bounced out of his palm, standing with hands on hips and an arrogant expression, babbling nonstop in ''heh heh heh'' till atst, it pointed at Fang Ren with one of its round arms, nodding seriously as if to say, You''ve got that right. "Crap..." Fang Ren pped his forehead, his face full of confusion as he shook his head and muttered to himself, "Why do I feel like this silly tree is tooting its own horn?" Mumbling to himself, Fang Ren passed by a particrly noisy ssroom and turned to look, finding it filled with uniforms he recognized. On closer inspection, they were all familiar faces. It turned out to be the third ss of his Medical System. He wasn''t sure what exactly they were fussing about inside, but Fang Ren was curious and waked directly over. As he reached the ssroom door, he could already hear the content of the conversation inside. "ss rep! What the hell happened to your arm? Was it those jerks from Baili who did this? Let''s just waste them all as a ss!" "Exactly! Damn it, I''m not attending this university anymore! It''s only the first day of school and Ranzi has been expelled while the ss rep is injured!" "ss rep! What exactly happened? Tell us the process, why did Baili suddenly withdraw Ranzi''s punishment?" Liu Qianqian said with a smile on her face, "Everybody, don''t get agitated, just listen to me." "Let the ss rep speak!" Li Xingwang shouted. "Yeah, let the ss rep speak first! What''s the name of that guy? We are going to mess him up! Damn it, his whole family shouldn''t even think about using my Jing''s condoms for the rest of their lives!" Jing Haichuan also chimed in. Liu Qianqian continued with a smile, "The wound on my arm wasn''t caused by someone else, actually, I fell on my way back to school during lunchtime." "What about that little Ranzi''s punishment?" a crowd asked. "It''s been revoked," Liu Qianqian said. "Huh? Be more specific, ss rep!" Liu Qianqian continued, "Actually, the process was very simple. The Director of Education was going to enforce a punishment, but somehow the principal of our school heard that Fang Ren was the boyfriend of the Xuan Nv and then decided to fire that Director of Education, so Fang Ren''s punishment was also withdrawn." Throughout her speech, she didn''t mention at all that she had used her family''s influence to help Fang Ren. "Wow! There''s such a thing? The principal of Baili University has good judgment! Knows how to handle things!" "That''s right, who dares to expel the boyfriend of Xuan Nv? Does he want to close down his school or what?" "Ranzi is damn lucky too! Casually hooks up with a chick and she''s the Xuan Nv! Damn, I gotta go learn from him!" ... Fang Ren, standing at the door, was dumbfounded. He had just arrived at the school and was nning to go to the Office of Academic Affairs, yet the opponents'' principal had already arranged everything beforehand? "Hey! It''s Ranzi!" Suddenly, a student in the ssroom pointed at the doorway and shouted. Immediately, the entire ss turned their attention toward the door, and the ssroom became noisy again. "Damn! You''ve finallye back, you rascal!" Li Xingwang rushed over and stopped him in his tracks. "Heard you can cultivate now! You even beat the third-ranking practitioner in the entire province, didn''t you?" Jing Haichuan yelled. "That''s my man, Brother Ran!" "Damn! When I heard about it, I didn''t believe it at all, but I couldn''t deny it when Wang Erma from next door pped that video in my face!" "Well done! Damn it, when I saw that video, my blood was boiling! Especially when three guys from our Cultivation System stood up to help Ranzi, I felt for the first time that they were real men." "Yeah, even us girls have seen it. Never thought Fang Trash could actually be so powerful!" "Hey hey hey, stop the nonsense for now, Ranzi is still injured!" "Right right right, how''s the injury on Ranzi? Let''s check it out quickly!" ... The ssroom was abuzz. Before Fang Ren could speak, Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang yanked his shirt off forcefully. "Huh? No injury? When did you get such a good physique?" "That''s not right, in the video, there was definitely a big gash across Ranzi''s chest!" "Where have you been? Ranzi, you didn''t go to the hospital and get yourself a fake skin, did you?" ... "Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing! Don''t touch!" As soon as Fang Ren saw a group of big guys reaching out to grope his chest, every pore on his body stood on end, and he immediately snatched up his clothes to put them on. "You guys think any hospital has fake skin this good?" Fang Ren asked, frowning deeply as he looked at the mass of big guys in front of him, feeling a chill run through his pores. "So what really happened? That sword hit looked real to me!" Li Xingwang said. "I don''t know, I just got to the hospital and then I was fine," Fang Ren lied, putting on a baffled face as if he couldn''t understand it himself. After all, telling the truth would make no difference; these guys wouldn''t believe him, and it was easier to just brush them off. "That''s really miraculous. Only with the strongest recovery ability of a Fourth-order blood-recovery shaping elixir could you have healed so quickly." "Stop asking, have you guys forgotten who Ranzi''s girlfriend is? Is it any wonder he has a Fourth-order elixir?" Jing Haichuan chimed in. "When we heard you were injured, we all wanted to visit you, but those jerks from the Baili Student Union blocked us. They said if one person from our ss went, the whole ss would be punished. It was infuriating. Now that your punishment has been revoked by the principal, I wanna see how those jerks swagger around!" "Damn! I really want to see the looks on those jerks'' faces!" ... The chaos dwindled and soon, Teacher Huang, the original instructor, entered the ssroom. As soon as Teacher Huang entered the ss, he began to reminisce about the school''s past events and the rules of Baili University. As he spoke, he began to mention Fang Ren, adopting a half-critical stance toward the morning''s events, although most of what he said seemed more like praise for Fang Ren. As a teacher, he had a responsibility to criticize a student who fought, but praising a student for fighting was what a teacher from Yangming University was supposed to say. The ss ended quickly, and a bunch of guys gathered around again, messing with him until Fang Ren made up an excuse and got away. Just after leaving his seat, he saw Liu Qianqian''s arm wrapped in bandages. He then got up and walked over, tapping his fingers on the desk in front of her. At that moment, Liu Qianqian was intently reading "Experience of Master Qing''an," knowing full well that Mu Huanqing could no longer be with Fang Ren. She had to break free from her family constraints quickly and then confess her feelings to Fang Ren openly and honestly. If she could master the technique to refine a Three-level pill, she would definitely win the global Alchemistpetition for college students. No one could stop her from being with the one she loved then. Ding, ding, ding¡ª Suddenly, someone knocked on her desk. Distracted and a bit annoyed, she looked up, but when she saw Fang Ren, the displeasure on her face blossomed into joy. "What is it?" Liu Qianqian asked. "Come with me," Fang Ren said. Liu Qianqian immediately stood up and asked, "Where are we going?" "The restroom." Fang Ren answered offhandedly, then turned and walked out of the ssroom. Liu Qianqian immediately ran to follow behind him, while Li Xingwang and Jing Haichuan naturally started to stir up the other ssmates. "Damn! No sooner does Xuan Nv leave than Ranzi is on to taking a second!" "Whoa¡ª" "Score a second, Ranzi, and Jing''s condoms will still have you covered!" ... Of course, the teasing was all in good fun, as no one took it seriously. After all, the affair between Fang Ren and the ss president was just a routine over the past three years to them. They wouldn''t be together, but they kept ending up close to each other. After leaving the ss, Fang Ren began to take out a small iron box from his pocket. "Got something for you," he said. "What''s that?" Liu Qianqian was puzzled. As he spoke, Fang Ren ced a golden pill from the box in Liu Qianqian''s hand and said, "This is a blood-returning flesh-forming pill Qing''er gave me. Eat this and your arm will heal quickly." Liu Qianqian stared nkly at the gold pill in her hand and then at Fang Ren, her face still showing happiness but her heart feeling a bitter twinge. "It''s from her¡­" she said, smiling. A love rival could casually give him a Fourth-order elixir, but she had nothing to offer him, not even the ability to respond to his confession. The shackles of her family still weighed on her heavily. "Yeah, you better eat it quick. It''s so shiny, someone else might spot it," Fang Ren urged. "I... I don''t want to eat it," Liu Qianqian said. "Why not?" Fang Ren was taken aback. "It''s nothing, I just don''t want to," Liu Qianqian insisted, pushing the pill back toward Fang Ren. Chapter 91: Chapter 89: Returning to the Origin Sacred Body_1 Fang Ren looked at her in a daze, not quite understanding her behavior. "Weren''t you going to the bathroom? Hurry up and go," Liu Qianqian called back with a smile. Fang Ren quickly caught up and added, "This pill has no side effects on the average person''s body." "I already said I don''t want to eat it. Just take it back already," Liu Qianqian said. Fang Ren hesitated for a moment, then put the gold pill back in the small box and said, "If you don''t want to take the pill, I have another way to heal your arm. Stretch out your arm to me." "No need..." Fang Ren gently grabbed her bandaged arm, reached into his pocket and pulled out Xiao Qianye, and hung it on Liu Qianqian''s injured arm. "Heal her," Fang Ren said softly as he patted Xiao Qianye''s head. "Hey ha." The little guy clung to Liu Qianqian''s arm and soon started to emit a red glow all over its body. Seeing Xiao Qianye, Liu Qianqian''s eyes showed surprise as she eximed, "What kind of pet is this? I''ve never seen it before." Whoosh¡ª The red glow from Xiao Qianye instantly dissipated, and Liu Qianqian''s face froze for a moment. She moved her arm around and then she became even more astonished: "My arm''s healed?" "Hey ha!" Xiao Qianye hung on her arm, looking proud as it patted its chest with its round arms, as if asking for credit and reward. "Wow, it''s so spiritual." Liu Qianqian picked it up from her arm and held it in her palm, instantly melting at the little guy''s cute appearance. "What exactly is this pet?" Liu Qianqian asked Fang Ren excitedly. "Spirit Form," Fang Ren said casually. "Spirit Form?" Liu Qianqian was even more astonished as she looked at the little guy, constantly touching its round face with her finger, "How can a Spirit Form be alive? And it seems to have consciousness." "That I don''t know." "It couldn''t be your Spirit Form, could it?" "Hmm," Fang Ren nodded. He wouldn''t go to great lengths to hide his many secrets anymore, like the identity of Qing''an, or his talent for refining tools, including his current cultivation talent. Having decided to forge ahead boldly, anyone who wanted to know everything about him, he was ready to reveal it full on, just fearing that the person wouldn''t be able to handle it all. He was determined to show the world that he was the lover of Xuan Nv, to let everyone think he, a toad, was coveting swan meat, to throw everything out there bit by bit and crush the cold looks and contempt of everyone. "It must be very powerful, right?" Liu Qianqian looked at Fang Ren. This time she wasn''t too surprised; after all, in her eyes, Fang Ren''s cultivation talent had already surpassed Xuan Nv''s. It waspletely normal for a Spiritual Root to produce a living Spirit Form. However, a living Spirit Form with consciousness was something unprecedented in human history since the dawn of the Cultivation Era. Fang Ren looked at Xiao Qianye, recalled everything he had seen in the Chaotic World, and couldn''t help but smile slightly as he nodded, "Hmm, it''s only a bit weaker than me." "Hey ha hey ha!" As soon as Fang Ren finished speaking, Xiao Qianye immediately became so agitated in Liu Qianqian''s hands that it started bouncing around, waving its round arms as if it was about to hit someone. "Protest invalid." Fang Ren said this and flicked its little bottom with his finger. The little guy became even more indignant, making noises and unbeknownst to what it was saying. Liu Qianqian rubbed its bottom and said, "Don''t hit it. It can feel pain." "..." Fang Ren nced at her, and couldn''t help thinking about how Bai Qi protected the little guy earlier. Did this little guy just naturally endear itself to girls? By the time they reached the bathroom, Liu Qianqian had already returned Xiao Qianye to Fang Ren, and they each entered the men''s and women''s restrooms, respectively. As soon as Fang Ren entered, the atmosphere inside the men''s restroom was very tense, with two groups of boys in different school uniforms showing hostility even while using the bathroom. As he walked in, everyone''s gaze focused on him, and they started muttering around him, making it so ufortable for him that he couldn''t use the urinal and had to enter a stall and close the door. Not long after, Fang Ren came out of the bathroom feeling ufortable and washed his hands, before taking Xiao Qianye out of his pocket to wait for Liu Qianqian at the entrance. Soon, Liu Qianqian emerged with a smiling face. "Hey ha..." Seeing Liu Qianqian, Xiao Qianye''s big eyes stared straight at her belly, sitting motionless in Fang Ren''s palm. "What''s with the little guy?" Seeing Xiao Qianye staring straight at her, Liu Qianqian became curious and examined herself, finding nothing amiss. "What are you looking at?" Fang Ren flicked its bottom again with his finger. "Hey ha..." Qianye pointed at Liu Qianqian''s lower abdomen with its round ball-like arms, raised its head, and looked at Fang Ren with its two big eyes, seemingly trying to express something. "What''s wrong with you?" Fang Ren also nced at Liu Qianqian''s belly and saw no dirty stains on her clothes. He was quite puzzled by its actions. Liu Qianqian watched it silently for a while before whispering, "Could it be talking about... the Spirit Embryo inside me?" "Hey ha hey ha!" Qianye suddenly bounced up from Fang Ren''s palm, the round head nodding incessantly at Liu Qianqian. Liu Qianqian smiled, "As expected of a Spirit Form, it can even sense the Spirit Embryo." Fang Ren looked down at the little one, "If it''s about the Spirit Embryo, why are you so surprised?" As soon as Qianye heard his words, it became excited, waving its spherical arms wildly and making "hey ha hey ha" noises. Its small round face was a mix of seriousness, surprise, and frowning, unclear about what it wanted to convey. "What''s the little guy talking about?" Liu Qianqian bent down to look at Qianye, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Hey ha hey ha!" Qianye gestured arge ball with its hands, but seeing that the two people didn''t understand, it began to write words in the palm of Fang Ren''s hand with its ball-like arms. Fang Ren felt a sense, and he could now urately perceive the patterns of the words written by the little one, almost without any difference in recognition. "Gu¨©... Yuan?" Fang Ren felt the little one write out two words, his brows tightly furrowed, unable to decipher the meaning. Then, the little one wrote another two words in Fang Ren''s hand. "Sacred... Body?" Fang Ren was taken aback, "Sacred Body? What does that mean, is it referring to this type of constitution?" "Hey ha!" Qianye nodded. "Talking about Sacred Body." Liu Qianqianughed, "It''s just a constitution for birthing children." "Hey ha hey ha!" Upon hearing her mention childbirth, Qianye immediately shook its head in panic, then began a series of gestictions, chattering in a variety of expressions. "What are you trying to say, making all this noise?" Fang Ren stretched out a finger and flicked Qianye''s little bottom. The two of them didn''t linger there and turned back to return to the ssroom, chatting all the way while watching Qianye show off its extensive knowledge. By the time they reached the ssroom, they still hadn''t understood what it was trying to say. Before entering the ssroom, Fang Ren put Qianye back into his trouser pocket, knowing that if the students in the ss saw the little guy, it would probably end up being manhandled by a bunch of girls. After the day''s lessons, Liu Qianqian wanted to have dinner with Fang Ren, but as soon as the ss ended, Fang Ren dashed out of the ssroom, so she had to go to the canteen with Li Xinyue. Fang Ren hadn''t seen Jian Qi''er all day, and he had checked the list of students who had died on campus, which didn''t include Jian Qi''er. He didn''t know where she had gone. After leaving the ssroom, Fang Ren found an empty ssroom on campus, drew the curtains of the ssroom, and then took out two rank-five mystical pills he had brought in the morning. "Hey ha hey ha!" Qianye leaped out of his pocket andnded on a bench nearby, chirping and chattering again. Fang Ren was just about to cultivate with the rank-five mystical pills, but seeing it behaving like that, he felt quite helpless and shook his head, "What''s the matter with you?" Qianye held onto one of his fingers and ran to the palm of his hand to write four words, still the same "Sacred Body" from earlier in the afternoon. "Isn''t it just the Spiritual Embryo Constitution?" Fang Ren said helplessly, "Don''t tell me you want me to improve my cultivation level through dual cultivation with her? Let me tell you, if you keep thinking this way, I will really smack your bottom." "Hey ha hey ha!" Qianye shook its head vigorously with a serious expression and thumped the palm of his hand with its spherical arms, making a fresh burst of chirping sounds. Seeing it deny his guess, Fang Ren became even more exasperated, "Then what exactly are you trying to say?" "Hey ha hey ha!" "You first carve whatever you want to say on the desk with a twig, I need to start cultivating." Speaking, Fang Ren simply picked up a Gold Pill and popped it into his mouth, then sat cross-legged on the seat, with True Qi beginning its rotation within his body. Qianye didn''t heed his instruction to carve words; instead, it bounced to the top of his head in two or three moves, imitating him by sitting cross-legged and closing its eyes as if it was cultivating too. This Gold Pill was known as the "Heavenly Spirit Pill," with extremely powerful effects during the cultivation process. Its main function was to bring the person who consumed it into a "Heavenly Spirit" state within one hour. In this state, the flow of True Qi in the meridians was at the whim of the cultivator, highly in sync with the surrounding nature''s spiritual energy, speeding up the cultivation rate by a hundredfold. However, the pill''s effectssted only for an hour, and this kind of pill could only be used once every three months. Overuse could lead to chaos in the True Qi within the meridians, and even the Spiritual Root could no longer distinguish between the nature''s spiritual energy and True Qi, ultimately destroying the Spiritual Root and resulting in death from the burning of all meridians. Currently, there are only five masters in the world who can refine this pill, and one of them is Master Qing''an. As the Heavenly Spirit Pill entered his body, all the meridian patterns on Fang Ren''s body began to surface outside of his flesh, and the surrounding nature''s spiritual energy gathered towards him at an invisible pace to the naked eye. Soon, the color of the meridians inside his body changed from red to gray, directly connecting the native True Qi in the Spiritual Root with the surrounding nature''s spiritual energy. The speed of True Qi Rotation surged like a taking off jet, like streaks of light darting back and forth. Then came the agony brought by the pill. But such pain was now negligible to him. Chapter 92: Chapter 90: Yuanxin Realm Peak_1 In this ssroom, cultivating would not attract too much attention from anyone. After all, most of the students in the Cultivation System were also cultivating at this time, and the school was filled with all kinds of auras. Even if someone could sense him, they wouldn''t be overly curious. Cultivation was not just about sitting still and continuously absorbing nature''s spiritual energy; it involved transforming the absorbed spiritual energy into one''s own True Qi. This process required continuous extraction and refinement of spiritual energy to finally obtain one''s own True Qi. However, this process was extremely difficult, and many people would extract very little True Qi even after a day of cultivation. After extracting and refining spiritual energy, the obtained True Qi was not only used to increase the capacity of one''s Qi sea but also to temper one''s meridians, body, Divine Sense, and to develop one''s Spiritual Root. This part of the process was even more difficult. For those practitioners with lower talent, just the extraction and refinement of spiritual energy were hard enough; to do the remaining tasks was even more arduous. Hence, some people could never break through the Yuanxin Realm and would remain in the Realm of Intense Concentration for their entire lives. ... About ten minutes had passed when suddenly, the Spiritual Root within Fang Ren trembled violently, signaling an impending breakthrough. He immediately ceased absorbing spiritual energy from the world and focused more attention on his Spiritual Root and his own body. Another ten or so minutes passed. Hum¡ª¡ª Suddenly, a burst of grey mist erupted from Fang Ren''s body and surged outward, causing all the desks and chairs in the ss to start whirling about. Xiao Yuan immediately opened its eyes, and countless branches surged from the halo above its head, pulling down the swirling chairs and desks. It feared that if the desks and chairs flew out of the windows and made loud noises, they would attract people inside who might disturb Fang Ren''s cultivation. As the mist faded, the spiritual energy around Fang Ren''s body became purer, and a new meridian extending from his Spiritual Root attached itself to his heart. This was a fundamental characteristic of a practitioner who had entered the Yuanxin Realm. The meridian attached to the heart seemed fine andcked the robust continuous flow of the main meridian, but it was the essential path every practitioner must take to begin cultivating Divine Sense. This was precisely why Mu Huanqing, despite losing her cultivation level, could still terrify lower-level practitioners into wetting their pants just with her presence. It was mainly because her Divine Sense, cultivated through this meridian, was incredibly powerful; even after losing her cultivation level and with a significant reduction in Divine Sense, shemanded a power unapproachable by ordinary people. After breaking through to the Yuanxin Realm, Fang Ren did not stop there. The effects of the Heavenly Spirit Pill still had about thirty minutes, and he could not afford to waste this time. Over the next thirty minutes, the speed of True Qi flow in his meridians began to quicken, and around his body, faint spots of grey light started to twinkle. Seeing this, Xiao Yuan''s eyes shone with excitement, and its small face couldn''t hide its joy as it bounced twice, then leaped onto Fang Ren''s head. This time, instead of sitting on Fang Ren''s head to meditate with its eyes closed, it expanded the halo above its head, from which grey brilliance constantly fell. These bits of light continually merged into the faint glimmers surrounding Fang Ren''s body, steadily enhancing them. The entire ssroom began to fill with an invisible pressure, and the desks and chairs held by Xiao Yuan''s branches began to twist and warp under this force. Cracks appeared on the walls, and the ss on the windows did not shatter but curled like stic exposed to high heat. Soon, thirty minutes had passed. When Fang Ren opened his eyes again, the meridian patterns that had surfaced on his body instantly disappeared, and the invisible pressure that had filled the ssroom was absorbed back into his body as he opened his eyes. He looked at his hands in shock, feeling the changes in his Divine Sense. It felt like an uncontroble torrent, filled with destructive power. "Yuanxin Realm... Peak..." Fang Ren waspletely dumbfounded. In just one short hour, he had leaped from the peak of the Intense Concentration Realm straight to the peak of the Yuanxin Realm, crossing an entire major realm! Chongshan Realm, he was now just one major realm plus a minor realm away from the Chongshan Realm! It was so close! If he could take one more step forward from this foundation, he would already be at the early stage of the Ruoshui Realm. The early stage of the Ruoshui Realm, just one major realm away from the Chongshan Realm... He still had two years left, and as long as he broke through one major realm within these two years, he could meet Mu Qing Mountain''s requirements and then gain another five years for cultivation. "Cultivation... Is it too easy?" he mused to himself in a daze. "Hee-ha!" At that moment, the little creature above his head immediately jumped down and looked at him seriously, waving its spherical arms in the air and beginning to chirp and babble about something. It seemed to be reprimanding his current attitude toward cultivation. Fang Ren looked at it act this way and nodded as he said, "I know I still have a long road ahead and will not becent." "Hei ha hei ha!" Little Qianye stretched out another branch from above her head, pulled a twisted desk closer, and swiftly carved a row of characters on the wood. Fang Ren leaned over to look and saw six words written: The quicker the cultivation, the more bitterness. "It''s okay, I''m not afraid of hardship," Fang Ren said. "Hei ha!" Little Qianye immediately shook her head and wrote a few more words on the desk: Cultivation is bitter, but not the suffering of body and mind. Fang Ren furrowed his brow and muttered to himself after a while, "That makes sense. Although my cultivation level is rising quickly, I''ve only experienced the initial hardships of the Asura Path. I haven''t truly stepped onto the path of ughter; up to now, I haven''t killed a single person and haven''t tasted the vor of taking a life." After hearing what he said, Little Qianye revealed a satisfied expression on her round face and nodded, looking as if she thought, "This child is teachable." "You really know a lot." Fang Ren plucked her onto his palm, rubbing her head continuously with his hand, a smile on his face: "I thought you were just about to exin to me what a Sacred Body is, write it down." Little Qianye once again began to carve with a twig on the desk nearby, etching out a row of words: Body harbors the sacred spirit, meridians connected between heaven and earth, born without True Qi for cultivation, entering the path through the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, without attributes, the Qi connects heaven and earth, creation limitless. "Damn," Fang Ren said after reading, his face filled with stupor, "I don''t fully understand it, but it sounds freaking awesome¡­" Continuing to write on the desk, Little Qianye added: Before the sacred spirit matures, one must not conceive; otherwise, the sacred spirit will disperse into heaven and earth, the essence turning into blood for the fetus, imparting great innate talent, yet without the spirit of the Sacred Body, giving birth to a child before maturity will result in a useless body. "Is that everything?" Fang Ren asked. Little Qianye pulled back her branch and nodded in front of him. Fang Ren sat on a twisted stool, his eyebrows deeply furrowed as he studied the small characters Little Qianye had carved into the desk, trying to understand their meaning. After a while, Fang Ren tried to say, "Does it mean that the Spirit Embryo inside her is what you referred to as the sacred spirit?" "Hei ha!" Little Qianye nodded vigorously. "This constitution can''t cultivate True Qi, I can understand this part. But meridians connected between heaven and earth, and entering the great path through heaven and earth''s spiritual energy... I don''t get it. She has no meridians inside or outside her body, so how can it be connected between heaven and earth?" Fang Ren shook his head and continued, "This Qi connecting heaven and earth and creation being limitless also sounds... too exaggerated. If it''s really that powerful, wouldn''t it be stronger than Qing''er? As for thest part you wrote, it''s easier to understand; it means the Spirit Embryo must not be pregnant before it has matured, for if it does, the Spirit Embryo will disperse, and although the fetus will absorb some of the Spirit Embryo''s foundational talent and be very strong, its constitution will be ruined by the foundation of the Spirit Embryo. In other words, this constitution shouldn''t be deflowered before maturity, right?" "Hei ha hei ha!" Little Qianye nodded again. After reading, Fang Ren felt a twinge of frustration. The ignorance of the world had no doubt buried many women with the Spiritual Embryo Constitution. But there was no helping it¡ªif Qianye hadn''t told him, he would still be as ignorant about this constitution as everyone else. "If this matter were made public, Liu Qianqian wouldn''t need to go through all the trouble of learning alchemy, right?" Fang Ren mused to himself. "Hei ha hei ha¡­" Little Qianye''s voice deepened, and she shook her head at him as if to say, even if you tell them, no one will believe it. Fang Renughed and took out his cell phone from his pocket: "If these words were toe from my mouth, everyone would surely think I''m a lunatic, buting from Master Qingan''s mouth, people would give it a lot of thought." Little Qianye stood on the ground, looking bewildered at him, having never seen Fang Ren log into the Alchemists'' forum ount since her appearance. Fang Ren opened the forum and took out a small electronic chip from behind his phone case, inserting it into the slot on the side of his phone. This small electronic chip was a signal-blocking device he had obtained from a hacker in exchange for a fourth-order elixir. He went to great lengths to make some modifications to it. Now, it could not only block all local information from his phone but also falsify his location. After all, every thesis he posted would stun the Alchemy Grandmasters in district one for days, and the higher-ups would certainly use all means to find him. He wasn''t a fool to dare to post such things with just any ount. Naturally, everything had been thoroughly considered before he created the Master Qingan ount. After inserting the interference chip into his cellphone, Fang Ren moved the desk with the inscriptions Little Qianye made to a dark corner. "Qianye,e over and give me a hand." Chapter 93: Chapter 91: Asking You a Question_1 "Heh-ha?" Little Qianye immediately followed him to the corner. Fang Ren then knocked off several legs of the desk, leaving only a desktop full of carvings, and said, "Can you age this desktop? Make it look like it has been weathered by many years of wind and rain?" "Heh-ha!" Little Qianye nodded, and the grey branches on top of his head stretched out again, wrapping around the wooden board. A grey aura surged over it, rapidly aging the whole board until it looked battered and worn, with even the four corners of the board starting to shedyers of wood chips. To the naked eye, there seemed no trace of artificial aging, as if it were a piece of deadwood that had naturally endured the elements. "Very good." Fang Ren looked at the aged board, which, along with the characters Little Qianye carved with his branches, was crooked and seemed even more like a relic should. "Add some grey branches around the area, the stranger the environment, the better," Fang Ren said. At once, hundreds of grey branches sprouted from Little Qianye''s head, extending from the ground up into the corner. All the branches were grey, emitting a mottled glow, shaping a very peculiar environment. Fang Ren immediately took out his phone, snapped a photo of the board in the corner, then logged onto the Alchemist forum with his Qing''an ount. Afterposing a text and attaching the photo he had just taken, he clicked to send it out. Finally, he slid the shielding device back inside his phone case. Actually, for him, the shielding device was already unnecessary; so what if his identity was revealed? As long as he didn''t say he had to marry the Xuan Nv, the end result would only be more people treating him like a treasure, with even the right faction of the Fang Family having no chance for assassination. However, if he did so, many things would be less convenient for him to handle. At least at this stage, if many people were watching him in secret, it would be quite ufortable for him. After all this, Fang Ren looked at the ssroom, troubled by the mess, then used his Space Ring to store the carved wooden board. But now a problem arose. He couldn''t escape responsibility for turning the entire ssroom''s desks, chairs, walls, and windows into this condition. Even though there were no cameras in the ssroom, there were some in the hallway outside. He had been captured on camera as he entered the ssroom. No help for it, it looked like he had to pay up. As for disciplinary action¡­ judging by what Liu Qianqian said today, there shouldn''t be any major issues, after all, it was the enemy principal providing cover. Upon leaving the ssroom and standing in the corridor, Fang Ren sent a message to Liu Qianqian. Although the enemy principal was covering for him, this incident would still be investigated until it was clear who was responsible. Compared to waiting for the student council to check the surveince and thene looking for him, he might as well talk to Liu Qianqian directly. ... About three minutes passed, and Liu Qianqian, wearing a school uniform with epaulets on her shoulders, ran over sweating profusely. The white bandage on her arm had been removed, revealing an arm as white and intact as jade poking out from her short sleeve, delicate to behold. "What happened that you suddenly called me?" Liu Qianqian asked, breathing rapidly. "Nothing major, just that I was practicing cultivation in there and identally damaged the ssroom," Fang Ren said with an embarrassed look. "Turns out you''re turning yourself in; I thought you had something important," Liu Qianqian said with a frown. She nced at the ssroom and froze in shock: "What have you done¡­ How many times did you explode alchemical pills in there?" "I wasn''t doing Alchemy this time," Fang Ren said. "I was just cultivating for a while and had a bit of a breakthrough, and then the ssroom ended up like this." "Another breakthrough?" Liu Qianqian was stunned. "Let''s not talk about me; let''s discuss how to solve this mess," Fang Ren said. "Alright, you don''t have to worry about this." Liu Qianqian said, somewhat exasperated, "But forget about paying. The principal probably wouldn''t dare to ask you forpensation." "Uh..." Fang Ren''s face twisted with conflict before he began, "Like, how could the principal here know about the thing between Qing''er and me? I thought it was just the people inside our school who knew?" Liu Qianqian was taken aback. That was, after all, a lie she had concocted herself. Back when she was in her ss, she didn''t want to make too much of a fuss about her identity, so she attributed the merit for the reversal of Fang Ren''s expulsionpletely to Mu Huanqing. To her surprise, Fang Ren had heard about it. "This...this must have been something our school''s principal discussed with the principal here," Liu Qianqian said with a smile. What she really wanted to say was that it was her family''s status that she hadid out in the office that got his expulsion reversed, but after what she had already said, insisting now that it was she who helped him would just seem too petty. After all, even without her status weighing in, Fang Ren probably wouldn''t have been expelled, considering Qianye was actually his girlfriend now. Right, she was now... She hoped that, if possible, she could be his girlfriend in the future. After Liu Qianqian finished this thought, she immediately remembered her identity as the student council president and said, "Speaking of which, why are you still here cultivating sote and not back at the dorm? Roll call has already started, hurry up ande back with me!" Because the university was so far from home, most Yangming University students had to live on campus, including Fang Ren, especially since Qianye had torn apart the roof of the family''s small vi. "No helping it, I just suddenly got the feeling," he replied. Fang Ren then followed her down from the academic building. "By the way, your quilt and pillow have been ced in my dorm room. I''ll go get them for you in a bit." "Got it." Along the way, Liu Qianqian kept finding topics to chat with Fang Ren about, while he seemed somewhat absentminded, observing the meridians in Liu Qianqian''s body. First off, he could be sure that Liu Qianqian definitely didn''t have the meridians of a cultivator; he had often held her hand in the past and knew whether someone was a cultivator through their meridians. It was just unexpected for him to find a Spirit Embryo inside Liu Qianqian''s body, an entity he definitely couldn''t have felt before. "Connected to the universe..." After looking for a while, Fang Ren was frustrated, as he had used his Divine Sense many times and hadn''t detected the presence of a cultivator''s meridians around Liu Qianqian''s body. "Could it be that the meridians of this physique can only be sensed by the person herself? Or have they been developed in some other way?" Fang Ren was filled with doubts, and he cared a lot about this matter. After all, to suddenly have someone by his side whose cultivation physique was even more formidable than Xuan Nv, someone who could directly use nature''s spiritual energy for cultivation, he was eager to find out the truth. To find out... cough cough. The more he thought about it, the more Fang Ren felt that he might have misunderstood this constitution. What Qianye meant was that the Spirit Embryo would scatter between heaven and earth only after pregnancy. So, does that mean as long as she doesn''t get pregnant, the Spirit Embryo is fine? Is it that the Spirit Embryo would scatter once her virginity is lost, or does she have to be pregnant for it to scatter? As he thought further, his confusion led him deeper into doubt. "Qian Qian, I have something to ask you." Fang Ren suddenly stopped and looked at her with a furrowed brow. "What''s... what''s up?" Liu Qianqian was thrown off by his sudden turn with a worried frown. "Are you still... intact?" Fang Ren asked earnestly. Chapter 94: Chapter 92: Unremovable (Edited)_1 A sudden and unexpected phrase kept echoing in Liu Qianqian''s ears, and her gaze became vacant; no matter what, her brain''s nerves couldn''t believe that such a phrase hade from Fang Ren''s mouth. Fang Ren himself was also taken aback, thinking, how could he have blurted out his innermost thoughts like that? This was... so awkward! "I mean, what I meant was..." Liu Qianqian threw a punch at Fang Ren''s arm, fuming, "How can you even ask such a question?" "I just... slipped out," Fang Ren said, his face a picture of conflicted emotions. "Slipped out! I''ll show you slipped out!" As Liu Qianqian spoke, sheunched a barrage ofbination punches at Fang Ren, not forgetting to scold him as she swung, "I haven''t been in love once since I was born! And you ask me this! Are you pig-brained?" After a flurry of punches, Liu Qianqian, filled with rage, stalked off into the distance, not caring in the least about the unusual stares from many students around her, asionally looking back to shout at Fang Ren, "I don''t want to see you again!" and the like. Fang Ren stood there, dumbfounded. He had only wanted to confirm something about Liu Qianqian''s physical constitution, so how had things taken such a strange turn as soon as he opened his mouth? However, he did admit that the whole incident had originated from his blunder, so he epted the beating withoutint. Back at the base of his dormitory building, Fang Ren sent a message to Liu Qianqian, asking her to help him bring down his quilt and the like, but Liu Qianqian simply replied: Go squeeze with your buddies! With no other choice, Fang Ren had to spend the night squeezed in a bed with two other grown men in the dorm. In the middle of the night, the energetic young men started teasing Fang Ren relentlessly. "Ranzi, if the girl is already Xuan Nv, then what on earth is your Uncle Han''s true identity? He''s her dad, after all!" Li Xingwang chimed in. "Exactly! Her dad has got to be some big-shot character, and what''s your story? The father of Xuan Nv has been raising you for over twenty years!" Jing Haichuan added. "You''re asking me? I have no idea either," Fang Ren said helplessly. He genuinely didn''t know Uncle Han''s identity; all he knew was that Uncle Han seemed to be quite renowned in The Ninth War Zone. As for his own identity, Fang Ren didn''t recognize himself as the so-called young master of the Fang Family. He was just a child raised by Uncle Han. As for his biological parents, he was open to acknowledging any debts of gratitude but not to recognizing them as family. "Are you for real, man? You have no idea what Uncle Han''s true identity is?" "Why would I lie to you guys? I didn''t even know about Qing''er''s identity before." "Man, your uncle has really kept a deep secret. Were you a savior of the Milky Way in your past life? How did you end up with an uncle like that, even managing to have Xuan Nv as your girlfriend?" "He''s just an old man," Fang Ren downyed. "Hey, hey, hey, Ranzi, how did you suddenly develop a Spiritual Root and manage to beat upst year''s provincial third ce in such a short time?" ... The group of men chatted away through the night, and since Fang Ren had just broken through to the Yuanxin Realm, he was in high spirits and kept on chatting with them about this and that endlessly. ------ ------ Meanwhile, in the backyard of the Tianjiang Bai Family, Under a sky dotted with stars, a silver-haired old man in military uniform was sitting in a Taishi Chair, his head upturned and eyes closed, seemingly enjoying himself immensely. "Grandpa!" Suddenly, a woman wearing a white dress rushed into the courtyard, her pretty face full of ire. The white-haired old man in military uniform slowly opened his eyes and looked at the girl in the white dress with a kind smile, "What''s wrong, Qi''er? Who has angered you this time?" Bai Qi said with a face full of huff, "It''s all because of you, Grandpa." The white-haired old man in military uniform named Bai Chaojin could only be referred to as Grandpa by Bai Qi; he was the retired old family head of the Bai Family. "Oh?" Bai Chaojin chuckled, "How have I managed to upset Qi''er?" "It''s about my marriage arrangement," Bai Qi frowned and said, "Everyone in the family, dad, mom, uncles, and aunts, they all disagree with the cancetion of my marriage arrangement. Moreover, Fang Ren already has someone he likes, he won''t marry me." "Did Qi''er go to call off the engagement?" Bai Chaojin asked. "Yes, I only found Fang Ren today, I want to break off the engagement, and he wants to as well. We''ve already reached a mutual agreement to call it off, but why won''t the family agree? They all say it''s because Grandpa disagrees." Bai Qi said angrily. "Qi''er, this marriage can''t be called off," Bai Chaojin said with a smile. "Why not?" Bai Qi was very angry, "I don''t like Fang Ren, and Fang Ren doesn''t like me, so why do you insist on us getting married?" "Qi''er, I can spoil you in many things, but not this one. You must marry him, and he must marry you. It''s useless no matter who tries to call off the marriage, and it will be futile for anyone to attempt," Bai Chaojin exined. "What?" Bai Qi grew angrier the more she listened, "Grandpa! Do you still care about me at all? I like Brother Song from the Tiandao Sword Sect, not Fang Ren." Bai Chaojin shook his head with a chuckle, "I''m sorry, Qi''er, no amount of coaxing will change this. Song Mobei must be with Xuan Nv, and you must be with Fang Ren." "Is it all for the sake of the so-called strongest next generation?" Bai Qi said with a pained expression. "Of course, the child of you and Fang Ren could potentially surpass that of Xuan Nv and Song Mobei, and may even significantly outpace this great era," Bai Chaojin replied. "But I want to be happy. Is my happiness so worthless in your eyes, Grandpa?" Bai Qi was very upset. "Feelings can be cultivated; your current liking for Song Mobei is simply because he is so dazzling that you''ve taken a liking to him. Yet you don''t truly understand him; such feelings are merely superficial and do not represent the love that is inherent in the happiness you seek from deep within your heart." "Grandpa, I don''t want to listen to these grand principles." "Whether you want to hear them or not, I must say them," Bai Chaojin said with a smile, "Love is a matter of two people, whereas liking is only a matter for one. You want happiness, which is tied to love¡ªnot just a simple liking akin to unrequited love." "Grandpa, you''re twisting logic just to cajole me," Bai Qi, looking forlorn, sat down on a nearby stone bench and spoke, "Even if what I feel for Brother Song is unrequited love, what about Fang Ren and me? That would be mutual dislike. The ones we like aren''t each other." "Haven''t I already exined? Two people need to spend time together to develop feelings," Bai Chaojin said, "In order for you two to have more time together, I''ve decided to send you to Baili University in Linyang City to interact with the Fang Family boy. Who knows, you might find that you actually like him more than Song Mobei." "What? Grandpa, are you mistaken? Why should I go to Baili University? And you''re talking about spending time together..." "Then let''s do this: if after a few years of being together there''s still no affection between you two, then at that time, I''ll reconsider the marriage arrangement. How about that? But for now, you must go to Baili University to take sses, and be in the same ss as him." "No, I don''t want to. I intend to further my studies at the Tiandao Sword Sect. Grandpa, please stop rambling on with your love theories. We have a huge generation gap; our views on love aren''t the same," Bai Qi said with a look of distress. Bai Chaojin shook his head, "It''s not negotiable. Qi''er must go. Otherwise, after this year, I''ll proceed with your marriage." "What''s so great about Baili University? If I go there, my cultivation level will regress. Grandpa, please don''t be so hasty. If my cultivation level bes poor, you''ll criticize me again," Bai Qi ran to his side and shook his hand, her face full of grievance. Bai Chaojin still wore a kind smile, but suddenly, a powerful surge of True Qi erupted from him, and Bai Qi beside him passed out instantly. Chapter 95: Chapter 93: Bai Family Affairs_1 Bai Chaojin watched as Bai Qi fell into unconsciousness, his face''s amiable smile turned somewhat helpless as he shook his head and sighed, "Compared to diligently cultivating, I think children with higher cultivation talent are more important to human society." "Father, did Qi''ere over again?" At the doorway, a middle-aged man dressed in military attire strode in, looking at Bai Qi lying on the ground, he walked up with a helpless face and picked her up, "Did she talk about canceling her engagement again?" "Jinyun, take Qi''er to that boy from the Fang Family''s school. Also, do not remove the dispersing spirit mark on her; let her follow that boy from the Fang Family and learn medicine," Bai Chaojin instructed from his Taishi Chair. "Father, with Qi''er''s excellent cultivation talent, why are you having her learn medicine?" Bai Jinyun asked, puzzled. "The two children need to foster their rtionship, and she needs something to do," Bai Chaojin said. "That makes sense, but this girl going to cancel her engagement with Ran''er really got me frustrated. I won''t even be able to face Fang Zheng after this," Bai Jinyun said, his face filled with consternation. "This was my tacit approval. Later, when you go to the Fang Family, exin the matter to Fang Zheng properly. Also, tell Fang Zheng to sever the rtionship between Fang Renran and Mu Huanqing as soon as possible. Qi''er''s engagement must not be called off," Bai Chaojin added. "Alright, I''ll go apologize to Fang Zhengter and talk about the situation between his two children," Bai Jinyun said, continuing, "By the way, Father, the right faction of the Fang Family has already harbored killing intent towards Ran''er, and they''ve already made moves twice in recent days. Moreover, I suspect the fourth-order space beast in Yangming City was brought there by the Fang Family''s right faction." "That second child of the Fang Family loves causing trouble but can''t stir up any real waves. Even with Shang Han leaving, there will necessarily be another expert protecting Fang Renran. As for the space beast, the matter is too involved; let''s not investigate for now. If the entire Fang Family gets into trouble, it would affect the harmony in Tianjiang," Bai Chaojin stated. "But that guy is reckless to the extreme! I need to find time to deal with him," Bai Jinyun dered. "No need, let him create trouble as he will; as long as he doesn''t kill Fang Renran, that''s all that matters," Bai Chaojin said. "Father, what is your intention..." "The housekeeper informed me that a spiritual root has grown inside that boy from the Fang Family, and his cultivation level has reached the peak of intense concentration. Moreover, he defeated a practitioner at the mid-stage of the Ruoshui Realm. It''s simply miraculous," Bai Chaojin said, smiling. "What! Can this be true?" Bai Jinyun was stunned. A regrowth of the spiritual root had never urred since the beginning of the Cultivation Era. And the ability of just a peak intense concentration practitioner to defeat someone at the mid-stage of the Ruoshui Realm had refreshed people''s understanding of challenging those beyond one''s level. Even the Xuan Nv at the peak of intense concentration didn''t have this capability during her time. "The child''s future potential is immeasurable," Bai Chaojin said, "Let''s take advantage of the present to have Qi''er foster a good rtionship with him. Otherwise, if he bes too fixated on Mu Huanqing and firmly refuses to be with Qi''er, then the Central District Command might have to take some cruel measures, which won''t be good for anyone." "So, Father, you''re not stopping the second master of the Fang Family because you want to pressure Ran''er and to temper him with the second master''s actions?" "I just want to see what the boy is capable of; after all, he''s going to be my grandson-inw. Besides, with the second master of the Fang Family harboring killing intent, he will surely despise the Fang Family. But conveniently, our Bai Family will help him, causing him to draw closer to us. In his loneliness, he may even develop a fondness for Qi''er, and perhaps he will choose to stay with the Bai Family rather than return to the Fang Family." Bai Jinyun furrowed his brow, "But Father, I''m worried that Ah Ran will end up resenting Fang Zheng as well, father and son as they are. It''s one thing to hate his uncle, but he shouldn''t end up hating the entire family." "There are people from Fang Zheng''s side protecting him; he will understand. I just want him to consider our Bai Family a bit more important." "You always think ahead, Father. But it''s great that Ran''er can cultivate; I must hurry to tell Fang Zheng and cheer him up," Bai Jinyun expressed his relief after hearing this. He had always felt a profound guilt toward the child who had given up his spiritual root to save his daughter''s life at birth. Now that the child could cultivate, it was better than he could have hoped. "Hold on, there''s one more thing," Bai Chaojin interjected. "The housekeeper came back and told me that the Nightfall Organization has been increasingly activetely and nearly captured Qi''er when she was in Linyang City." Bai Jinyun''s expression suddenly turned solemn, "Has that woman still not given up until now? What is she striving for..." "Instruct an investigation team to infiltrate Linyang City; try not to startle the smaller targets. Remember to catch the bigger fish by letting out a long line. Also, ensure that Qi''er is secretly protected while she''s there," Bai Chaojin instructed. "Okay, I''ll take care of it." Having said that, Bai Jinyun left the backyard carrying the unconscious Bai Qi. In the backyard, Bai Chaojin looked up at the star-filled sky and let out a slight sigh, "The Void... when will Earth give birth to a strong enough figure to contend with the Void?" ------ ------ Tonight, a piece of news that shocked the world swiftly engulfed the inte. The headline read: "Shock! The Spiritual Embryo Constitution is actually a Sacred Body for Cultivation!" The news started with a screenshot from the alchemist forum, and it was clear that the image was posted by the renowned "Master Qingan" adorned with a red name and a crown. Above the picture, Master Qingan had included the caption, "If the proper cultivation technique is obtained, a female with the Spiritual Embryo Constitution will surely astonish past and present humanity." The remainder of the article was written by news editors, leading to countlessizensmenting and sharing. Thement section under the piece quickly reached ten million, but this was only one of the many pieces under the editors'' belt. Mostizens were incredibly shocked, as they greatly trusted the words of Master Qingan. A very small fraction of people thought Master Qing''an was just "relying on his age to talk nonsense," leveraging his own poprity to gain attention. Of course, this small portion of skepticalments was quickly refuted, as Qing''an had never shown his face and relied solely on his superb Alchemy skills; he certainly didn''t need any other methods to attract attention, being one of the strongest alchemists recognized by Earth. Overnight, the Liu Family of Tianjiang had be the focus of everyone''s attention. After all, everyone knew that the daughter of the Liu Family was the third female with a Spiritual Embryo Constitution to appear in human Cultivation history, and all major software forums were frantically discussing the Liu family''s youngdy. There were evenizens who revealed that Miss Liu ran away from home more than three years ago because she was dissatisfied with a marriage arrangement, and to this day, no one knew her whereabouts except for the Liu family. The name "Liu Qianqian" thus made it to the top three of all major website hot search lists. Its poprity even directly overshadowed the news of the "Void Cave Split" announced the day before. People pay attention to the strong, but the people of today are even more interested in those who could potentially be even stronger, such as the descendants of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady, or the descendants of the Bai Family princess with Dual Spiritual Roots... and of course, Liu Qianqian, who might just stun humanity with her leap in strength. However, regarding what Liu Qianqian actually looked like, there was not a single piece of information on the inte, as if the Liu Family had intervened directly. As a result, the appearance of Miss Liu had be a mystery. However, many people said that Miss Liu was naturally beautiful, gentle, and elegant, a rare beauty in this world. Manyments added ayer of even more fascinating veil to Liu Qianqian. ------ ------ Yangming University was quite bustling the next day, with students seen everywhere in groups discussing Liu Qianqian with their smartphones in hand. Fang Ren and two other guys were squatting by the curb, munching on pancakes, while aimlessly chatting on their phones. "Tsk tsk tsk, this Miss Liu''s name happens to be Liu Qianqian too. Hey, our ss president couldn''t be the one who ran away from her family, could she?" Jing Haichuan said with a wicked smile. "Hey, you never know," Li Xingwang joined in: "We''ve never seen our ss president practicing calligraphy, chess, painting or the like in school daily, but she somehow knows all that stuff whenever it''s holiday time. If you tell me her family is ordinary, I''m not buying it." Fang Ren was nonchntly nibbling on his pancake and said, "There are plenty of people with the same name and surname in the world. Probably in other cities, girls named Liu Qianqian are also under the spotlight like this." "Yeah, that makes sense." While they were talking, a beautiful figure suddenly ran over from the side, grabbed Fang Ren''s arm and said, "Come with me!" "Huh?" The three of them looked up to see Liu Qianqian staring at Fang Ren with a serious face. "ss president, Ranzi has a girlfriend now, and it''s not good to pull on him like that," Jing Haichuan remarked while biting into his pancake. "Exactly, aren''t you afraid of getting hit by the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady?" Li Xingwang casually added his ownment. "Go eat your pancakes!" Liu Qianqian said and started pulling Fang Ren towards the distance. Seeing her grip was too strong, Fang Ren immediately started following her, but after a few steps, he quickly let go of her hand; after all, their rtionship was not the same as before, and they couldn''t be so unrestrained anymore. "Where are we going?" Fang Ren asked while chewing on his pancake. "Somewhere with no people," Liu Qianqian said, frowning. "Huh?" Fang Ren was taken aback: "What do you want to do?" "I just want to know the truth!" Liu Qianqian''s expression was very serious. "Try it?" Fang Ren was confused, suddenly remembering that he casually asked herst night if she was a virgin, and then she said that if he had the guts, he should try... "No, no, no!" Fang Ren immediately stopped and said earnestly, "I don''t mess around with that kind of thing!" Chapter 96: Chapter 94: What Do You Want to Say?_1 "Ah?" Liu Qianqian was stunned, "What do you mean, not a date?" Fang Ren pped his forehead, speaking with a look of difficulty, "Last night, I just casually said something, don''t take it seriously, okay? Can''t I just not want to know anymore? Why must you insist on trying it out?" "..." Liu Qianqian felt her brain was in a fog. Was this even human speech? Was that what she meant? "Fang Ren!" "Hey, hey! Liu Qianqian! I urge you to be kind!" After a barrage ofbo punches, Liu Qianqian turned around furiously and walked towards the distance, "Come here to me!" "I''m not agreeing to a date!" "Is that what I meant?" Liu Qianqian dragged him behind a teaching building, her face flushed with anger as she said, "I have a few questions for you, and you must tell me the truth." "As long as it''s not a date, anything''s fine," Fang Ren nodded and said. "You!" Liu Qianqian raised her hand but then let it fall and took a deep breath, then took out a notebook from her small waist bag and said, "Tell me the truth, did you give me this or not?" This notebook was the Alchemy Experience he had recorded himself. He had given it to Liu Qianqian secretly because he didn''t want to reveal his identity. Since Mu Huanqing was just an ordinary person, he wished to live the life of an ordinary person with her and naturally couldn''t be upfront when helping a friend out. But now things were different; he wanted to be high-profile and cause some trouble. Seeing Fang Ren suddenly fall silent, Liu Qianqian put down the notebook. Her face was a bit flushed, but she continued to speak seriously, "Yesterday night, you asked me if I was a virgin, and coincidentally, Master Qing''an made a statement about the Spiritual Embryo Constitution. It mentioned that women with the Spiritual Embryo Constitution should not break their chastity before their cultivation has reached its peak. Exin all of this to me clearly." Fang Ren nodded. After making thosements the night before, he had anticipated this would happen. And ever since Mu Qing Mountain came to him and said, "You can''t marry Qing''er," he hadn''t thought about keeping a low profile anymore. He was Qing''an, and he wasn''t afraid of anyone finding out. He was just too busy with cultivation to deal with various minor issues that came his way. If it wasn''t for this, he wouldn''t have even used a signal jammerst night. Fang Ren nodded again and said, "Alright, I won''t pretend anymore. I gave you the notebook, and I also admit that I am..." "I knew it!" Before he could finish his sentence, Liu Qianqian suddenly interjected, determinedly saying, "You really know Master Qing''an! I always felt something was off about you; you really have been hiding something from me!" "..." Fang Ren was stunned. He was just about to admit he was Qing''an. "What exactly is your rtionship with the Master?" Liu Qianqian frowned and said, "You''re not as ordinary as you seem, are you? Just dating the Xuan Nv alone is odd. Even if she lost her cultivation ability, how could her family possibly let her date an ordinary person?" "You''re just trying to pry into my identity?" Fang Ren said. "If you''re willing to tell me, then say it. If you don''t want to, no amount of asking from me will force it out of you," Liu Qianqian said. "What if I told you that I am Qing''an, would you believe me?" "Nonsense!" "..." "Spill it! Which family from Tianjiang are you a scion of? Is it the Fang Family?" "I have nothing to do with Tianjiang. Except for Uncle Han, I''m just an orphan," Fang Ren denied, not acknowledging any connection with the Fang Family. Liu Qianqian nodded and said, "If you don''t want to tell me, then forget it." Fang Ren added, "I''ve already told you my identity." "Believe you, my foot! If you don''t want to say it, fine, but don''t make up such an unreliable excuse to fob me off," Liu Qianqian said as she turned and walked away. "..." Fang Ren stood there blinking, helplessly shrugged, and continued munching on his pancake fruit wrap. He had barely taken a couple of bites when Liu Qianqian suddenly turned back, ran over, and looked at him angrily, "Are you full yet?" Fang Ren was taken aback, "Yeah, I guess..." Smack¡ª Liu Qianqian snatched the pancake fruit wrap from his hand and said, "I haven''t eaten yet." She took a big bite of Fang Ren''s pancake fruit wrap, turned, and walked away. "Hey, can''t you just buy your own?" Fang Ren was dumbfounded. "I have no money!" "If you have no money, just tell me, and I could buy a new one for you, couldn''t I?" "I can''t eat a whole one myself!" Liu Qianqian said angrily while munching on the food. ``` "Then don''t nibble on mine either," Fang Ren said, utterly bewildered as he watched her. "I want to! I''m happy to!" "Look, I already have a girlfriend, okay? We can''t be so casual about sharing food anymore, and also, next time you want to talk to me, don''t pull on my arm like that; people might get the wrong idea," Fang Ren said. Liu Qianqian suddenly turned around, her mouth full of pancake and fennel seed, frowning angrily and said, "You''ve changed, Doggie!" "Huh?" "Before, you''d drink the beverages I couldn''t finish! I''d eat the food you couldn''t finish! Now that you have a girlfriend, you prioritize her over your friends!" "How is this about prioritizing love over friendship!" Fang Ren said with a helpless face: "I''ve told you, all that was because I liked you. I thought you did those things because you liked me too, so I had no reservations. But it turned out to be just one-sided." The angry expression on Liu Qianqian''s face suddenly vanished, and she turned her gaze away, no longer looking at him, and said, "Then just keep liking me." "Huh?" Fang Ren frowned and said, "Are you out of your mind? I already have a girlfriend, and you don''t like me, yet you''re asking me to like you again... What''s the point?" "I''m just being unreasonable," Liu Qianqian said, "You blockhead, why don''t you think about why I don''t go and be unreasonable with someone else?" "Why... because we have a great brotherly bond?" "Pig!" Liu Qianqian stamped her foot and turned away, walking off into the distance. But after a few steps, she stopped, lowered her head without turning around and said, "Do you... care a lot about whether I''m a virgin?" Fang Ren said, "I just casually askedst night." "You can even ask that kind of question, casually or not, you... care a lot, don''t you?" Liu Qianqian said. "Not really." "Saying one thing and meaning another..." Liu Qianqian mumbled to herself with a flush on her face. "Speaking of which, are you really out of money?" Fang Ren changed the subject and asked directly. "I have some." "And you still snatch my food." "I''m happy to." "Alright, alright, I''m going back too," said Fang Ren as he began walking towards the academic building. Liu Qianqian pinched the pancake roll in her hand, hesitated for a few seconds, then suddenly turned her head and shouted at Fang Ren, "Hey! Pig!" "Huh?" Fang Ren frowned and turned back. Liu Qianqian''s voice was much lower as she said, "I... I''ll say it again, I''m a virgin." Having said that, Liu Qianqian took off towards the distance with her pancake roll, her over-the-knee pleated skirt swinging, and her long ck hair fluttering behind her. "Damn... Why do I feel like she''s hinting at something?" Fang Ren mumbled to himself, baffled. ------ ------ These past few days, Fang Ren went to ss as usual, but he spent most of his time during ss with his eyes closed, diving into the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat. He had just entered the first level of the technique. The first level mainly focuses on the explosiveness of True Qi and the agility and strength of the body,cking any sophisticated offensive moves, which limited him to relying solely on his fists and feet inbat. He had to quickly find a way to master the first level and then advance to the second level, where he would be able to achieve what is described in the second level of the cultivation technique, "forging weapons with blood," meaning he would be able to possess his own weapon. The weapon, as described in the technique, is a lifebound weapon condensed from the essence blood of Asuras, one that can be wielded only once and is highlypatible with the Way of Killing outlined in the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat. It can evolve by absorbing malicious energy in the process of ughter. When Fang Ren first discovered that the lifebound weapon of the second level could evolve through killing, he couldn''t contain his excitement, but after calming down, he quickly encountered a dilemma. That is, once he entered the second level of the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat, he would have to kill, or else the Sick Weapon would decay to the point of being unusable. This second level exactly matched the first level of the Asura''s Way, shaping the will to kill for those on the first level of the Asura''s Way. But where would he go to kill now, running out into the streets to killmon people? What even is that? The Way of Asura or the Way of a Mad Dog? And who were his enemies now? Kill everyone opposed to his rtionship with Mu Huanqing? So, should he grab anyone off the street and ask if they oppose him being with the Xuan Nv? If they oppose, just ughter them? Wouldn''t that make him a mad dog? Asuras follow their true hearts. He didn''t want to be a mad dog; that wasn''t his path. The Asura''s Way is one of the Three Good Paths, and it is also recorded on Earth, but most people consider it evil due to the killing aura of Asuras. However, the moral standards for good and evil in Asura''s doctrine have always been vague. Killing evil people is good. Killing good people is evil. In the hearts of Asuras, the notion of good and evil isn''t as firmly fixed as most people believe. Those whom Asuras feel like killing are evil, while those they don''t feel like killing are good. People define good and evil based on actions and temperament, while Asuras define it ording to their hearts. Fang Ren inherently believes that killing the innocent is wrong, making such people good. The day he inherently wishes to kill the innocent, they will be evil. Over these past few days, when he wasn''t immersed in the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat in ss, he was practicing alchemy in an empty ssroom after ss, concocting the necessary elixirs for his own cultivation. Jian Qi''er, that silly girl, still hasn''te to school, and Liu Qianqian has been unusually strange these past few days, always saying some inexplicable things that made him inadvertently think too much. But Liu Qianqian used to be like this too, doing many things, saying many words, all leading him to misunderstand; he has gotten used to it. ``` Chapter 97: Chapter 95: The Sudden Return of Jian Qier to School_1 "Hehehe..." In a ssroom of a certain teaching building, Fang Ren slowly opened his eyes. With just a slight movement of his body, his bones began to crackle, and every inch of muscle felt stiff as if they had been stretched after a long pause, highly inflexible. He extended two fingers and pinched the leg of the desk, the whole metal leg deformed downward following the pressure of his fingers. "Is this the body refining from ''Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat''? Seems a bit strong..." Fang Ren pinched his palm, talking to himself. He had not used any True Qi at all just now, it was entirely his physical strength that deformed the leg of the desk. Since there were no sses this morning, he sat in this ssroom and cultivated the ''Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat'' all morning. He had thought the increase in physical strength from the firstyer of the technique would not be too significant, but the result waspletely contrary to his expectation. During these few days, he had not gone out of his way to intentionally enhance his Cultivation Realm, because as Qianye had said, advancing his realm too quickly would actually hinder his Asura Path and the cultivation of ''Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat''. After all, the Cultivation Technique, the main path, and the Cultivation Level - these three things must progress together for the best effect. If the Cultivation Level rose too fast, the other two aspects would be influenced by the insights gained at the higher realm, making it difficult to understand the elementary principles afterward. Seeing that it was already time for lunch, Fang Ren prepared to leave the ssroom and go to the dormitory to find those two sons of nobility. As he approached the staircase to go downstairs, he suddenly noticed that in a ssroom by the stairwell, the curtains were tightly drawn, and the door was locked from the inside. This piqued his curiosity, as the Students from Yangming University had specialized cultivation grounds and would not cultivate here. Only he, a medical studentcking a quiet ce, woulde here to find an empty ssroom to cultivate. But who else in the entire school did the same? It was just a fleeting thought, and Fang Ren continued walking towards the staircase, but as he was about to go downstairs, a familiar voice came from inside the ssroom in front of him. "My dear sister Feng, I''ve already stayed at the film crew for three days, and I''ve rushed through a lot of my scenes. Please let me rest for a day or two." As this voice entered his ears, Fang Ren turned his head, slightly stunned. It was Jian Qi''er''s voice. When had this girle to the school? Ever since the Fourth-order Space Beast appeared in the school that day, he hadn''t seen that silly girl again and didn''t know how she was injured. Listening to the voice, Fang Ren walked quickly to the door of the ssroom and pushed it open, saying directly, "Silly girl, where have you been these past days? I''ve been practicing Alchemy, and you didn''te to help me..." Whizz¡ªng! As he was speaking, suddenly a silver light shed past his ear and embedded itself into the wall next to his shoulder. Fang Ren was shocked, his gaze sweeping over the wall next to his shoulder, he saw a long sword emitting cold light stuck straight in the wall, its de pointed at him. "First Technique! Activate!" Seeing this, Fang Ren instinctively began to channel True Qi, but before he could react, a shadow suddenly rushed in front of him and pulled the silver sword out from the wall. Whizz¡ª Fang Ren felt a chill on his neck as the de touched the flesh of his neck, vibrating continuously with a humming sound, as if it could behead him at any moment. The person holding the sword was much higher in Realm than Fang Ren. He hadn''t even started circting his ''Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat'', and the other party was already capable of taking his life. Fang Ren''s gaze settled on the person holding the sword at his neck. This person was a female student, with ck hair that draped past her waist, and her face was incredibly beautiful, especially her pair of eyes, which were as clear as autumn water. However, at this moment, those eyes were filled with coldness and anger, exerting an oppressive chill. The girl''s brows were tightly furrowed, and the long sword in her hand didn''t fall. She wore a ck uniform from Yangming University on her upper body, and below... only white safety shortsbined with flesh-colored stockings. Looking at the backpack and few articles of clothing at the back of the ssroom, this girl was evidently in the midst of changing clothes, but before she could finish dressing, Fang Ren had barged in. This person was clearly not Jian Qi''er. Jian Qi''er''s hair often covered more than half of her face, and as a nearsighted person, she wore old-fashioned sses daily. She could not make eye contact for more than three seconds without blushing, was extremely fond of fidgeting with the hem of her skirt... in no way to be considered the same person. More importantly, Jian Qi''er was an ordinary person, not a Cultivator, and the woman in front of him was far too strong, almost decapitating him in an instant. "Don''t you know to knock before entering?" Before Fang Ren could respond, the expression of anger on the face of the sword-wielding girl faded, reced by a mix of helplessness and confusion. She sighed and said. ng¡ª The girl suddenly put away the long sword and turned to walk towards the back row of the ssroom. Fang Ren immediately averted his gaze from her, speaking awkwardly, "I thought it was someone I knew by the voice, that''s why I came in directly, sorry." "If you hade in just a bit earlier, I guess you would have seen me in just my underwear." The girl said this as she picked up a ck pleated skirt from the table behind her, putting it on while speaking in a tone that was both displeased and casual. "Sorry, I''ll leave right now," Fang Ren said, turning to leave the ssroom. He really hadn''t expected toe across two people with such simr voices in the same school. As the girl fastened the buttons of her pleated skirt and tidied up her hair, she looked at him and said, "Don''t go, I have something to tell you. It''s convenient since there''s nobody else here." "You have something to tell me? We don''t seem to know each other, do we?" Fang Ren asked. "Just wait a second." As she spoke, the girl reached out, picked up a pair of old-fashioned sses from the adjacent table, casually put them on, and then tousled her hair forward to partly cover her face. She slightly bowed her head, her hands pinching the skirt''s hem, looking both shy and nervous, and spoke softly, "Fang, do you recognize me now?" "Dummy girl!?" Fang Ren was suddenly dumbfounded ¨C he didn''t recognize the girl just now, but he definitely recognized this one in front of him. Just moments ago, she was a cold girl wielding a sword, but with just a simple adjustment, she transformed into a shy, silly girl. The gap was too big. "What dummy girl, I''m not stupid," Jian Qi''er said, her face losing its shy expression in an instant as she gave him a forceful re. Then she took off the sses from her face,bed her hair back to reveal a very pretty face, and her tone turned somewhat cold as she said, "I never intended to reveal this side of myself in front of any student from the school, but there are some things I want to talk to you about, so I will be honest about my identity." Fang Ren was still a bit dazed: "The way you switch roles so naturally... it''s a bit much..." She had just appeared shy and adorably silly, but now she had suddenly be serious and cold. "Of course, as a qualified actor, isn''t improvisation a basic skill I must have?" Jian Qi''er said sitting on a neighboring desk, casually crossing her legs. Her fine legs wrapped in flesh-colored stockings were quite tempting. But in Fang Ren''s eyes, there was not a single improper thought. He just saw Jian Qi''er as a na?ve and silly little sister. "An actor now?" Fang Ren was startled. Jian Qi''er blinked, paused for a while, and then asked, "Don''t you have any thoughts when you look at my face?" Fang Ren scanned her from head to toe and replied, "What thoughts could I have? I have no thoughts about you whatsoever." "You misunderstood me," Jian Qi''er rolled her eyes at him and said, "I mean, don''t you find my face very familiar?" "Familiar?" Fang Ren paused, "You don''t look like the same person at all." Jian Qi''er frowned, blinked at him in disbelief, and paused for several seconds before taking out a small makeup mirror from her purse to look at her face. Then her expression became even stranger as she put down the mirror and incredulously said to Fang Ren, "When did my fame be so insignificant?" "What are you talking about?" "Jian Ye, have you heard of this name before?" "Seems like... no impression," Fang Ren said after a moment of thought. "Don''t you ever go online?" Jian Qi''er asked. "I''m online often. I quite like reading top news stories." "And you don''t know who Jian Ye is?" "Why should I necessarily know who Jian Ye is?" Fang Ren said, exasperated, "Don''t tell me you''re trying to say that actually, your real identity is a minor inte celebrity or star?" Jian Qi''er held her forehead, once again showing an expression of existential doubt. A guy who regrly follows the news headlines didn''t know who Jian Ye was... Was he even normal? Or could it be that her poprity wasn''t as high as she thought? "Forget it, let''s not talk about this. My stage name is Jian Ye, and please don''t tell anyone else," Jian Qi''er said. "Let''s talk about the issue of Cultivation now." "Now that you mention it, I''ve been meaning to ask," Fang Ren said, settling down onto a nearby desk, "You have a high Cultivation Realm, but how on earth did you manage to go three years without being discovered by anyone at school?" "I want to ask you the same, how did you manage to conceal your True Qi?" Jian Qi''er asked earnestly. "But I asked you first, you tell me." "No, you first." Chapter 98: Chapter 96: Like-minded Organizations_1 A momentter, Jian Qi''er was the first to break the silence, saying, "I''ve cultivated a technique that can conceal my aura. Ordinary Cultivators can''t sense the presence of my True Qi." "What cultivation technique can hide one''s Realm?" Fang Ren was still somewhat surprised. He had never heard of such a technique on Earth. "Even if I told you, you wouldn''t understand. It''splicated and unique to our organization," Jian Qi''er nced at him and continued, "What about you? How do you hide your cultivation level?" "I simply took a type of pill that, unless I use True Qi, won''t reveal my cultivation level," Fang Ren said. "If I''m not mistaken, did you refine that pill yourself?" Jian Qi''er asked. "Indeed." Fang Ren nodded. There was really no point in hiding such things, especially since Jian Qi''er had known many of his secrets for a long time but had never revealed them to anyone. Even the fact that Wang Shuai had been turned into a vegetative state was surely something Jian Qi''er was well aware of. Since Jian Qi''er had not publicized the incident of Wang Shuai bing vegetative, nor had she been heard spreading the word about the Space Ring or the pills, up until now. Including the moment he suddenly entered and Jian Qi''er held her long sword to his neck, only to immediately withdraw it and ease the hostility on her face upon seeing him. All of this could at least prove that Jian Qi''er held no ill will towards him. Seeing him nod, Jian Qi''er spoke up, "You''re too secretive. I never would have guessed that apart from alchemy and crafting, you were also a Cultivator. Although your cultivation talent doesn''t seem very good, you''re a genius when ites to alchemy and crafting." "Who''s being secretive?" Fang Ren retorted, "If I hadn''te in just now, I probably never would have known that you''re a formidable Practitioner or about your other identities." "I wouldn''t have kept it from you forever. Even if you hadn''t run into me today, I would have found an opportunity to reveal my identity to you," Jian Qi''er said with a smile. "What, you feel it''s unfair to know my secrets without telling me yours, so you decided to tell me?" "No, it''s just that your abilities are so strong that I had no choice but to get close to you, and eventually, I had to disclose my own identity," she exined. "Talk about hurting feelings? It''s not that serious. Just speak the truth," Fang Ren''s expression calmed, and shaking his head, he replied, "I treated you as a casual friend. If you came to me, we interacted; if not, we didn''t. My circle of friends wouldn''t be any less without you, and with you, I just have one more buddy to chat nonsense with. I don''t think any purpose of yours in approaching me would hurt my feelings." "But our rtionship may not be as simple as just casual friends who chat nonsense," Jian Qi''er said, "I believe we can be confidants, orrades in life and death, or we might beplete strangers, or even enemies." "I don''t understand what you''re saying," Fang Ren replied, visibly displeased after hearing her words, "I think being casual chat friends is pretty good. You didn''t tell me your secret after finding out about mine, which I don''t mind, since you haven''t done anything harmful to me. However, from your words just now, it seems like you had an ulterior motive in approaching me, and even talked about possibly bing enemies, which I find very off-putting." "Of course, I don''t wish for us to be enemies, but I just mentioned it as a possibility. And even if we did be adversaries, I wouldn''t aim to take your life," Jian Qi''er stated. "Exin why," Fang Ren demanded. "Because your abilities can cause the Human Race to advance far too much," Jian Qi''er revealed. "Have you already thoroughly investigated me?" Fang Ren asked, somewhat annoyed. He had not nned to reveal his identity as Qing''an to the public yet, having told only Liu Qianqian. "Indeed," Jian Qi''er nodded. Actually, she did not know about Qing''an''s identity, she only knew Fang Ren was the young master of the Tianjiang Fang Family. "You just said that even if we were enemies, you wouldn''t kill me. So can I interpret that to mean, that just because I have the ability to significantly advance human knowledge on Alchemy, I can do whatever I want over your hatred, and you still can''t kill me?" Fang Ren said, "After all, I can make a great contribution to humanity, so sacrificing your personal hatred is trivial, right?" Jian Qi''er looked at him and paused for a moment before frowning and speaking, "That''s not it, the enemies I spoke of are merely enemies due to different stances and not because we have any deep-seated hatred towards each other." Fang Ren nodded and said, "I thought your thinking was the same as those people¡ªthat for the progress of human society, you''d ignore all consequences, even your own hatred and other emotions. Those people disgust me to the core." After listening to him, a smile appeared on Jian Qi''er''s beautiful face as she said, "What you''re referring to is the mainstream ideology of this era, advocated by the Central District Command. They promote that all humans should achieve the goal of breaking through the Void to protect humanity at any cost. It seems that you''ve alreadye into contact with people of that tier, and I don''t want you to be assimted by their ideology, because then we wouldn''t be enemies." "Why would I be assimted by their ideology?" Fang Ren couldn''t understand, saying, "Why should I ept such an ideology that sacrifices part of people''s emotions and even their happiness for so-called human race progress?" "I think so too," Jian Qi''er said with a smile, "After all, in their eyes, the Xuan Nv can only be with Song Mobei of the Tiandao Sword Sect, so you should feel nothing but hatred towards their ideology." "Currently, it''s not hatred to the extent of wanting to take a life, at this moment I only want to crush their viewpoints," Fang Ren said. Jian Qi''er''s smile grew wider, "I think we''ll definitely be allies, if not allies then soulmates, and definitely not enemies." "Give me a reason." "Our organization''s goals are the same as yours, we also want to crush their viewpoint, at all costs," Jian Qi''er said, "Though their ideas might sound right in the current era of Void species invasion, behind this so-called ''at all costs'', how many people have sacrificed their lives? We believe that humans, by virtue of being born human, should have human rights, even if the invasion of the Void species threatens the entire race, each person still has the right to choose their own life." After listening, Fang Ren paused for a while before speaking, "Although I don''t know what your organization is, it sounds quite appealing." "Since we share the same goal, are you interested in our organization?" Jian Qi''er said with a smile. "You could tell me about it," Fang Ren said. "You might be shocked when I say it out loud, and there''s one more thing I''ve been hiding from you." As Jian Qi''er spoke, she took out the Space Ring from her pocket and put it on her finger, smiling, "I''m very grateful for the ring and the Alchemy pills you gave me. Although I was the one who asked for them, I was genuinely surprised by your generosity, giving me such precious items so freely. I''ve always remembered that I owe you, which is why that night I chose not to kill you." "..." Fang Ren''s expression became slightly dazed, then he recovered, unable to help the surprise in his heart, his voice lowered, "You can''t mean to tell me that your organization is the Nightfall Organization, are you? And you... you''re the one who killed the mayor that night?" "Exactly," Jian Qi''er nodded and said, "The Nightfall Organization is notoriously infamous on Earth, the Commander of the Central District Command personally issued an order to wipe us out, and the upper echelons have branded our entire organization as a terrorist group, as though we kill for pleasure without purpose." Fang Ren was internally shocked and found himself at a loss for words for a moment. He could never have imagined that a member of the Nightfall Organization, which everyone on Earth was wary of, would actually be hidden right by his side. Jian Qi''er continued, "Just because we oppose their views, they''ve pped the ''terrorist''bel on us, which is ridiculous considering how many people actually believe it." Fanning his brow, Fang Ren spoke again, "I don''t quite understand why you killed the mayor?" "The mayor of Yangming City was involved with a sinister conspiracy organization called Indra Sky, an inhumane organization determined to study the Cultivation Gene at any cost, sacrificing countless cultivators'' lives in their experiments. To rescue those cultivators, we were constantly fighting against Indra Sky. Since the mayor was a member of Indra Sky, of course I had to kill him," Jian Qi''er exined. Fang Ren frowned and said, "Let''s set aside this issue for now, but there''s another question, you have an exnation for killing the mayor, but why kill an innocent witness?" Chapter 99: Chapter 97: Enmity Under the Night Sky and Indra - Part 1 Jian Qi''er looked at him and said, "First, I want to make it clear that I have never taken the life of an innocent person. However, there is one rule we must follow in our organization, which is that all witnesses who see our actions must be killed, whether they are innocent or not." "You guys seem to act justly, so there shouldn''t be any reason to kill people who are innocent," Fang Ren retorted. "Indeed, our organization naturally does not wish to kill the innocent. But there was an incident three years ago that gave our entire organization a severe lesson," Jian Qi''er said. "Go on." Jian Qi''er''s gaze became sorrowful, and she let out a light sigh, "Our organization never used to kill witnesses. In fact, whenever innocent people were in danger, members of our organization would unhesitatingly stand up to help. We all wore Night Walk Robes and masks, hoping to spread the idea of human thought freedom. But unforeseen to us, reality was not as simple as we had imagined. The Central Area only needed to make one statement to cken our name, and the world started believing everything we did was with ulterior motives. From then on, we became an organization scorned by everyone." Fang Ren said nothing, just silently nodded. Indeed, a single statement from the Central Area was enough topletely turn right into wrong, ck into white. Jian Qi''er continued, "I was neen three years ago. That day, I was on a mission with Sister Chun, who was very kind to me. She was so strong that the target was already dead before I could make a move. There were three witnesses on the scene. When they saw Sister Chun kill someone, they were terrified and thought she would kill them too, so they knelt down and begged for mercy. Sister Chun was too kind. Seeing them scared, she went over and spoke to them. She told them what the Nightfall Organization was about and that they had nothing to fear. However, less than a day after the incident, the Tianjiang Investigation Group arrived in the city where we were hiding, and Sister Chun was captured by them. The reason was those three witnesses at the scene. They remembered the injuries Sister Chun received during the fight and her voice. They identified her in front of the Tianjiang Investigation Group, and in the end... Sister Chun was brutally killed." "Those bastards from the Tianjiang Investigation Group even left her body in the wild to be eaten by wolves. Our leader couldn''t bear her body being consumed by wolves and took a few people to collect Sister Chun''s body. But what we didn''t expect was that the Tianjiang Investigation Group hadid a trap there in advance. They used Sister Chun''s body to lure our leader and the others, and in the end, our organization suffered heavy losses and scattered to various ces. That''s why, from then on, a new rule was added to our organization: witnesses must be killed." Fang Ren fell silent for a long while before speaking, "So, you''re saying that if I hadn''t given you the Space Ring, I would have been a dead body by nightfall?" "Not necessarily," Jian Qi''er shook her head. "I''ve already said I haven''t killed any innocent people to this day. If the witness that night hadn''t been you, I don''t know what I would have done." Fang Ren nodded and then said, "Is the Central Area really that cruel, to ruthlessly eliminate anyone who opposes their thinking?" "We''re not opposed to their thinking. We believe in freedom of thought¡ªthey can think whatever they want. But they impose their thoughts on everyone andmit many inhumane acts, which we cannot tolerate," Jian Qi''er said. "What do you mean by ''inhumane acts''? What specifically are they?" Fang Ren continued to inquire. "The Indra Sky organization I told you about earlier is the secret organization of the Central District Command. To study stronger cultivation genes, they constantly subject middle and high-level practitioners to experiments, treating humans as if they were not humans at all. Besides, they demand that the world''s strongest practitioners do not have the freedom to choose their spouses. They forcibly require those practitioners to marry and have children with those who match their abilities. If the person disagrees or resists, the Central District Command will force the two to have children, no matter how cruel the methods," Jian Qi''er exined. After hearing this, a surge of anger welled up in Fang Ren''s heart, and he clenched his fists, saying, "It seems I''ve been too na?ve. I thought that even if they opposed practitioners'' marriage issues, they''d only use more humane methods to separate them. I didn''t expect them to resort to such beastly tactics!" Jian Qi''er shook her head and sighed, "It''s a sad time we live in. Almost everyone thinks the Central Area''s philosophy is correct. Since the Void race is invading, it''s only natural for humans to drive the invaders out of their homnd at all costs. Countless excellent warriors are willing to sacrifice their lives on the battlefield but don''t want their freedom of marriage to be constrained, or to be treated as experimental subjects, yet the upper echelons still exploit them under the pretext of ''doing whatever it takes for humanity.'' The upper echelons of society should be seen as corrupt, but in the eyes of most ordinary people, the human society they see is perfect and harmonious because the Central Area cuts off all cruel news too quickly and fabricates the truth. The truth is always known to only a few." Fang Ren furrowed his brow and remained silent, feeling great indignation. He had imagined the worst possible oue for himself and Mu Huanqing. If Mu Huanqing insisted on being with him, it would be the Central Area exerting ideological pressure through her family, or it would be the Fang Family objecting to their rtionship. At worst, they might threaten his life to separate him from Mu Huanqing. These methods, while despicable, are arguably more humane. But Fang Ren had not expected that the Central Area would not even consider these more humane methods at all. If Mu Huanqing disagreed, they would have just enforced measures to make her marry Song Mobei... ``` It was nothing like what he had imagined. As Jian Qi''er said now, all it took was one word from Central Area, and who knew if Xuan Nv had been forced. Perhaps, in the eyes of ordinary people, Xuan Nv seemed to have married of her own free will. The truth of the matter was known to only a few, while the majority were foolishly following the crowd... Seeing his cold expression and silence, Jian Qi''er shook her head and said, "The thing between you and Xuan Nv is far moreplicated than you think." "I know that now..." Fang Ren frowned and said, "Let''s talk about Indra Sky, and why you''ve been studying at this school for three years? Is it because your entire organization has been hiding here for three years?" Jian Qi''er nodded and said, "Alright, let''s talk about Indra Sky first. Currently, only Central Area and our Nightfall Organization know of this organization. Even some of the major Aristocratic Families and high-ranking officials of Tianjiang are unaware of its existence. You are an exception. Their main objective, as I''ve just told you, is to conduct inhumane experiments to research higher Cultivation Genes. Our Nightfall Organization has been trying to disrupt Indra Sky''s experiments to save the Cultivators being used for research, hence we are irreconcble with the Indra Sky Organization. As for your question about why I''ve been studying here for three years, the main reason is that there are people rted to Indra Sky Organization at Yangming University. My purpose in attending school is to enter without raising suspicion and to look for clues. Our organization suspects that there arerge hiddenboratories of Indra Sky in both Yangming City and Linyang City. To investigate this, we indeed have been stationed here for three years." "No wonder you dress up like a fool every day, one can''t tell it''s the same person at all," Fang Ren said. "Of course, after all, I also have a little celebrity status. If it were exposed, I would attract a lot of attention in the school, and then it would be difficult to do anything," Jian Qi''er replied. Fang Ren paused for a moment, took out his cell phone, opened the search webpage and said, "Your stage name is Jian Ye, right?" "What, starting to take an interest in me now?" Jian Qi''erughed. "I''m just going to take a look since you''ve told me your identity. I can''t just ignore it," Fang Ren said and typed "Jian Ye" into the search page, which prompted many top news stories, listing Jian Ye''s numerous film and TV works, songs, and variety shows she had been on. The text was also apanied by many beautiful photos of Jian Qi''er, including her in school uniform, formal attire, casual wear, ancient costumes... there were even bikini shots. On a certain website, she had more than sixty million fans, marking her as a very popr celebrity influencer. "Surprisingly popr," Fang Ren said, somewhat astonished. Jian Qi''er''s smile grew wider, "How about it, after looking at the photos, don''t you think yourdy''s figure is top-notch?" Fang Ren was taken aback, looked at the photos on his phone, nodded, and said, "Not quite as good as Qing''er." "..." ``` Chapter 100: Chapter 98: The Past of Jiang Ling, Leader of the Night_1 "Can''t you be a bit more objective in your evaluation?" Jian Qi''er frowned, quickly snatched Fang Ren''s phone, closed the search page he had opened, and then handed the phone back to him. "Speaking of which, why would your organization send such a popr star like you on an undercover mission? What were they thinking?" Fang Ren asked, frowning. "Wouldn''t it be better to send someone else for this kind of task?" "It wouldn''t work, I was the only one in the organization who had just graduated from high school, and the main tasks I was responsible for in the organization were all covert in nature," Jian Qi''er exined. "After all, I''m very good at acting, and I think there''s nothing inappropriate about sending me for this kind of job." "It sounds like something a spy would do," Fang Ren said. After thinking for a moment, Jian Qi''er began, "I''m responsible for many things. I often use my celebrity status to interact with high-ranking individuals in society to gather intelligence and obtain useful information. Besides, I also carry out assassinations against those who frequently do evil. If necessary, I use my beauty to seduce men, which is why I value my face and figure so much... It''s not much different from being a secret agent." "Using beauty to seduce..." "Hey! Don''t get the wrong idea! I don''t sleep with anyone!" "I didn''t say that, you did," Fang Ren replied. "You were obviously implying it!" "Was I?" Fang Ren said. Jian Qi''er frowned, let out a sigh, and used the Space Ring to store her backpack and other clothes, then said, "Let''s not talk about this. Didn''t you ask why I haven''t been to school these past few days? It''s because there has been a development in the organization, and we''re all pretty busy." "Then why did you suddenlye back today?" Fang Ren asked. "After tracking for several days, the leads broke again," Jian Qi''er looked at him and continued, "Additionally, our organization really hopes you would join us, but it''s not mandatory if you don''t." "Give me some more time to think about it, I still don''t fully understand the situation," Fang Ren said. "Actually, even if you don''t join, you can still cooperate with us. You can trust our organizationpletely because our leader doesn''t want to see Xuan Nv unable to be with the person she loves," Jian Qi''er mentioned. "Your leader is concerned about that?" Fang Ren appeared somewhat surprised. Jian Qi''er nodded, "Yes, she doesn''t want anyone to follow in her footsteps." "You mean to say..." "Have you heard of the name Jiang Ling?" "Jiang Ling?" Fang Ren suddenly furrowed his brows. "Isn''t that the powerful individual who disappeared from Earth twenty years ago?" "Right, our leader is her," Jian Qi''er nodded. "I heard that twenty years ago, she was one of the four strongest young female practitioners on Earth, but for some reason, she just vanished without a trace. How did she suddenly be the leader of the Nightfall Organization?" Fang Ren was astonished. "Our leader has some very painful memories from that time," Jian Qi''er said. "If Xuan Nv insists on being with you, then she has a high risk of encountering the same predicament as our leader. So, you can probably guess what our leader went through, right?" Fang Ren frowned after hearing this, "Your leader... was she forced into a marriage with a man she didn''t like by the people from the Central Area and thenpelled to have a child?" "Exactly," Jian Qi''er said with a low spirit, gritting her teeth, "Our leader and her lover were childhood sweethearts, about to get married, but then the Central Area took her away by force to marry her off to a man with a matching talent. How could she agree to marry someone she did not love? s, she resisted, but it ended tragically. The Central District Command threatened her with the life of her lover, coercing her to marry another man and have his child. She had no choice but to deceive her lover by iming she didn''t love him anymore, that she didn''t want to be with him¡ªshe simply wanted to save his life. After being wed to another man, on that very day, her lover died from grief and despair upon witnessing her with someone else. In the end, seeing her lover dead because of her nearly drove her to insanity. However, she couldn''t fight back due to the military power of the Central Area; she couldn''t even take her own life and was forced to bear the child." With a heavy sigh, Jian Qi''er continued, "In the end, once she gave birth and had a moment of freedom, nobody expected her topletely lose her sanity. She killed the man who had fathered her child, she even killed that man and her own child, and then she fled from Tianjiang, wanting to take revenge on the Central Area wildly. But shecked the power to do so, so she chose to build her own force to crush the dogma of the Central Area. After a long period of settling down, she no longer acted as crazily as before. Now, she has no grandiose dreams of killing everyone from the Central District Command; she only hopes the world will no longer produce people with her experiences. Hence, the goal of our Nightfall Organization is to shatter the ideology that the Central Area has instilled in people, to expose their inhuman acts to the world." After listening to Jian Qi''er, Fang Ren became silent. Everything made sense now: why the Central Area''s elders smeared the Nightfall Organization, why they wanted to kill on sight any member of the Nightfall Organization¡ªit was all because its leader was a victim of their past sins. They wanted to erase their atrocities. Thus, Jian Qi''er''s im that Jiang Ling did not want Mu Huanqing to follow in her footsteps was inevitable. After such brutal experiences, Jiang Ling would never want anyone else to be another version of herself. "How dark has the world truly be?" Fang Ren broke the silence. He suddenly remembered the words Jian Qi''er had said during the trip outside; she mentioned that maybe Nightfall Organization only kills the bad people, and maybe the officials from the Central Area are bad people too... It turns out to be true. "I can take you to meet them," Jian Qi''er offered. "I thought that just by crushing their views and proving myself while doing things that subvert their thinking would be enough. I never imagined that people like me who held such thoughts would be ndered and hunted down," Fang Ren sighed. Jian Qi''erughed, "Are you scared?" Fang Ren nced at her and then shook his head. She shouldn''t have asked him that question; he didn''t even know how many times he''d died before. Seeing him shake his head, Jian Qi''er said, "Good, from now on our organization will give you the greatest assistance. I hope you can also help us. Of course, if you decide to join us after considering it, that would be even better." "Are you sure the Indra Sky organization is around here?" asked Fang Ren. "It''s certain, but the location of thatrge hiddenb has not been pinpointed yet, we only have some unstable leads," Jian Qi''er replied. "Very good." "Why, do you have designs on Indra Sky?" "I just so happen to need some people to kill," Fang Ren said. The firstyer of the Asura Path ultimately needs ughter, and this Indra Sky organization seems perfectly suited, making him genuinely want to kill them. "With your cultivation level..." Jian Qi''er looked at him and said with a frown, "But thest time I saw you fleeing in the school, you looked like a rookie who hadn''t even broken through the Qi-gathering realm. How can you kill anyone? Better just stick to alchemy, and leave the killing to us." "I have the capability, don''t worry," he assured her. "What, you''ve broken through the Qi-gathering realm?" Jian Qi''er asked with a smile. Fang Ren nodded, "In a manner of speaking, yes." Jian Qi''er pped her forehead and said with a helpless smile, "My Alchemy Master, your level of cultivation isn''t even enough to fight a slightly stronger ordinary person, let alone talk about killing people from Indra Sky." Whirr¡ª True Qi burst out from Fang Ren in an instant, instantly wrapping his body in ayer of gray vital energy. Thud¡ª Jian Qi''er immediately jumped up from the table, her gaze fixed on Fang Ren, now enveloped in gray vital energy. The helpless smile on her face transformed into a look of astoundment. "Yuanxin... Yuanxin Realm Peak!?" Jian Qi''er was stunned. Thest time Fang Ren was chased by the Void beast, he was just a rookie who hadn''t even broken through the Qi-gathering realm. At that critical moment, with his life threatened, Fang Ren had no reason to hide his realm; he must have been just a rookie! But... just a few days had passed? He went straight from a rookie who hadn''t even entered the Qi-gathering realm to a practitioner at the peak of the Yuanxin Realm! "Hey... is this for real?" Disbelief still hung on Jian Qi''er''s face. If these realms had been broken through in just a few days, then the cultivation talent of this person in front of her would have far surpassed that of Xuan Nv! "Speaking of which, what is your cultivation level approximately?" Fang Ren asked. Jian Qi''er, still wearing a stunned expression, shook her head and said in shock, "Forget about my realm, first ask yourself what kind of monster you are..." Fang Ren clenched his fists and said, "I''m quite curious. How about, you try to strike at me one more time? It was too sudden before, and I wasn''t really focused." After pausing to recover from her shock, Jian Qi''er spoke, "Although your breakthrough speed is frightening, the Yuanxin Realm Peak is really weak in front of me. Even if I struck again, you wouldn''t be able to react." "Then let''s try it again." Whirr¡ª As Fang Ren spoke, he activated the first of the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat, and his whole body began to emit a red aura that covered the gray vital energy. As the red aura emanated, Jian Qi''er felt a wave of heat surge towards her, incredibly intense. Then she felt an invisible aura of bloodthirst invade her consciousness. She had just made eye contact with Fang Ren when her pupils suddenly contracted, and she involuntarily took half a step back. "This is..." Chapter 101: Chapter 99: Bai Qi? The Ultimate Test Subject?_1 "Is this...a mutated spiritual pressure?" Jian Qi''er stared nkly at Fang Ren, her heart filled with shock. For a practitioner of the Yuanxin Realm, they had only recentlye into contact with matters of consciousness, and Fang Ren had only made a breakthrough in a short time. No matter what, it was impossible for him to exert such a level of spiritual pressure. "How many things about you do I not know?" Jian Qi''er frowned slightly, and then her True Qi burst forth in an instant. Hum¡ª Streaks of white light emanated from beneath her feet, wrapping around her like ribbons, continuously circling her. "However, the gap between our realms is too great to be filled with a few tricks," Jian Qi''er said. With that, she transformed into an afterimage, and threw a punch towards Fang Ren''s chest. Hum¡ª The air in the entire ssroom swirled and surged. Jian Qi''er''s fist stopped three centimeters from Fang Ren''s chest, while Fang Ren''s hand was ced in front of his chest but failed to catch the iing punch from Jian Qi''er. Fang Ren looked at his chest and frowned, then dispersed the True Qi around his body and lowered his arm, asking, "What realm are you in?" "Early Stage of the Blue Sky Realm." Jian Qi''er retracted her fist and also gathered the white aura around her body, still looking at Fang Ren with surprise: "There''s a three-realm difference between us, yet you were able to predict my movement trajectory. Indeed, your mental strength is extraordinary strong." "Early Stage of the Blue Sky Realm!?" Fang Ren was stunned; this was the same realm as Lin Bozhong! The gap between them... above Yuanxin Realm was Ruoshui Realm, above Ruoshui was Chongshan Realm, above Chongshan was Xianyun Realm, and only above Xianyun came Blue Sky Realm! The chasm between the two was akin to an entire ocean! A practitioner of the Blue Sky Realm could easily kill countless individuals at the Chongshan Realm with a mere flick, and he was merely at the Yuanxin Realm. It was probably true that with a mere flick of their fingers, his life could be snuffed out. This was no exaggeration. "What''s there to be surprised about?" Jian Qi''er smiled. "Your girlfriend is at the Peak of the Xuanyang realm, two great realms and two small realms above me, the strongest in the world currently." "In your organization, where does your strength rank?" Fang Ren asked. Jian Qi''er candidly told him, "In terms of strength, I belong to the middle to upper echelon of fighters within the organization. My master and a few others would be the high-tierbatants, and as for our leader, she is the topbatant of our organization, currently at the Mid Stage of the Xuanyang Realm." "Your organization is that powerful?" Fang Ren was astounded; the leader of the Nightfall Organization was only one small realm weaker than Mu Huanqing! She was already on par with the Commander-In-Chief of the Central Area! "Of course, otherwise how could we dare to oppose the ideology proposed by the Central District Command?" Jian Qi''er gave him a look. "..." Fang Ren was still dumbfounded and deeply shocked. This organization was fully capable of overpowering some of therge families in Tianjiang. "Alright, I''ve told you everything about our organization, and if there''s anything you want to know, I''ll share with you without reservation. From now on, let''s hope neither of us betrays the other," Jian Qi''er said. As she spoke, she took out an old-fashioned pair of sses from her Space Ring and put them on, then she let down her ck straight hair from the top of her head, changing back to the appearance of a naive and foolish girl. "Since our goals align, it''s only right that we support each other," Fang Ren said. "You''re quite perceptive, young man," Jian Qi''er said with a sillyugh as she pped Fang Ren on the shoulder. "Alright, let''s go eat." Saying this, Jian Qi''er began to walk out of the ssroom, and Fang Ren immediately followed, asking, "Now that you''ve achieved your purpose of coborating with me, shouldn''t you return to Yangming to investigate Indra Sky?" "Lately, our investigative scope has expanded to this area. Clues of Indra Sky have also been found in the cities here, and we''re still uncertain whether that hiddenrgeboratory is in Yangming or over here, so my investigation here won''t dy anything." As they spoke, the two of them descended the stairs and started heading towards the restaurant. While walking, Fang Ren kept asking about Indra Sky, and Jian Qi''er shared everything without intentionally concealing anything. "By the way, have you been following the news about the Void Cave Split?" suddenly Jian Qi''er asked. "I have seen some," Fang Ren nodded. Looking at him, Jian Qi''er said, "A piece of news this morning reported that a medium-sized Void Hole is flying towards our city and is expected to arrive above us in a month. Maybe then you will have another chance to see Xuan Nv." "For real?" Fang Ren immediately took out his phone, opened the hot news of the day, and searched for the direction of the Void Cave''s movement, indeed finding that a medium-sized Void Hole was heading this way. "But she should be stationed next to thergest Void Hole; this is just a medium-sized hole. They probably won''t send her over," Fang Ren said. "Even if her superiors wouldn''t assign her to guard such a medium-sized Void Hole, wouldn''t she find a way toe to you herself?" Jian Qi''er said with a smile. "Are you telling me this to let me know I may be able to meet her?" Fang Ren asked. Jian Qi''er said, "Of course it''s not just that, I hope you can let her know more about our organization, at least not to let her think we''re a bunch of viins." "Is that all?" Fang Ren was startled. "What do you mean ''is that all''? Do you think it''s that simple?" Jian Qi''er gave him a look and spoke, "The Lady of the Indra Sky is from the Central Area herself, you know. It''s going to be very hard for her to not think of us as viins." "No, Qing''er trusts me a lot." "You still have to put in a lot of effort. The traditional thinking of the Lady of Indra Sky is different from ours, after all." "She changed a lot when she was with me." "I hope it''s really like that. If she truly can''t understand our organization, then it would be a tragic thing." Jian Qi''er couldn''t help but look worried. ... Swoosh¡ª While the two were walking, suddenly a streak of blue True Qi flew rapidly towards them, grazing past Fang Ren''s shoulder. Fang Ren looked in the direction from where the blue True Qi hade, only to see Su Sen, wearing a purple school uniform, looking at him with a disdainful smile on his face. "Are you here to get beaten up again?" Fang Ren asked. At this point, he could hardly muster much fighting spirit. His realm was now on par with Su Sen''s; there was no chance Su Sen could beat him. Stepping forward, Su Sen said, "I really didn''t expect you to not only avoid being expelled but even got the head teacher reced with someone else. You''re quite capable." "Less BS." Fang Ren said this and his eyes began to emit a blood-red murderous aura. Seeing this, the disdainful smile on Su Sen''s face vanished instantly, his brows furrowed tightly, and he instinctively took two steps back, saying, "Can you not use that thing? Let''s have a fair fight. There were too many peoplest time, and I couldn''t unleash some of my techniques..." "One Extinction! Activate!" Buzz¡ª True Qi burst out from Fang Ren''s body, and he turned into a red afterimage as he charged towards Su Sen. "Hey! You motherf..." Su Sen immediately tried to circte his True Qi, but his speed was too slow. Fang Ren, having reached the same realm, was now far faster than him. Bang¡ª A fistnded on Su Sen''s stomach. Su Sen rolled across the ground for more than a dozen rolls and finally ended up sitting with a thud, his face twisted in pain as he held his stomach, staring at Fang Ren and holding his breath in anger. "You motherf... could you let me finish talking..." Su Sen said angrily, holding his stomach. "Who tried to ambush whom first?" Fang Ren dispersed the True Qi around his body and ignored him, continuing on towards the direction of the restaurant. "Hey! I was signaling the start of the battle! You don''t y by the rules!" Su Sen called out from the ground. Seeing Fang Ren and Jian Qi''er not turning around, Su Sen became even more indignant. He represented the strongest fighting force of Baili University, how could he just be indiscriminately beaten up by a student from the medical department of a Mediocre University? Impossible, it must have been because the other party didn''t y by the rules and ambushed him, that he couldn''t react in time. "Truly a guy from a Mediocre University, starting a fight without any rules, such ack of ss." Su Sen patted the dust off his butt and gritted his teeth, "He cheated this time. Next time, I must win back the face of the university." With that, Su Sen turned and walked away. But after a few steps, he suddenly seemed to realize something and stopped, whirling around to look at Fang Ren with a shocked expression, "Wait... when did this guy reach the Peak of the Yuanxin Realm?" After a few seconds of shock, his face became even angrier, "Damn it! Did he deliberately suppress his realm during ourst fight? Looking down on me? Unforgivable!" ... In the distance, Jian Qi''er looked back at Su Sen and said to Fang Ren somewhat surprised, "I didn''t expect that you couldpletely overpower someone at the same level as you, quite impressive." "It''s okay." "There''s another thing I wanted to ask you," Jian Qi''er continued. "What is it?" "Since you are the young master of the Fang Family, then the princess of the Bai Family, Bai Qi, she''s supposed to be your fianc¨¦e, right?" Jian Qi''er said. Fang Ren''s eye twitched, "Is our organization meant to check household registrations or push ideologies?" "Huh? Check household registrations..." Jian Qi''er spoke helplessly, "Well, it''s sort of checking household registrations then. That''s a basic ability every organization must have." "My engagement with Bai Qi has already been called off. What do you care about this for anyway?" Fang Ren said. Jian Qi''er frowned and said, "Because ording to some uncertain information, Bai Qi could very likely be the final test subject of the Indra Sky." "What?" Chapter 102: Chapter 100: Her ugliness is the indelible shadow in my heart_1 "Huh?" Fang Ren was taken aback, "Ultimate test subject? It''s the Great Cultivation Era, are you diving into science fiction here?" Jian Qi''er frowned and said, "Everything I''m telling you is serious. Don''t think science loses its importance once the Great Cultivation Era arrives. Many scientific concepts have already been integrated into Cultivation, including things like the Cultivation gene." "What does that have to do with Bai Qi?" Fang Ren didn''t understand, "Does Indra Sky dare to use Bai Qi as a test subject without fearing the Bai Family leading Tianjiang to wage war against the Central Area?" Jian Qi''er was stunned, "Are you really the eldest young master of the Fang Family? How can you know nothing about what''s going on inside Tianjiang?" "Stop calling me the Fang Family''s eldest young master; I renounce that identity," Fang Ren said, "I''ve never lived in Tianjiang since I was a child." Jian Qi''er blinked, "Because your Cultivational Talent was poor, were you abandoned?" "I don''t know the specifics; all I know is that I really dislike the Fang Family," Fang Ren replied. "Then it seems that you were cast aside in your childhood because of poor innate talent. The big families care about their face, afraid of losing it because of you, so they discarded you." "Can you not mock me?" "Alright, alright, let''s not talk about this anymore." As they talked, the two entered the cafeteria. The nces from those around them began to drift towards Fang Ren, both intentionally and unintentionally. Fang Ren had gotten used to such looks over the past few days. After all, who let him beat someone up without being expelled, and the school even ended up recing the dean in the end. They casually picked up two fast food meals and found a corner to sit down in. There was no one in this corner, and it was convenient for speaking. Jian Qi''er continued, "Since you''re not aware of Tianjiang''s situation, let me tell you. You said the Bai Family would lead Tianjiang to crush the Headquarters for this matter, but that''s impossible because the elder head of the Bai Family is one of the leaders of the Central Area." "Then does he not know that his granddaughter is being used as a test subject?" "Of course, he knows, and he doesn''t oppose it. Indra Sky''s top leader is the Bai Family''s elder head Bai Chaojin. Everything about Bai Qi being the final test subject was arranged by him," Jian Qi''er whispered, "However, this is a secret known only to those inside Indra Sky. We just happened to find out, and Bai Qi herself doesn''t even know she''s been made a test subject." "This head of the Bai Family must be sick, using his own granddaughter as a test subject," Fang Ren frowned and said. "He''s not sick at all. Everything Indra Sky is doing is to create stronger Cultivators. And Bai Chaojin believes that his granddaughter''s Dual Spiritual Roots constitution represents the most potential in this era. If the research results are applied to Bai Qi, she will be able to reach the peak of humanity again. She could lead the Human Race to betterbat the Void, and she might even be able to shatter it," Jian Qi''er said. "So, for such a cause, they start abducting Cultivators with strong talents for experiments?" "Yes, their experimental methods are inhumane; Practitioners who undergo the experiments either go insane or die. Indra Sky is determined to shatter the Void and secure a peaceful environment for human life, showing no regard for individuals as humans," Jian Qi''er stated. Silence fell on Fang Ren for a moment before he spoke, "Their idea... it is good for the entire Human Race." Jian Qi''er nodded, "Indeed, if the goal of shattering the Void is achieved, many warriors'' lives would be spared. Humanity could be free from invasions by races from the Void. We agree their purpose is good, but we don''t agree with their methods, as those Practitioners were forcibly taken or lured in. They are viting people''s rights for an experiment without a hundred per cent assured oue, and we oppose that." "In this matter, I stand with you," Fang Ren said. "I think most people who know the truth would choose to stand with us. But we have been defamed; everyone sees us as enemies, and there''s nothing we can do," Jian Qi''er sighed. Fang Ren remained silent, eating his meal without saying another word. These higher-ups, say their ideology is dark, yet all they do is, indeed,mitted to shattering the Void and restoring a habitable environment for humans. But to say they are wholeheartedly for mankind, yet they enforce the sacrifice of some people''s happiness and the lives of some Practitioners, with means that are extremely brutal. It can only be said that their ultimate goal is very good, but the process is terribly wrong. It needs adjustment. The organization of Indra Sky must also be exterminated. "By the way, the Global University Students'' Alchemy Competition is in six days. Are you going to participate?" Jian Qi''er asked. "Of course, I am," Fang Ren said decisively. "Hmm, I also suggest you go. With your ability, you''re bound to win first ce, which would expand yourwork and expose you to more things," Jian Qi''er said, "By the way, at the Alchemy Competition, you''re very likely toe across some disciples from the Tiandao Sword Sect." "The Tiandao Sword Sect?" Fang Ren paused with his chopsticks upon hearing the name. He had no fond feelings towards the Tiandao Sword Sect, just pure loathing. The person he wished to surpass was Song Mobei; the person he wanted to seek revenge on was Xia Fu Lan, and yet both of them were from the Tiandao Sword Sect. "I want to ask you something," Fang Ren said. "Go ahead." "If I remember correctly, that Xia Fu Lan from the Tiandao Sword Sect also has some research in Alchemy, right?" Fang Ren asked. "Xia Fu Lan? Her expertise in the field of elixirs is more than just research; she''s the direct disciple of the Alchemy Grandmaster from Battlefield One, and one of the most talented Alchemist of the younger generation," Jian Qi''er replied as she continued to eat, "But why the sudden interest in her?" "Nothing, I was just wondering if she''s going topete too?" as he spoke, Fang Ren took a bite of his food. "Of course. After this year, Xia Fu Lan will be graduating. This is herstpetition, and she wouldn''t miss it for the world," Jian Qi''er responded, "Don''t worry though, no matter how talented she is in Alchemy, she''s nothingpared to you." "What I care about isn''t these," Fang Ren said. "Then what is it?" "I really hate that Xia Fu Lan." "Ah? Why?" Fang Ren frowned seriously, "I just can''t stand her. She''s so damned ugly, every time I think of her face, I can''t eat for days. And Xia Fu Lan has no self-awareness about her looks, stepping out without a mask despite being so fugly, no shame at all! Her ugliness has left an indelible shadow on my young soul; I must find an opportunity to get my revenge!" "..." Jian Qi''er was stunned. What kind of reason was that? Is Xia Fu Lan ugly? As the little princess of the Tiandao Sword Sect, countless men idolized her, and her beauty was wless. To say thinking of her makes one lose their appetite for days... Jian Qi''er suddenly thought of something and spoke up sternly, "Hey, hey, hey! Don''t tell me you think any woman who isn''t as pretty as Xuan Nv is ugly!" "No, not at all. Aside from that Xia Fu Lan, many women are beautiful, like you," Fang Ren said offhandedly. Jian Qi''er breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and continued eating, "As long as you don''t think that way, I thought your mind was twisted for a moment." "Like you, for example, you''re quite eptable to look at," Fang Ren spoke again. "Pfft!" Jian Qi''er sprayed out her food, her True Qi almost bursting out. "What do you mean ''eptable to look at''!" "It means eptable... not ugly, you can still eat after looking." "Fang Ren!" Jian Qi''er clenched her chopsticks tightly and gritted her teeth, "If it weren''t for the crowd here, I would definitely hold my knife to your throat!" "Did I... describe it poorly?" "..." Jian Qi''er''s forehead was covered in a series of angry lines. "Well... not only can I eat after looking at you, but I even feel like drinking some water," Fang Ren said seriously. "I, the little princess, will find a way to chop you up one day!" "Did I say something wrong again?" Fang Ren looked puzzled. "You''re not wrong, you''re just too outstanding," Jian Qi''er said through clenched teeth. "If you want topliment me, just say it. No need to beat around the bush." "Yeah, next time I''ll definitely reward you with a big cleaver." "I get the feeling... you''re a bit angry," the corners of Fang Ren''s mouth twitched. "No, I''m delighted," Jian Qi''er said, biting her teeth. "..." Fang Ren nodded and didn''t speak any further, continuing to eat. I can''t tell if she''s angry or not, and I dare not ask. "Yo, isn''t that the ''Arrogant Brother'' from Mediocre University?" Just as the two had been silent for a while, a girl''s voice suddenly came from nearby. The voice was sharp and sarcastic, seeming to carry a hint of mockery and provocation. Fang Ren and Jian Qi''er were both drawn to the voice¡ªafter all, it was directed at them. Turning around, they saw three girls in Baili University''s purple uniforms looking at Fang Ren with disdain, especially the taller girl leading them, with a mocking curl to her lip. Fang Ren nced at them, not recognizing anyone, and not being called ''Arrogant Brother,'' he turned back to continue eating his meal diligently. Jian Qi''er paused at his unfazed demeanor. Then, Oscar-winning actress mode activated, Jian Qi''er''s eyes instantly took on a shy retreat, seemingly too scared to look at the three girls. She then timidly tugged at Fang Ren''s sleeve and said in a small, frightened voice, "Fang Fang, Fang ssmate, it seems like they''re looking for you." "But my name isn''t Arrogant Brother," Fang Ren replied as he took another bite of his meal. "Hehehe, that''s reallyughable." The tall girl in the purple uniform looked at Fang Ren and sneered, "Every day in school, you go around iming you''re Xuan Nv''s boyfriend, yet here you are flirting with such a country bumpkin. Are you so desperate or are you delusional? It''s just disgusting." Chapter 103: Chapter 101: True Qi Ignites the Fart_1 Fang Ren stopped eating and nced at the girl in front of him, "It doesn''t make any sense." As the tall girl finished speaking, Jian Qi''er, who had been tugging at Fang Ren''s sleeve, suddenly froze mid-gesture, the corners of her eyes twitching viciously behind her old-fashioned sses. What does it mean to look rustic? Does she, Jian Qi''er, really look that unsophisticated? Surely, just tying one''s hair low and wearing old-fashioned sses doesn''t make one rustic, especially when one has such an excellent figure! At that moment, another girl among the three looked at Fang Ren and Jian Qi''er with disdain and said, "Ugh, Shanshan, you''re the school beauty. Why would you even talk to this loser? If you speak to him, he might think you like him." "Exactly, just stop interacting with this delusional loser. He''s even fantasizing about Madame Xuan; what a disgustingly repulsive person. Look at his eyes, he''s a total pervert. Only a girl as unsophisticated as that would be willing to have lunch with him," thest girl added with a look of revulsion. The tall girl was named Zhang Shanshan, a student of the Cultivation System at Baili University and widely recognized as the school beauty. There were already many people in the canteen, and Fang Ren, because of his fighting incident, was attracting many gazes wherever he went. With Zhang Shanshan being a prominent beauty at the school, their sharp exchange caught everyone''s attention. In no time, almost everyone in the canteen had turned their eyes toward them and began whispering quietly to each other. "This arrogant guy is finally getting hiseuppance. He attacked our students upon arrival and didn''t get expelled but managed to get the dean of students reced. With Zhang Shanshan annoyed at him, no matter how powerful his backing is, he''s going to be out of luck,"ughed a student from Baili University. "He asked for it, who else is there to me? I heard this guy even imed he was Madame Xuan''s boyfriend. Oh boy, putting on such a big front, isn''t he afraid he''ll get struck by lightning?" "Even if Zhang Shanshan doesn''t go after him, just wait until this news spreads. This guy is going straight to jail for life. Madame Xuan isn''t someone you joke about. What an ignorant fool." Upon hearing the others''ments, a student from Yangming University couldn''t watch quietly any longer and interrupted, "Hey, hey, hey, are you guys stupid? If you don''t know the situation, stop spouting nonsense. I bet that if Zhang Shanshan from your school dares toy a hand on him, she''ll be the one who ends up unlucky." "Who the hell are you cursing! Wait until this guy gets arrested for casually joking about Madame Xuan; your school will share the me! Most of the rumorse out of your mouths!" "Oh, I''m shaking in my boots. To tell the truth and get caught, oh no." "Typical Mediocre University, all a bunch of idiots! Just wait until this gets to the police; then you''ll see the consequences!" "A bunch of rats, acting as if you know anything! Madame Xuan attended our school, who better to know the truth?" "Ungrateful wretches from Mediocre University! Madame Xuan saved you, and yet you spread rumors about her and insult her! Why weren''t you all killed by the Void beasts!" "Damn it! Say that again!" ... Instantly, the students from both universities in the canteen stopped eating. They mmed down their chopsticks and began arguing again, the scene getting extremely noisy. The canteendy promptly pulled out her phone and started recording. Meanwhile, Fang Ren remained unaffected by themotion outside. Zhang Shanshan sneered coldly and continued to speak to Fang Ren, "Fang Ren, you attacked a student from our school and weren''t expelled. Instead, you got the dean of students reced. You must have a powerful backer, huh?" Having heard enough, Fang Ren was fed up. He swallowed his mouthful of food, set down his chopsticks, stood up from his seat, and looked at Zhang Shanshan with cold eyes, "I''ve never beaten a woman, but if you keep farting, I won''t hesitate to kick you out. Your fart stinks so bad, who could continue eating?" Upon hearing his words, Zhang Shanshan''s face, which had been smug, suddenly turned red with anger, her eyebrows tightly furrowed, her eyes twitching uncontrobly. "You trash from Mediocre University! A dog never spits out ivory! You don''t even know how to speak like a human!" another girl from Baili University immediately roared with anger. "Well, well, well," Jian Qi''er immediately stood up in a panic, hiding behind Fang Ren, showing half her face to the three girls opposite her, and timidly said, "I, I think Fang is right. It''s not good to fart in the canteen." She pointed to the squabbling university students in the distance and continued, "Look what you''ve done; you''ve caused them all to get so angry they''re about to start fighting." "You rustic girl! What did you say!" Zhang Shanshan was about to use her True Qi to make a move but then nced at Fang Ren and suppressed the True Qi that was about to erupt. Although this Fang Ren was only a Practitioner at the Peak Stage of Intense Concentration, he had fought to a draw with Su Sen from their school. She couldn''t possibly defeat him. Turning away, Zhang Shanshan looked at Fang Ren with a cold gaze and said, "Fang Ren, you dare to spread such insulting rumors about Madame Xuan. Rest assured, you''ll suffer this afternoon! With this kind of issue, no backing can save you!" "I insulted her?" Fang Renughed, "I bet Madame Xuan would think you''re the one farting after hearing you say that." "Fine! You dare to openly insult Madame Xuan''s dignity! Wait until the police take you away, and you get sent to Tianjiang, you''ll know what pain is!" Zhang Shanshan said furiously, "I just wanted to deal with you slowly, but you''re courting death!" Jian Qi''er, still cowering behind Fang Ren and showing only half her face, chimed in, "I, I think Madame Xuan would also feel that Shanshan, you''re farting after she hears what you just said..." "Who is this dead rustic girl!" A girl beside Zhang Shanshan said, stepping forward to p Jian Qi''er across the face. They had no qualms about hitting people in school with Zhang Shanshan backing them up. Whoosh¡ª The girl''s pnded in thin air, as Jian Qi''er had already darted to the other side of Fang Ren and was now clinging to his arm, looking up at him with a frightened face, "Fang ssmate! She, she''s going to hit me..." "..." A dark line of frustration formed above Fang Ren''s head as he listened. A cultivation genius at the Blue Sky Realm was actually afraid of a p from a practitioner at the initial stage of the Yuanxin Realm... "You little brat! How dare you dodge!" At that moment, another girl beside Zhang Shanshan immediately rushed forward to catch Jian Qi''er, but Fang Ren made no move. "Heh, you dare not lift a finger to help your own little mistress when she''s being bullied. Weren''t you very arrogant before?" Zhang Shanshan said, seeing Fang Ren''s inaction and a smug expression once again crossed her face. As she spoke, True Qi burst forth from her body, intending to pull Jian Qi''er to her side. Just as Zhang Shanshan''s True Qi was reaching out for Jian Qi''er, a glint of cold light shed behind Jian Qi''er''s head, "Knife Wind Chaos!" Buzz¡ªBang¡ª Suddenly, an invisible aura erupted rapidly from Jian Qi''er''s body. In an instant, the two girls who wanted to p her, along with Zhang Shanshan in the distance, began to stagger, followed by their True Qi scattering and their bodies being sent flying backward. After a series of ttering and crashing, the three of them knocked over many tables andnded on the ground in the distance, covered in various leftovers from the tables. "..." As the chaotic noise of flying tables and chairs settled, the students from both schools in the canteen went silent at once. All of them stared nkly at Zhang Shanshan and her twopanions in the distance, smothered in food and grease, their once beautiful and elegant faces now smeared with oil, and a few vegetable leaves stuck in their hair. "What just happened?" "It seemed like a Wind Attribute Cultivation Technique, but... I didn''t feel any fluctuations of True Qi, it was too fast to catch." "Forget how it happened. This time Fang Ren is in big trouble. Last time he fought a few ordinary students, and a scuffle with Su Sen was one thing, but now he dares to hit Zhang Shanshan, doesn''t he know that she is from the Tianjiang Zhang family!" "The kid''s done for. Just the mess he created with the nonsense about Xuan Nv''s boyfriend was enough to lock him up for life. Now that he dared to hit Zhang Shanshan, the Tianjiang Zhang family will surely destroy him!" "He brought this on himself, who is there to me." "Hey, you bunch of idiots, I bet Fang Ren will be just fine in the end,"ughed a student from Yangming University. "I too think God Fang will bepletely fine in the end." "Have those from Mediocre University lost their minds?" ¡­ "Fang Ren!" Zhang Shanshan immediately scrambled up from the ground, and with True Qi, flung the leftovers adhering to her off, and shouted angrily, "You''re going to die! And it will be a miserable death!" Jian Qi''er peered out from behind Fang Ren with a look of timidness, but her voice was surprisingly loud as she addressed the furious Zhang Shanshan opposite her, "Shanshan ssmate, you, how can you frame people like this? It was clearly you who... who farted too much, and then you ignited the chemicals in your fart with your True Qi, blowing yourself away. How can you me Fang ssmate?" With Jian Qi''er''s words falling, the Yangming University students in the canteen burst outughing. "Hahaha! My god, when did this little ditz be so outstanding, her words are killing me!" "Did you hear that? You trash didn''t know what happened just now, right? Now someone has exined it for you!" "Blowing oneself away with one''s own farts, then framing our school''s students, how despicable!" "I am seriously suspecting that Zhang Shanshan from Baili University has poison hidden in her farts! Trying to murder all of us sitting here having a meal!" "Right! Even if Zhang Shanshan ssmate doesn''t wee us, there''s no need to resort to such a malicious method to poison us, right?" ¡­ For a time, the canteen echoed with Yangming University students making outrageous ims with deadpan expressions. Zhang Shanshan, still reeling from just standing up, listened to the morous, offending words filling up the canteen, her previously angry face quickly turning into one of panic and confusion. Finally, hearing the words of the male students from Yangming City, her eyes reddened, tears suddenly flowing, and she turned and rushed out of the canteen. Chapter 104: Chapter 102: The Transfer Student_1 "Pfft, a bunch of little girls who haven''t even grown hair think they canpete with grandma." Watching Zhang Shanshan flee the cafeteria, Jian Qi''er, who was hiding behind Fang Ren, showed a disdainful expression on her face. Fang Ren turned his head and nced at Jian Qi''er, feeling a chill on his back. This girl''s methods were too dirty, one sentence had incited the students of Yangming University to collectively attack. "What are you looking at!" As soon as Jian Qi''er saw Fang Ren turn around, she immediately pinched his arm and said fiercely, "Grandma was bullied just now and you didn''t even help me!" "Huh? You still need my help with your realm?" "What can I do, I can''t reveal myself." "Speaking of which, have you won any Best Actress awards or something?" asked Fang Ren. "No, why do you suddenly ask that?" "I just think it''s a shame for you not to win Best Actress with that acting skill." "Ah, the entertainment industry isn''t as simple as you think, there''s a lot of maneuvering behind every award." Jian Qi''er released his hand and said. "I hear the unspoken rules in there are pretty fierce." "There are some, but so far no one dares to mess with me," Jian Qi''er said with augh. "Howe?" "Hard backing, can''t help it." "..." After eating, Fang Ren was about to return to the ssroom, and naturally, Jian Qi''er followed him. Recently Fang Ren was also troubled in his cultivation, his realm couldn''t break through too fast, The Asura Path wasn''t making progress, and his cultivation technique had almost reached the brink of perfection, onlycking some warfare bloodshed. After chatting idly for a short while, Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang came in with excited looks on their faces. "Dang! Little dorky sister really dide!" Li Xingwangughed heartily: "You''ve just returned to school, and you''ve already done something big with Ranzi!" "That that that, what about me?" Jian Qi''er immediately put on a timid and stupefied face and said. "What about you?" Jing Haichuan said, "You''re way more impressive than Ranzi, he only beat Su Sen when he first came to school, but you''ve gone and made the school beauty cry! Excellent!" "Not bad for my medicinal ss three''s seedling, after hanging out with us brothers for a few weeks, you''ve be wild yourself," said Li Xingwang. "I I I, I didn''t mean to bully her." Jian Qi''er immediately waved her hands and said, "She farted on her own... she set off the bomb herself..." "Hahaha..." The other ssmates in the room who were chatting burst into unrestrainedughter when they heard her words. "Silly dorky sister is getting more and more interesting, using the most cowardly tone to say the boldest words! Next time you see her, just keep doing it like that!" "A real gem!" "Alright, I''ve decided, as long as this girl here gets a boyfriend, I, Jing, will provide all the condoms for free! Hahaha..." "What what what are you saying!" Jian Qi''er''s cheeks immediately turned red, and she stomped her foot in anger, not at all like the murderer who ughtered the mayor of Yangming City that night. ... Meanwhile, in a seat in the campus garden, Zhang Shanshan was furiously tapping on her phone with reddened eyes, her body still smeared with oily stains, while the two girls beside her were all drenched in remnants of meal, looking quite pathetic. "Shanshan, that damn girl has gone too far! We must find a chance to get her back real good!" "Exactly! That bumpkin dared to climb on our heads, we''ll make sure she doesn''t even know how she died!" Zhang Shanshan gritted her teeth and furiously pressed on her phone''s screen, saying fiercely, "I''m not only going to make that dead girl taste being despised by everyone! I''ll also make her entire family wander the streets! And that Fang Ren! Even the power behind him, I will have people from Tianjiange and kill them!" "Exactly! We''ll let those students in Yangming know what a terrifying consequence it is to provoke Shanshan!" "I''ll have my family send someone right away! Tomorrow will be the death day of Fang Ren and that bumpkin!" ... In the afternoon, just when it was almost time to start ss, Liu Qianqian suddenly rushed to the lecture podium. "Suddenly, there''s another announcement to make," Liu Qianqian said with a smile on her face: "We have another transfer student in our ss." "Huh? Our Yangming University is like, totally bottom in the world rankings, and our medical ss three is the bottom of Yangming''s bottom, howe transfer students like squeezing into our ss?" "The school''s been bombed to bits, and they''re still specifically asking toe to our ss? You''ve got to be kidding." "Last time our ss''s exchange student was none other than Madame Xuan; hopefully, this time the transfer student''s status isn''t too shabby either¡ªour ss doesn''t ept mediocrity." "This is too perfect!" ... "Cough cough." Liu Qianqian coughed twice and continued to speak: "This matter... seems really like what you guys wanted, the identity of the transfer studenting to our ss feels quite surreal." "Come on, who is it, I don''t believe they can be more impressive than Madame Xuan." "Everyone quiet down! I just want to ask the ss president, is the transfer student a girl? Is she good-looking? Does she have a partner?" "Right! Is it a girl?" "Why are all the boys in our ss such fools?" "That''s right, maybe the transfer student is a guy!" eximed one of the girls. "Yeah, ss rep, is the transfer student a guy? Is he handsome? Single?" ... "Alright, alright, enough already." Liu Qianqian tapped on the lectern and looked towards the corridor outside the window before saying, "She''s here." In the corridor outside the door of ss Three of the Medical Department, a girl with her head bowed and a mncholic expression walked by. Her long, straight ck hair cascaded over her shoulders. She wore a simple ck school uniform with a ck pleated skirt and a pair of white canvas shoes bought from a street stall. She was about 1.6 meters tall, which would make her half a head shorter ifpared to Mu Huanqing. Her figure was slender, and she walked with proper decorum. Her steps were neither toorge nor too small, her pace neither too fast nor too slow, exuding an aura of dignity. Tied within her loose ck hair was a red chiffon ribbon which fluttered lightly as she moved. "Could it really be that this princess is going to impoverish Fang Ren Ranzi?" she mumbled to herself with a sigh. Bai Qi felt helpless. Her trip back to her family hadn''t resolved her marriage, and the spirit-binding seal on her was still intact, her bank cards remained frozen, leaving her penniless. Before she left, she begged her grandfather for money, only to have him say, "The marriage arrangement is not over yet, you''re already half a daughter-inw of the Fang Family; Fang Ren Ranzi has the obligation to support you." And then... she didn''t get a cent. Even her journey here from Tianjiang was a flight carried by the housekeeper grandfather''s True Qi. But all that was not the point. The real issue was that she hadn''t managed to take over that unscrupulous Liangpi shop yet, hadn''t caught the deceitful owner to watch her eat, and hadn''t bought the shopping mall to forbid that scolding auntie from entering... All the wonderful fantasies hade to nothing. Furthermore, there was an even more pressing issue¡ªshe was on her period and had no money to buy sanitary pads! On the way here, she tried every trick to wheedle money out of the housekeeper, who had doted on her since childhood, but it was as if he had made up his mind not to give her any. Even when she finally exined the reason, the housekeeper grandfather had the gall to say the same thing as her grandfather: "Since you''re half a daughter-inw of the Fang Family, Fang Ren Ranzi has the obligation to buy that for you." And just like that... she was dumped at the school. Eyes brimming with unshed tears. As she was about to enter the ssroom, Bai Qi heard a sudden eruption of screams from within. "Oh my, oh my! It''s a cute girl!" "Sis! Sis! Come on in! Quick, quick!" "Are you single? Are you single?" "Sis! Even if you''re not single, it doesn''t matter! I, Er Gou, can shovel well even if it''s an aluminum alloy corner¡ªI''ll shovel it down for you!" ... Bai Qi was stunned. She leaned against the doorway, peered inside, and saw a bunch of rowdy guys all taking out their phones, eyeing her as though they were ready to pounce. "What... is going on?" Bai Qi immediately pulled back her head and leaned against the wall outside the ssroom, muttering to herself in confusion. She was sure she came to a school, right? Everyone wore the same school uniform; that was correct, but... why did she feel like she would be devoured the moment she walked in? "You boys stop right now! You''ve scared the new student!" "Right! Do you guys not have a clue how you look? Just showing your faces is enough to give someone a fright, yet you want to be her boyfriend? You would scare a ghost to death." "Stop, stop, stop, keep it down everyone." Liu Qianqian knocked on the desk again, ustomed to the boys in her ss''s tendency to be rowdy. She turned and ran out of the ss, stretching out her hand to pull Bai Qi, who was leaning against the wall in a daze. Liu Qianqian smiled and said, "Your Highness, don''t be mad at them, they''re always like this. You can''t take their words seriously." Bai Qi shook her head with a polite smile, "No, no problem, I''m just not quite used to the enthusiasm of the students here..." "That''s not enthusiasm, that''s just them being foolish. But they''re good people, so don''t take it to heart," Liu Qianqian said. Bai Qi nced through the window at the group of rowdy boys inside, then said somewhat awkwardly, "Alright, but please don''t call me princess or anything like that, we''re all ssmates. Just call me Bai Qi." "Okay,e on in." As Liu Qianqian pulled Bai Qi into the ssroom, the male students burst into an uproar upon seeing her. However, Fang Ren Ranzi, who was sitting in the back row, waspletely stunned at the sight of this so-called transfer student. What''s going on? Wasn''t this girl supposed to be resolving her marriage arrangement? Howe she''s back again? And even transferred straight into his ss! What''s the meaning of this? Don''t tell me before the marriage arrangement is annulled, they are required to attend the same ss for a few days. Nonsense! Meanwhile, Jian Qi''er, sitting not far from Fang Ren Ranzi, had her dumbfounded expression turn sharp in an instant when she saw Bai Qi. But it was just for a moment; she quickly readjusted her expression. Because rumors had it that Bai Qi''s current Cultivation Level had reached the Peak Stage of the Yingyue Realm, and any abnormal behavior from the people around would be noticed by her. Chapter 105: Chapter 103: The Deepest Hidden Person in the Class_1 "Stop fooling around, everyone." Liu Qianqian knocked on the desk again and spoke with a somewhat serious expression, "Haven''t you all felt that our new ssmate looks familiar?" "ss monitor, your words are really not fun. What do you mean by familiar? As long as it''s a beautiful girl! We find all of them familiar!" "That''s right!" "Hey hey hey, everyone stop, stop." A boy suddenly stood up and said, "Haven''t you guys really felt that the new ssmate looks really familiar?" "Exactly, exactly, stop themotion, I also feel super familiar with her," another boy chimed in. "Right, everyone just shut up," a girl said, "The new ssmate is clearly Princess Bai Xi of the Tianjiang Bai Family! Are you all blind?" Whoosh¡ª The ssroom instantly fell silent; a few secondster, the previously noisy group hastily sat down, leaning onto their desks. "I''m going...now that you mention it, I suddenly remember too!" "Where''s the phone, quick, check it! It does seem like it''s really her!" ... "All right, all right, is this how you wee a new ssmate who has just arrived?" Liu Qianqian looked helplessly at a group of silly boys, turned her head to Bai Qi, and said, "Say a few words, lest they start talking nonsense again." Bai Qi nodded, a faint smile on her face, and said, "No need to look at your phones anymore, I''m right in front of you. Looking at pictures is pointless. As for introducing myself, I think there''s no need. I just hope that in theing university days, we can get along harmoniously and take care of each other. Thank you." As she finished speaking, the boys who had been most rowdy earlier couldn''t help feeling a little nervous, whispering to themselves. "This...is really Princess Bai Xi!?" "It''s all over, did I talk about stealing her away just now... Will I be dragged out and executed?" "The things I said just now... Won''t I be directly sent to Tianjiang''s prison!?" ... Listening to the soft discussions of the boys below, Bai Qi still wore a polite smile, and said, "I really didn''t expect everyone to like me so much, being so enthusiastic when we''ve just met, and I''m very happy. But please, jokes about stealing someone''s partner should stop. Although it''s all in good fun, I do have a fianc¨¦, and hearing such words makes me quite troubled." Following Bai Qi''s words, the atmosphere in the ssroom, which had felt a bit frozen just a moment ago, began to liven up again. A girl whispered, "Princess Bai Xi has such a good temperament; she''s not at all angry over such a minor thing." Another girl, star-struck, admired Bai Qi and said, "The princess truly deserves her title, giving face to our ss''s boys while also telling them which jokes not to make. She managed it all while keeping the atmosphere harmonious. So cool." Seeing the atmosphere was still a bit awkward, Liu Qianqianughed and said, "With Princess Bai Xi joining our ss, I believe, our life in the Medical Science ss Three will surely be even more wonderful. Let''s wee her with warm apuse!" No sooner had Liu Qianqian said this than she led the apuse herself. Immediately, all the students in the ss stood up and joined in rhythm, filling the room with apuse while Bai Qi nodded in appreciation. "I''m d Princess Bai Xi is so open-minded. Otherwise, I''d have been in big trouble today because of my big mouth!" a boy said quietly as he pped desperately. "Me too! Luckily, the princess has such a good temper!" another boy said as he pped even harder. Meanwhile, just as everyone in the ss stood up, Fang Ren remained dazed on the spot, his mind still not catching up with the situation¡ªwhy had shee back? Li Xingwang, seeing Fang Ren sitting there stunned, immediately tugged at his arm and whispered, "Ranzi! What are you doing, man? That''s a princess, a princess!" "Exactly! Stand up quickly! You can''t get cocky just because you''re Xuan Nv''s boyfriend!" Jing Haichuan also hurriedly nudged Fang Ren''s arm. "Oh oh oh." Fang Ren immediately stood up and joined in the pping. "I hope everyone will stop calling me princess." Bai Qi spoke politely once more, "From now on, we''re ssmates. Please, just call me Bai Qi." "I never thought I''d see Princess Bai Xi of Tianjiang with my own eyes. The scene feels a bit unreal." "Yeah, Princess Bai Xi should be studying in Tianjiang''s elite universities; whye to our school? There''s no reason for it." "Maybe it''s training dispatched by her family. After all, many aristocrats let the main members of the family experience the smaller world." ... After another bout of soft chatter in the ssroom, it gradually quieted down after a while. As ss was about to start, Liu Qianqian said, "Bai Qi, please find a seat to sit down. The next ss is theory. Oh, right, your textbooks haven''t arrived yet. If it''s okay, you can sit with me for now." Ever since she had arrived, Bai Qi had been scanning the faces of all the students in the ssroom because her purpose was Fang Ren''s ss. Regardless, she needed to find him first and talk about the engagement situation. After hearing Liu Qianqian speak, Bai Qi smiled and replied, "Thank you, but I''ve found someone I know." Saying so, she made her way toward the back of the ssroom. Everyone was shocked by her words and turned to look at the students in the back row. "An acquaintance? Does the princess have an acquaintance in this ss?" "Damn, who is it? We''ve been together for over three years and I never realized we had such a person in our ss." ... Looking at Bai Qi walking straight toward her, Jian Qi''er''s expression was curious, but inside she was extremely nervous. Had her expression just now been discovered? Or had her identity been seen through by her at a nce? Impossible, she was still using her cultivation technique to conceal her True Qi, she shouldn''t be able to be detected. Last time, even the Xuan Nv hadn''t discovered she was a Practitioner; Bai Qi was a whole major realm below the Xuan Nv, so logically, it was even less likely for her to find out. As Bai Qi approached her, Jian Qi''er''s heart started to pound violently; if she were exposed, many of the organization''s missions would be hindered. "What on earth are you doing?" While Jian Qi''er''s heart was pounding, suddenly she heard Fang Ren, who was sitting next to her, speak up. She immediately turned her head. She saw Fang Ren p his forehead with a helpless expression on his face as he looked at Bai Qi. Bai Qi circled around Jian Qi''er to stand in front of Fang Ren. Seeing his expression, a smile with a hint of apology appeared on her face as she said, "Things have be a bitplicated;e out with me, I''ll exin." As soon as Fang Ren heard her words, he had a strong feeling she was referring to the matter of canceling their engagement. "But did you have to transfer schools over it?" In the sight of the whole ss focusing on them, Fang Ren said one more thing and then immediately stood up and walked out of the ssroom. "I didn''t want to either." As Bai Qi spoke, she quickly followed him out. With the two of them leaving the ssroom, everyone watched in stunned silence as the back door became utterly quiet, recovering only a few secondster. "Oh my god... Listening to their conversation, it seems like those two are exceptionally close!" "Could it be that Ranzi has been hiding some identity this whole time?" "It''s very possible! Dating the Xuan Nv and also being an acquaintance of the princess of Tianjiang! If you tell me he''s just an ordinary person, who would believe it?" "The title ''Ranzi the God'' is indeed not in vain..." "Who would''ve guessed, this guy seemed so ordinary for these three years, turns out he was hiding something!" ... Liu Qianqian on the lecture podium saw this scene and her gaze suddenly became unfocused, an overpowering spection rising in her heart, making her feel powerless. Fang Ren... with the surname Fang, from the Tianjiang Fang Family, and Princess Bai Xi... There were rumors that the princess of the Bai Family was betrothed to the eldest young master of the Fang Family since childhood, and that young master was said to have been away from his family since a young age... With this thought, Liu Qianqian''s mind became a whirlwind, but she quickly started to shake her head inwardly, denying her own spection. No, that''s impossible. Even if Fang Ren is rted to the Fang Family, he can''t possibly be the eldest young master. Moreover, the eldest young master is already betrothed to Bai Qi, so how could he possibly be dating the Xuan Nv? Right, such a thing is impossible. With this thought, Liu Qianqian began to feel that her previous spection was a bit unrealistic, and her turbulent thoughts gradually calmed down. However, Jian Qi''er, sitting in thest row, became nervous as she watched Fang Ren walk out of the ssroom directly with Bai Qi. Although the organization had already investigated that Fang Ren was the eldest young master of the Fang Family, ording to what Fang Ren said himself, he had been abandoned by his family since childhood and had never had contact with any family members. So how exactly was he connected to Bai Qi? This was way too abnormal! Furthermore, she had told him all the secrets on her phone today, even revealing everything about Bai Qi. If Fang Ren identally mentioned something in front of Bai Qi, wouldn''t she be doomed! Biting her lip, Jian Qi''er immediately ran to the back door of the ssroom and leaned against the wall, peeking out to see Fang Ren and Bai Qi not far away. If Fang Ren turned his head back and looked this way, she would immediately use eye signals to remind him. However, with Bai Qi''s realm... she would probably notice something was off. "Hey, hey, silly girl, why are you peering out the door when those two went out to talk?" Li Xingwang said from the back row. "Huh?" Jian Qi''er was startled and quickly turned nervous and timid, "I¡ªI¡ªI was just curious how those two knew each other." "Oh man, I''m curious too. Howe I didn''t peek out?" Jing Haichuanughed, "I think you, girl, just want to make a move on Ranzi now that Xuan Nv has gone, don''t you?" "I! I¡ªI certainly did not!" Jian Qi''er''s face turned red, and she immediately ran to her original seat to sit down, looking indignant. Chapter 106: Chapter 104: Just Try and Die?_1 Li Xingwang, seeing Jian Qi''er suddenly appear angry, couldn''t help but blurt out with a jeering smile, "Girl, don''t even think about climbing thedder. Our ss leader still has lines of contenders, it''s not your turn." "Who wants to climb thedder! I don''t want to at all!" Jian Qi''er said with a face full of shame and anger. Jing Haichuan said with a look of contempt, "Tsk tsk tsk, you reallyck ambition, girl. Others are thinking about how to climb up, and here you are, content with just being a concubine, having no dreams at all." "Who wants to be a concubine! I''d rather usurp the throne!" On the surface, Jian Qi''er looked angrily embarrassed, but inwardly she was already secretly determined to teach these two noisy rich brothers a lesson. These two guys are just too hateful! They actually said she wanted to climb thedder? And that she had no dreams and only wanted to be a concubine? What a joke, does Jian Qi''er need to climb thedder? Does she need to be a concubine? Any man she truly wants, even if she has to pin him to the ground, she''ll... That''s right, she is domineering! At least that''s what Jian Qi''er thinks of her own domineering nature in love right now. It''s just pitiful that this girl has never experienced love and is an absolute novice when ites to romance. "You''re amazing, my silly little sister!" Jing Haichuan immediately said with a wicked smile, "You''re no longer satisfied with being a concubine; it seems like usurping the throne is the only option left. I wonder if Madame Xuan woulde over from the battlefield to have a chat with you once she learns of your dangerous thoughts." "You! You all..." Jian Qi''er immediately switched to Oscar-winning actress mode, her eyes slightly moist, and shey on the desk with a face full of grievance, no longer speaking. "You two are spreading rumors again!" Just then, Liu Qianqian grabbed the podium, charged angrily towards the back row, and without another word, went to hit the two rich brothers. "Hey! ss leader! Keep calm! I''ll write a self-criticism! I will!" "Don''t hit me! Old ss! It was you who wanted to usurp the throne! Isn''t it enough that you want it!" Upon hearing this, Liu Qianqian''s anger red up even more, and she chased after them to hit, shouting, "Spread rumors again, and I''ll throw you to the academic affairs office!" "Alright, alright, no more rumors! ss leader, you are Ranzi''s official consort! Yes, you are!" "Right! Remember how Ranzi was devoted to you! You''re certainly the official consort, no doubt about it!" The two shouted as they ran, with Liu Qianqian behind them, abandoning the podium stick and looking angry and agitated. How could these two speak out about her secret desire to usurp power? Although there''s some truth to what they say about being the official consort... doesn''t she, Liu Qianqian, need reminders from them? What a joke! She would achieve it step by step on her own effort. After chasing the two rich brothers out of the ssroom, Liu Qianqian turned back tofort Jian Qi''er, whose eyes had reddened, and said, "Jian Qi''er, don''t take their words too seriously. They were just joking with you, it wasn''t serious." When Jian Qi''er saw Liu Qianqiane over, she wiped her eyes and said with a wronged voice, "ss leader, they really are spreading rumors. How could I possibly do those things... Obviously, you are the most suitable person to usurp the throne..." "Ah?" After hearing her words, Liu Qianqian just stood there, stunned. She simply couldn''t believe her ears, what was this girl talking about... As Jian Qi''er''s words fell, the entire ss burst into relentlessughter. "Hahaha! ss rep, having such a weirdo in ss really is tough on you." "I''m dying ofughter! Little silly sis must have been corrupted by them! Her thought process has be even more bizarre!" "Oh my god, ss rep, when youe back you must give Ranzi a beating. How pure that little girl used to be, and look what she''s turned into now." ... Just outside the ssroom, not too far away, Fang Ren stood there with a helpless look on his face, listening to Bai Qi talk about what had happened on her return to the family home. "Why won''t they allow the marriage to be dissolved?" Fang Ren frowned and said, "Both of us have already agreed, what''s it to them? They have no right to stop it!" "But they have the marriage contract in their hands, there''s nothing I can do if they don''t agree," Bai Qi said with a look of helplessness, "Just because I brought up calling off the engagement, my grandfather forcibly transferred my school registration here. He even said I should get along with you, that over time we''ll develop feelings... His words have no basis at all." "What if I get the Fang Family to call off the engagement?" Fang Ren said. "That won''t work either," Bai Qi shook her head, her face full of helplessness, "ording to my grandfather''s words, it''s about having a baby together with stronger Cultivational Talent. Even if the Fang Family went to my family to call off the engagement, my family wouldn''t agree." "What does that even mean?" Fang Ren asked, unable to hide his anger after hearing this, "I''m just a rubbish Practitioner, how could we possibly have a child with higher Cultivational Talent? Is he sure this isn''t just aplete waste of your gic talent?" "Getting mad at me won''t help," Bai Qi said as she heard the anger in his voice, looking even more wronged, "I also asked the housekeeper grandfather if there was any other way to dissolve the engagement, and he told me there was one, but that it... just wasn''t realistic and sounded nuts." "What method?" Fang Ren immediately asked seriously, "No matter how unrealistic, we''ve got to try it!" Seeing his serious expression, Bai Qi''s cheeks grew a little red, then she stepped back two steps and looked at Fang Ren, "Are you sure..." "Of course I''m sure! No matter what it is, I''m definitely trying it!" Fang Ren said, still a bit infuriated. Since there was another method, no matter how impractical, he wanted to try it. If it really didn''t work, he would just join the Nightfall Organization, disappear from everyone''s sight, and start fiercely resisting all injustice. Bai Qi hesitated, "But..." "Spit it out!" Bai Qi struggled for a while, then finally started speaking with a blush, "He... he said that we should just have a child first, then see how talented the child is, and if the talent isn''t good, we can abort it. After that, we can marry whoever we want..." "What!?" Fang Ren''s serious expression froze for a full three seconds before he suddenly took a step back, his face a mix of surprise and fear, "Is that even something a person should say..." As they spoke, Bai Qi became infuriated, eximing angrily, "Ah! I already said that idea was totally unrealistic! You don''t know anything but just want to try it! All you think about is trying! Can you even try such a thing!" Chapter 107: Chapter 105: The Arrival of the Tianjiang Investigation Group_1 "What on earth is your butler thinking,ing up with such a rotten idea!" Fang Ren spoke with a critical attitude, speaking earnestly. "Why are you criticizing me? It''s not like I was the one who came up with the idea," Bai Qi said with a look of grievance. "Just veto it," Fang Ren said decisively. "You were using that same tone just now when you said we should give it a try¡­" Bai Qi looked at him, her expression full of disdain as she rolled her eyes at him forcefully. "That doesn''t count," Fang Ren waved off and continued, "Enough of that, are they really insisting that we must have a child no matter what?" "That seems to be my grandfather''s intention," Bai Qi nodded. "Did you tell him about my ability to cultivate?" Fang Ren asked. "I didn''t say anything, but he already knows," Bai Qi replied. "But ording to him, even if you can''t cultivate, we must still have a child, and he gave a whole set of theories that I couldn''t understand at all." Fang Ren was very puzzled when he heard this. The only one Bai Qi could be calling grandfather was the elder Family Head of the Bai Family, Bai Chaojin, who was also the supreme leader of the Indra Sky organization. Given Bai Chaojin''s position, he should have been more aligned with the Central Command''s thinking, sparing no effort to create a stronger generation of cultivators. Why would Bai Chaojin still want Bai Qi to have a child with him even if he can''t cultivate? In the eyes of the public, wouldn''t this mean that Bai Chaojin was allowing him to waste Bai Qi''s cultivation gene? Fang Ren couldn''t understand. Moreover, ording to Indra Sky''s n, Bai Qi was their ultimate test subject, and her cultivation gene was acknowledged to surpass that of Mu Hui. As long as there were no idents, Bai Qi could surpass Mu Hui within the next few decades. Furthermore, if the experiment were sessful, Bai Qi would far surpass Mu Hui, bing the strongest human and putting a substantial distance between her and the second strongest. What on earth was Bai Chaojin thinking? Why did he still insist that Bai Qi have a child with him? Could it be that the arranged marriage between the Bai and Fang families wasn''t due to any internal debt they felt they owed him, but rather for some other purpose? "So you''re just going to do as your grandfather says? Even transferring schools?" Fang Ren said. "I already told you, it wasn''t my own will. I was literally grabbed and thrown over here by the butler-grandfather, and I was forced to enroll and not allowed to go anywhere else," Bai Qi said with a face full of grievance. "So you mean your family''s butler is keeping an eye on you at all times?" Fang Ren asked. "Of course, I still have the Dispersal Mark on me and can''t use any cultivation abilities. They''re afraid I''ll get captured by the Nightfall Organization again, likest time. They''ve had the butler-grandfather protect me and even sent a group from the investigation team," Bai Qi exined. "Tianjiang¡­ Investigation Group?" A shock went through Fang Ren''s heart. It was one thing for this girl to arrive, but why had the Tianjiang Investigation Groupe too? If the Nightfall Organization were to be discovered by the Investigation Group, the consequences would be dreadful, potentially affecting many of his future ns. "Yes, especially since that vile Nightfall Organization is around here, we must eradicate this group quickly to protect the safety of the people here," Bai Qi said earnestly. "This¡­ is true," Fang Ren immediately put on an awkward smile and said, "I heard that the mayor of Yangming City was assassinated, and it was likely the work of that organization." "It''s not just likely, it''s definitely their doing. The matter has already been settled," Bai Qi frowned. "Speaking of which, you''re a local citizen, don''t you pay attention to the news around you? How can you still say it''s just likely?" "Maybe I just don''t pay much attention to things around me," Fang Ren hastily covered up. "So, the people who captured you that day, they were from the Nightfall Organization?" "Of course, they seem to have always been opposing my grandfather, definitely scheming to capture me as a way to threaten him," Bai Qi said. Fang Ren paused for a moment before whispering, "Have you ever heard of the Indra Sky organization?" Bai Qi was startled, "Indra Sky? What''s that? Another evil organization like Nightfall?" "I''m not sure myself, just heard some people talking about it on the street recently, got curious." Fang Ren''s mind was a bit chaotic. It seemed that Bai Qi didn''t even know she was being used as a test subject, and she likely harbored deep hatred toward the Nightfall Organization since they had captured her before. Fang Ren had thought about finding an opportunity to change her view of the Nightfall Organization, but now, it seemed there was no chance for that. If he chose to join the Nightfall Organization in the near future, he would have to be mortal enemies with Bai Qi. But if it really came to that, he would first tell Bai Qi everything. As for what decision Bai Qi would make... he could only hope that she would rise up and resist an undesired marriage. "Then you might have heard wrong," Bai Qi said. "Currently, the only threat to Earth''s public safety is the Nightfall Organization." "Maybe so," Fang Ren nodded. Just then, the bell signaling the start of ss began to ring, and Bai Qi immediately followed Fang Ren back to the ssroom. As the two of them returned to the ssroom, all the students'' gazes converged on them again, their faces full of curiosity but hesitant to ask more. Jing and Li immediately moved away from Fang Ren''s surroundings to make room for Bai Qi. They kept looking back at Fang Ren from a distance, making eye gestures. As soon as Jian Qi''er saw Jing and Li leave, she immediately moved to the other side of Fang Ren and sat down, smiling foolishly and said, "Fang, Fang ssmate, I came in such a hurry today that I also forgot to bring my textbook. Could I share with you?" When Fang Ren saw this girl approaching, he couldn''t help but feel nervous, sensing that she was up to some mischief. Jian Qi''er probably didn''t know about thest time the Nightfall Organization captured Bai Qi; otherwise, she would have already asked him about his rtionship with Bai Qi. "Sure...," Fang Ren responded with a worried look and nodded. Then Jian Qi''er looked at Bai Qi with a nervous expression and spoke, "And and, that, Your Highness the Princess, you won''t mind if I squeeze in here, will you?" Bai Qi, seeing the silly and endearing Jian Qi''er, quickly shed a polite smile, "Not at all, and please don''t call me Princess anymore, just call me Bai Qi." Jian Qi''er bowed her head and shyly said, "Okay okay okay, fine Bai Qi ssmate..." Jing and Li, sitting not far away, were stunned to see this. "How can this girl be so clueless? There are so many ssmates in the ss, why does she have to squeeze next to the princess?" Jing Haichuan said. Li Xingwang frowned and said with profound seriousness, "I think this girl might really be trying to usurp her position. Whenever Ranzi sits with other girls, she has to go and squeeze in." "Huh? Seriously? This silly girl couldn''t really be trying topete with Xuan Nv for a man, could she?" "Shh! I always feel there''s something special between the princess and Ranzi." "Are you suggesting... that the two of them also have a thing going on?" Jing Haichuan said with a serious yet excited expression, "Oh my! That means if Ranzi uses my Jing family''s condoms, it''s like the Highness the Princess is endorsing my Jing family''s condoms? If I spread this around, wouldn''t the Jing family immediately be the world''s number one condom supplier? Holy crap! I''m simply a business genius!" "Damn! Stop spouting nonsense! Aren''t you afraid of being locked up in jail!" ... Liu Qianqian, sitting in the front row, also asionally looked back. Seeing Jian Qi''er and Bai Qi sitting on either side of Fang Ren, she couldn''t feelfortable no matter what. She always felt that there was somethingplicated about Bai Qi and Fang Ren''s rtionship, and as for Jian Qi''er... she really seemed to be set on usurping. "It must be because I care too much about Fang Ren. How could the Highness the Princess have anything too deep with Fang Ren? Jian Qi''er, that silly girl, is so innocent, she couldn''t possibly do such a thing¡­" Liu Qianqian continuously consoled herself in her mind. Soon the ss teacher arrived in the ssroom, mainly to say some uplifting and weing words about Bai Qi''s arrival in the ss, and then the usual tedious lessons continued. "Bai, Bai Qi ssmate, there''s something I''m really curious about. Can I ask you?" During the ss, Jian Qi''er leaned over the desk and quietly asked Bai Qi a question. As soon as Fang Ren heard her speak, he immediately nced at her, then instantly returned to normal and pretended to be carefully listening to the lecture. His heart was actually in chaos. If this girl asked something she shouldn''t, it would be a disaster, since the Tianjiang Investigation Group was still all over Yangming City! At that moment, Bai Qi was looking at some alchemy theory she didn''t understand at all and waspletely puzzled by the teacher''s lecture, so she weed the interruption from Jian Qi''er, which brought her back to reality from her boredom. "Go ahead and ask," Bai Qi replied. As the Bai Family''s little princess, she had been taught to be close to the people from a young age, and even if she had a temper, she could only let it out at home. Outside, she had to maintain an image of elegance, nobility, and friendliness. "Well, I was just wondering, for someone like Bai Qi ssmate, there must be a lot of protectors hidden around when you''re out, right?" Jian Qi''er asked timidly. Fang Ren was baffled by her question. What did she mean by asking this? If Bai Qi didn''t have protectors around, was her next move to go after Bai Qi? "Indeed, there are, but I don''t like being monitored by them; it always feels very restricting," Bai Qi answered with a smile. Upon hearing this, Jian Qi''er quickly replied, "That''s exactly what I thought it would be like, it feels just like something out of a movie..." ... The whole ss left Fang Ren feeling like he was walking a tightrope. Because Jian Qi''er was practically courting disaster! She kept using her outwardly silly and clueless guise to ask dangerous-seeming questions to Bai Qi, from whether she had guards when traveling, to what cultivation level Bai Qi had, and even who Bai Qi nned to marry in the future... Her dumb, clueless demeanor, coupled with a timid way of chatting and adding a lot of irrelevant chatter during the conversation, did not arouse any suspicion from Bai Qi. Fang Ren felt that if he didn''t already know the truth, he probably would have thought Jian Qi''er was just a naive and curious little silly girl who had not seen much of the world. Chapter 108: Chapter 106: The Impending Great War_1 ``` After ss, a group of girls surrounded Bai Qi, starting to talk endlessly in an attempt to curry favor with him. Jian Qi''er grabbed Fang Ren and pulled him towards the outside. At that moment, Liu Qianqian ran from the front row to the back, wanting to talk to Fang Ren about something, but when she saw this scene, she abruptly stopped and didn''t follow. Seeing this, Li Xinyue immediately dragged Liu Qianqian into a corner. "Qianqian, what on earth is going on with you!" Li Xinyue looked at Liu Qianqian with exasperation and said, "Last time you let someone snatch him away on a blind date, and now that person is gone, and the two of them can''t be together anymore, yet you''re still hesitating! Now you''ve let some silly girl snatch him away too! Why are you so useless!" After hearing what she said, Liu Qianqian panicked and immediately shook her head in denial, "What nonsense are you talking about? I just happened to have something to tell him, and besides, he hasn''t broken up with his girlfriend..." "You silly girl!" Li Xinyue said with helpless frustration, her chest heaving with annoyance, "That''s Xuan Nv we''re talking about. The only reason they got together was because of a farce. They can''t possibly stay together in the future. Just go for it! What are you considering so much for?" "You¡­" "What ''you''? I''m giving you an objective analysis of the problem¡ªyou''re just too naive!" Li Xinyue said, "Look at yourself these past few days, always sticking to him like glue. The whole ss is starting to gossip. Don''t tell me you don''t like him. We''re all adults here; your actions reflect your feelings, and everyone else can see it. Why can''t you admit it?" Liu Qianqian frowned and said, "Maybe the silly girl really doesn''t think that way, she''s so innocent..." "Innocent my foot, she''s over twenty years old, she''s just introverted, but look at how she is around Fang Ren; she doesn''t act introverted at all! Can your brain not make the connection?" "Ahh, just drop it." Liu Qianqian said, clearly agitated. "See, every time I hit the nail on the head, you react like this," Li Xinyue said. ¡­ Not far from the teaching building, on a small path, Jian Qi''er was pulling Fang Ren while subtly keeping vignt of their surroundings, finally leading him to the school''s garden. "What exactly is your rtionship with Bai Qi?" Jian Qi''er asked with a cold expression and furrowed brows, "I''ve told you all my secrets, yet you still have things you''re hiding from me!" "Keep your voice down." Fang Ren immediately released his consciousness, scanning the area within a radius of ten meters before he turned around with a look of destion and said to Jian Qi''er, "How many times did I try to catch your eye during ss? You ask such ridiculous questions. What would you do if you were discovered?" "What''s wrong with asking? I''m a great actress, and besides, these are things other people would be curious about too, okay?" Jian Qi''er retorted. Fang Ren looked around again and spoke in a low voice, "Be carefultely. Don''t engage in any rash actions. The Tianjiang Investigation Group has followed us here." "What!" Jian Qi''er jumped at the news, "Did Bai Qi tell you this personally?" "How else would I know?" "What all did you tell him?" "I haven''t exposed your organization, nor have I said anything to her about it, but just a few days ago, someone from your organization already captured her once. That''s why the Tianjiang Investigation Group hase over," Fang Ren exined. "Our organization captured her?" Jian Qi''er was baffled, "She''s a peak Yingyue Realm, and the only people in our organization who could capture her are our leader and my master, but they never make a move, so how is that possible?" "This happened several days ago. The person who captured her wasn''t very strong, just a mid-stage Ruoshui Realm. At that time, I didn''t understand any of you people and got into a fight with him, then he ran away," Fang Ren briefly recounted the event. "Then I''m even more confused. A mid-stage Ruoshui Realm person dared to capture Bai Qi? Was he courting death?" "Have you heard of the Dissipating Spirit Mark?" "Are you saying¡­ she''spletely depleted of True Qi?" "Yeah, the same was true a few days ago. It was restricted by one of her family elders," Fang Ren said. "No wonder someone had the death wish to capture her," Jian Qi''er said, now understanding. "Speaking of which, why does your Indra Sky organization even bother with her? She''spletely clueless, just an innocent girl," Fang Ren remarked. "Of course, our organization knows Bai Qi is innocent. We never intended to harm her; the policy has always been to capture and control her, to pressure Indra Sky into halting their experiments," Jian Qi''er exined with a frown. Fang Ren nodded and asked, "So now that the Tianjiang Investigation Group is here, what do you n on doing? Will you move?" Jian Qi''er pondered for a moment before answering, "I don''t think the leader will order a move. There''s a real possibility that there''s a major Indra Skyb here, and many Cultivators are suffering inside. We have to save people." "Can you handle it? The Bai Family''s steward is here," Fang Ren pointed out. "We need to observe for a while. The leader''s injuries from three years ago have fully recovered now. As long as the people from the investigation group aren''t some of the Great Generals from the war zones, our organization can handle it." "About what Realm is the Bai Family''s steward?" Fang Ren inquired. "The Bai Family''s steward, named Chen Cheng, is at the early stage of the Xuanyang Realm as per our year-long observations, and it''s unlikely he''s broken through in this time," Jian Qi''er stated. "Early stage Xuanyang Realm... so he''s two Realms weaker than Hui Qing?" Fang Ren frowned. Seeing his reaction, Jian Qi''er spoke up, "Don''t assume the current Xuan Nv is all-powerful. Even though she''s the human peak now, there are many others right at her heels. She has the strongest life-giving Immortal Qi, others have sinister methods and mysterious Cultivation Techniques. When it reallyes down to a fight, nobody knows the oue. Xuan Nv is said to be so powerful because she''s only twenty-five, while those others have lived over a hundred years." "¡­" ``` Fang Ren listened to this and became even more disheartened, "Then what will you do if your organization gets discovered next?" "If we''re really discovered, I think our leader will choose to fight. At that point, the Indra Sky organization might also get involved, and we might even find theboratory. However, if we do that, our organization will also suffer heavy losses. It''s better and safer to investigate secretly," Jian Qi''er said. "Alright, if it reallyes to a fight, call me over," Fang Ren said. "You?" Jian Qi''er gave him a look, "What can you do in that situation?" "Don''t worry about it, just make sure to call me," Fang Ren insisted. "You... Is your hatred for Indra Sky really that deep?" Qi''er questioned. "Isn''t that obvious? A bunch of bastards are trying to forcefully separate me from my wife andter use inhumane methods to force her to marry someone else. What else can I do but kill them?" Fang Ren retorted. After listening to him, Jian Qi''er smiled, made a gun gesture with her hand, and pointed it at Fang Ren, "Buddy, I admire you for that." "Just be careful when you talk to Bai Qi, don''t talk nonsense," Fang Ren warned. "Oh,e on, you''ve seen my acting skills. Keep your heart in your chest," Qi''er replied confidently. Fang Ren paused for a moment, his expressionplex, "It feels like... your war is about to break out soon." "Yeah, I think so too," Jian Qi''er nodded with a worried face. Fang Ren nced at his hands, feeling a surge of blood boiling within him. Finally, he was about to set foot on the path of killing, to start crushing the foolish thoughts of the world, bit by bit. As they say, let''s start with Indra Sky! ------ ------ At night, on a street outside the university gates. A row of ck sedans parked on the side of the road, from which many formally dressed men and women alighted, along with avishly dresseddy. Standing by the roadside was a girl in Yangming City University''s regr uniform, her mood seemingly low, her face expressionless. Once thedy got out of the car, she approached the girl with an expression of helpless concern and said emotionally, "Qian Qian,e home with mom, stop being reckless." Liu Qianqian looked at thedy before her, still expressionless, and said, "You go back. I''m not going with you." Thedy sighed deeply, "Why are you still so immature? You simply can''t win first ce in the Alchemypetition." "Thepetition hasn''t started yet, don''t jump to conclusions," Liu Qianqian said, "Besides, I''ll never marry Fang Lizhong. You''d better give up on that idea." "Qian Qian, you''ve misunderstood the reason for mom''s visit," thedy ced her hand on Liu Qianqian''s shoulder, speaking with gravity once more, "Mom isn''t asking you toe back to get married." Liu Qianqian paused for a moment before speaking again, "Is it because Grandfather saw the article by Master Qing''an and decided to raise my value, to have me wait two more years to marry someone from an even greater family?" Thedy sighed, "Don''t think too ill of your grandfather. Mom''s here not to ask you back for marriage. While it is indeed rted to Master Qing''an''s article, what you''re thinking ispletely different from what we mean." "Then what do you want me to do?" Liu Qianqian frowned. "Your grandfather wants you toe back to the family to get to know about Cultivation, after all, what Master Qing''an said can''t be false," thedy exined, "But for now, there is no way for you to cultivate, and our whole family needs to make an effort to help you find the path of Cultivation." "Even so, I''m not going back to the family," Liu Qianqian dered. "Why?" thedy frowned, "Once you start Cultivation, you''ll definitely be free to marry as you wish. Why not return to the family?" "Let''s talk about this after I graduate," Liu Qianqian continued, "Besides, if Master Qing''an finds a way for a physique like mine to cultivate during my time in university, then it won''t be toote for me to return to the family." "But the reason we want you toe back is to take you to Master Qing''an." "You don''t need me to find someone. Once you''ve found him, then I cane back," Liu Qianqian countered. "But everyone in the family is worried about you." "I understand, but I want to finish university. If you have nothing else, mother, please go back," Liu Qianqian said, "I hope you won''t forcibly take me away, or this time I will truly defend my freedom by my own means." "You child..." Thedy sighed deeply and then said, "Alright, Mom won''t take you back. But having a meal together before I return should be fine, right?" "As you wish," Liu Qianqian replied and turned to leave. Seeing this, thedy heavily sighed, signaled for the people nearby to leave, and then followed Liu Qianqian, carrying a bag. Chapter 109: Chapter 107: Shes Back_1 At ten o''clock in the evening, Fang Ren sat alone in a ssroom, concocting his own pills. Recently, he was very distressed because his Realm could hardly be suppressed any longer, and he might break through at any moment. Once he broke through from the Yuanxin Realm to the Ruo Shui Realm, his method of cultivation would undergo a tremendous change. Moreover, many of the previously nuanced concepts would be pale and powerless in the face of the insights from the new Realm; by then, he probably wouldn''t be able toy a solid foundation for the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat, missing many details. Qianye advised him to seek stability, but his Realm was fundamentally unstable. Looking at the boiling hot water in the furnace, Fang Ren became very conflicted. He sat for a while and then casually pulled out the sleeping Qianye from his pocket. "Huh?" Qianye looked at him with groggy eyes, full of confusion. "What do I do if my Realm can''t be suppressed?" Fang Ren asked with a worried expression. Qianye rubbed its eyes, then freed itself from his grasp and hopped onto his head in two or three leaps, touching Fang Ren''s forehead with its round ball-like arms. After a few seconds, it jumped onto the desk, holding the gray halo above its head with its round ball-like arms, continually "huh-huh"ing and swaying the halo back and forth. "What are you doing?" Fang Ren asked, bewildered. "Huh!" Suddenly, Qianye shook the halo on its head and a very small fruit fell out from within. This fruit was only the size of a thumb, entirely gray, and radiated a dazzling brilliance¡ªit was very beautiful. "Huh huh huh!" Qianye stuffed the fruit into Fang Ren''s hand. "You''re asking me to eat this?" Fang Ren asked startled. "Huh!" Qianye nodded. Seeing this, Fang Ren didn''t hesitate; he directly threw the little ck fruit into his mouth. The moment it entered, the fruit melted straight into his stomach. Two secondster, Fang Ren felt the flow of True Qi inside his body suddenly slow down drastically, as if something was blocking it, like being shackled withyer uponyer of heavy chains, totally incapable of flowing smoothly as before. "Is it controlling True Qi?" Fang Ren was stunned. He then tried to circte his True Qi and found that its flow was at least twenty times slower than before and incredibly cumbersome to move! "How much weight did you add to me?" Fang Ren, still with a worried look, said, "The Tianjiang Investigation Group has arrived, and the people from Indra Sky could appear at any moment. How am I supposed to kill then?" "Huh huh huh!" Qianye chirped immediately and hopped back onto Fang Ren''s head. The gray halo on its head began to expand, casting down waves of gray light which entered Fang Ren''s head. In an instant, Fang Ren''s eyes zed over, and it took him a long time toe back to his senses, shocked. Staring at his own hands in amazement, he muttered to himself, "Qi Yan Fruit? The density of True Qi is enhanced a hundredfold? The Qi waves surge like a rainbow? What is this... does it mean my True Qi is somewhat more powerful than before?" "Huh huh!" Qianye nodded vigorously. Fang Ren hesitated, "This isn''t limiting cultivation level, it''s just making my training more difficult and improving the quality?" Qianye nodded again. Subsequently, Fang Ren circted his True Qi while concocting pills, constantly adapting to the cumbersome energy within him. Meanwhile, Qianye, feeling sleepy, dozed off on the desk. After a long while, Fang Ren took two pills out of the Pill Furnace, put the sleeping Qianye into his pocket, and ran to the ssroom corridor. "How powerful can this True Qi be?" Speaking, Fang Ren''s True Qi suddenly erupted. He stomped on the ceramic tile of the corridor floor, and in an instant, the heavy True Qi pooled violently into the ground. Boom¡ª A sound like steel shing exploded, Fang Ren''s shoes instantly disintegrated into powder, and the tiles of the corridor began to crack one by one. Hum¡ª His entire body suddenly surged towards the sky, this leap took him more than fifty meters off the ground. Hanging in the air, Fang Ren looked down from fifty meters high, his vision unobstructed and vast. He stared nkly around him, stunned by his own leap. His meridians were naturally wider than those of the average practitioner, and he had many more of them, providing him with an incredibly strong explosive power. Now, having consumed that Qi Derivative Fruit, his explosive power had simply undergone a qualitative leap. A few secondster, Fang Rennded beside a small river outside the school, his body''s Gray Vital Energy swirling continuously. Suddenly, he clenched his fists, his True Qi began to gather force, ready to strike, and then he unleashed a punch into the air towards the small river. Boom¡ª In the next instant, the river water exploded into the sky, turning into raindrops that sshed everywhere, and a pit more than ten meters wide was left directly in front of his body. The water inside kept turning into steam rising up, issuing a sizzling sound. Fang Ren immediately retracted his True Qi, looking at the pit more than ten meters wide in front of him with a shocked expression on his face, "My goodness... even without activating the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat, a casual punch can unleash such power?" After being in shock for a long while, Fang Ren tried again. He found that, although the cirction speed of the vital energy in his body was considerably slower than before, it had be incredibly powerful, even exceeding the force he could control. If he could control it well, his shoes wouldn''t have to be shattered into powder by the force of his True Qi. "First of the Nine Techniques, activate!" In an instant, a red, fiery aura burst forth from his body. Without a moment''s hesitation, he punched toward the small river again. Thud¡ª Another loud boom echoed as mud mixed with water droplets flew into the air. Along the straight line of his punch, a trench five meters wide and over thirty meters long was forcefully carved out of the earth. "Is this the power of the Yuanxin Realm?" The more Fang Ren observed, the more astonished he became. He had achieved this without employing any offensive cultivation techniques; if he were to practice some attacking techniques, he might be able topletely obliterate this small river. "I need to practice more; otherwise, if I can''t control this thing, I might identally shatter my underwear next time." Muttering to himself, Fang Ren dispersed all his vital energy, preparing to return to his dorm. But just as he was about to turn and leave, suddenly, a silver streak of light shed across the sky, catching his eye. "What is that..." At the moment he saw the fleeting light, Fang Ren''s mind went nk. And in the brief moment of his daze, the silver streak that had just darted across the sky suddenly turned around and came charging straight toward his position. Whoosh¡ª Almost in the blink of an eye, the silver streak directly descended in front of him. Fang Ren dumbfoundedly watched the figure enveloped in the silver light, his previously dull eyes suddenly trembling. His expression of stupefaction turned to one of immense excitement. Silver hair gently draped over the shoulders, a holy set of Silver Armor, and the Hundred Martial Divine Weapons spinning continuously behind her... She had returned... Chapter 110: Chapter 108: The Liu Family in the Restaurant_1 Riveting beauty that shakes the heart, skin as fair as snow, lovely as a painting. Fang Ren just stood there, a surge of exhration rushing to his heart, the smile on his lips growing thicker and thicker. "Ah Ran!" The silver light dissipated, and Mu Huanqing''s beautiful face revealed a blissful smile. Dressed in armor, she leapt and hurled herself toward Fang Ren. "Qing''er! Why did you suddenlye back?" Fang Ren immediately stretched out his hands to tightly embrace her as she jumped over, pressing firmly against her armor, and fervently nted a kiss on her forehead. "Because I missed you." Mu Huanqing wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling the kiss on her forehead, her face radiating with more and more happiness. Fang Ren indulgently stroked her smooth, silvery hair andughed, "But isn''t the battlefront busy?" "Busy, yes." Mu Huanqing nodded with a bright smile, suddenly looking a bit silly. "Then why did youe to find me?" Fang Ren couldn''t help butugh, not expecting even Madame Xuan to have her capricious moments. "I just killed a Level Nine Void Beast. Themand center gave our team twelve hours of free time to rest." Fang Ren, upon hearing this, scolded with a touch of me, "You fool, you came all this way to find me and you have only twelve hours? Aren''t you tired?" "Not tired." Mu Huanqing''s cheeks pressed against his chest, rubbing vigorously as she smiled, "As long as I can see Ah Ran, I feel no fatigue." "Look at you, acting silly." Fang Ran caressed her head with concern, then eagerly lifted her up high andughingly said, "Qing''er, have you eaten?" "As a practitioner like me, I basically won''t feel hungry even if I don''t eat for a month," Mu Huanqing said, pinching his face. "Then... I''d like to have a meal with Madame Xuan. Would you grace me with your presence?" Fang Ren teased. "Silly boy, what nonsense are you spouting?" Mu Huanqing pinched his face hard, her cheeks puffed up in indignation. "Alright, alright, shall we go?" Fang Ren put her down. If Ah Ran is taking me, of course I''ll go." Mu Huanqing said, and dismissed the armor formed from spiritual energy on her body, revealing the white dress she was originally wearing underneath. "Then let''s go." Fang Ren grabbed her delicate hand and pulled her along as they ran toward the distance. "Wait a second, Ah Ran." Mu Huanqing looked at the thirty-meter-long trench with some surprise and asked, "Did you do this?" "I was just testing it out; didn''t expect it to be so powerful," Fang Ren said. "What realm are you at now?" "Take a guess." Mu Huanqing looked at the small river and frowned, pondering for a moment before asking, "Did you use any offensive cultivation techniques?" "No, I only used a technique that enhances the body''s abilities." "Just one punch?" "Hmm." "Then... that''s truly inconceivable." Mu Huanqing said in shock, "Without any offensive techniques, to unleash such power with a punch, you''d have to be at least at the Peak of the Ruoshui Stage. But when I left, Ah Ran hadn''t even broken through the Gathering Qi Stage..." "I haven''t reached the Ruoshui Stage; I''m only at the Yuanxin Realm Peak." "Really?" Mu Huanqing was still very shocked. "Would I dare to deceive Madame Xuan?" "Silly boy!" Mu Huanqing twisted his waist again and said, "But it''s almost impossible to unleash such power at the Yuanxin Realm. Your True Qi must be very offensive, right?" "Sort of," Fang Ren replied. Mu Huanqing, excited, threw herself at Fang Ren once more and hugged him,ughing, "That''s wonderful! No matter how, with Ah Ran reaching the Yuanxin Realm Peak so quickly, you''ll definitely be able to enter the Chongshan Realm within two years. When I first broke through to the Yuanxin Realm Peak, it took me almost two years to get there. Your talent is much higher than mine!" "Can''t help it, who makes me want to be Madame Xuan''s husband," Fang Ren said, again stroking her head. Mu Huanqing immediately kissed his cheek and said, "If you continue to cultivate unimpeded like this, Ah Ran, you are sure to surpass Song Mobei within the next forty years and be the man with the highest cultivation in the world." "Forty years?" Fang Ren flicked her forehead gently, his brows furrowed, and he earnestly said, "I won''t make you wait that long. I must surpass him before you turn thirty-two or... destroy the world''s views on a practitioner''s marriage." Mu Huanqing paused, thenughed again, "I believe in Ah Ran. Besides, I''m also working hard. I won''t make Ah Ran wait too long, either." Although Fang Ren''s current cultivational talent is high, surpassing Song Mobei within seven years is still too difficult¡ªbecause the further one progresses in cultivation, the harder each realm bes to ascend. Song Mobei started much, much earlier than Fang Ren. Surpassing him within seven years is simply impossible. Mu Huanqing knew this, but she wouldn''t say it. In her eyes, as long as Fang Ren had this ambition, it was enough. Everything else, she could handle on her own. The two went out onto the street where Fang Ren bought Mu Huanqing a duckbill cap before taking her to a small diner. They casually ordered a few home-cooked dishes and sat together, chatting flirtatiously. After all, after the event where the fourth-order space beast suddenly appeared on campus, the long-curious identity of Madame Xuan had finally been revealed. As a result, Mu Huanqing now had to be discreet when walking on the street. "Now that the Void Cave has split into so many parts, do you have to guard the biggest piece?" Fang Ren asked. "Yes, because that Void Hole often drops high-level void beasts, and it must be resisted by the troops from our district," Mu Huanqing said. "I remember that part of the Void Cave is quite far from us. You must have hardly any rest, flying back and forth," Fang Ren said. "It''s okay, I can fly back in three hours, and that means I can spend six hours with Ah Ran," Mu Huanqing said. "Silly girl, I wanted you to rest more." "I know," Mu Huanqing said, biting the end of her chopstick and looking at Fang Ren for a while before her face reddened and she whispered, "After a while... won''t Ah Ran take me to rest?" Fang Ren saw her blushing face and immediately understood what she was thinking. He smiled mischievously and said, "With my body in such good condition now, I''m afraid you won''t get any rest." Mu Huanqing blushed even more and gave Fang Ren a white look: "Rascal." "Qing''er is a rascal too." "How am I a rascal?" Mu Huanqing said with displeasure, biting her lip. "Only a rascal understands the words of a rascal. I just said my physique is good. I didn''t say anything else. You''re the one who thought wrong. You''re the real rascal." "I..." "What about you, let''s talk about it in bedter." No sooner had Fang Ren''s words fallen than Mu Huanqing angrily stomped on his foot under the table and said, "You can say such things out loud!" "Qing''er, you are being naughty," Fang Ren said with a smile. "Who''s naughty, you rascal!" "Have you forgotten what your mother told you? You have to listen to me and can''t throw temper tantrums," Fang Ren said with a wicked grin. "You''re bullying me¡­" "Alright, alright, I''ll stop talking. Here, have this." ... As the two were dining and chatting, the door of the diner opened, pushed by Liu Qianqian who just returned from the roadside, followed by an aristocratic-looking woman. "Qian Qian, why would youe to such a ce to eat?" The aristocratic woman frowned as she entered the diner, her eyes scanning the chairs and decorations around with some disdain as she spoke, "The food here might not even be healthy." Liu Qianqian, upon hearing her mother''s words, instantly became unhappy and retorted, "When I was a child, you educated me on the hardships of life, to cherish what we have, and not to despise the poor or worship the rich. Now, have you kept those words in your heart?" The expression on the aristocratic woman''s face stiffened, and she said helplessly, "But Qian Qian, ces like this really aren''t suited to our status. You''ve been out and about for three years; even your habits have changed." Liu Qianqian looked at the aristocratic woman, feeling both angry and helpless: "That''s absurd. I haven''t changed; Mother, you have. I remember when I was young, you wore simple clothes, loved to teach me about The Book of Songs and morals, about manners and elegance. Now, all you see is status and position! All vanity and show-off!" The aristocratic woman, hearing her voice raising, quickly grabbed her hand to find a seat and sat down, trying to calm down before saying, "Qian Qian, there are many things you haven''t experienced. You don''t understand." "I don''t understand?" Liu Qianqian said angrily, "What do you mean I don''t understand? Don''t use that as an excuse for your vanity." "You child..." The aristocratic woman shook her head in frustration and called out to the side: "Waiter, we''d like to order." The cashier heard and immediately responded, "I''m sorry, ma''am, we don''t have waiters in our shop. Could you please order over here?" The aristocratic woman frowned and said, "What kind of ce is this, without even a waiter?" Liu Qianqian held back her anger and said, "Just sit there; I''ll go and order." "Order whatever you like; I can''t get used to the food here," the aristocratic woman said. Liu Qianqian was about to get up and ce the order when she heard her mother''s words and could no longer hold back. p¡ª Liu Qianqian''s emotions surged and she mmed her hand down on the table, her expression furious. Faced with her seemingly gentle mother turning into this, she threw all her cultivated decorum to the wind in an instant. "Yang Lily! Please do not face me with the identity of my mother from now on! My mother is not the kind of high and mighty aristocrat that you are!" Liu Qianqian shouted out loud in anger. Suddenly, all the eyes in the diner turned towards them. Including Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing. Chapter 111: Chapter 109: Protector and Madwife Mu Huanqing_1 "Liu Qianqian?" Fang Ren was taken aback, nced at the noblewoman sitting opposite to Liu Qianqian, and was surprised that the Liu Family had alreadye to look for her. Moreover, he found it unbelievable for Liu Qianqian, usually known for her gentle demeanor, to suddenly m the table and shout in a public setting. He had never seen Liu Qianqian behave like this; she had always been quite conscious of her image in public ces. Mu Huanqing nced at Liu Qianqian and then at the noblewoman, her gaze filled with iprehension; she had heard everything the noblewoman had just said. She couldn''t understand the noblewoman''s haughty demeanor at all. What was wrong with eating in a small restaurant? And to bring it up to the level of not fitting one''s status¡ªshe found it utterly nonsensical. As the gazes of everyone in the restaurant centered on the two of them, Yang Lily only felt ufortable under the scrutinizing eyes of these inferiors. Yet, she still tried to suppress the irritation in her heart, and spoke in as gentle a tone as possible, "Qianqian, hurry up and order, Mom just hopes you can care a little about your status." "I don''t want to have dinner with you," Liu Qianqian said with great sadness. "Could you please leave now? I can eat alone, and I would feel a bit better without you here." Upon hearing this, Yang Lily felt that she couldn''t save face, especially with so many people watching. She frowned and said, "Qianqian! If it weren''t for you, do you think I woulde to such a ce?" The customers nearby became somewhat irritated by this remark. "If you don''t want to eat here, get out. Who''s stopping you from leaving?" "This small ce isn''t good enough for you, then go to a fancy restaurant. Why cram yourself in here? You''ve just ruined what was an otherwise nice mood with your presence." "You do look quite wealthy in that outfit, but I can''tprehend how a person with such distorted values can give birth to a daughter with proper values." "Exactly! If you don''t want to eat here, just leave quickly. Don''t go spoiling your daughter''s values. Such a good girl, and you want to drag her down with you?" ... In an instant, the customers in the restaurant couldn''t help but throw out a barrage ofments. Listening to the harsh criticisms around her, Yang Lily''s rage exploded in an instant: "A bunch of lowlifes! Shut your mouths!" No sooner had she spoken than a red True Qi burst forth from her body, shaking the tables and chairs around her, breaking the ones closest to her, and starting to fly across the restaurant. With a cacophony of crashing sounds, many bowls and tes were sent flying and shattered on the floor. Most of the restaurant''s patrons were ordinary people incapable of Cultivation, and they instinctively screamed and dodged the flying debris. Fang Ren watched as a broken bench leg flew towards Mu Huanqing, and his True Qi erupted in an instant, crushing the bench leg in mid-air. He turned around with a furious look and stared at the noblewoman. This woman turned out to be a mid-stage Xianyun Realm Practitioner! "Ma''am, ma''am, please calm down!" The cashier at the front immediately ran over, frantically saying, "Our little establishment really can''t withstand yourmotion, I''ll apologize immediately for anypses in service, please don''t resort to violence." "Hmph!" Yang Lily waved her arm dismissively, reaching into her bag and throwing a bank card onto the table, looking contemptuously at the cashier as she said, "I''m not an unreasonable person. There''s 100,000 yuan in this card, the password is six nines, consider itpensation." Having said this, she nced at Liu Qianqian and spoke, "Everything Mom did today was to have a quiet chat with you. Otherwise, Mom would nevere to such a ce, let alone argue with this bunch of inferiors." Liu Qianqian clenched her teeth and angrily said, "You should apologize to them!" "..." Yang Lily''s expression suddenly became nk, and after two seconds, she showed a hint of frustrated resignation and shook her head, "Qianqian, you''ve really disappointed me." Having said that, Yang Lily picked up her bag and prepared to walk outside. "Stop right there!" Fang Ren immediately stood up in anger and shouted. Yang Lily frowned, turned her head, and looked at the boy who was ring at her, annoyed, "What now, does a little Peak Yuanxin Realm kid like you have anyints?" "Apologizing is something you need your daughter to teach you?" Fang Ren said. Anxiously, Liu Qianqian next to him gave Fang Ren a look, panicking slightly. What she most didn''t want was for the boy she liked to be here and see such a disgraceful scene between herself and her mother. The other customers around were also silent, understanding they were only ordinary mortals; if Cultivators began to fight, all they could do was run. "Looking at your clothes, you seem to be a ssmate from Qianqian''s school. Come here and apologize to me now, and I might let you off. Don''t be too arrogant, kid," said Yang Lily with a frown. "Are all the Liu Family members like you?" Fang Ren asked with disgust. "No wonder Liu Qianqian would rather run away from the family for three years than return! You don''t deserve to be her mother at all! And you have no right to control her marriage!" Yang Lily looked at Liu Qianqian beside her and saw that her daughter was always looking at this boy. She became even angrier and said, "With Qianqian''s looks, she must have charmed many boys your age at school. I don''t know how you found out about Qianqian''s identity, but if you think that by using this method to get her attention, and from there try to get close to her, I can only tell you, you are utterly foolish!" "You''re the one making things up in your head at your age?" Fang Ren said after listening, his face filled with disgust. "Qian Qian, don''t me mother for not giving your ssmate face, he brought this upon himself!" After Yang Lily spoke, the fire attribute True Qi on her body exploded again, and the intense heat caused the temperature in the entire restaurant to rise instantly. "Stop it!" Seeing this, Liu Qianqian immediately ran in front of Yang Lily, her eyes filled with anger as she said, "If you dare to touch him, I will never return to the Liu Family in this lifetime!" Looking at her daughter, Yang Lily frowned, then nced at Fang Ren again, before finally saying to Liu Qianqian, "Today, when I came here, your guard Wu Hui told me those words. I thought they were all lies, but it seems the reason you don''t want to return to the family is right before my eyes." Upon hearing this, Liu Qianqian panicked and quickly said, "Stop it! I''ll go to another ce to eat with you." Yang Lily gave Fang Ren a cold look and said, "Remember to stay away from my daughter. If you dare to do anything excessive, the Liu Family won''t hesitate to take your life!" Having said that, Yang Lily was about to turn and leave again. "Say that again." Just as she was about to turn around, a silver brilliance appeared in the small restaurant, spreading an icy voice around that made everyone shiver involuntarily. Immediately after, an invisible pressure descended from the sky, weighing on Yang Lily. She felt her whole brain shake and her whole body, along with all her True Qi, began to tremble, her face filled with terror. "Who is this..." Her pupils shrank as she stared nkly at the woman in a white dress slowly standing up behind Fang Ren. When she saw the silver True Qi, her heart was struck with shock as if a violent storm had erupted, nearly bringing her to kneel on the spot. "This is... Creation Immortal Qi!" Yang Lily muttered to herself, standing there dumbfounded as if turned to stone. Liu Qianqian also hurriedly turned around, only then noticing the girl in a white dress behind Fang Ren. But that girl''s silver hair and well-proportioned figure... Had she returned? The group of customers nearby exchanged nces, unable toprehend the situation. "This girl seems even more powerful, but the other party is from the Tianjiang Liu Family. Why argue over this? Just take the loss and let it go..." "Have you lost your mind? Someone her age, with such a cultivation level, overpowering someone from the Tianjiang Liu Family, is definitely not someone to be messed with easily." "Did you hear what that woman said? It sounded like something about immortal Qi." "Creation Immortal Qi?" "What! Creation... that can''t mean!" ... As the four words "Creation Immortal Qi" spread throughout the restaurant, the atmosphere froze instantly. Fang Ren watched Mu Huanqing and didn''t try to stop her; after all, this woman was truly detestable, looking down on others and resorting to violence at the drop of a hat. If he and Qing''er had encountered this situation when they had first met without any True Qi to use, he could only have watched helplessly as Qing''er got hit by the stool leg. "Say that again." Mu Huanqing took two steps forward, casually took off the duckbill cap that covered her face, revealing stunningly beautiful and icy cheeks. Immediately after, the silver True Qi behind her began to condense instantly, forming a small silver wheel rotating behind her. "Hundred Martial Divine Weapon?! It''s the Hundred Martial Divine Weapon!" "Creation Immortal Qi, Hundred Martial Divine Weapon... It really is Madame Xuan!" "Oh my! I''m dining with Madame Xuan! This is just too unbelievable!" "Phone, phone! Give me the phone! Give it to me!" "Take a photo! Quick, take a photo!" ... Yang Lily waspletely dumbstruck; this was undoubtedly Madame Xuan! And there could be no mistake about it! Madame Xuan was dining here, and she had just insulted everyone present as inferiors! She had insulted Madame Xuan as an inferior! It''s over... Yang Lily suddenly felt as if her world had turned grey; her brain couldn''t keep up with everything she was seeing and she was unable to react. Thump¡ª Two secondster, Yang Lily knelt on the ground, then dispersed all the True Qi in her body, and with a face full of fear, she cried out, "Madame Xuan, please spare my life!" Chapter 112: Chapter 110: Domineering Words_1 "I''m sorry! Madame Xuan! I was just impulsive just now, and I had no idea you were here! I..." Yang Lily kneltpletely on the ground, her words incoherent, not knowing where to ce her hands in the chaos. "Are you trying to say that he did something inappropriate to your daughter?" Mu Hui asked coldly. "No! Madame Xuan! I was just making an offhandment, I didn''t know he was that close to you..." Yang Lily quickly waved her hand to deny it. With the current situation of the Void Hole Split and the wars against the Void Monsters bing more frequent, anyone who could dine with Madame Xuan at this time couldn''t possibly be a simple character. "I''m asking you, what do you mean by that statement?" Mu Hui said coldly. "I take it back! I take back what I said!" Yang Lily, thinking that Mu Hui was angry because she had said she didn''t agree with Fang Ren being with her daughter, quickly became flustered and said, "It''s fine for the two of them to date for now, but Madame Xuan, our Qian Qian really can''t lose her virginity! She is the Sacred Body of returning to the origin as Master Qing''an has said! Once she loses her virginity, she can''t cultivate anymore! They absolutely must not consummate their rtionship!" "Turns out, this guy dining with Madame Xuan is actually her daughter''s boyfriend?" "Ah, I think they should just break up early, who could stand having such a mother-inw?" "Yeah, she really looks down upon people,ing from a great family of Tianjiang, yet can raise someone with such low quality ¨C I really don''t understand, shouldn''t people from great families have higher standards?" "Lucky for this guy, he''s in good terms with Madame Xuan. Otherwise, he would definitely be humiliated ruthlessly by this woman in the future." "Speaking of which, what kind of ability does this guy have to be able to invite Madame Xuan for a meal at this time... This sort of thing, I bet even the Family Head of the Tianjiang Great Family can''t do it, right?" ... "Yang Lily! What are you bbering about!" By the side, Liu Qianqian nearly fainted on the spot when she heard Yang Lily''s words. She could never have imagined that in Yang Lily''s eyes, her rtionship with Fang Ren was that of boyfriend and girlfriend! And she wondered what Wu Hui had been telling her! After hearing her words, Mu Hui''s gaze grew even colder, as she pointed at Fang Ren behind her and staring at Yang Lily said, "I''ll tell you now, no matter what kind of Sacred Body your daughter is, he is my Mu Hui''s man! He has nothing to do with your daughter! If your Liu Family dares to harm his life, I dare to take the army of one district and trample down the gates of your Liu Family. As for the price to be paid, I won''t rest until the blood flows without end!" Mu Hui''s voice was icy as she spoke, the pressure from her bearing increased continuously upon Yang Lily. If Yang Lily were just a Chongshan Realm practitioner, she would probably be sprawled on the ground in incontinence by now. As Mu Hui''s words fell, the entire restaurant instantly fell silent. The group of elders who had been nodding their heads and whispering to advise Fang Ren to break up quickly were stunned, and some of the younger people looked as dumbfounded. They always felt like they must have misheard a certain part of the conversation. Madame Xuan said... her man? Ouch, how could it be, they must have misheard. Madame Xuan''s future husband was definitely Song Mobei of the Tiandao Sword Sect. How could it be this young man from an ordinary university? On the other side, Fang Ren pped his forehead, a mess of ck lines jumping over his head as he felt incrediblyplicated. How had he not anticipated Yang Lily would imagine his rtionship with Liu Qianqian in such a way, but even more, he hadn''t expected his fianc¨¦e''s sister to so domineeringly dere in front of everyone, "He is my Mu Hui''s man! He has nothing to do with your daughter!" Qing''er''s temperament was always so gentle, how could she suddenly be so domineering... and that was in front of so many people! "I was wrong! Madame Xuan! I was wrong! Please don''t do such a thing..." Yang Lily kept saying, not daring to look up at Mu Hui. Her mind was in total chaos, with no inclination to listen to Fang Ren''s rtionship with anyone else; she only heard thetter part of what Mu Hui said - if anything happens to Fang Ren, the entire army of one district would directly crush the Liu Family! Liu Qianqian, seeing Yang Lily''s pitiful state, couldn''t help but feel a mix of emotions ¨C this woman used to be a mother she admired and loved from the bottom of her heart, yet for some unknown reason, this womanpletely changed ten years ago. She wasn''t graceful or dignified anymore and stopped teaching her morals or discussing arts to refine her temperament; the woman only knew about status and vanity, bing increasingly sharp and mean-spirited... Liu Qianqian turned her head away from the seemingly pitiful woman; she did not speak in defense of Yang Lily to Mu Hui because it was all brought upon by Yang Lily herself. Besides, Mu Hui would not really take action against Yang Lily, a human; Madame Xuan''s status meant that many of Mu Hui''s actions could lead to significant public controversy. Mu Hui also noticed the sadness on Liu Qianqian''s face, and immediately lifted the pressure on Yang Lily, saying, "I cannot understand why you, as a fellow human, persist in holding a superior attitude. You should apologize to everyone present; your arrogance has caused them trouble." Feeling the pressure on her lifted, Yang Lily''s mind also cleared a lot, and she immediately stood up and started speaking to the people in the restaurant, "I am sorry, I should not have used True Qi just for a disagreement, sorry for causing you trouble..." Fang Ren saw the pain in Liu Qianqian''s expression; he paused on the spot for a while but ultimately didn''t speak. He always felt that whatever he said, it would only make Liu Qianqian lose more face, bing even more awkward. "You''ve warned him once, and I will warn you too. You''ve apologized,pensated, now leave," Mu Hui said as she retracted the white aura from her body and spoke. Mu Hui couldn''t let Yang Lily continue to lose face because she didn''t want Liu Qianqian to be embarrassed as a consequence. Mu Hui didn''t have any ill feelings towards the girl Liu Qianqian. Although Liu Qianqian also liked Fang Ren, there was a sense of rivalry in love, but in the end, Fang Ren was still with her, Mu Hui. She couldn''t be too hard on Yang Lily at this time because she would feel like she was mixed up in personal vendetta due to the rivalry. She wouldn''t pursue personal vendetta; in fact, because Yang Lily was Liu Qianqian''s mother, she tried to be more tolerant. But there were some things she would never tolerate. If Yang Lily hadn''t issued that warning to Fang Ren, Mu Hui wouldn''t have chosen to show up at this time and do what she did. Sadly, Yang Lily insisted on pointing her gun at the person Mu Hui cared about most. "Yes! Thank you, Madame Xuan, for your leniency!" Yang Lily immediately turned to leave; she didn''t dare stay a second longer. One reason was that she was facing Madame Xuan, and the other was that she really couldn''t face the mockery from so many people. "Also, about your daughter leaving the family, you should reflect more on the issues of yourselves," Mu Hui said, defending Liu Qianqian. She then seriously added, "I believe that human marriage should be free, not shackled." "I, I understand, Madame Xuan!" Yang Lily ran out without looking back. She couldn''t afford to lose face anymore and also had no capacity to withstand the pressure; she had to flee quickly. As Yang Lily turned to leave, Mu Hui looked at Liu Qianqian beside her and said with a somewhat helpless expression, "I have no ill intentions towards you. It was purely directed at her." "I can see that," Liu Qianqian said, nodding sadly. Mu Hui paused for two seconds before speaking again, "I hope you find the next boy you like and that you won''t be bothered by family troubles." Liu Qianqian smiled wryly, "Are you blessing me?" "Sort of. I don''t dislike you, in fact, I quite like you. But there are some things I won''tpromise on, not a single bit," Mu Hui said, speaking words only she and Liu Qianqian would understand. After saying this, she turned to nce at Fang Ren. Catching her gaze, Fang Ren, wearing an awkward smile, walked to the front desk in full view of everyone and ced a banknote there before preparing to leave with Mu Hui. Now that Madame Xuan''s identity had been revealed, they couldn''t continue with their meal. Before leaving, Fang Renforted Liu Qianqian briefly, then as a concerned friend, said, "The school gates will be closing soon. You should hurry back and have a meal with Li Xinyue. Also, don''t worry about the Pill Competition; you will definitely manage to achieve the ranking you wish for." Liu Qianqian looked at Fang Ren who stood shoulder to shoulder with Mu Hui and managed to force a stiff smile, "You''re aware the gates are closing soon, huh? Then you should head back earlier as well." "I''ve got some things to take care of with Hui Qing," Fang Ren replied, "You should go back soon too." "Well... then you guys go ahead with your business," Liu Qianqian said with a rigid smile. Fang Ren, seeing her expression, didn''t think too much into it, assuming she was sad because of the affairs involving her mother and the family. Afterward, Fang Ren and Mu Hui left the small restaurant, and Liu Qianqian stood still. Her stiff smile vanished, her face expressionless, her beautiful eyes filled with ayer of mist, full of heartache. What did it mean that the school gates were about to close? Telling her to find Li Xinyue? What did it mean that they had some things to do, telling her to go back early? Isn''t it just that he''s not going back to school tonight? Isn''t it just that he''s going to share a bed with Mu Hui tonight? Isn''t it just... just that she missed the step... "Boss, can I have a bottle of white liquor?" Liu Qianqian approached the cashier and asked. The boss looked at her and sighed, offeringfort, "Girl, it''s not your fault about today. Every family has its problems, it''s not right for an outsider like me toment, but this bottle is on me. Don''t be too sad." "Thank you." Liu Qianqian nodded and paid for the bottle anyway. She left the small restaurant alone, with nothing but a bottle of white liquor. Chapter 113: Chapter 111: Surprise (Modified)_1 On a certain street, Mu Huanqing once again donned her duckbill cap and walked under the streetlights with Fang Ren. "She really is a girl with a hard fate," Mu Huanqing sighed. "Are you talking about the issue of freedom in marriage?" Fang Ren asked. "Yes, with a Spiritual Embryo Constitution, she is definitely going to be forced by her family to marry someone. If she marries the person she wants to, it''s still okay; but if she has someone she already likes and is forced to marry another, that would be very painful," said Mu Huanqing. Fang Ren nodded, his expression growing slightly serious as he spoke, "It won''t be long before someone crushes that kind of marital ideology among practitioners." Mu Huanqing smiled and said, "That person will definitely appear in the near future, and maybe that person will be me." "How could I possibly let you strive alone? That person could very well be me," Fang Ren said as he ruffled her hair. After strolling along the small street for a few minutes, Fang Ren went off alone to a hotel and booked a king-size bed room, since Mu Huanqing would surely be asked for her ID if she came along. Once he arrived at the hotel building and opened the room, Fang Ren checked to make sure everything was safe before opening the room''s window. Whoosh¡ª A streak of silvery light shed by, and Mu Huanqing''s figure flew directly through the window into the room. Seeing this, Fang Ren began to close the window and draw the curtains. The long-awaited reunion made them embrace each other uncontrobly, their hearts burdened with much they wanted to say. But just as they were chatting and enjoying themselves, something in Fang Ren''s trouser pocket suddenly moved. A few secondster, Qianye crawled out of his pocket. "Hei ha, hei ha!" With a few bounces, Qianye jumped onto the bed, excitedly scampering over the nket towards Fang Ren. "Hey! Why did youe out at this time, you little rascal!" The moment Fang Ren saw Qianye dash towards him while embracing Mu Huanqing, his mood instantly vanished. He let go of Mu Huanqing, grabbed Qianye unhappily, and scolded, "Can''t you pick a better time?" "Hei ha, hei ha!" Qianye still looked at him excitedly, iling his limbs in the air and chirping away iprehensibly, as if trying tomunicate some important matter. Mu Huanqing let go of Fang Ren as well and smiled at the plush-toy-like Qianye in his hands, "What''s gotten into it?" "I have no idea," Fang Ren said, at a loss. "Hei ha, hei ha! Hei ha!" Qianye wriggled free from Fang Ren''s grasp, immediately ran to Mu Huanqing''s side, and with one of its round arms, gently tapped her stomach. It looked at Fang Ren with excitement, babbling nonsensically. "What on Earth is going on? Write it down and talk," said Fang Ren, helplessly pointing towards the wooden tea table at the side of the bed. Upon hearing this, Qianye immediately hopped onto the tea table. Using the branch on its head, it scratched out a crooked character on the wood. The little fellow was extremely excited, and its writing was even more sloppy, but Fang Ren could still clearly make out the character¡ªit was "pregnant." Fang Ren stared at the character on the tea table,pletely stunned. Did this mean Qing''er was pregnant? Mu Huanqing, beside him, looked at the excited Qianye and was also surprised. She stretched out her hand and held Qianye in her palm, smiling at its cute round head, "How could pregnancy happen so quickly, you little guy? Did you sense it wrong?" She knew this little fellow was Fang Ren''s Spirit Form, which typically had a masterful grasp on its owner''s body, but pregnancy should be happening in her body, not Fang Ren''s. The little guy shouldn''t be able to sense that, she thought. "Hei ha, hei ha!" Qianye shook its head seriously. "Really pregnant?" Fang Ren looked at Qianye, dumbfounded. "Hei ha!" Qianye nodded emphatically. "How can pregnancy be that fast?" Fang Ren said, still in disbelief. Qianye chirped and chirped, and Fang Ren seemed to finally understand its meaning, asking again, "Are you saying, Qing''er was already pregnant before she left me?" "Hei ha!" Qianye nodded solemnly. "Really?" Fang Ren''s emotions surged, and his face, which had been stunned for a few seconds, couldn''t help but curl into an upward arc. Seeing that he finally got his point across, Qianye immediately transformed back into a stream of light and returned into Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root, wearing a satisfied expression as it settled down to sleep again. "Qing''er! Give me your hand!" Fang Ren grabbed Mu Huanqing''s hand excitedly, his Perceptual Power operating at its peak as he sensed the changes within Mu Huanqing''s body. A few secondster, Fang Ren became ecstatic, lifted Mu Huanqing up, andughed loudly, "Qing''er! You really are pregnant!" A smile couldn''t help but spread across Mu Huanqing''s face as she gently caressed her belly, her expression both joyful and a bit overwhelmed. "I¡­ I''m going to be a mother..." Chapter 114: Chapter 112: Clear Division of Labor (First Update)_1 Mu Huanqingy in Fang Ren''s arms, her face adorned with a bewildered yet blissful smile, her eyesplex as she gazed at her own belly, the excitement in her heart rushing unstoppable to her brain. "Ah Ran¡­ my emotions are suddenly soplex¡­" Mu Huanqing murmured. She had never before felt such excitement and joy. Happiness was overflowing, too abundant to contain. She didn''t even know what she should do now, and even the notion of bing a mother left her feeling flustered and at a loss. Fang Ren rubbed her head andughed, "I feel the same." Mu Huanqing burrowed her face into Fang Ren''s chest, her hair rubbing against him continuously, like a coquettish little girl, her extraordinarily beautiful face still wearing a blissful smile: "I''m going to be a mother, I''m so nervous¡­" "Silly girl, there are still ten months of pregnancy to go." Fang Ren caressed her face, his feelings just asplex. He was both happy and thrilled, but amid the flood of happiness, he also worried about the future. Ten months meant that Mu Huanqing would give birth before he had be strong enough, and the difficulties they would face at that time were bound to be extremely arduous. Mu Huanqing touched her belly, saying with a face full of happiness, "Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?" "Qing''er, do you prefer a boy or a girl?" "It''s our child, Ah Ran, whether a boy or a girl, I will surely love them." ¡­ The two of them chatted about happy topics for a long while until Fang Ren eventually had to bring up the worries at hand, holding Mu Huanqing in his arms, he said, "But in a few months, when everyone knows about Qing''er''s pregnancy, what shall we do then¡­" Mu Huanqing leaned back to look at him, reached out to touch his hair and said: "Don''t worry, Ah Ran, I''ll give birth to our child in secret, no one will know." "When the belly gets big in theter stages of pregnancy, it will surely be impossible to hide," Fang Ren said worriedly. "You forget, I''m very strong. Even if I''m pregnant, I can still conceal it, and no one will be able to tell," Mu Huanqing said as a cluster of silver light emerged in her hand, before continuing, "Plus, I''m also a formidable Array Master." With these words, she ced the silver light from her hand onto her belly: "This way, even when the baby is ten months old, no one will notice, and as long as I wear the warrior outfit, it won''t show how big my belly is." "Won''t it squeeze the baby?" "No, the warrior outfit is formed from my True Qi and can freely change shape, and to others, my body won''t look any different." Fang Ren''s heart was still filled withplexity as he rubbed Mu Huanqing''s head and kissed her lips, saying, "I''m sorry for making it so hard on you, even having to go to battle while pregnant." "It''s not tough. As long as I can create a home with Ah Ran, nothing is too difficult," Mu Huanqing said. "I won''t let you struggle alone." Fang Ren stroked her hair, his expression earnest as he continued, "Once the baby is born, I will take care of everything." "After the baby is born, of course, daddy has to take care of them. Mommy is busy; she can onlye back to see him when she''s free," Mu Huanqing said with a smile. "I''m not talking about taking care of the baby," Fang Ren said. "I mean we two should get married openly and aboveboard, and nobody can object to that." "Let me take care of that." "You''re on the battlefield every day, limited to what you can encounter." "Huh?" Mu Huanqing didn''t understand what he meant. "You go and fight against the Void invasions, and I''ll clear up the scum on Earth," Fang Ren said. In the moment when he learned he was about to be a father, Fang Ren made up his mind that he needed to make contact with the organization behind Jian Qi''er. He had to move faster, as fast as he could, so that when his child was born, they wouldn''t be attacked by the world''s malice. This era had to be corrected. Happy times always flew by quickly, and before the sky had even lightened, Mu Huanqing got out of bed from Fang Ren''s embrace, donned a white dress, and then formed a battle armor out of True Qi. The silvery Hundred Martial Divine Weapon slowly rotated behind her, casting a soft silver glow on the floor of the room before turning into specks of starlight and vanishing without a trace. She once again took on that sacred form that millions aspired to, and each time Fang Ren saw her like this, he felt a sense of pride welling up from within, but having such a perfect wife also filled him with mncholy. Everything has its pros and cons; the more radiant and wonderful she was, the more difficult it became to be with her. "Ah Ran, I''m leaving." Mu Huanqing knelt on one knee on the bed, leaning in to kiss his lips. Fang Ren felt despondent, stroking her long hair: "Remember, don''t overexert yourself. I''m going to be stronger than you expect." "I believe in you." Mu Huanqing stood back, held out the Hundred Martial Divine Weapon in front of Fang Ren, and said, "Ah Ran, you are without a weapon right now, and there are so many dangers around you, pick a Divine Weapon you like from my Spirit Form to defend yourself." Fang Ren looked at the Hundred Martial Divine Weapons floating in front of him, with all kinds of weapons you could think of, and even many he had never seen before, let alone knew the names of. Hum¡ª Just as he was observing the weapons above, the Hundred Martial Divine Weapons suddenly stopped spinning, and a fment pulled a silver sickle towards Fang Ren. "This thing... does it have consciousness?" Fang Ren was startled. Mu Hui was also slightly surprised and said, "The Hundred Martial Divine Weapons are connected to my mind, but it doesn''t have its own consciousness. Every time I fight, it always gives me the most suitable weapon. But I''ve never seen it offer a weapon to anyone other than me." "So... does that mean this sickle is what it thinks is most suitable for me?" Fang Ren slowly reached out his hand and took the silver sickle into his grasp. Hum¡ª Suddenly, the silver sickle''s handle extended to over two meters, and the de at the front was about seventy centimeters long, remarkablyrge, and even longer than the bed beneath Fang Ren. "It''s so heavy?" Fang Ren grasped the de and felt its weight, realizing it was at least over a hundred kilograms; a casual swing in the air would stir up a buzzing noise. "If Ah Ran finds it too heavy, I can adjust the weight for you," Mu Hui offered. Fang Ren looked up and asked, "What''s the heaviest it can be adjusted to?" Mu Hui paused, hearing his tone as if he thought it was too light instead, and replied, "If I were to freely manipte it, it could weigh up to ten thousand tons at any moment." "Ten thousand tons?" Fang Ren''s eyes twitched involuntarily; the power of the Xuanyang realm was indeed formidable¡ªan ordinary weapon could weigh ten thousand tons. Wouldn''t a forceful chop with such a weight split a mountain in two? "Then adjust it to one ton for me. The True Qi in my body is explosive, and a heavy weapon can maximize the destructiveness of my attack style," Fang Ren said. "All right." Mu Hui casually waved a cluster of silver sparks thatnded on the sickle in Fang Ren''s hand. In an instant, the bed beneath Fang Ren began to creak. He immediately jumped off the bed, twirled the sickle in his hand, feeling the weight was perfect, and then tossed it into his Space Ring. "Qing''er, I heard that you might attend the global university students'' Elixir Competition this time, is that true?" Fang Ren said, looking at Mu Hui. After recalling for a moment, Mu Hui replied, "Indeed, that''s the case." Hearing her words, Fang Renughed and said, "I didn''t believe it when I first heard about it. You''re so busy, how could your superiors arrange for such a strong warrior like you to look after an elixirpetition?" Mu Hui said, "The main reason is due to the Void Cave Split. Thergest piece of the Void Cave is moving towards the Tianjiang East District, which is exactly where the finals of the global university students'' Elixir Competition are going to be held. In order to ensure the safety of the people and the students and to let the elites of thepetition witness the terror of the Void Cave, the superiors have decided not to change thepetition area. For that reason, I have been assigned to ensure everyone''s safety at the venue." Upon hearing this, Fang Ren immediately scooped her up, holding her aloft in the air with both hands, andughed, "I''ll give you a surprise when the timees." "Are you going to take first ce, Ah Ran?" Mu Hui pinched his face and smiled, "If you go, then many others won''t stand a chance." "That isn''t the surprise I''m going to give you," Fang Ren said. "The surprise isn''t you taking first ce?" Mu Hui was taken aback. "Of course not," Fang Ren said as he set her down and pinched her cheek. "Then what other surprise could there be?" Mu Hui was puzzled. "You''ll know when the timees." Fang Ren then took a small silver box out of his Space Ring and from it, retrieved a pill that sparkled with a violet glow. "This is! A rank-five Elixir!" Mu Hui''s beautiful eyes suddenly trembled, wearing an expression of shock. "If I said I made this, would you believe me?" "How could that be possible... Ah Ran, you''re only twenty-two years old," Mu Hui said, shaking her head. "You actually don''t believe me; I must punish you," Fang Ren quipped, taking her hand and cing the purple Elixir in her palm, continuing, "This Elixir I''ve made is called the Life-preserving Elixir. Its effect is to halt the aging of bones and muscles, and in theory, it can also cease skin aging, but that aspect requires a lot of time to prove. For now, I only know that it can arrest the aging of the bones and muscles, as for theplexion... theoretically, it can also achieve the effect of eternal youth." Chapter 115: Chapter 113: Sadness (Second Update)_1 "Eternal youth?" Mu Hui Qing stared nkly at the purple elixir in her hand, then looked at Fang Ren, "How can there be such a pill... " "In theory, it''s possible, but it has just been created, so I haven''t had the time to observe all of its effects," Fang Ren said, "But this thing is at least a fifth-grade elixir. Its effects should be much more than just halting the aging of muscles and bones." After a few seconds of pause, Mu Hui Qing turned to Fang Ren and said, "Ah Ran, in fact, I don''t really care much about my own appearance... As long as my face is one that Ah Ran likes, that''s good enough. Whether other people like my face or not doesn''t matter." "Silly girl, the main thing is that I look good when I take you out," Fang Ren said with a mischievous smile. Once Mu Hui Qing heard this, she reached out to pinch his waist and puffed up her cheeks, "You just like to satisfy these little vanities." "Anyway, I don''t have much vanity, so can''t Madame Xuan satisfy my little one?" Then Fang Ren smirked and said, "Besides, I am also... a little vain, after all." "Rogue!" Upon hearing that, Mu Hui Qing immediately knew what he was talking about and reached out to twist his waist again. "Ow! Painful! Weren''t you the one who said to make it quick?" "I... say that again, and I will really hit you!" "Mu Hui Qing! You''ve changed!" "What''s happened to me?" "You just got pregnant and now you want to murder your own husband!" "What are you talking about!" ... After some yful bickering, Mu Hui Qing epted the elixir with a smile, "Since Ah Ran''s vanity is small, I''ll satisfy Ah Ran. I will take good care of my face." Fang Ren ruffled her hair and said with a smile, "Really silly, I was just joking. Right now, I''m not in the mood to worry about saving face. All I want to do is marry Qing''er quickly and live a happy and blissful life with her." "Don''t worry, it will happen soon." Mu Hui Qing nodded, her face serious yet smiling. After holding each other close for a long while, silver light flowed over Mu Hui Qing''s body, and with reluctance, she flew from the hotel window towards the distant horizon. Fang Ren stood in ce, watching Mu Hui Qing''s departing figure, his expression bing resolute as he slowly clenched his fist, "Central District Command, Indra Sky... none shall remain." ------ ------ In the early hours of the morning at 3:30 AM, Liu Qianqian, who had fallen asleep against a streetlight, was awoken by the chilly air surrounding her. Although it was summer, the weather hadn''t been good these past few days, and the singleyer of summer school uniform she wore couldn''t withstand the chill of the night. Bang¡ª As soon as she moved, she knocked over a bottle of forty-degree white liquor next to her, which rolled on the curb, emitting a crisp sound. "Hm?" Liu Qianqian felt her head spinning, unable to shake off the scent of alcohol, as the bottle continued to leak out some white liquor. She had never drunk before, and less than half a bottle of the forty-degree liquor had almost caused her to crash into a streetlightst night. Fortunately, she hadn''t wandered off, or she might have been hit by passing vehicles on the road and killed on the spot. Looking at the deserted street, Liu Qianqian felt her body shivering with cold and stiffness, yet the burning pain in her stomach still hadn''t subsided. This burning sensation was just likest night when she saw with her own eyes the person she liked going to a hotel with another woman, and she had to pretend not to care, saying, "You guys go ahead and take care of business." The burning in her heart was no less painful than that in her stomach. What did she mean by "You guys go ahead and take care of business"? It would have been more straightforward to say "You guys go ahead to a hotel to make love and sleep." Liu Qianqian, supporting her throbbing and heavy head, gently kicked the liquor bottle away from her foot. She was a girl who valued personal quality very much, but at the moment she really didn''t want to bend down to pick up the bottle and look for a trash can to throw it away. The painful and nauseating feeling in her stomach made her want to throw up continuously, while her brain, aside from the pain, could only think aboutst night''s scene of Fang Ren and Mu Hui Qing leaving. Her flesh was chilling, and as she walked towards the school in the cold night wind, she felt colder and colder, her vision blurring... Right now, she didn''t want to do anything, just wished to hurry back to her dormitory to sleep. She couldn''t stand being awake for another moment. She thought that maybe after a good sleep, she would realize that things weren''t so bad after all... "Miss, will you never give up?" As Liu Qianqian walked on the dimly lit street, a woman dressed in ck suddenly appeared beside her, looking at her expressionlessly. Liu Qianqian slowly shook her head, not wanting to say a single word, her steps unsteady and slow. "If you don''t have a guard with you in the future, please don''t let what happenedst night happen again," the woman in ck said. "You don''t need to worry..." Liu Qianqian''s voice was weak. "If I hadn''t looked after youst night, you would have been taken away by the thugs on the roadside." "..." Liu Qianqian didn''t say anything more and continued on her way to school. The ck-clothed woman standing next to her wrapped her arms around herself, shivering from the cold night wind. Then, the True Qi burst forth from her body, enveloping Liu Qianqian in a protective shield as they flew toward the school dormitory. Half a minuteter, the woman in ck set Liu Qianqian down on the rooftop of the girls'' dormitory and said, "Miss, you really should take better care of yourself, after all, I can''t show up often." Having said that, the woman in ck transformed into a fleeting shadow and disappeared on the spot. Watching the departing figure of the woman in ck, Liu Qianqian maintained a nk and dazed expression. She slowly walked down from the rooftop to the door of her own dormitory and knocked gently. "Who is it? It''s the middle of the night." Soon after, a girl''s voice came from inside, and a little whileter, the dormitory door was opened. Liu Qianqian didn''t say a word as she walked in andy down on her small bed, closing her eyes. "Qian¡­ Qianqian!?" Li Xinyue, who had just opened the door, was stunned to see Liu Qianqian lying on the bed. She immediately closed the dorm door, turned on the light with a sense of urgency, and rushed over to Liu Qianqian, asking, "Why do you smell like alcohol? What happened?" The other two girls in the dormitory were also woken up by the noise and sleepily looked at Li Xinyue below, asking, "What''s with all themotion thiste at night?" "Qianqian''s drunk," Li Xinyue said as she ran to the balcony to fetch a kettle of hot water. "What? Qianqian is drunk? You must be joking; she doesn''t even drink." "Exactly, and it''s almost four in the morning now. You can''t be drinking at this time." "Can''t you smell the alcohol?" said Li Xinyue. "This¡­ What''s going on? Hurry and pour some hot water," one girl climbed down from the upper bunk. "She''s ice cold! Quickly, cover her with the nket!" Another girl touched Liu Qianqian''s arm and immediately covered her with the nket. "Where did she gost night?" "I don''t know; she ran out after getting a phone callst night." ... While the three girls were talking and pouring the water, Liu Qianqian had already curled up on the bed, closed her eyes, and fallen asleep again as the alcohol hit her once more. "Qianqian, get up and drink some hot water." Li Xinyue propped up the sleeping Liu Qianqian, gently patted her cheek, and frowned with concern, "How much did you drink anyway? You fall asleep the moment you hit the bed." "Fang Ren¡­ why didn''t youe and confess to me¡­" mumbled Liu Qianqian as soon as Li Xinyue had propped her up. Hearing this name, all three girls exchanged distressed looks. They all knew about Liu Qianqian''s private feelings for Fang Ren, but since she always denied it, they never spread the word. The stark reality was even more evident now that Liu Qianqian was drunkenly calling out someone''s name. Her previous refusal of Fang Ren surely wasn''t because she didn''t like him, but for other reasons. "The person you should like is me¡­ You don''t like her¡­ Are you just getting mad at me¡­" Suddenly, Liu Qianqian grabbed Li Xinyue''s hand beside her, a look of deep sorrow on her face, tears glimmering in her eyes as she mumbled ambiguously. Li Xinyue gently shook her, saying anxiously, "Qianqian, it''s me." "Just confess to me one more time¡­ just once, even a hint would do¡­ you''re such a blockhead¡­ so stupid!" Talking and talking, Liu Qianqian suddenly copsed back onto the bed, curling up and falling asleep. Li Xinyue and the others couldn''t wake her, no matter how they tried. A few minutes passed, and the girls were all at a loss. "After all that, she went out drinking because of Fang Ren." "I just don''t get it, what''s so good about Fang Ren? He isn''t that handsome, his personality isn''t particrly outstanding, and don''t even mention his grades¡ªhow could she be so infatuated with him?" "Sigh, let''s not talk about it. She definitely went out to see Fang Renst night," Li Xinyue sighed. "With Fang Ren''s dense nature, whatever he said probably didn''t even register as hurtful to Qianqian." "It''s hopeless if Qianqian had just agreed earlier, all this wouldn''t be happening." "She must have her reasons, but she never shares them with anyone." ... Just as the girls were preparing to go to bed, Liu Qianqian started to mumble incoherently again. "Ah Ran¡­ I agree to it¡­ don''t go to the hotel with her¡­ I''ll agree to anything, just don''t be with her¡­ you won''t have a future together¡­ she never considered how much you''ll suffer in the future¡­" The girls looked at each other again, their faces a mixture of helplessness and sighs. Just a few seconds after Liu Qianqian''s words fell, she suddenly cried in the nkets, "Is it wrong for me not wanting you to suffer¡­ am I wrong¡­ I just didn''t want you to get hurt¡­" The tears kept falling, and Li Xinyue and the other two girls felt torn, unsure of what to do. "That Fang Ren! What on earth did he say to Qianqianst night!" Li Xinyue said angrily. "We''ll ask him tomorrow what he means by all this! Does he really want to be a heartbreaker that badly?" "Right! If he can''t have Qianqian, he''ll just continue to hurt her?" ... The three girls went on talking, the atmosphere growing increasingly tense. Chapter 116: 114 Chapter: The So-called "By Any Means Necessary" (Additional Update)_1 With Mu Huanqing''s departure, Fang Ren also had no desire to continue staying in the hotel. He quickly packed up, put on his school uniform, and checked out of the hotel. It was just around four in the early morning, and the sky was still very dark, but the streets were beginning to see the asional vehicle passing back and forth. Wearing a thin school uniform and walking on the street, the air was still quite chilly. Fang Ren walked onto arge bridge that spanned a river, his short hair lightly swaying in the cold wind from the river, eyes following the meandering water as it stretched into the distance. About a month ago, he had been a college student without much of a dream ahead or an abyss behind, just an average person without many worries. Now, he had a glimmering dream to follow, and a looming abyss at his back. His mood had been consistently low and fearful. Even though he had high Cultivational Talent, even though he was from Qing''an, even though he could be very noble... none of these were enough to give him peace of mind. In his heart now, only strength mattered. Tap tap tap... Soon, steady footsteps could be heard on the bridge. Fang Ren nced over and saw a middle-aged man in a white suit approaching him. The man had a cigarette in his mouth, hands in the pockets of his suit pants, and the sound of his leather shoes echoed loudly in the night. He appeared to be around forty, with a resolute aura characteristic of a middle-aged man between his brows. Thud! When the man in the white suit was about a meter away from Fang Ren, he stopped, turned, took his hands out of his pockets, rested one hand on the railing of the bridge, gazed into the distant river, and flicked off some ash from his cigarette. Fang Ren gave the man a look, then turned away without saying a word. "Young Master Fang?" The man in the suit suddenly spoke up. Fang Ren nodded, "From the right faction?" The man in the suit nced at him and said, "No." "From the Bai Family?" "Not from there either." "Then you tell me." "It seems in your eyes, only those from the Bai and Fang families would know your identity." The man in the suit said, "That''s not the case. The Tianjiang Investigation Group and the Central District Command, they both regard you very highly." "How highly are we talking?" "On par with Madame Xuan, Song Mobei, and the princess herself." "Because of the Cultivation Gene?" Fang Ren asked. The man in the suit looked at him with some surprise, as he did not believe Young Master Fang''s cultivation gene was that exceptional. The man chuckled and said, "No, it''s because of Princess Bai Xi." Fang Ren said, "Back to what I was asking before, to whom do you belong?" "The Tianjiang Investigation Group," the man answered. Fang Ren still did not turn his head. He paused for a few seconds before asking, "There''s something I''ve always been puzzled about, and I wonder if you can give me an answer." "Go ahead," said the man. "I''m just a worthless practitioner. Why does Old Master Bai insist on marrying his granddaughter, who has an exceptionally high Cultivational Talent, to me? Why let me ruin humanity''s future?" The man in the suit chuckled, "Old Master Bai values emotions deeply, of course, it''s to let the princess repay you for saving her life." Fang Ren looked at him coldly, "Are people from the Investigation Group so arrogant? Insulting someone''s intelligence right from the get-go?" Old Master Bai of the Bai Family values emotions? What a ridiculous international joke. Those who reach that status all adopt the proud stance that capable individuals must sacrifice themselves for humanity. The man gave a resigned smile, waved his hand, and tossed away his cigarette, saying, "Why do you care so much? Is it that the princess isn''t pretty, or that you actually like someone else?" "Can''t I just be simply curious?" "You can," the man continued, "Since Young Master Fang likes to get to the bottom of things, I''ll speak inly. The Spiritual Root that was transnted from you to Princess Bai Xi needs your help to evolve. It would, of course, be better if the two of you have children, as it would give the future an extrayer of security. But even if you don''t, it''s not a big problem. As long as Princess Bai Xi cultivates her Dual Spiritual Roots to Peak, she will find a way to be a Shatter Space expert. Once the Void is shattered, humanity will no longer need to ensure the next generation has strong Cultivation Genes." "You seem very confident about her shattering the Void," Fang Renmented. "Of course. Humanity has been struggling under the Void for over two hundred years, expending countless effort and lives. It''s time to break it open," the man stated. "But Bai Xi has someone else she likes." "Is that a problem?" the manughed. Fang Ren turned back, his eyes looking down at the river below, "So to shatter the Void, you''ll stop at nothing, right?" "If Young Master Fang can see it that way, it would save the Command quite a bit of effort," the man stated. "What if I don''t see it that way? What then?" The man''s gaze turned serious, his mouth twitched slightly as he said with emphasis, "We''ll stop at nothing." "Would you force me to be with her?" "Why do you always assume the worst, Young Master Fang?" the man replied. "From what you''re saying, forcing me to be with her is also part of ''stopping at nothing,''" Fang Ren stated expressionlessly. As expected, everything Jian Qi''er had told him hadn''t been wrong at all; everything could be expected from the Central Command. Twenty years ago, Jiang Ling had be the leader of the Nightfall Organization in just such a manner... "Indeed," the man chuckled, "But that''s the worst-case scenario. Why don''t you consider making Princess Bai Xi fall in love with you? It would be much better for both of you to be in love." "What if she just doesn''t like me?" "Rest assured, the future of all Earth''s humanity lies behind you, and everyone will support you two being together; there are no ifs and buts." "..." Fang Ren clenched his teeth fiercely inside; these people really did like to use "the future of humanity" as a kind of responsibility, forcibly pressing it onto others'' shoulders. Disgusting! "Alright, I have answered Young Master Fang''s doubts, now let''s talk about what I want to ask." The man in the suit said, "I heard that Young Master Fang had a sh with someone from the Nightfall Organization when Princess Bai Xi was captured some days ago. Could you provide us with some clues?" "What kind of clues do you want to know?" "For example, the part of the body the culprit was injured, True Qi attributes, height, build, and any detailed features." "I was nearly losing my life at that time; how could I have noticed these things?" Fang Ren looked at him and said, "I only remember that the person was at the mid-stage of the Ruoshui Realm with Wood attribute True Qi, I can''t recall the rest." The man looked at him for a while, then began speaking, "Young Master Fang doesn''t seem like someone who panics easily." "Then let me blurt out something too; you seem like someone who panics easily." Fang Ren said. The man nodded and smiled, "Okay, let''s just say I''m talking nonsense. I''ve been talking to Young Master Fang for so long without introducing myself, how rude of me. I am the leader of this investigation group, Yuan Guoyu, responsible for investigating the Nightfall Organization and protecting Princess Bai Xi, as well as facilitating the romance between Young Master Fang and the princess. Of course, if the Fang Family right-winges over, we''ll take care of them too." "My safety is none of your concern, the Fang Family''s left-wing hasn''t fallen to that extent yet." Fang Ren said. "Well then, I appreciate the clue Young Master Fang has provided me." The man in the suit smiled and said, "But that''s not why I came here to talk to you." "Go on." The man took out a lighter and lit another cigarette, saying, "You''d better break it off with Madame Xuan as soon as possible, or the Central District Command will have to step in to help you." "What do you mean?" Fang Ren asked coldly. The man turned his head and walked away, saying as he left, "By any means necessary!" With that, a sky-blue light emanated from the man and he vanished on the spot. Fang Ren stared at the ce where the man had left, his brows deeply furrowed. Just a small team leader from the Tianjiang Investigation Group, and his Realm was already at the early stages of Yingyue Realm; what Realm then would the higher-ups of the investigation group be at? And as for those higher still, the more terrifying Central Command, what kind of monsters lurked within? It''s said that the Commander-In-Chief is at the mid-stage of the Xuanyang Realm, and most of the othermanders are at the Xuanyang Realm mid-stage as well, but now it seems that could have just been a lie to cover up their true Realms. One person at Xuanyang Realm mid-stage leading such a massive system without any chaos; Fang Ren simply didn''t believe it. Crushing the Central Command would be far more difficult than he had imagined. A month ago, everything in this world seemed to be arranged for him by others, and everything was under someone else''s control. But now, thankfully, he had connected with Jian Qi''er and also with the Nightfall Organization, and from now on, his fate would no longer be toyed with by the high and mighty rulers. He must marry Mu Huanqing, he simply must. No matter how tough the road to the Central Command is, he will take it. "Old Lin!" Fang Ren suddenly shouted while standing on the bridge. In a moment, a white figure appeared in front of Fang Ren; Lin Bozhong''s face still wore that usual kind smile, "What is it, Young Master?" "Did you hear the conversation just now?" Fang Ren asked. "I was three hundred meters away from Qianye just now, I couldn''t hear anything," Lin Bozhong said, "But that man, I remember he should be Yuan Guoyu from the Tianjiang Investigation Group." "He told me it''s impossible to annul the engagement with Bai Xi." Fang Ren said. "Ah? Why is that?" Lin Bozhong was stunned. "It''s Old Master Bai''s arrangement." "This... I''ve never heard of such a thing." Lin Bozhong frowned and said, "You were already preparing to break off the engagement, but Madame Xuan''s strength suddenly recovered, and it became difficult for you to be together, so for the time being, you didn''t go to the Bai Family to discuss the matter of breaking off the engagement. But why would Old Master Bai do such a thing?" "Enforced engagement." Fang Ren said. "Enforced..." Lin Bozhong''s face showed shock, "Could it be... they concluded from their research that it''s Young Master''s Cultivation Gene and Princess Bai Xi that are the mostpatible?" "I don''t know, but it irritates me." Saying this, Fang Ren turned and started walking toward the other side of the bridge. "This... Young Master, your marriage with Madame Xuan... might not be as simple as just surpassing Song Mobei, Old Master Bai''s decision..." "Does his decision directly represent the final say, is that it?" Fang Ren asked. Lin Bozhong sighed and shook his head, "If Young Master and Princess Bai Xi are truly the most gicallypatible pair for Cultivation, then afraid the oue really is just that..." "Is that so." Fang Ren continued walking, his face expressionless. From Lin Bozhong, he learned that the Fang Family was also unaware of this additional shackle between him and Bai Xi. Thisyer of hatred, for the time being, couldn''t be attributed to the Fang Family. After all, they were also uninformed. Chapter 117: Chapter 115: Penniless Bai Qi (Additional Update)_1 Early in the morning, just past six, at the foot of the boys'' dorm building. Dressed in a school uniform, Princess Bai Xi stood not far from the entrance, her gaze ceaselessly scanning the boys emerging from the dorm for the one who could take her to eat and buy her sanitary pads. But her mere standing at the entrance stirred whispers among the passersby who discussed a variety of topics, and some even took photos with their phones to post on Baili University''s forum. "I heard about Princess Bai Xiing to our school yesterday, but I didn''t expect it to be true! I''ve even seen her in person!" "Exactly, when Nik. Zhao Si told me, I thought he was insulting my intelligence, so I went up and beat him up." "I just can''t understand why Princess Bai Xi chose Mediocre University. Our Baili is ranked so much higher than Yangming, why did she go there? And to choose a major in medical science at that." "Who knows, we daren''t go over and start a conversation." "Who is she waiting for at the entrance of the boys'' dormitory? Does our little ce actually have someone known to the princess?" "Anyway, it definitely can''t be her boyfriend." ... While the surrounding crowd murmured non-stop, Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang sauntered out of the dorm in a carefree manner. "Ranzi didn''te back all night yesterday, do you think some girl took him to get a room?" Jing Haichuan said. "Damn, what girl has the guts to take Xuan Nv''s man to get a room?" Li Xingwang retorted. "Hey, don''t say that, man. There really were a couple of girls trying to usurp her position yesterday, maybe they already went for itst night." "Speaking of which, the ss leader received a callst night and ran out. Could it be¡­" As the two joked and bantered, a stunning figure ran towards them. Jing Haichuan''s body suddenly trembled, his gaze fixed on the ground as his expression turned deadly serious in an instant: "Huh? The scent of a girl! Ten meters ahead! Weight 49! Height 165cm! Judging by the smell, it must be a beauty of the highest order!" "Damn, you''re acting stupid again!" Li Xingwang smacked his head as he spoke. While Jing and Li exchanged these words, Princess Bai Xi approached and spoke with a polite smile, "Excuse me, are you and Fang Renran from the same dormitory?" "Princess! Your Highness!" Jing and Li were startled as they looked up and were immediately dumbfounded by the beauty before them¡­ "Is Fang Renran up yet?" Princess Bai Xi asked. "Eh? The princess is looking for him?" Jing Haichuan was stunned and blurted out, "He was pulled out by a girl to get a roomst night... no, to discuss life." "Don''t listen to his nonsense, Princess, Ranzi didn''te backst night and we don''t know where he went. He didn''t answer his phone," Li Xingwang interjected. "Thank you, if you see him, please tell him I''m looking for him." After speaking, Princess Bai Xi turned and walked toward the cafeteria. Behind her, Jing and Li remained rooted to the spot. "This... could it be they really have something going on?" Jing Haichuan wondered. "Only Princess Bai Xi could be qualified topete with Xuan Nv for a man," Li Xingwang mused. "What should we do? Help Ranzi along?" "You freaking want to get tired of your family''s condom factory, don''t you?" "This could be the great opportunity for Jing''s condoms to make a name!" ------ ------ In the campus cafeteria, Fang Ren sat alone at a table, munching on a steamed bun. Though his recent days'' cultivation of Realm and Cultivation Technique hadn''t made any progress, he roughly grasped the realms of the second and third levels of Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat. It was strange, he felt he had touched the threshold, even though, logically, without breaking through the first level, there should be no progress on the second and third levels. Once the first level of Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat broke through, the subsequent levels would be as simple as water flowing into a channel. Yet he couldn''t help feeling his cultivation ability was somewhat exaggerated. Without even breaking through the first level, he felt confident based solely on his understanding of the text of the Killing Art... It was like not finishing junior high but already having studied at the university level. Only, for certain special reasons, he couldn''t get his junior high diploma nor was he allowed to take the university entrance test, so he was stuck in junior high. "I''ve finally found you!" While he was deep in thought, biting into his bun, a familiar female voice suddenly came from beside him. Fang Ren turned his head to see a visibly excited Princess Bai Xi running towards him. "What''s happened to you?" Fang Ren asked, looking at the excited Princess Bai Xi. "Well..." Princess Bai Xi nced at the bun in Fang Ren''s hand and involuntarily swallowed, quickly averting her gaze and said, "Could I borrow some money from you again..." Fang Ren blinked: "What, your bank card still hasn''t been unfrozen?" ``` "Not only has my bank card not been unfrozen, but the money you lent mest time... was also taken by my mom..." Princess Bai Xi said with a face that found it hard to speak. "What exactly are your family members thinking?" Fang Renzi couldn''t help but feel helpless after hearing this, and turned to ask, "Want some buns?" Princess Bai Xi''s face turned red, and she nced away, shyly nodding her head. "You sit and eat first, I''ll go buy you some porridge," Fang Renzi said. "Thank you..." After he had left, Princess Bai Xi watched his retreating figure, then looked again at the buns on the tray, and felt a wave of self-pity. Ever since she decided toe to Fang Renzi, she had barely ever seen money again. Picking up a bun with chopsticks, Princess Bai Xi frowned, the appearance of this bun was truly ugly, twisted and squashed, and she wondered if it would be good or not, as she had never eaten one before. After chewing the bun for a few bites, her furrowed brow immediately rxed, and the expression on her face became as nk as an idiot''s. Her beautiful eyes trembled slightly, continuously shing with colorful light. "They even lied to me!" Princess Bai Xi quickly finished the bun with an angry expression and immediately grabbed another to stuff into her mouth. She had never eaten such a delicious breakfast, yet at home, the so-called nutritionist actually told her it was junk food! Indeed, high society is dark, such delicious food could bebeled as "junk food." A minuteter, Fang Renzi came back with a cup of egg soup, and his whole person became a mess at the sight of Princess Bai Xi with her cheeks bulging, holding a bun in each hand. There were still over a dozen buns on the table when he left! Now only three are left! When Princess Bai Xi saw him return, she immediately swallowed the bun in her mouth and said with an embarrassed face, "I might... have eaten a bit too much..." Fang Renzi twitched the corner of his eye and sat down, saying, "There was no porridge left, so I bought you egg soup, I wasn''t sure if you''d drink coriander and dried shrimp, I added them anyway." Princess Bai Xi took the egg soup and smelled it, her face showing surprise: "It smells quite nice." "Of course, it''s nice," Fang Renzi frowned. "But... they told me it smelled bad." "Who are ''they''?" "The nutritionist." "They don''t know shit!" After taking a sip, Princess Bai Xi nodded her little head like a bobble-head: "I agree with you!" "How long have you been hungry?" "I haven''t eaten since yesterday noon," Princess Bai Xi said awkwardly. "And I''m too embarrassed to lower myself to ask other students to lend me money..." "So why are you not embarrassed to ask me for money?" Biting into a bun, Princess Bai Xi replied, "ording to their reasoning, as long as our engagement isn''t annulled, I''m still your half-wife, so you have the obligation to provide for me, but I don''t think so. As for why I''m brave enough to ask you for money, I''m actually not... especially since I haven''t paid you back the money I borrowedst time... But I really had no other choice, I''m sorry..." After listening, Fang Renzi could only let out a resigned sigh. No matter what, Princess Bai Xi was now his rade" on the front line of "annulling the engagement," and he didn''t dislike her naive nature or her insistence on matters of gratitude. Last time she imed she would do anything for him, aside from offering her body, even diving into boiling water or stepping through fire... Such a silly girl, even more genuinely silly than Jian Qi''er. "I''ll go buy you some more buns," Fang Renzi said. "Think about how much you want to borrow and tell me when I get back." With that, Fang Renzi left the table again. Holding the cup, Princess Bai Xi stared nkly at him leaving, suddenly feeling a warm sensation in her heart; this fianc¨¦... was much better than she had imagined... To tell the truth, she really didn''t want toe to Fang Renzi to borrow money, especially since she hadn''t paid back the money she said she would, she already felt very guilty. But the problem was, it was only her first day at school, and she didn''t know anyone else besides Fang Renzi. It was just too embarrassing to ask someone for money right away, even with her identity as Princess Tianjiang... But in front of Fang Renzi, Princess Bai Xi felt she didn''t need so many concerns. Fang Renzi naturally exuded an air that made her feel very familiar; from their first meeting, she felt like they were long-lost rtives. So in front of him, she could allow herself to no longer be that princess who had to maintain her image, who had to politely speak, who had to pretend to be "wealthy", "not hungry", and "not in need of help." She could express the thoughts deep in her heart truthfully. So, in front of Fang Renzi, she felt a bit silly herself... Another minuteter, Fang Renzi returned with a tter, which held more than thirty buns. After cultivating the First Level of the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat, his physique had significantly improved, so he had a great demand for food. "I can''t eat that many," Princess Bai Xi said promptly, shaking her head at the sight of the small mountain of buns on the te. "So just because you ate mine, I''m not hungry?" Fang Renzi gave her a look. "Uh..." Princess Bai Xi''s face turned red, and she quickly lowered her head in embarrassment. ``` Chapter 118: Chapter 116: The Importance of the Order of Appearance (Added)_1 "Sorry..." Bai Qi took a small bite of the bun and said awkwardly, "Um, borrowing five hundred would be enough." "Five hundred?" Fang Ren looked at her, "You''re an aristocrat, usually a big spender. Can you really make do with just that little for a few days?" "I can''t borrow too much, or you won''t have enough for your living expenses," Bai Qi said. "You''re thinking too much," Fang Renughed. Even without the twenty million from Uncle Han, he could still maintain his living by selling low-grade elixirs. As long as he didn''t sell the high-grade ones, no one would pay too much attention to him. Bai Qi immediately shook her head while eating the bun, saying, "Five hundred is enough. I''ll get a job and pay back not only this amount but also what I owe you from before as soon as possible." "Pull the other one. Which shop would dare to hire you if you went out to work?" "I can disguise myself. They won''t know who I am." "You''re seriously going to work?" Fang Ren was taken aback. This princess was being unexpectedly down-to-earth. "Of course, it''s true. I can''t always be eating and drinking at your expense. I''ve never felt it''s your obligation to provide for me because of the marriage arrangement. I feel I already owe you a lot and should be doing things for you, instead," Bai Qi said. "Alright, after we finish eating, I''ll take you to get the money. But if you can''t find work outside, don''t keep looking. And you need to understand that you''re borrowing money from me, not getting me to support you. There''s no need to bring their way of thinking into it," Fang Ren said. "Thank you." Bai Qi nodded, her voice very soft. For the next two or three minutes, neither of them spoke. Fang Ren continued to devour his bun without caring about how he looked, while Bai Qi, who had already finished eating, bit on her straw and asionally nced at Fang Ren with her beautiful eyes. She discovered that although the boy''s appearance was not conventionally handsome, his clean and refined look was pleasing to the eyes, the kind that one would never tire of. Sometimes, an unintentional profile of his face showed more character than those deliberately posed by inte celebrities. Moreover, for some reason, the vibe he gave off always made her feel a strong sense of affinity, an emotion that made her want to stay with him, and even felt slightly... dependent on him. After her beautiful eyes lingered on his face for a few seconds, Bai Qi murmured softly, "If we had met a bit earlier, maybe we wouldn''t be wanting to annul the marriage arrangement now..." Fang Ren stuffed a mouthful of bun and nced at her, noticing her paused movements and her somewhat sentimental expression. Swallowing a bite of the bun, Fang Ren said, "The order of appearance in life is very important." If, back then, when he was disheartened after being rejected twice by Liu Qianqian, the person he had met for the arranged marriage had been Bai Qi instead of Mu Huanqing, maybe she would have been his true love now. But on the flip side, if Liu Qianqian had epted his feelings back then, he wouldn''t have agreed to get to know Mu Huanqing either. The order of appearance and timing are very important in life. Bai Qi looked at the table and nodded, saying, "When I first met you, I felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu in my heart... To be honest, there''s something about you that draws me in, and deep down, I don''t want to guard myself against you at all..." "You feel that way too?" Fang Ren was slightly startled, "I thought it was just me." Bai Qi was also startled, her pretty eyes gazing at him, "I thought I was the only one who felt that way..." After silently looking at Fang Ren for a while, Bai Qi suddenly said, "You''re right, the order of appearance in life is very important. If I hadn''t met Brother Song, I probably wouldn''t have objected to this marriage arrangement." "Brother Song?" "That''s Song Mobei from the Tiandao Sword Sect. I met himst year when I was training there." "Song Mobei..." When Fang Ren heard this name, he wasn''t too surprised. After all, Bai Qi could onlye into contact with very outstanding elites, and the only man she could fall for who was surnamed Song and who was a swordsmanship genius would likely be Song Mobei. "Yes, Brother Song is the most outstanding young talent I''ve ever seen. His achievements in Sword Dao have now surpassed those of the Sect Master of the Tiandao Sword Sect, reaching the peak among humans. Not only is he at the summit among the young generation of men in terms of strength, but he''s also a very good person, always willing to help others, never stingy about sharing the secrets of Sword Dao. Everyone in the Sword Sect admires him," Bai Qi said with a look of admiration. Fang Ren, seeing her look of admiration, spoke, "I''ve seen many evaluations about him, and what you said doesn''t differ much." "You''ve paid attention to him too?" "Came across him asionally," Fang Ren said casually. "Oh, by the way, you also like someone, right? Who is she?" Bai Qi asked curiously, "Is it the ss president or Jian Qi''er?" "Huh?" Fang Ren was startled, "Why do you think I like either of them?" "It''s obvious that Jian Qi''er likes to stick to you, and the ss president seems to care a lot about you," Bai Qi said, "Anyway, my intuition tells me that it''s very likely you''re in a rtionship with one of them." "Your intuition... is really off." "It isn''t?" "It isn''t." "Then who is it?" "You wouldn''t believe me if I said." "Tell me, and I''ll believe." "Forget it, let''s clean up the table. With so many people watching, I''ll take you to withdraw the money." ... After cleaning the table and washing their hands by the pool, Fang Ren took Bai Qi to the ATM at the campus gate to withdraw the money since all of Bai Qi''s payment ounts were frozen and online transfers were useless. "I kept hearing yesterday that there''s a guy of really low quality in our school, spreading rumors around that he''s Xuan Nv''s boyfriend," As they chatted idly on the road, Bai Qi asked about this issue and couldn''t help frowning, "Do you know who that person is?" "Uh..." Upon hearing this, Fang Ren''s mouth twitched, and he said, "How is his quality low?" With an angry face, Bai Qi said, "Sister Hui Qing protected his life here not long ago, and that guy didn''t even know how to be grateful. Instead, he spread rumors about Sister Hui Qing. Saying that he''s of low quality is already being very lenient towards him." "You don''t know the real situation. Don''t jump to conclusions, okay?" Fang Ren said with an embarrassed look on his face. "Why are you still defending that kind of guy?" Bai Qi said unpleasantly. Fang Ren pped his forehead and said, "It wasn''t his own will to spread this around." "How do you know?" Fang Ren looked helpless and confessed straightforwardly, "Just now in the canteen, didn''t you ask me who I liked? The one I like is the Jiutian Xuan Nv, and that guy you''re calling low quality is me." Bai Qi was stunned by his words. Her beautiful eyes blinked continuously as she muttered, "No way, you don''t seem like that kind of person... " "I already said it wasn''t me spreading it. This situation is really helpless," Fang Ren waved it off. "So why are they spreading it without any basis?" "When I enrolled, I had a conflict with a student from Baili." "That''s the reason?" Bai Qi frowned, "But just because of a conflict, to smear your reputation like this, that''s going too far." "It''splicated, and I can''t exin it clearly to you," Fang Ren said. With a face full of indignation, Bai Qi said, "It''s perfectly normal to like Sister Hui Qing. After all, she is so beautiful and very strong. How can they cken the matter of you liking Sister Hui Qing just because of a conflict?" "The process was veryplicated..." "Howplicated?" "In any case, your little brain wouldn''t understand it." "I''m standing up for you here! And you''re calling me dumb! Whose side are you even on?" ... After chatting for a bit, Fang Ren withdrew two thousand yuan from the ATM and handed it to Bai Qi. Looking at the money in her hand, Bai Qi felt warm inside. She immediately took out fifteen hundred yuan and stuffed it back into Fang Ren''s hand, smiling and saying, "I don''t need this much. Five hundred is enough." Fang Ren looked at her, "I just worry you''ll start crying from hunger again if your paycheck hasn''te." Bai Qi''s face turned red, and she retorted, "I didn''t cryst time because I was hungry..." "Just take it. As long as you don''t spend recklessly, you won''t eat me out of house and home," Fang Ren insisted, pushing the money back into her hands. Bai Qi looked at the money for a long time, hesitated, then said earnestly, "I will keep an eye on you." "Huh? What do you mean?" "I''ll supervise your meals. If I find out one day that you''re not eating well, I''ll immediately give you the money back," Bai Qi said with seriousness. "Alright, alright, just take it already. So many people on the street are watching you," Fang Ren said helplessly. Bai Qi nodded and took the money, then immediately followed Fang Ren towards the campus. "Was what you said about liking Sister Hui Qing true or not?" Bai Qi asked. "Of course it''s true," Fang Ren replied. "You want to pursue her?" "Not pursue, I want to marry her." "Ah? Marry her? Are you serious?" "Of course." Bai Qi was stunned, "But that''s... really difficult." "If it were simple, I would have married her by now," Fang Ren said. Without hesitation, Bai Qi said, "Even if it''s simple, you can''t just marry right now. The marriage agreement isn''t dissolved yet; neither of us can go and marry someone else right now or there will be big trouble." "I know." "But do you realize how difficult it is to marry Sister Hui Qing?" Bai Qi looked at him in surprise. "I know," Fang Ren replied casually. "I don''t think you have any idea," Bai Qi said frowningly. "To marry Sister Hui Qing, you must be as close to her as possible in terms of cultivation level. Although you''re also very talented, you started toote, and right now, the decision of the Central District Command is to have Sister Hui Qing and Brother Song be together. You still need the whole Command to ept you... Just pick any one of these issues, and for you right now, it''s as hard as reaching the sky." "I know." "..." Bai Qi looked at his unconcerned expression, and was utterly baffled, "I think you truly have no idea how difficult it is." Chapter 119: Chapter 117: Connection with Spirit Form (Supplement)_1 Fang Ren nced at her and said, "Don''t you want to marry your Brother Song?" Bai Qi shook her head and said, "Our marriage agreement hasn''t been dissolved yet, so I won''t consider those things, and even if I did like Brother Song, I''d have to wait until our marriage agreement is dissolved before I could confess to him." "You seem to take this marriage agreement quite seriously." "Of course," Bai Qi said earnestly. "Even if I don''t harbor romantic feelings for you, I still need to uphold my duty as a fianc¨¦e until the agreement is terminated." "It''s not that serious, is it?" Fang Renughed awkwardly, as he had not taken the duty of a fianc¨¦ seriously. Although during the incident with Mu Huanqing he had been unaware of the marriage agreement, in any case, he felt somewhat unfair to her after hearing Bai Qi''s words. "What do you mean it isn''t serious? It''s very serious," Bai Qi stated earnestly. "I''ve tried putting myself in your shoes, imagining how I would feel if after learning of my existence as your fianc¨¦e, you still pursued the girl you like without considering my feelings. I would feel disrespected as a nominal fianc¨¦e. So I think I should not chase after the person I like before our marriage is dissolved, as that would be highly disrespectful to you." "You do make... some sense," Fang Ren said, nodding somewhat awkwardly before quickly changing the subject, "By the way, have you ever told your grandfather about your feelings for Song Mobei?" "I have, but he won''t let me be with Brother Song, iming that you and I are naturally meant to be," Bai Qi replied. "You just said it''s difficult for me to marry the Xuan Nv, so isn''t it also difficult for you to marry Song Mobei?" Fang Ren asked. "Yes," Bai Qi sighed in distress, "I really don''t understand why these things have to fall on us, and what''s even stranger is, why are the people we like globally recognized as a match made in heaven?" "Do you think the ''by any means necessary'' approach of the Central District Command is right for humanity?" Fang Ren asked. "Of course it''s right," Bai Qi nodded. "With the entire human race threatened by the Void species, it''s natural to sacrifice the individual for the greater good." "What if they forcibly made us have children?" Fang Ren asked. "How could that be? Although it''s for the sake of creating the strongest next generation, as long as we are unwilling, they may force us to marry, but they can''t possibly force us to have children," Bai Qi said, looking puzzled. "Is that so?" Fang Ren averted his gaze from her face. Indeed, the Central District Command has done a very good job of keeping things under wraps; even a noble princess like Bai Qi doesn''t know what her future holds. How could ordinary people possibly be aware of the troubles of the practitioners who are forced to have children with someone they don''t like? "Hee-ha, hee-ha!" As the two were walking toward the ss, Qianye suddenly ran out of Fang Ren''s trouser pocket. The little critter had a silly smile on its face and hopped into Bai Qi''s hands in just a few bounces, rubbing its round face against her hand continuously. "Wow, little guy." Bai Qi''s face lit up with a doting smile, and her fingers continually stroked its head when she saw it run out. "Hee-ha~" Watching the small Qianye act like a pet seeking affection, Fang Ren said, "Could that sense of familiarity between us be due to the Spiritual Root?" "That''s very likely because the Spiritual Root transferred from you to my body is alive and has been nourishing my meridians since my birth. Since you are its true master, there must be an unbreakable connection," Bai Qi replied. "By the way, what are the attributes of my Spiritual Root?" Fang Ren asked. Bai Qi frowned and said, "It''s an attribute I''ve never seen before, very dangerous andplex, giving rise to gray vital energy. I can currently use it to suppress all other True Qi attributes, and its destructive power is enormous. But I can''t control it well, and I fear it might harm lives inadvertently, so I''ve always been wary of using it on humans." "It suppresses all attributes?" Fang Ren was startled. He had not known his True Qi attribute was so powerful. "Hee-ha, hee-ha!" Suddenly, Qianye sprang up from Bai Qi''s palm, looking proud as it patted its chest with its round arms and chattered away at length. "What is it saying?" Bai Qi asked, looking at Qianye. "It''s bragging about itself," Fang Ren said, flicking Qianye with his hand. "Hee-ha, hee-ha!" Qianye crossed its arms and tilted its head back with a haughty expression. "The little one is really cute," Bai Qi said, rubbing Qianye''s head with a smile. Fang Ren continued to inquire, "Aside from producing gray vital energy, has the Spiritual Root developed anything else?" "No, that''s it," Bai Qi said with a puzzled look, "Aside from producing True Qi of its corresponding attributes, the Spiritual Root can only produce a Spirit Form. Now that the Spirit Form is with you, the Spiritual Root inside me can also generate True Qi." "I see," Fang Ren nodded, as he had thought Bai Qi''s Spiritual Root might also have a Chaos Space, and that it might contain many Taoist principles. It seemed, then, that the Chaos Space and those dao-ways all resided within Qianye, not within the Spiritual Root itself. "By the way, what ability does the little one have?" Bai Qi asked, looking at Qianye, "It doesn''t seem to have anybat abilities." "It can only be cute," Fang Ren said off-handedly. "Are you serious?" Bai Qi was startled. "Hee-ha, hee-ha, hee-ha..." ``` As soon as Qianye heard this, he became furious, thrashing about in Bai Qi''s hands, clearly not convinced. "Okay, stop making a fuss; otherwise, you''re going to get your butt spanked by your dad again," Bai Qi soothed, rubbing Qianye''s head. "Huh? How did I be the dad?" Fang Ren waspletely baffled. "It was born from your body; isn''t it natural that you''d be its dad?" Bai Qi said. Fang Ren thought it over for a moment and felt that, somehow, that made sense. "Anyway, I just have this feeling that I''m like the little guy''s mom," Bai Qi said with a smile while rubbing Qianye''s head. "Gah?" Fang Ren was dumbfounded. When had the two of them had this child? "I was just metaphorically speaking about my feelings!" Bai Qi, seeing that he was getting the wrong idea, blushed and quickly corrected himself. As they spoke, the two of them had already arrived in the ssroom. The moment Fang Ren set foot in the ssroom, he suddenly felt several murderous res sweeping over him. "Fang Ren!" Inside the ssroom, three girls wielding teaching sticks, books, and other weapons charged furiously towards Fang Ren. The one leading them, Li Xinyue, had something even more ridiculous¡ªa bunch of hemp ropes! "Hey! What are you doing?" Fang Ren waspletely perplexed and immediately stepped back several paces. Without another word, Li Xinyue and the other girls took a great leap out of the ssroom door and threw the ropes they had prepared over Fang Ren. Fearing the silly girls might hurt themselves by hitting the wall too hard, Fang Ren didn''t dodge and ended up beingpletely tied up by Li Xinyue and the others with the rope. Li Xingwang pped his forehead: "It''s over, which fearless girl is trying to snatch a man from Xuan Nv..." Jian Qi''er, having just arrived in the ss, became excited upon hearing this and immediately shouted, "I knew it wasn''t me trying to take over! There''s someone else!" "Scumbag!" the other girls roared in anger. "What''s going on here!" Fang Ren was utterly clueless, wondering who had spread the rumor about him spending the night out! The key detail of who he spent the night with wasn''t even mentioned¡ªit made it seem like he was having an affair. Bai Qi, who hade back with Fang Ren, was taken aback by the three girls springing out of the ss,pletely dumbfounded. This was a whole new script she had never seen before. "Do you even know what time Qian Qian made it back to the dormst night!" Li Xinyue said angrily. "Yes! And she smelled like booze!" another girl added furiously. "What''s that got to do with me?" Fang Ren was taken aback. Jing Haichuan was surprised and eximed, "Kid, you didn''t get the ss president drunkst night, did you!" "I damn well knew it; you''re still not over the ss president!" Li Xingwang jumped up from his seat and banged the table. "What!!?" "Whoa! Beast! Scumbag!" ... "Crap! Stop spreading nonsense!" Fang Ren waspletely bewildered. What kind of lousy teammates were these? "Haven''t you heard the saying ''If love is not possible, at least do no harm''?" Li Xinyue shouted. "Exactly! If you don''t like Qian Qian, just tell her straight, don''t keep leading her on!" "Last night, you got Qian Qian so drunk, and you didn''t even see her home. What the hell do you want!" "What! Fang Ren actually enjoys having the ss president hooked and watching her heartache!" "Wow! Scumbag! Lower than a beast!" ... "Enough, enough! Big sisters, please stop joking," Fang Ren urged as he saw the topic spiraling. He quickly channeled True Qi to snap the hemp ropes around him and asked, "What the hell happenedst night?" Li Xinyue, with a displeased face, said, "It''s all because of you that Qian Qian almost drank herself to deathst night." "I wasn''t drinking with her." "But she drank because of you! She didn''t get back to the dorm until four in the morning! She was freezing cold, and even in her sleep, she kept calling your name!" Li Xinyue said. "What! The ss president was drunk all night! And couldn''t win back the tender affections of the iron-hearted Ranzi!?" ``` Chapter 120: Chapter 118: Traces of Indra Sky (Supplement)_1 "Stop, please don''t make a fuss." Fang Ren immediately raised both hands and said, "The ss leader and I are just ordinary friends. I''ve been rejected twice in my confessions, and she has made it clear that we are only friends. You guys shouldn''t pretend you don''t know and stir up trouble." "How can you be so dense!" Li Xinyue said with a look of helplessness. However, she didn''t know that after Fang Ren had been rejected twice, he took all of Liu Qianqian''s previous hints as just friendly gestures and never thought too much about them. Feeling that Fang Ren was constantly being ridiculed by the entire ss, Bai Qi couldn''t stand it anymore. He immediately reached out, pulled Fang Ren to the side, and moved about five meters away from Li Xinyue and the others. As soon as the ss saw Bai Qi pulling on Fang Ren''s arm, they were instantly stunned, and the previousmotion quickly subsided. She whispered to Fang Ren, "You really didn''t do anything to the ss leader, did you?" "I really didn''t," Fang Ren frowned and said. "Then, do you want me to help you?" Bai Qi asked. "Of course!" said Fang Ren, nodding his head vigorously. "Then leave it to me." Bai Qi turned her head back and looked at Li Xinyue and the others, her expression a bit serious as she said, "There''s nothing inappropriate between Fang Ren and the ss leader. I believe them." As soon as they heard Bai Qi speak, the whole ss was dumbfounded, especially given Bai Qi''s serious expression, which left everyone filled with doubt. Li Xinyue was also taken aback. "Princess... what are you..." "Fang Ren was with mest night, and it''s impossible for him to date any other girls," Bai Qi said. Everyone was confused. They didn''t know who Fang Ren was withst night, but the girls in the dormitory knew that Princess Bai Qi had stayed in her room all night and hadn''t gone out. Clearly, this was deliberate protection. "This... why?" Li Xinyue was stunned. Fang Ren is impossible to date other girls? Why would Princess Bai Qi say that so adamantly? With a serious face, Bai Qi said, "Because he is my fianc¨¦. We are verymitted to our engagement, and he could not possibly have any inextricable rtionship with any other girl." "..." Fang Ren turned to stone. "..." Li Xinyue waspletely bbergasted. A few secondster: "Damn it!" The whole ss exploded. "Did I just hear Princess Bai Qi say the words ''my fianc¨¦''?!" "Princess''s fianc¨¦? Ranzi?" "Am I still not awake..." "Cui Hua, give me a p!" "Damn! For real? They''re engaged? This... what about Madame Xuan?" ... p¡ª Fang Ren immediately came to his senses, grabbed Bai Qi''s arm, and ran off into the distance with her. "They''re running! There must be some unspeakable secret between them!" Jing Haichuan pped the desk, his face full of excitement. "There''s really something going on! Quick! Where are Jing''s condoms? Give them to Ranzi for free! No! Even if it costs money, make sure they get delivered there!" Li Xingwang was dumbfounded. "It''s over, turns out the girlpeting with Madame Xuan for a man is the princess..." "Silly girl! Don''t even think about usurping the position anymore! It could cost you your life!" "Ah! The poor ss leader, to encounter such a skilled scumbag!" "Sorry! We won''t allow you to insult Ran God!" "Stop talking, I''m going to sign up with Ran Godter to deeply learn the skills of charming girls." Li Xinyue and the others still hadn''t recovered from the shock, as the information in that one sentence was too explosive. "It''s over, Qian Qian haspletely lost hope now..." Jian Qi''er, sitting in the back row, watched Fang Ren run away, her face full of shock. She couldn''t believe that Fang Ren had been keeping such an important secret from her! Princess Bai Qi''s fianc¨¦? She had told the fianc¨¦ of Bai Qi all the secrets of her organization! Jian Qi''er''s mind was in total chaos, suddenly feeling like she had betrayed her organization. ... "My Princess! Are you helping or making things worse?" Fang Ren dragged Bai Qi onto a small path, looking at her with a face full of misery. "I''m helping," Bai Qi said, looking at him with a puzzled expression: "As long as I disclose our rtionship, they will stop calling you a scumbag and stop spreading rumors about you. It kills two birds with one stone and prevents future trouble." "Couldn''t you have found another way to do it?" Fang Ren pped his forehead, his face full of helplessness. ``` "Why can''t our rtionship be public?" Bai Qi asked as she looked at him. "Aren''t we going to end this rtionship? Why should anyone else know?" "If we let others know about our rtionship now, when we cancel the engagementter, can''t we just let everyone know then?" Fang Ren had no retort for a moment; she was right, but wasn''t it better to keep it private? After all, many people knew he was cohabiting with Mu Huanqing... And Bai Qi had no clue about any of this! Aftermenting his situation, Fang Ren had no choice but to return to the ssroom under the weight of everyone''s stares. As he entered with Bai Qi, all eyes focused on him, casting a deathly silence over the room. Especially the disdainful nces from the group of female ssmates, as if they were saying: Look, there''s the biggest scumbag of the year 2310! He could sweet-talk Madame Xuan into bed and charm the ss leader with his tardiness-forgiving spells, and amid it all, flip the heart of a clueless girl, oblivious to the fact that he''s the fianc¨¦ of a princess! Right then, Fang Ren just wanted to find a mouse hole and scurry away. The whole of Yangming University knew of his cohabitation with Mu Huanqing, and at the athletics meeting, he even kissed her in front of everyone. He had once dered he would marry Mu Huanqing, yet now he was Bai Qi''s fianc¨¦... On one side stood Madame Xuan, and on the other, Princess Tianjiang ¨C either of whom could shake the world to its core. Should the news break globally, his novice practitioner''s life would be over! During the ss, neither Jing nor Li sat next to Fang Ren, instead swiftly abandoning the rear seats before the lesson started. Bai Qi''s books were still not ready, and she was sharing a desk with Fang Ren. Jian Qi''er, on the other hand, took advantage of her Oscar-worthy acting skills to find a reasonable excuse to sit by Fang Ren''s side. Just before ss began, Liu Qianqian walked in looking distraught, her eyes red and her gaze vacant, expressionless. "I thought Li Xinyue and the others were joking this morning, I didn''t expect it to be true." "My goodness, is this for real? Fang Ren and the ss leader were a casual tease in ss, how did it turn serious all of a sudden?" "Fang Ren always seemed like a good guy, it was just a joke to call him a scumbag. How could he actually do something like this?" "Looking at the ss leader''s state, she must have cried a lotst night. I wonder what really happened." ... The quiet whispers spread among the students; Li Xinyue immediately turned and red at Fang Ren, then hurriedly pulled Liu Qianqian to the seat next to her, whispering something in a low voice. Fang Ren was as surprised as anyone by Liu Qianqian''s demeanor. He had thought it a simple misunderstanding: Liu Qianqian must have been drunkst night because of her mother''s issues and happened to utter his name in her sleep. But seeing her like this... it didn''t look that simple. "Did you really not do anything to herst night?" Bai Qi asked in a hushed tone, frowning. "I didn''t," Fang Ren whispered back. "You must tell the truth, Fang," Jian Qi''er immediately said, wearing a righteous expression. "I REALLY didn''t." ------ ------ The ss was ufortable for Fang Ren; he felt eyes on him from every corner whenever he looked down, as if he were being watched by the entire ss. Misunderstandings... are truly frightening things. At noon, Bai Qi didn''t join Fang Ren for lunch but bid him farewell before rushing off campus to look for a job. Jing and Li caught up with Fang Ren and bombarded him with questions about his rtionship with Bai Qi and what exactly was going on with the ss leader. Fang Ren found an opportunity to slip away, without offering any exnations. After all, any attempt to rify matters would look like he was two-timing. Ordinary people wouldn''t understand what a forced engagement meant; they thought if you didn''t like someone, you should just call off the wedding, not understanding that some marriages aren''t up to those involved. As Fang Ren sat alone in the garden, avoiding everywhere else, a figure suddenly appeared before him. He looked up to see Jian Qi''er, who had removed her sses and swept her hair up. "You''ve certainly made a name for yourself today." Jian Qi''er sat beside him with a schadenfreude smirk, crossing her legs encased in flesh-colored stockings. "I don''t think gloating is your main purpose here," Fang Ren said with a sigh, ncing at her. "Right, I wanted to ask how you suddenly became Bai Qi''s fianc¨¦?" Jian Qi''er said. "I told you everything, yet you still kept secrets from me." "I found out about it only recently myself; it left me stunned. It was a childhood arranged engagement," said Fang Ren. "Bute on, your organization can dig up my background but can''t find out about my engagement with her?" "Who would have guessed you two had such deep connections?" Jian Qi''er waved her hand dismissively. "But it''s a good thing; I was afraid you were siding with Bai Qi. If your rtionship with her was so close that you could share anything, that would''ve spelled disaster for our Nightshade." "Is there anything else?" asked Fang Ren. "Yes, big news," Jian Qi''er said, reclining in her chair to gaze at the sky with a worried expression. She sighed, "Just now, our organization spotted a fifth-order Void Beast lurking in the forest on the outskirts of the city." "A fifth-order Void Beast?" Fang Ren was taken aback. "But we don''t have any Void Holes around here, where did that thinge from?" Jian Qi''er replied, "When our organization spotted the Void Beast, they also saw members of the Indra Sky organization. Based on preliminary assessments, that fifth-order Void Beast is likely an experiment of Indra Sky." "An experiment?" Fang Ren was shocked. "Their experiments involve not just human practitioners?" Jian Qi''er looked at him, saying, "We don''t know; our understanding of them isn''tplete." "From what you''re saying... the war is drawing closer," Fang Ren remarked. "It''s not just drawing closer; it could happen anytime," Jian Qi''er said. "Maybe the next second, an hour from now, or even tomorrow..." ``` Chapter 121: Chapter 119: Its All Because of a Void Beast (Supplement)_1 ``` After hearing all that Jian Qi''er had to say, Fang Ren frowned deeply in contemtion for a long while before speaking, "The leader of the Tianjiang Investigation Group came to see mest night." Jian Qi''er nodded, not too surprised by this revtion since the main purpose of the Tianjiang Investigation Group''s visit was to protect Princess Bai Xi, as well as to investigate the business organization''s information. Given Fang Ren''s engagement with Princess Bai Xi, it was only normal for the Investigation Group to reach out to him. "Did hee to ask you about Bai Qi''s kidnapping attemptst time?" Jian Qi''er asked. "Yes." "I''ve inquired within our organization about that incident. The person who tried to capture Bai Qi that day was a member of our E group within the organization. They assumed Bai Qi had run away from home and her cultivation level had been suppressed, so they wanted to take the opportunity to capture her and hide her within our organization. Little did they know, you would suddenly show up halfway and even drive them to use life-shortening tactics," Jian Qi''er continued. "At the time, I didn''t know about your organization''s intentions," Fang Ren dismissed with a wave of his hand. "s, alright," Jian Qi''er sighed, "Truthfully, if there hadn''t been other experts around Bai Qist time, and you hadn''t intervened, it''s possible our organization could have forcibly terminated the Indra Sky experiment and let Bai Qi understand the darkness of those in power. Even if she didn''t join us, at the very least she wouldn''t be an enemy. Although Bai Qi''s strength hasn''t fully recovered now, there are too many experts around her, and we have no chance of capturing her again. The idea of stopping the Indra Sky experiments by capturing her is no longer viable, and next, we can only confront Indra Sky head-on." "Even if I hadn''t stopped that person from capturing Bai Qi that day, your organization''s kidnapping n wouldn''t have seeded," Fang Ren said. "You mean there were experts around her at that time?" "Of course, Bai Qi told me herself that ever since she ran away from home, her family''s old butler, Chen Cheng, has been secretly protecting her." Jian Qi''er nodded and said, "That makes sense. Bai Chaojin is not a fool. How could he possibly allow Bai Qi, such a crucial ultimate test subject, to run away from home without any protection?" "Is that person from your organization still alive?" Fang Ren asked. "Yes, and for some unknown reason, Chen Cheng chose not to kill him," Jian Qi''er nodded, "Perhaps it was because the team leader and others from our organization had arrived to intercept, so Chen Cheng didn''t dare to continue the pursuit. Of course, there could be other reasons." Fang Ren nodded and said, "The leader of the Tianjiang Investigation Group this time is called Yuan Guoyu. When he inquired, I provided him with the cultivation realm and true energy attributes of that person from your organization. Tell your person not to go out for a while." "Him, go out?" Jian Qi''er gave him a nce, "Don''t you realize how badly you beat him? He had three ribs broken, and there''s no way he can move around freely for a while." "..." Fang Ren was momentarily stunned. Had his kick really been that harsh? Or was it that the gray vital energy inside him was too aggressive? "Well, as the eldest son of the Fang Family, I''m sure you must have some experts secretly protecting you. I guess it''s unlikely I could bring you to meet the people in our organization. All I can do is convey some essential information to you and ry your ideas to the organization to build mutual trust," Jian Qi''er said. "Doesn''t your organization have a cultivation technique to conceal cultivation levels?" Fang Ren spoke up, "Couldn''t they juste to school to meet me?" "That technique can be practiced by some people but not others; it''s not aplete method. I''m the only one who has practiced it well so far, able to conceal my Blue Sky Realm strength, but if I break through to a higher level, I suspect the technique will lose its effect and no longer conceal anything," Jian Qi''er exined. Fang Ren paused for a moment, then took out a small iron box from his Space Ring, extracting three pills that could conceal one''s cultivation. "These pills can conceal one''s cultivation level. I''m not sure what realm they can conceal, but you can take them back for the people in your organization to try. If it works on high realm cultivation levels, then you can let someone from your organization who isn''t too busye and meet with me." Jian Qi''er took the pills, and while looking at him, said, "Why do I feel like you suddenly trust our organization more?" Fang Ren''s gaze drifted towards the horizon as he said, "Last night, I confirmed many things through Yuan Guoyu, which made me want to lean more towards your organization." "It seems you must have confirmed some of the things I told you before with him." "You could say that, but not entirely." "Good, I''ll bring someone from our organization to meet you when I have time. Also, the information you''ve provided is very useful; I hope we can continue this way in the future without betraying each other." ------ ------ Another night had fallen, and Fang Ren was still alone, sitting in an empty ssroom in the teaching building. After contemting the cultivation technique and concocting some medicinal pills, he stepped out of the ssroom and made his way to the rooftop of the building. "Old Lin,e out for a moment." Fang Ren called out to the air. ``` Within a few seconds, a white figure descended from the distant sky,nding in front of Fang Ren: "What orders does the young master have?" Fang Ren turned his head to look at him and said, "The first time I met Bai Qi, she was captured by people from the Nightfall Organization, you saw everything, didn''t you?" "Yes," Lin Bozhong smiled and said, "At that time, seeing the young master defeating a practitioner of the mid-stage Ruoshui Realm beyond your own level, I was truly veryforted and joyful." "I didn''t kill that practitioner from Nightfall in the end, did you chase after him to kill?" Fang Ren asked. "I did," Lin Bozhong said. "But on the way, Mr. Chen from the Bai Family stopped me. After the event, I did not deliberately investigate the Nightfall Organization." "Why did he stop you?" Fang Ren asked. "He said that if I pursued I might lose my life, and that even he did not dare to chase after him." Upon hearing this, Fang Ren felt relieved; as long as both Lin Bozhong and Chen Cheng hadn''t traced the whereabouts of Nightfall Organization, then everything that needed to be done next wouldn''t have to be so tense. "Speaking of which, the right faction of the Fang Family has been very quiet these past few days," Fang Ren said. "Probably because the Second Master is scared," Lin Bozhong said with a frown. "Scared of what? Even if Hui Qing has already recovered her strength, she''s already gone, and the only expert by my side is you," Fang Ren said. "What is there for him to be scared of?" Lin Bozhong frowned and fell silent for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "Young master, regarding the Void beast that appeared on your campusst time, I suspect it was very likely something the Second Master did. He has a heavy intent to kill and his means of concealment are very good; besides those of us in the know, no one else would connect the two incidents. Even if someone suspects him, there is no solid evidence." "So even you, who are in the know, can only suspect him without any evidence to confirm it was his doing?" Fang Ren said. "Yes, regarding the Void beast incident, the right faction of the Fang Family did not show up from start to finish. To anyone, the whole incident started because a student named Sun Yan used a Teleportation Talisman that caused it," Lin Bozhong said. "If this really was my second uncle''s doing, then I have even more reason to hold a grudge against him." Fang Ren''s gaze turned cold: "It''s vile enough for him to want the life of his own nephew, but to release a Void beast, causing Hui Qing and me to fight for our lives, ultimately forcing her to resume her identity as Madame Xuan and separate from me." In fact, Fang Ren hadn''t finished his sentence; what he hated the most wasn''t that a Void beast led to their separation, but rather, because of a Void beast, Mu Huanqing felt the need to confront the whole world just to be with him, and he would have to smash the ideology of the Central District Command to be with Mu Huanqing! If the two of them weren''t strong enough to upheave the Central District Command but still desired to be together, then Mu Huanqing would face so-called "unscrupulous" methods, and the Central District Command would craft an image of "voluntary"pliance and fabricate a legend to pass on. And he would be seen by the ignorant and misinformed public as nothing more than a toad lusting after swan meat. The people would only see the "voluntary union" between Xuan Nv and Song Mobei of the Tiandao Sword Sect, and his "unappreciative and overreaching" madness. The people would not see the love between him and Mu Huanqing, only the "good story" put out by the Central District Command. And all because of a fourth-order Space Beast! If it weren''t for this Void Beast, Mu Huanqing would not have reimed her power, the world would not know that the Ninth Heaven Xuan Nv was still alive, no one would oppose their being together, and he wouldn''t have had to face the darkest, most disgusting aspects of the upper echelons of society. Upon hearing him mention Mu Huanqing, Lin Bozhong''s face showed a look of concern, unsure of what to say: "Young master... about Madame Xuan''s affair..." "I''ve made my decision on this matter, leave it be, no one can interfere with me!" Fang Ren said: "Not even Uncle Han himselfing to stop me would make a difference!" Lin Bozhong looked into his ice-cold eyes, his heart in disarray, exceeding Song Mobei in cultivation within this year was an almost zero probability event. Even though the young master had great talent, he was starting over twenty years toote¡ªit was uncatchable. Although Lin Bozhong was a high-ranking member of the Fang Family, he was not part of the world''s higher echelons. He didn''t know what Fang Ren had learned, nor did he know what cruel methods the Central District Command would use to deal with this couple deemed "mismatched in natural talent." In this respect, Lin Bozhong, too, was "the people," unknowing of the so-called "truth." "If I can confirm who the culprit behind this is, I will crush his skull and grind his bones!" A tremendous surge of killing intent instantly welled up around Fang Ren''s body, filling the air. ``` Chapter 122: Chapter 120: Two Fruits (Additional)_1 As a surging evil aura filled the air around them, Lin Bozhong''s brows furrowed tightly. It felt like an illusion, as if a mountain of corpses and a sea of bonesy before him. The young master had always been studying at school and had only recentlye into contact with cultivation; he couldn''t possibly have killed anyone. Even if he had killed someone, how many people would he have to kill to possess such a strong aura? Lin Bozhong spoke, "Young master, have you recently been... in your cultivation practice?" "I''m fine," Fang Ren interrupted him. "I''m just worried that cultivating with any extreme emotions might lead to mistakes," Lin Bozhong said. Fang Ren didn''t pick up the topic and instead asked, "Have you noticed anything strange recently?" "Strange urrences?" Lin Bozhong frowned. "If you mention strange urrences, there really is one. Not long ago, I sensed a very subtle aura, simr to that of a void beast. The presence was too far away; I wasn''tpletely sure. It appeared during the Double Seventh and vanished after about half an hour. I didn''t dare venture far from the young master, so I didn''t go to investigate." "Can you estimate how far away this aura was?" Fang Ren asked. "I can''t. I''m only at the Blue Sky Realm; my divine sense''s range is still too weak." Fang Ren nced into the distance. It seemed like a battle between the Indra Sky and the Nightfall Organization could break out at any moment. It was also time to prepare. "When you have time, help me buy some medicinal ingredients that we can''t get around here," Fang Ren said. "Young master, you may simplymand me." "Good, I''ll tell you the names of several medicinal gods: Qi Ding Hui, Phoenix Blood Flower..." Listening to the medicinal ingredients he mentioned, Lin Bozhong''s expression turned nk. "Young master, these ingredients don''t seem to match, and some of them aren''t even medicinal herbs; they''re poisons." "You don''t need to worry about that, just help me buy them," Fang Ren dismissed. "Yes." ... After Lin Bozhong left, Fang Ren returned to the ssroom and pulled out little Qianye, who was still asleep and seemed to be not in the best of spirits recently. "Last time you told me Liu Qianqian has a Sacred Body of Return to Origin. How should one with that physique cultivate?" Fang Ren asked. Since he decided to help Liu Qianqian, he would do it thoroughly. If she ultimately couldn''t cultivate, the Liu Family would surely still force her to marry someone she didn''t like. "Hei ha?" Little Qianye rubbed his eyes and smack-smacked his way up to the table, extending a grey branch from his head and inscribing a row of characters on the table. After reading the characters, Fang Ren frowned. They simply repeated what had been said before about cultivating with nature''s spiritual energy and not breaking one''s body. "I mean, how can she start cultivating?" Fang Ren flicked its little rear end with his hand. "Hei ha, hei ha." Sitting on the table, little Qianye thought for a moment, then patted the grey halo on top of its head with its two spherical arms, beginning to chirp and chatter unintelligibly. "If you can inscribe, cut the chatter," Fang Ren said, his head lined with frustration. Little Qianye showed a helpless expression, shook its head, and finally extended a branch to inscribe two characters on the table: Fruit. Fang Ren paused, "Are you saying that in order for the Sacred Body of Return to Origin to begin cultivation, one must consume a specific fruit?" "Hei ha~" Little Qianye shook its head and added a few more characters: Eating fruit is simple. "Where does this fruite from?" Little Qianye then patted the grey halo atop its head again with both of its spherical arms. "Are you suggesting that one needs to eat fruit from a tree?" Fang Ren was startled. "Hei ha!" Little Qianye nodded emphatically. "When will you bear fruit?" Fang Ren frowned. With two or three bounces, little Qianye was atop his head, sitting on Fang Ren''s hair. Its eyes closed as the grey halo on its head began to expand. The scene was just like thest time it took Fang Ren into the Chaotic World. The halo expanded to about a meter in diameter and began to shed its radiance, enveloping Fang Ren entirely within a ck cylindrical space. In an instant, Fang Ren''s gaze became vacant. When he regained his senses, he found himself already in that ck world, faced with an enormous grey tree so immense he could only see a fraction of its entirety, unable to fathom its true size. "Hei ha, hei ha." Suddenly, little Qianye hopped onto his shoulder, pointing with one of its spherical arms to the various branches in the sky. Fang Ren looked up. The intecing branches above were without end, and at the tip of each, a colorful, radiant orb hung like fruit. However, these orbs had not been sorge on Fang Ren''sst visit; now they had grown to the size of apples. "Hei ha, hei ha!" Little Qianye pointed upwards with its spherical arms. Fang Ren was stunned but then began to ascend with his divine sense towards the specified branch, stopping at its tip and looking at little Qianye, "You want me to look at this fruit?" "Hei ha, hei ha!" Little Qianye hopped down, running around the colorful orb, sizing up the fruit before calling out to Fang Ren again. "You''re telling me to pick it?" Fang Ren leaned in to inspect the colorful orb and found a round fruit within its glow. "Hei ha!" Little Qianye nodded. Fang Ren carefully plucked the fruit enshrouded in colorful light from the tip of the branch. The fruit was very easy to pick; a gentle touch from Fang Ren was all it took for it to fall right into his palm. As the fruit detached from the branch, the glow surrounding it instantly faded, revealing its true color to Fang Ren. It was a purple fruit that didn''t resemble an apple as much as it did a walnut or, perhaps, a potato. It was quite firm and a bit warm to the touch. "Is this the fruit that can let a Sacred Body begin cultivation?" Fang Ren asked. "Hey ha!" Little Qianye nodded. Fang Ren nced at the fruit in his hand and then lifted his gaze to the countless fruits at the ends of the innumerable branches above. He asked nkly, "Can those be picked too?" "Hey ha!" Little Qianye nodded again. "All those fruits above... could each one be a different cultivation technique?" Fang Ren asked with a stunned look. "Hey ha." Little Qianye shook its head and carved two words on the trunk beside it with one of its branches: Opportunity. Fang Ren was dumbfounded as he looked at the two characters it carved out, clearly remembering how he had once eaten one of Little Qianye''s red fruits and obtained the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat. If all the fruits above were up for picking and each one represented an opportunity, then what was the point of cultivation? Why not just keep picking and chewing non-stop? Directly chew your way to the peak of humanity! Yes, that''s right! Nine Heavens Mysterious Male! "Why didn''t you tell me earlier, you little rascal!" Fang Ren immediately grabbed it, flicking its bottom with his finger. "Hey ha..." Little Qianye looked at him with a wronged expression, endlessly babbling "hey ha hey ha," though its intent was unclear. But Fang Ren didn''t care anymore. Hearing that all above were opportunities, why hesitate? Buzz¡ª Fang Ren flew straight to another branch and yanked at a colorful fruit. "Hey ha hey ha!" Seeing him like this, Little Qianye instantly sprang up, chirping anxiously non-stop. Fang Ren ignored it. As he detached the fruit from the branch, the colorful light surrounding it instantly dissipated. A white fruit, twinkling with specks of light, appeared in Fang Ren''s hand. It looked like a mango, but it had many hollow spots. Fang Ren didn''t have time to scrutinize it and turned to fly to another branch. Whoosh¡ª But just as he turned his head, he suddenly saw countless colored fruits on the many branches above turn into specks of light and gently drift into the endless darkness. For a moment, the entire sky was covered in a multicolored flowing light, which disappeared into the darkness after only five or six seconds. At the tip of each branch where fruit had been, there was no sign of them anymore; only a tiny speck of light remained, resembling a newly-formed young fruit. "Hey ha hey ha!" Little Qianye sat in his palm, angry and babbling incessantly. "What''s going on here?" Fang Ren frowned. Little Qianye extended a branch over its head and carved a row of words on the tree trunk beside it: One realm, one fruit. Fang Ren asked, "Does that mean for every realm I break through, this tree will bear fruits, and then I can only pick one from the many?" "Hey ha!" Little Qianye nodded. Fang Ren frowned again, "But I''ve only picked two so far. Gathering Qi, Solidifying Spirit, Yuanxin¡ªI''ve broken through three realms." "Hey ha hey ha!" Little Qianye quickly carved a few words next to it: Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat. That''s when Fang Ren remembered that the first time, Little Qianye helped him pick one; the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat were also included in his breakthroughs. "So you mean I can pick any one I like? Then what was all that fuss about just now?" Fang Ren said. Little Qianye shook its head and carved a few more words: Choose carefully. "How can I be careful? I don''t know what they do before I pick them, and even now, I don''t know what these two I have are for," Fang Ren said, waving his hand dismissively. Little Qianye frustratedly carved a few more words on the trunk: As the master''s cultivation rapidly advances, the Red Fruit is necessary. Fang Ren stood stunned for a moment, unprepared for this attribute of the fruit. His face twisted in regret as he looked at the white fruit in his hand, wishing he had paid more attention to the little guy''s chatter. "Hey ha hey ha!" Little Qianye carved a few more words: Opportunity is predestined; no need for regret. Fang Ren fell silent for a while and then nodded. If it was a matter of opportunity, then maybe the white fruit was destined to be his, sooner orter. Chapter 123: Chapter 121: Reaching the Pinnacle in Martial Arts – Part 1 ``` Whoosh¡ª The halo above Little Qianye''s head suddenly began to shrink. In the Chaotic World, Fang Ren felt his brain go nk for a moment, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself back in the ssroom. "Hei-ha hei-ha..." Little Qianye''s voice sounded extremely exhausted as it jumped down from above Fang Ren''s head, its entire round face looking ready to fall asleep. Fang Ren hurriedly caught it in the palm of his hand, but just as he had grasped Little Qianye, the little fellow spun around in his palm like a drunkard, and finallyy down and fell asleep. "It seems that taking me to that world is quite strenuous for you," Fang Ren said as he stroked its head, deeply moved. This time he didn''t put Little Qianye back in his pocket, but instead sent it directly back into his body. As a Spirit Form, it should be nourished by the Spiritual Root; sleeping and resting outside like this was not a long-term solution. After sending Little Qianye back to the Spiritual Root, Fang Ren looked at the table in front of him, where two fruits from the huge tree were lying. He remembered that these two fruits should be in his palm; how did they end up on the table? Fang Ren used his Divine Sense to probe Little Qianye, recalling the scene when Little Qianye had picked the red fruit for him. He then developed a theory. Perhaps he couldn''t bring the fruits from that world back by himself, and only the small halo above Little Qianye''s head had the power to transport each fruit back. After observing the two fruits for a while, Fang Ren first put the purple fruit into his Space Ring. It really was just like a macadamia nut¡ªhard in shape, a bit warm, but seemingly nothing more. Yet, it was the method that could start Liu Qianqian''s cultivation journey, so it must be something very special. Picking up the white fruit, Fang Ren observed it carefully several times. Its appearance was far more special than the purple macadamia nut. The white fruit not only radiated light from above, but if you looked closely at each of the small holes on it, you could see very tiny images spinning quickly within them, although Fang Ren couldn''t make out what the images were because they moved too fast. "Better just eat it and see, it is, after all, an opportunity I blindly stumbled upon," he thought With that thought, Fang Ren tossed the white fruit into his mouth. Crunch¡ª The fruit had no particr taste, and unlike the "Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat" fruit, which melted as soon as it touched the mouth, this fruit was crunchy and when swallowed, didn''t cause any abnormal reactions in his stomach. No more than three seconds had passed since he swallowed the whole white fruit. Hum¡ª His entire brain shook; a massive humming noise kept reverberating in his consciousness, like a dazzling meteor streaking past at high speed, like a sword breaking through mountains and rivers, unstoppable, like the birth and death of all things, profoundly impacting the heart. After a long while, the humming noisepletely disappeared from Fang Ren''s mind. He sat there with a nk stare, and then shook his head vigorously. Even though the humming had stopped, he still struggled to feel the presence of his five senses. "All Martial Arts to the Extreme, the peak realm..." Fang Ren plopped down onto his seat, his brain aching terribly. This state felt as though his senses had been stripped away from him: he couldn''t smell, hear, touch... it was extremely ufortable. After lying in his seat for a long time and gradually regaining some sensation in his body, his vacant and lifeless eyes still showed no sign of returning to normal. At that moment, Fang Ren''s vision of the world was blurred; he couldn''t see anything clearly, seeing only a mix of this color and that, all the colors blended together like a palette of paints spilled by an art student. "My eyes haven''t disappeared?" Fang Ren touched his eyes, feeling the actual presence of his eyeballs, and heaved a sigh of relief. The white fruit he had eaten wasn''t a cultivation technique, but what the Spiritual Root defined as a "heart method." This heart method was called "All Martial Arts to the Extreme," a special spell that allowed the user to master a wide variety of weapons and reach the peak realm in the way of weapons. Fang Ren didn''t understand what a heart method was, but it seemed to differ from the cultivation technique in that cultivation techniques need to be practiced, whereas this did not. The so-called peak of all martial arts seemed to have taken root directly in Fang Ren''s consciousness, with all sorts of information, perceptual power, control, and even tricks Fang Ren had never encountered before... They all appeared innate in his brain like they had always been there. However, Fang Ren realized after eating the fruit that with the attainment of this peak realm of all martial arts, he was supposed topletely lose his vision, because the fruit contained something called "mind''s eye" which could evolve the way of all weapons once again. To gain the mind''s eye, one must give up the flesh eyes. After pausing for a while, Fang Ren began to close his eyes to feel everything around him. Hum¡ª In an instant, everything within a ten-meter radius around his body appeared in his brain like a picture. What he could see was no longer just what was in front of his eyes. This so-called "mind''s eye" felt like a divine sense that was incredibly powerful yet had a smaller scope; it was countless times more potent than the divine sense in conveying information, but its range was extremely limited. ``` Fang Ren rose to his feet, broke off a leg from a stool, and turned to leave the ssroom, heading for the rooftop of the teaching building. "The so-called summit-seizing state... all things can be weapons..." Fang Ren suddenly adopted a slight squatting posture, eyes steadily closed. His surroundings were a gray world, yet they perfectly outlined the prototype of every object. His palm gently held the wooden leg of the stool without circting True Qi within his body, and he didn''t exert much physical strength either; his whole body remained rxed. "sh!" Suddenly, Fang Ren swept the leg of the stool horizontally in his hand. Bang¡ª The air around him burst open as if detonated, an invisible force cutting through the air, flying continuously towards the distant horizon. This unseen force was ten meters wide, incredibly sharp, resembling the essence of a sword''s strike. The floor tiles under his feet had cracked under an invisible pressure, marked with spirals of destruction as though sliced by a tornado-shaped de. Yet his legs were still rxed and slightly bent, without exerting much force. Fang Ren lowered his head, eyes still closed, looking at the stool leg in his palm. He had not used a trace of True Qi just now, and the force in his arm didn''t even reach thirty pounds, but the power unleashed had already exceeded a thousand pounds. However, that wasn''t the point. The point was that a leg of a stool made of wood could wield an invisible force that was hardly distinguishable from the essence of a sword. The so-called summit-seizing state is exactly that: all things can be weapons. ording to this method, even if he grabbed a handful of air, he could wield the power of all weapons. "Who needs weapons... just using the air as a weapon will do." Fang Ren looked bewildered. Tap, tap, tap¡­ The wooden stool leg in his hand suddenly turned into dust, scattering in the air. He still couldn''t fully control this force; the power he had used was still too great, exceeding the wood''s endurance. As the method described, he couldpletely ensure that the wood remained unscathed while unleashing attacks of this magnitude. He then took out the Silver Battle Sickle that Mu Huanqing had given him from his Space Ring. This time, the sickle felt weightless in his hands, and he could flip it rapidly with just a casual flick of his fingers. Moreover, his understanding of this weapon had exceeded his previous knowledge; it felt as though he held masterful insight into every offensive and defensive move it could make. "Let''s give it a try." He ced the head of the sickle on the ground, its de pointing skyward. Swipe¡ª Fang Ren suddenly flung the sickle into the sky, and a silver wave of light soared into the heavens, a hundred feet tall and gone in a sh. It was too fast for even his Divine Sense to catch. On the rooftop of the ssroom building, ayer of the flooring had been neatly severed as if by some high-tech precision cutter, with a very smooth fracture and not a single excess fragment. "This cultivation technique is a bit too strong. Right now, I''ve only used a tiny amount of force and haven''t even used True Qi, nor have I activated the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat, yet I can already deliver destruction beyond the capabilities of my current realm..." After putting away the sickle, Fang Ren looked at the floor tiles his casual swings had destroyed, feeling extremely excited yet somewhat distressed. It was time to "confess" to Liu Qianqian again. "It''s a pity that my eyes seempletely done for. How am I going to see my beloved Qing''er on the bed in the future¡­ cough cough!" Fang Ren shook his head helplessly and began to open his eyes. But when he opened his eyes this time, he was stunned. He saw that everything in front of him had returned to normal, without the previous mix of colors, and he could clearly see all the objects around him. He got a shock and quickly closed his eyes again to activate his mind''s eye, which was still intact. "What''s going on? Wasn''t I supposed to lose my eyesight?" Filled with confusion, Fang Ren started to walk downstairs. Halfway through, he suddenly remembered his Asura nature, how his body could rapidly repair any damage. He thought this might well be the reason. But the Asura''s self-healing abilities didn''t cover everything, such as the heart; if that was destroyed, he would die outright with no chance of recovery. However, Fang Ren remembered that while in the Asura path, even if his brain was damaged, it seemed to repair itself while retaining consciousness. He wondered what it would be like in reality. Chapter 124: Chapter 122: Liu Qianqian Speaks (Second Update)_1 ``` Fang Ren sat on the steps outside the lecture hall. He had just phoned Liu Qianqian, telling her about how he damaged the floor of the lecture hall, asking her toe and take a look, and how much she wanted inpensation, he was ready to pay in full. During the call, Liu Qianqian''s voice sounded somewhat low and indifferent. Fang Ren didn''t know if it was because she had been asleep and he had woken her up, making her unhappy. Before long, Liu Qianqian, dressed in pink pajamas, arrived at the lecture hall. Herplexion still wasn''t great, butpared to the morning, her eyes had improved a lot, and she wasn''t as taciturn as before. At least she had answered Fang Ren''s call and hade outte at night. Seeing here over, Fang Ren stood up and walked towards her, saying somewhat awkwardly, "Um, I damaged the rooftop again. Should I take you up to see it?" "No need," Liu Qianqian shook her head, her voice very low. Fang Ren paused for a moment, then said, "If you''re not going to look at the floor, there was really no need toe out. When I called you, you could have just jotted it down in your notebook." "I have something to ask you," she said. Liu Qianqian lifted her head, her lifeless eyes fixed on Fang Ren as she spoke. When Fang Ren met her gaze, he was taken aback. He had never seen her like this before--her despondency was frightening, and he could not see any of the usual spirit in her eyes. "Is it about the incident with your mother the other day?" Fang Ren said, "I''m sorry, maybe I went too far..." Liu Qianqian shook her head and replied, "No, she is excessive towards others too, that''s the treatment she deserves. I don''t think there''s anything wrong with you demanding her apology." "Then what is it for?" Fang Ren asked. "I want to know about you and student Hui Qing," Liu Qianqian said, looking straight at him. "Why would you ask about that?" Fang Ren said, puzzled. "I just want to know," said Liu Qianqian, her gaze still firmly on him. Fang Ren felt somewhat ufortable under her relentless, somber gaze. He couldn''t fathom why she would be acting like this, other than because of her mother. "Alright, go ahead and ask," Fang Ren nodded. "The Mu Family must already know about your rtionship with her, and they must be trying to stop you two from being together. Thest time she came here to find you, she must havee secretly, right?" Liu Qianqian said. "Indeed, it was kind of secretive. After all, if the Mu Family knew she came to see me, probably no one would approve," Fang Ren said. Liu Qianqian: "She really loves you..." "Uh, what''s up?" "To defy family opposition, to disregard the rules of the battlefield, to act solely for what she wants." "..." Fang Ren didn''t understand what she was trying to say. Liu Qianqian kept looking at him, her expressionless face continuing, "I really envy her strength, doing whatever she wants, and even if her family finds out she secretly visited you, her family won''t punish her. The Mu Family wouldn''t dare punish you, either, because she has the power to protect you. No matter how many rules there are on the battlefield, she has the ability to break them, and even if there are countless mountains and seas between them, she has the ability to cross them instantly... She''s such a perfect person, for you." "What''s gotten into you today?" Fang Ren was beginning to worry about the Liu Qianqian in front of him. From beginning to end, her gaze hadn''t left his eyes, and her face was emotionless. Rather than saying her mood was low, it might be more urate to say that she looked... fearless. Yes, fearless, as if she wasn''t afraid of anything and didn''t care about anything. "There''s nothing wrong with me. I just think everything about her is just too good for you," said Liu Qianqian. ``` "I don''t understand what you mean," Fang Ren said, frowning. "I used to think it would be very difficult for you two to be together, but now it seems, as long as she sets her heart on being with you, nothing will be too hard because she dares to oppose her family, and she has the ability to oppose them as well," Liu Qianqian said. Fang Ren shook his head and sighed, "No, you''re wrong. Even if we disregard the public''s gaze, even if she has the ability to stand against her family''s decisions... there are still unimaginable difficulties ahead of us that block our path." "There might still be difficulties, but for Xuan Nv of the Ninth Heaven, can those things even be called difficulties?" Liu Qianqian said. Fang Ren sighed. Liu Qianqian had no idea about the situation at the Central District Command, and he didn''t want to discuss these matters with her further, because they were simply tooplicated, and she might not even believe them. "If only I had been that powerful in the past," Liu Qianqian''s gaze was still fixed on Fang Ren''s eyes. "Don''t worry, you''ll soon break free from your family''s marriage constraints," Fang Ren said. "You''ve misunderstood again, Woody," the redness began to appear in Liu Qianqian''s eyes, "To be urate, what I want is not marriage freedom, and the strength I speak of was needed in the past." "..." "Then I would have had enough confidence to ept the boy who confessed to me twice, to say that I wanted to be his girlfriend," she continued, her eyes growing redder, "Then I wouldn''t have to worry about my family opposing me; even if my family wanted to hurt him, I would have been strong enough to protect him from harm. I could be brave, I wouldn''t let him mistake me for just wanting to be his ordinary friend, and I could agree to any of his requests, as long as he asked me..." As she spoke, tears finally escaped from the corners of Liu Qianqian''s eyes, and she kept her unwavering gaze on Fang Ren. The Fang Ren standing before her, hearing her words and seeing the tears falling from her eyes, felt as if his brain had short-circuited. He began to doubt what he was hearing, what he was seeing. "Right?" Liu Qianqian''s voice trembled, tears covered her cheeks, "If only I were strong, if I were strong we could be together. At that riverbank that day, I could have excitedly thrown myself into the arms of you in formal attire, epted the flowers you gave me, and shed tears of happiness saying I love you. I don''t want to be friends anymore; I want to be your girlfriend, to be your bride! I don''t want to keep giving you vague hints, I don''t want the flowers you were about to give me thrown in the trash. Then I would have run after them, crying, picking them out of the trash cans! Crying alone by the river for a long time! The next day I had to endure the heartache and deliberately ignore you, acting as if keeping my distance, spending my days with Li Xinyue and the others!" By the end of her speech, Liu Qianqian became overwhelmed with emotion, her hand clutching her chest fiercely, almost crying out in heartrending pain. "Do you have any idea how you''re like a pig? If I didn''t like you, why would I hold hands with you every day? Why would I share my half-drunk beverage with you? Why would I sleep on yourp during a nap? I even pretended my chest hurt one time and pulled your hand to touch my chest. Am I sick? Do I have a mental deficiency? Am I a three-year-old kid who doesn''t know those ces can''t be touched by men?" Yelling and crying, Liu Qianqian''s tears continuously dripped from her chin, falling to the concrete and blooming into a tear-flower. Fang Ren waspletely stunned, his expression nothing short ofplex. As he listened to her words, he began to recall the past, all those couple-like scenarios, those jokes that were nowhere near what friends would say... How did it suddenly be true... "I just don''t understand why I was born into that family! Why couldn''t you be the one they forced me to marry! Why does protecting you from getting hurt by my family end up with me being severely punished in the end? I''ve had enough!!" Liu Qianqian''s hair became a mess as she cried and shouted, her tears flying through the air as she shook her head, some evennding on the back of Fang Ren''s hand. The warmth of those tears felt like a red-hot branding iron, striking his tumultuous heart with bouts of sourness and stinging pain. "It''s all my fault! It''s all because I can''t break free from my family! It''s all because I can''t protect you! It''s all because I''m not as strong as Mu Huanqing! Isn''t that right? Isn''t it!" Liu Qianqian''s voice grew hoarser by the moment. "It''s all in the past..." The moment those words left Fang Ren''s mouth, he suddenly felt sick. How could he say such a thing about this situation? "Yes! For you, everything is in the past, but for me, it never passes! The boy I like! Even if I keep getting hurt, I will protect him from my family''s harm! Why doesn''t Hui Qing care about how much you get hurt by societal judgment? The boy I would risk my life to protect! Why does she still need to prove herself worthy before she can marry you?" Liu Qianqian screamed until she ran out of strength, then copsed on the ground, sobbing, "Is it just because she''s strong... Why does the world give her talents and me a Spirit Embryo that confines me to marriage... Why can she be with you while I have to consider so much... It''s unfair..." Fang Ren also squatted down immediately, looking at Liu Qianqian''s tear-streaked face, which could only be described as "miserably crying." For a moment, he couldn''t find any words to say. His throat felt blocked by a huge stone, fearing any word he might speak could make her more distressed, or be disloyal to Mu Hui. In that instant, he felt as if he was suffering from a split personality, on one side desperately wanting to console the person before him, using anynguage, even if it involved deceiving her, even if it meant temporarily betraying Mu Hui. On the other side, he reminded himself frantically that he had Qing''er, and that Qing''er was pregnant, he absolutely must not speak those words. Not even a little bit! Chapter 125: Chapter 123: Insomnia_1 "Like you, such a blockhead... Are you trying to tell me now that the world has always been this unfair?" Liu Qianqian said through tears. Fang Ren replied softly, "I shouldn''t be that stupid..." "No! You are absolutely that stupid!" Liu Qianqian said: "Thest time I cried in front of you, you were like a pig! You understood nothing! Are you pretending or are you really clueless?" "I thought in your eyes... the past was really just something between friends, and I could have misunderstood a lot of what you said, so I didn''t think too much about it," Fang Ren said. "I''m not sick, to let you touch my chest..." Fang Ren fell silent for a long while before saying, "Let''s not talk about those things. I don''t know how to address this current situation, but... it''s like fate, I guess. Once missed, it can only be missed; it''s not possible to force things back to the past." "Didn''t you used to not believe in fate?" Liu Qianqian''s tearful eyes looked at him: "And now you''re talking to me about fate..." "I..." Fang Ren didn''t know what to say anymore and simply squatted down and closed his mouth. Memories of Liu Qianqian and himself kept flooding his mind, and Fang Ren desperately wanted these images to stop, but his nerves were out of his control. "I thought after Mu Hui left, I''d have my chance. I wanted to happily tell you that I could win first ce in the pillpetition, that I could have the freedom to marry, that I could date and marry you... Why is she so courageous, as if she''s not afraid of anything? I''m so envious of her..." Liu Qianqian kept crying as she spoke. Fang Ren fell silent for a while, then said, "The day she left me, she told me something. She said she would be very strong, so strong that nothing could stand against us, strong enough to break free from the arrangements of the Central District Command. She has her worries too, and there are things she''s afraid of, but I am also striving, and she doesn''t want to leave me climbing up alone." "So I say she''s really too good," Liu Qianqian said: "Maybe I sounded a bit jealous before, but how could I not be jealous?" "Sorry, I really didn''t consider that much before... I didn''t know you would be the young miss of the Liu Family, and I didn''t think your marriage would be constrained." "Don''t apologize, you never owed me anything... it''s just that Icked the ability to resist, it''s all my fault," Liu Qianqian said, shaking her head: "I even thought that if you two didn''t end up together, I could really try to win you back, but I never imagined your rtionship would be this good, that she, as a Xuan Nv, could also disregard everything..." Fang Ren was in disarray: "I don''t know how tofort you..." Liu Qianqian revealed a bitter smile: "You really are a blockhead, I really don''t understand why the Xuan Nv would fall for a pig like you..." Fang Ren couldn''t help but smile wryly, feeling very confused inside. "I don''t know why, but I just like you, this pig... I''m this nice cabbage that you won''t root, yet you insist on eating carrots..." Liu Qianqian said with a bitter smile. After a long time, Liu Qianqian wiped the tears from her face and asked, "Can you give me an answer?" "What?" "Do you think I still have a chance?" "..." Fang Ren never expected her to be so stubborn. Things had already developed to this point, yet she still refused to back down. The more she behaved like this, the more he felt he owed her. "I must try hard to marry Qing''er," Fang Ren said, his gaze downcast. "So that means I have no chance, not even a little," Liu Qianqian said with a bitter smile. Fang Ren hesitated for a moment before saying, "You''re so beautiful and have such a nice personality, there are many boys who like you. You''ll definitely meet someone better in the future." Liu Qianqian shook her head: "Love is not because I know he is outstanding that I like him, but because even though I know he''s not outstanding, I still like him. If everyone loved someone because of their outstanding qualities, then there would be no love in this world." Listening to her words, Fang Ren fell silent inside. Liu Qianqian was right, even if he didn''t know Mu Huanqing was the Xuan Nv of the Nine Heavens, even if Mu Huanqing''s legs could never be healed, even if Mu Huanqing''s face was scarred, he would still love her and not choose a more outstanding woman. "Since you have already told me the answer, I think there''s no need for me to participate in any pillpetition," said Liu Qianqian as she stood up, her voice a bit hoarse, "Besides, there is one more thing I want to ask you." "Go ahead." "Can my constitution really cultivate?" Liu Qianqian asked. "If Master Qingan has said it is possible, then it must be possible," Fang Ren affirmed. "Since you know Master Qingan, I want to know how I can start cultivating," Liu Qianqian said, her gaze still downcast, "I want to be stronger. I don''t want anyone else to control my destiny, or to force me into missing out on people and things." Watching her downcast demeanor, Fang Ren said, "Actually, Master Qingan values your constitution highly. He had already sent someone yesterday to give me a fruit that can help you cultivate." "Really?" Fang Ren took out the purple fruit from his storage space and said, "Of course it''s true. Once you eat this fruit, you can start cultivating." "Why does he want to help me? Or rather, is it you who is helping me?" Liu Qianqian asked. "Don''t worry about that; all you need to know is that neither he nor I would ever harm you," Fang Ren said. Liu Qianqian slowly reached out and took the fruit, staring at it with a somber look. After a while, she finally said, "Let me help you." "Huh? Help with what?" "I''ll help you marry Mu Huanqing," Liu Qianqian said. "I can handle my own affairs. You should focus on seizing control of your own destiny. I hope that next time, you''ll meet someone you like even more, and you''ll have the courage to pursue that person without any reservations," Fang Ren said. Liu Qianqian clutched the fruit tightly in her hand, her eyes still red, shook her head with a smile and said, "That won''t happen." "Don''t be so absolute. There are still many days ahead," Fang Ren said. Liu Qianqian didn''t respond to his remark. Instead, she tucked away the fruit and said, "I''m leaving." Fang Ren nodded and added, "Get some rest, and don''t be too eager in your cultivation. I hope you''ll be better, not looking like this every day..." Liu Qianqian turned her head, walked away into the distance, and said with a low, hoarse voice, "Thank you... Master Qingan..." When Fang Ren heard her words, he stood watching her lonely and sad figure disappear, feeling a hint of red well up in the corners of his eyes. He quickly blinked and sat back down on the steps. She finally took his word for being Qingan seriously... Fang Ren just sat on the steps, watching her go, while scenes of the two of them together as friends kept surging through his mind. His heart was far from the calmness he showed on the surface. His emotions were in turmoil, he even felt like grabbing his hair and gritting his teeth with frustration. That night, Fang Ren didn''t return to the dormitory; he simply sat on the steps the whole night, sometimes practicing alchemy, sometimes reaching out to grab the air and flick it away, hoping it would distract him from his restlessness. But despite all that, he still felt not a hint of sleepiness, didn''t want to go back to the dormitory and chatter with roommates, didn''t want to sleep, just wanted to be alone for a while. Tonight, he suffered from insomnia. And when Liu Qianqian left, she was looking at the purple fruit in her hand, smiling bitterly and murmuring to herself, "The days toe will be short... after the two of you are together, I''ll set out on a journey alone... never to see anyone I know again." When she got back to the dormitory, she didn''t talk much with her roommates either, justy down on the bed, staring nkly at the ceiling, holding the fruit Fang Ren gave her. Tonight, she also suffered from insomnia. Chapter 126: Chapter 124: The Battle Begins Today (Four Updates)_1 Just before six in the morning, Fang Reny in the ssroom, squinting for a while. His mood had finally be a bit more stable. Although it wasn''t much of an issue for a cultivator of his realm to stay up all night, after swinging at the air for the entire evening, he was indeed very tired. Click-- Suddenly, the ssroom door was opened, and Bai Qi, dressed in a school uniform and carrying a bag of buns, wobbled in, a duckbill cap perched on his head. "Why are you up so early?" Fang Ren asked as soon as Bai Qi entered. Upon hearing Fang Ren''s voice, Bai Qi turned his head, removed his cap, revealing two dark circles and a haggard face, and said, "Just got off work." "You worked the night shift?" Fang Ren was taken aback. "Yeah, couldn''t find any other jobs, and there''s a barbecue ce nearby that was hiring for the night shift, so I went there," Bai Qi exined with a resigned look as he approached. "Worked the whole night?" Fang Ren was surprised, "Don''t the barbecue ces here close at two in the morning?" "After two o''clock, they break for half an hour, but I still had to skewer meat until five in the morning, then unload goods; it''s totally soaked my hands." As he spoke, Bai Qi stretched out his delicate hands, speaking with tiredness on his face, noticeable peeling on his little hands. Fang Ren said, stunned, "You''re pushing yourself too hard..." Bai Qiy down on Fang Ren''s desk and said, "Who knew this body couldn''t handle staying up all night? If it weren''t for the dispersing spirit mark on me, staying awake for seven days and nights would be no problem." "Do you want to change jobs?" Fang Ren suggested. "No, themute to other jobs are too far, I''d have to take the bus, which costs four yuan each round trip, adding up to one hundred and twenty yuan a month gone," Bai Qi said earnestly. "If you''re really that tired, don''t force yourself to work. I have some money you can borrow and pay me back in two years," Fang Ren offered. "No, I can''t have you supporting me, I must be self-reliant," Bai Qi replied with seriousness lighting up her small face as she opened the bag of buns, "Have you had breakfast yet?" Fang Ren nced at the six small buns in the bag and said, "I''ve already eaten, can you get full on just those?" "No problem," Bai Qi said and took a bun to eat, her spirit dragging and eyes circled with dark shadows as she chewed. "You should sleep during sster, you''re not here to learn alchemy anyway," Fang Ren said. "Then you''ve got to cover for me, otherwise, if the teacher sees, I''ll lose face for the Bai Family," Bai Qi replied. "Just eat," Fang Ren said. Having said that, Fang Ren left the ssroom, had a simple breakfast in the canteen, and then brought back a cup of soy milk to the ssroom. When he returned, Bai Qi had finished the buns and was already asleep on the desk. Fang Ren walked over, cing the cup of soy milk beside her, then found a spot to rest his head as well, his energy greatly depleted from practicing "All Martial Arts to the Extreme" the night before; he needed to recharge. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly felt someone tap his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he saw Jian Qi''er standing next to him with a solemn look on her face. Fang Ren took another look at Bai Qi, finding her sound asleep and the cup of soy milk untouched. "What''s up?" Fang Ren asked. After casting a nce at Bai Qi, Jian Qi''er said, "Come out with me for a minute." Not far from the ssroom, Jian Qi''er began with a deeply furrowed brow, "Lately, due to the presence of the Tianjiang Investigation Group, the thugs from Indra Sky have grown more brazen. Justst night, they released a fifth-order void beast for testing and brought with them a group of cultivators under their control." "Where?" Fang Ren immediately became serious upon hearing this. "In the forest three kilometers north of Linglong Bay," Jian Qi''er replied. "Has your organization already started fighting them?" Fang Ren asked, frowning. "Not yet, but today we''re sure to have a big battle with Indra Sky," Jian Qi''er said with a solemn expression. "Releasing the void beasts these past days, is there a possibility they''re deliberately luring your people into an attack? There might be traps," Fang Ren suggested. "Traps are definitely there," Jian Qi''er stated, "But we can''t concern ourselves with that now. Last night, our people saw Indra Sky using dozens of practitioners like cattle for experiments! We have to rescue those practitioners quickly!" "Has Indra Sky''srgeboratory been found?" "We''ll find it by noon today. We''ve already checked all the possible secret spots around, leaving only the underground world of Linglong Bay and a few nearby small towns." "Then to hell with school today, just take me along, let''s get this over with," Fang Ren said determinedly. "What are you thinking?" Jian Qi''er gave him a nce and said, "There are masters protecting you, how can youe with me?" Fang Ren became worried as soon as he heard this. Lin Bozhong had been following him in secret the whole time. If he went directly to the Nightfall Organization, that would be the end of him. "Anyway, it''s impossible for you toe with us, but you can find a reason to approach them. However, when the timees, you''ll have to figure everything out yourself," Jian Qi''er said. "But it would be best if you didn''t go at all." "If I take him there, wouldn''t that be adding an enemy of the Blue Sky Realm to your organization?" "That''s why I think it''s better for you not to go. Just stay at school and focus on Alchemy. We''ll take care of Indra Sky, and our organization will tread on Central Command," Jian Qi''er stated. "No, I will find a way myself. When the fight starts, send me a message quickly," Fang Ren asserted. Jian Qi''er hesitated for a moment before saying, "Alright then, if by chance you make it to the battlefield, remember not to stray too far from me. Otherwise, in the chaos of battle, no one will protect you, and you will die." "I have my own means of self-protection," Fang Ren said. "Right, also, make sure you don''t let Bai Qi leave the school grounds today. As long as she doesn''t go out, the Bai Family''s Chen Cheng will have to stay by her side to protect her. That way, our organization can have an easier time," Jian Qi''er instructed. "That''ll be easy," Fang Ren said. "But did youe here just to tell me this? You could have said all this over the phone." "Of course, that''s not all. I came to ask if you have any practical pills for the battlefield. After all, we''re not clear on how many people from the Tianjiang Investigation Group havee. As for the money for the pills, I will give it to you after the fight is over," Jian Qi''er exined. Frowning, Fang Ren took an iron box out of his Space Ring and handed it to her, saying, "This box has many Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pills, and there are also a few Burst Qi Pills with side effects. They can enhancebat power for a short period, but after a day, the meridians will be exhausted for two days." Jian Qi''er nced around, did not open the box, and simply ced it into her own Space Ring, expressing gratitude, "Thanks! If you need any help in the future, I and my master will definitely give you our strongest support!" "You''d better get back quickly, don''t miss anything," Fang Ren urged. "Alright then, can you ask the ss monitor to excuse meter? I need to hurry back," Jian Qi''er said. ... After Jian Qi''er left, Fang Ren returned to the ssroom where Bai Qi was still asleep. Fang Ren approached her, taking out a brown Leisure Pill and dropping it into the soy milk on her desk. This was a low-grade pill that could improve a normal person''s sleep quality, allowing for better rest. Generally, it wasn''t very effective, but Fang Ren happened to have many such trinkets on him. Once Bai Qi drank it, she would be extremely sleepy for the next ten hours and wouldn''t feel like doing anything other than sleeping--preventing her from wandering off. The saying ''better safe than sorry'' was indeed true. However, ten hourster, Bai Qi''s spirits would be exceptionally recovered, and she wouldn''t feel tired when going to work her night shift. Fang Ren justified his actions as helping her. After cing the pill, Fang Ren gently tapped Bai Qi''s shoulder. "Hmm?" Bai Qi woke up, drowsy and with dark circles under her eyes, looking at Fang Ren: "What''s up?" "I got you some soy milk; drink it up while it''s still hot, or it''s going to get cold," Fang Ren said. Bai Qi then noticed the cup of soy milk by her arm, blinked at it, and looked back at Fang Ren. "What''s wrong?" Fang Ren asked, startled. "Are you, like, into me or something?" Bai Qi said with sleep-muddled eyes. "What?" Fang Ren''s face fell, and he said, "If that''s what you think, then don''t drink it. Give me back my money, too." "No, no, no," Bai Qi immediately guarded the soy milk and, with dark circles still under her eyes, said smilingly, "I''m just joking. Don''t take it seriously, okay? I almost choked on a bun this morning, and there''s no water in the dispenser here. If it weren''t for my period, I might have run to drink cold tap water." "Why didn''t you buy something hot to drink on your way here?" "Soy milk is expensive, you know, three yuan a cup. Think about it, three yuan every day, that''s ny yuan a month! I''m still borrowing money from you for meals; I can''t afford to waste any," Bai Qi exined. Fang Ren pped his forehead, marveling at how the noble princess had suddenly turned into a frugal housekeeper. "Let me be clear, I will pay you back for this soy milk. I am not being kept by you, not at all," Bai Qi dered seriously. "Alright, alright, whatever you say," Fang Ren replied. "But can you just not run around today and head straight back to the dorm to sleep after ss?" "I don''t have the energy to run around. You''re overthinking it." As she spoke, Bai Qi picked up the straw and began happily sipping the soy milk, contented and unbothered about anything else. Seeing her like this, Fang Ren figured there probably wasn''t too much to worry about. Before long, Bai Qi finished her soy milk and started dozing off at the desk again. Observing Bai Qi, who was innocent yet somewhat stubborn, Fang Ren''s heart filled with even greater hatred for the Indra Sky Organization. Innocent people were forced to endure their cruel experiments. And the Bai Family''s Bai Chaojin was even more heartless, allowing his own granddaughter, Bai Qi, to suffer such cruelty! Chapter 127: Chapter 125: The Unparalleled Genius, Liu Qianqian? (Five Updates)_1 After a while, students began arriving in the ssroom one after another. Fang Ren looked at Bai Qi, who was still asleep next to him, and gently nudged her arm again. "Hmm?" Bai Qi woke up again, her face blurry with sleep, looking at Fang Ren with panda eyes, and said, "Is it time for lunch?" "..." Fang Ren was stunned by her words. Ever since he had met this girl, she had never been fully satiated whening to meet him--always thinking about eating! "No, go back to sleep. When you wake up, it''ll be time to eat." "Okay." Thump-- Saying that, Bai Qi promptly fell asleep again, Fang Ren had a vein pop in frustration. The reason he touched Bai Qi was to test whether she would sleep soundly and not wake up; otherwise, it would be troublesome if she slept from now until evening. Fortunately, Bai Qi was still a practitioner at the Peak of Azure Sky Realm, and even with the dispersed spirit mark on her body, her subconscious alertness remained. A light touch would wake her up. After some time, Fang Ren saw Liu Qianqian at the ssroom entrance. Her appearance today was somewhat special. While her face was still free of makeup, she looked even more beautiful than before, yet her expression remained impassive, giving her an air of cold beauty. Unlike her usual youthful vigor. It seems that she must have consumed that fruitst night. However, Fang Ren currently couldn''t perceive any fluctuations of True Qi in her body, which clearly meant she hadn''t broken through the most basic Realm yet. "ss is about to start, why aren''t you going in?" Liu Qianqian came to Fang Ren and spoke. "Oh, Jian Qi''er asked me to help her ask you for leave. She has a fever," Fang Ren said. "I got it." Liu Qianqian turned around to enter the ssroom. "Wait." Fang Ren stopped her and whispered, "Did you gain anything after eating that fruitst night?" Liu Qianqian nced around and noticed that Li Xinyue and the other two sisters from her dorm were looking in their direction, incessantly signaling her with their eyes. It was as if they were telling her to stay away from the jerk. Liu Qianqian walked a few steps down the stairs, creating some distance from her ssmates, and Fang Ren followed. "I obtained a Cultivation Technique called ''Heavenly Primordial Star Scroll,'' and then my Spirit Embryo suddenly came to life like it had started to nourish my body and was continuously absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth''s Qi," Liu Qianqian said. "Heaven and Earth''s Qi?" Fang Ren was taken aback and closed his eyes to open his heart vision, but when he did, he was astounded. All he saw was Heaven and Earth''s Qi within dozens of meters around them converging upon Liu Qianqian. The colossal energy formed a giant vortex with Liu Qianqian standing at its center, and the Qi continuously flowed into her Spirit Embryo. As Qianye''s inscriptions stated, her meridians were like conduits to the surrounding Heaven and Earth, unwilling to remain inside the body and invisible to the naked eye. This was the Qi of Heaven and Earth! It contained many energies that practitioners were unable to use; only the Spiritual Energy could be refined for personal use, while the rest of the Qi had to be discarded! Liu Qianqian could absorb all the energies within and utilize them. This... If she were to use her True Qi for offense, how powerful could it be? Fang Ren opened his eyes in shock and said, "Speaking of which, do you feel like you''re on the verge of a breakthrough?" "Not right now, I just had onest night," Liu Qianqian replied. "What? You broke through?" Fang Ren was dumbfounded. "Then why can''t I sense your Cultivation Realm?" Liu Qianqian blinked, and suddenly the Heaven and Earth''s Qi within her surged forth. Hum-- Fang Ren was less than half a meter away from her, and as the Qi radiated from her, he felt as if his surroundings had be heavy. "Peak of the Qi Gathering Stage!?" Fang Ren waspletely dumbstruck. One must realize that Liu Qianqian was just an ordinary human yesterday morning! Overnight, she went from being an ordinary person to the Peak of the Qi Gathering Stage! It had taken Fang Ren nearly a week to suddenly reach the Peak of Intense Concentration, and although he was one realm higher than Liu Qianqian, her speed was certainly much faster than his. As the Qi of Heaven and Earth surged out, Fang Ren felt as though he was weighed down by ayer of air several tens of pounds heavy. Although a few dozen pounds weren''t much for Fang Ren, Liu Qianqian was just starting her cultivation and was merely a little practitioner at the Peak of the Qi Gathering Stage. What if she were at the same realm as him... How heavy would that qi presence be? Is this the pressure of Heaven and Earth''s Qi? It''s not at allparable to ordinary True Qi! Liu Qianqian immediately retracted her Qi and said, "Last night, I was sleeping, and suddenly I felt a pain in my lower abdomen, and then I discovered I had broken through." "..." Fang Ren blinked, speechless. It was just a night''s sleep, and she had already broken through? Was there no mercy left for those so-called talents in Tianjiang? "You... are the true genius..." Fang Ren said, stunned. Liu Qianqian nced at him, her face expressionless as she spoke, "No matter the talent, it was all thanks to you." Fang Ren smiled, "I said I would help you, so of course I''ll see it through to the end." "But no matter how gifted I am, Master Qingan won''t regard me highly, right?" Liu Qianqian looked at him and said. Fang Ren''s smile stiffened, "We said all that was in the past." "It''s a pity I can''t move on," Liu Qianqian replied. "I never thought of getting back together with you. I just wanted you to find joy with someone you like." "You just manage your own fate well, I can handle my own matters," Fang Ren said. "The decision on this matter is mine to make. You don''t like me, so are you saying that I''m not allowed to like you?" Liu Qianqian said, turning her head directly back to the ssroom. Fang Ren stood where he was, sighed helplessly. Life was full of regrets, and some people and things were simply beyond one''s control. Seeing Liu Qianqian''s condition, Fang Ren also felt somewhat reassured. Her Heaven and Earth''s Qi seemed to not expose her realm as long as she didn''t actively use it, which was a small ability that could be very beneficial to her. "Qianye," Fang Ren called out to the little Qianye inside his body. "Heiha?" The little Qianye suddenly popped out of his Spiritual Root andnded on his hand with a puzzled look on its face. "Will she be very strong in the future?" Fang Ren asked, looking at his ss. "Heiha!" Little Qianye vigorously nodded its head, extending two twigs from the top, then one twig carved several words on the other: Destined to be an Immortal. "Immortal?" Fang Ren frowned, "What kind of level is that?" Little Qianye then carved a few more words on the twig: Eternal life, travels through Ten Thousand Realms. "..." Fang Ren broke into a cold sweat; the evaluation in those eight words was somewhat too terrifying and far exceeded his understanding. Since the opening of the Great Cultivation Era on Earth to the present day, realms had been defined by humans themselves, who after careful spection had named eachyer. The so-called Fractured Void Stage was the highest realm deduced by humans, and it was said that those who reached that realm could shatter the void and grant Earth a peaceful homnd. But the Cultivation Era on Earth had only begun 210 years ago; no one knew what other worlds looked like, or how realms were divided there. "Much stronger than the Fractured Void Stage?" Fang Ren asked. Little Qianye continued to carve: Very, very much stronger. "..." Fang Ren was dumbfounded. Had he really created a goddess who could transcend worlds? Little Qianye, seeing his dumbfounded look, promptly patted his hand and carved: Master will be stronger than her. "Ga?" Fang Ren raised an eyebrow, "Why do I feel... you''re freaking lying to me." "Heiha heiha!" The moment it heard what he said, Little Qianye immediately became agitated, angrily sitting in the palm of his hand, turning its face away from him in a huff. "Hey hey hey, just kidding," Fang Ren said with a chuckle, patting its head. "After all, you''re my Spirit Form, how could you possibly lie to me? But in the future, don''t mention things I''ve already clearly understood. I, your master, love to keep a low profile." "Heiha?" Little Qianye disdainfully rolled its eyes at him. As the ss time was approaching, just when Fang Ren was about to return to the ssroom, Lin Bozhong also seemed to have run over from somewhere. "Young Master, the medicinal ingredients you asked me to buy yesterday, I''ve already prepared them for you," Lin Bozhong said, smiling as he lifted the small bag in his hand. "So soon?" Fang Ren was taken aback. "Of course, anything you request, I will make sure to get it done for you as soon as possible," said Lin Bozhong. "How much does it cost?" "What are you joking about, Young Master? You want to pay me for buying a few medicinal ingredients?" "That''s different, we need to separate each ount," Fang Ren said, "If you don''t take the money, I will go myself no matter how inconvenient it is next time." "But Young Master, the money for the medicinal ingredients wasn''t even my own. It was the Fang Family''s," exined Lin Bozhong. "The Fang Family''s? Then you help me return the money to them. If they don''t take it, I will just return the medicinal ingredients myself. I don''t want to owe the Fang Family anything," said Fang Ren with a serious look. "Young Master, you this..." "Just tell me how much it is. If you miss even a single penny, don''t stay at my side anymore and hurry back," Fang Ren said. Seeing how serious he was, Lin Bozhong had no choice but to report the cost of the medicinal ingredients honestly, and then he epted the money from Fang Ren. After all, the Young Master wasn''tcking in money. An Alchemist who could concoct fifth-order elixirs, fearful of being short on cash? That would be a joke. "By the way, do me another favor," Fang Ren said as he took out a box from his Space Ring and handed it to Lin Bozhong. "Inside are four fifth-order elixirs and six fourth-order elixirs. Take these items to Tianjiang for an auction. Also, pick any one fifth-order for yourself to keep and use." "Ga!?" Lin Bozhong''s aged face went nk, almost dropping his jaw to the floor when he heard that all of them were fifth-order elixirs. "Four...Four fifth-order!?" "Made them when I was bored recently, don''t tell the Fang Family about it," Fang Ren said. "Just... just made them when you were bored?" Lin Bozhong''s jaw was practically dragging on the ground, his old eyes widening. "Get going to the auction quickly. Remember, you must do this yourself," Fang Ren said. "Such valuable items! I must go myself to be at ease!" said Lin Bozhong with a solemn face. "But... I also need to protect your safety, Young Master." "The entire Tianjiang Investigation Group is protecting me, what are you protecting?" Fang Ren frowned. "That''s true... After all, you are the fiance of the princess," Lin Bozhong agreed. "Hurry up and go, I''m in urgent need of money," Fang Ren said. "Alright, I will rush to Tianjiang immediately! I will not fail in my mission!" Lin Bozhong promised. ... Shortly after Lin Bozhong left, Fang Ren stood there with a smile in his heart. Making the old man leave was an easy task, wasn''t it? But on second thought, he didn''t want Lin Bozhong to interfere in his affairs, and also, he didn''t want to see the old man, who had been so good to him, get hurt. It was also a way of protecting him. Chapter 128: Chapter 126: Rushing to Linglong Bay (Sixth Update)_1 Turning his head back to the ssroom, Fang Ren stuffed Small Qianye back into his pocket. It wasn''t that he didn''t want the little guy to return, but after replenishing its energy in the Spiritual Root, the little creature simply didn''t want to go back. When he arrived at the ssroom, Fang Ren saw that only two seats were vacant, both of which were to the left and right of Bai Qi. The boys in the ss cast "understanding" nces at him the moment he entered the ssroom. Their looks seemed to speak volumes, conveying, "Go for it, Brother Ran. When ites to seating arrangements in the ss, we''ve got your back. All set and solid!" Fang Ren pped his forehead and sat down next to Bai Qi with a head full of ck lines. He had barely settled down when Small Qianye suddenly leapt out of his pocket. Fang Ren quickly caught it and whispered, "ss is about to start, you can''t make any noise." Small Qianye obediently nodded, then turned around and scurried towards the sleeping Bai Qi,ying on her arm with a silly, smiling face. Fang Ren couldn''t understand it. He was clearly its master, but why did it seem like the little guy preferred sticking to Bai Qi? "Hm?" Bai Qi felt something touch her arm and lethargically lifted her head, but when she saw Small Qianye, a smile suddenly appeared on her face. "Little guy, you''ve run out again," Bai Qi said, petting Small Qianye''s head with adoration. "Hee ha hee ha~" Small Qianyey in her arms, rubbing its face against her, showing an utterly content expression. "Mommy can''t y with you, Mommy''s so sleepy." With panda eyes and a goofy smile, Bai Qi then suddenly flopped down on the desk and fell back asleep. Listening to her words, Fang Ren feltpletely disordered. How could she suddenly give birth to Small Qianye out of nowhere? Seeing Bai Qi sleeping, Small Qianye quicklyy down beside her face and closed its eyes to sleep as well. Fang Ren suddenly felt like an outsider to this family. He even wanted to grab the little guy and flick its bottom while telling it: You don''t have a mom! You don''t have a mom! I''m the one who brought you into the world! ... Soon the ss started, and it was still Teacher Huang''s lesson. He entered the ssroom with his lesson n, his face beaming as if something delightful had happened. As time went on, Teacher Huang''s lecturing passion was always high, and it was as if he had won several million in the lottery. Suddenly, his gaze shifted to the back of the ssroom andnded on Bai Qi, who was lying on the desk asleep. It was as if he''d been struck by lightning; he stood frozen in ce. In that moment, he realized that this ss wasn''t the worst he''d ever taught; the problem was with him. Sitting down heavily on the stool, Teacher Huang stared at the ceiling, tossed aside his textbook with one hand, and removed his sses with the other, entering a mode of deep contemtion about life. I... I really am the worst teacher in this school... As the ss was nearing its end, Fang Ren''s phone, which he had been holding in his hand the whole time, suddenly lit up. He immediately checked the message. As expected! It was from Jian Qi''er! Without a second thought, Fang Ren stood up: "Teacher! I have diarrhea!" Teacher Huang, who was sitting on his chairpletely disheveled and contemting his teaching career, weakly waved his hand in the air, "Hurry and go." Fang Ren didn''t say another word and ran straight out of the ssroom. Watching Fang Ren''s retreating figure, Teacher Huang''s demoralized face suddenly became nk. A few secondster, he put his sses back on, picked up the textbook, and shored up his spirits like a man revitalized. At that moment, he felt as though he had finallye to a profound understanding of life. The fault wasn''t with him, nor with the world or the ss--it was all because of Fang Ren! Right! That''s it! He''s the little rascal! After causing trouble to Liu Qianqian and Xuan Nv, now he won''t even spare a princess! Bang-- Teacher Huang mmed his hand on the lectern and spoke seriously, "That Fang Ren is the worst student I have ever taught!" ------ ------ After Fang Ren left the ssroom, he didn''t act too conspicuous. He didn''t run towards the school gate but instead carried a calm demeanor. After all, he didn''t know where Chen Cheng of the Bai Family was watching everything from, and a sudden panic would have surely raised suspicion. He checked Jian Qi''er''s exact location on his phone. It read the Underground World of Linglong Bay; the rest of the message was Jian Qi''er telling him to be careful, which routes were safe to take, and her location. She also highlighted an area not far from the school, where she had stored a Night Walk Robe from the Nightfall Organization, instructing Fang Ren to wear it before heading over to avoid any mistaken conflicts. After leaving the school gates, Fang Ren hailed a taxi to the designated location to pick up a parcel box containing the so-called Night Walk Robe, and then he took another ride to Linglong Bay. The journey to Linglong Bay was about a twenty-minute car ride. When the taxi had covered eighty percent of the distance, a sudden, intense roar erupted, resounding through the skies. Boom-- In the distance, a massive burst of mes shot up toward the sky over Linglong Bay, with various types of elemental cultivation techniques fluttering in the sky. Squeak! The taxi suddenly stopped. "Young man, there''s a fight up ahead! We can''t get through!" the driver said in a frantic tone. "No problem, I''ll get off here," Fang Ren replied as he left the taxi. At that moment, a swarm of vehicles that had run out from Linglong Bay flooded the main road, desperately fleeing into the distance. Fang Ren quickly found a concealed spot and, after making sure no one was around, took out the Night Walk Robe from its box and put it on. He then circted his True Qi and rushed towards Linglong Bay. Even as he ran, he purposely headed to a small river, where he took out a Small Elixir Furnace from his storage ring, filled it with water, and then lit the fuel at the bottom. Finally, he put the water-heating Small Furnace back into his storage ring. The herbs Lin Bozhong had bought today were indeed timely. These herbs were very expensive and could only be purchased in Tianjiang, with a preliminary estimate of their cost at about 230 million. This sum was not a big issue for the Fang Family. And since Lin Bozhong had seen his fifth-grade elixirs, he was not afraid of him messing around with the 230 million. These herbs were prepared by him for this very battle. Although they had not yet been transformed into elixirs, that wasn''t much of a problem. Not to mention alchemy skills, Fang Ren waspletely confident that he could concoct them with his eyes closed. So, even if the furnace was in his storage ring, as long as he moved his Divine Sense, he would know what to add next. Those 230 million worth of herbs, in the hands of a top Grandmaster, could perhaps be turned into nearly 1 billion worth of elixirs, but in his hands, he was sure to create something unknown to the world. Boom, boom, boom-- As Fang Ren approached Linglong Bay, the booming sounds that filled the sky grew louder and even made his ears ache. He did not follow the highway directly into Linglong Bay but took a slight detour because the forces near the highway were all from Indra Sky and the Tianjiang Investigation Group. While taking this detour, Fang Ren could already see three groups of people dressed in different clothes, engaging in unceasingbat in the sky. Obviously, the group wearing Night Walk Robes belonged to the Nightfall Organization, while the ones in suits, whom Fang Ren had seen before, were from the Tianjiang Investigation Group, and thest group wearing white clothes, the smallest band of them, were likely from Indra Sky. As Fang Ren neared the location designated by Jian Qi''er, he saw a male practitioner with a cultivation level around the Liquid Water Realm standing there. He was not participating in the battle; it seemed he was waiting for him. Thump-- Fang Ren leaped to the man''s side. The man turned his head, nced at him, and immediately asked, "May I know if you are Young Master Fang?" The man''s voice was very youthful, his eyes clear. Fang Ren took a good look at him and realized that the man was only about fifteen or sixteen years old, no wonder he had been assigned to meet him here rather than go to the battlefield. "Yes, where is Jian Qi''er?" Fang Ren asked. "Great!" The boy''s face, hidden behind a ck veil, broke into a smile as he said, "Sister Qi''er told me to wait for you here and strictly instructed that I must not let you go over there." "Why?" Fang Ren frowned. The boy said, "She mentioned that the main purpose was to let you understand what kind of organization Indra Sky is and to let you have a look at the approximate strength of the enemy, she didn''t want you to take any risks by going in." Fang Ren turned to look back at Linglong Bay, where the view was excellent, allowing him to see everything on the entire battlefield. With that look back, he saw the sky filled with various cultivation techniques constantly bombarding each other, Sword Qi crisscrossing, True Qi swirling... The whole scene was as if mountains and rivers were being shattered, the entire battlefield probably spanned seven miles, and he couldn''t see the end of it. In the center of that battlefield, three massive ice pirs stood tall in the sky, from which ice spikes constantly flew out, targeting the practitioners below. Waves surged onto thend, knocking countless figures into the air, while a hundred-meter-high stone wall attempted to hold back the sea, only to be shattered by a figure with a single punch. Vines whipped across, decimating forces, while hundreds of meters of Sword Qi kept crushing them. mes turned into pythons rampaging across the battlefield, and lightning turned into dragons striking at the sky... And around the periphery of the battlefield were the wars of the lower-level practitioners, shing with various weapons and cultivation techniques, heads flying, blood turning into rain... Fang Ren felt his blood boiling as he watched, and then nced at the boy beside him, "Where approximately is your Sister Qi''er located?" "To the southeast, in the central battlefield area, with your current realm, you won''t make it through, and I don''t have the ability to join the battle either; I can only stand here and watch," the boy exined. "You don''t have the ability to join the battle with your realm?" "My Spiritual Root has been seized by Indra Sky. Although it seems I still have cultivation, Ick the capability to fight," the boy exined. "Indra Sky..." Fang Ren clenched his teeth; so this so-called experiment was to deprive others of their Spiritual Roots! They used these people''s Spiritual Roots for experiments and then pinned all the me on the innocent Bai Qi! "You stand here." As Fang Ren spoke, a red aura from the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat began to surge around him. Pop-- Grasping at the air, Fang Ren''s entire being shot out from where he stood and charged towards the southeast. "Young Master Fang! Don''t go!" Chapter 129: Chapter 127: The Beginning of Cultivation (Seven More Updates) - 1 The entire battlefield was in chaos as Fang Ren, d in the Night Walk Robe of the Nightfall Organization, charged into the fray. He dared not use the battle sickle that Mu Huanqing had given him, because it bore the aura of the Immortal''s True Qi. If the members of the Tianjiang Investigation Group recognized it, everything would be doomed. Before he even entered the battlefield, he saw a group of cultivators with red eyes, who were in a state of constant riot. Their vitality was abnormal, violent yet unstable. Like madmen, they threw themselves at the ranks of the Nightfall Organization, unleashing their fury without any concern for their own safety, single-mindedly fixated on killing the person in front of them. There was even one practitioner, rampant with rage, who continued chasing after the members of the Nightfall Organization despite having his legs severed, his grimacing face showing no sign of pain, only beast-like madness. They were not wearing the uniform of any faction, but they kept attacking the people from the Nightfall Organization, with the members of the Indra Sky standing behind them. "Are those the cultivators used for experiments?" Fang Ren looked at the group ofpletely irrational cultivators, his eyes twitching. If these people had indeed been tampered with by Indra Sky to end up like this, then these cultivators were likely just innocent victims. "Could it be that Bai Chaojin wants to turn Bai Qi into something like this in the future, all in the name of resisting the Void? Isn''t this the twisted depravity of humanity?" Anger red in Fang Ren''s heart, propelling him even faster into the crowd. Just as he reached the edge of the crowd, a me shot straight at him. "Peak Sword Intent!" Fang Ren reached into the air with a grasp, and a white Sword Qi sted toward the oing me, cleaving it in two at thest moment and dispersing it to the sides. A member of Indra Sky in white clothes stood with an ice shield in front of him, and an Ice Sword in his hand; with a roar, he lunged at Fang Ren. Discerning that the assant was probably in the mid-stage of the Yuanxin Realm, Fang Ren dodged the attack using the body technique from Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat and followed up with a punch aimed at the attacker''s head. The practitioner instantly raised his ice shield while swinging his Ice Sword toward Fang Ren. Bang-- Fang Ren''s fist punched straight through the ice shield and exploded the assant''s skull. Sizzle-- At that moment, he felt a pain in his waist. Looking down, he saw that the practitioner he had just killed had unexpectedly transformed his Ice Sword into a sickle and stabbed it into his waist. To Fang Ren, the pain was negligible, but he was acutely aware of his carelessness. He had underestimated the enemy, thinking he was just a minor opponent in the Yuanxin Realm, aiming to kill him quickly. However, he had not anticipated that the opponent''sbat experience was far superior to his own, capable of transforming the ice into a different shape in an instant to inflict a wound. Hum-- No sooner had he killed that member of Indra Sky than the humming sound of a de rang out. He immediately rolled on the ground, turning back to face the threat. Boom! A long swordnded where he had just been standing, creating arge crater. The white-clothed man wielding the sword, having missed his strike, immediately pursued Fang Ren. At this moment, another member of Indra Sky burst out from behind Fang Ren. "Banished Earth!" The member let out a bellow, his hands pping onto the ground, and suddenly the earth shot up, binding Fang Ren''s feet. "Condensed Qi sh!" Seeing Fang Ren immobilized, the swordsman activated his Cultivation Technique, True Qi surging wildly within him, his de glowing with blue light and stirring the air into a frenzy, as he leapt forward to strike Fang Ren. "Giant Hammer!" Fang Ren immediately mobilized all his martial prowess, conjuring a huge air hammer with his hand, directly challenging the reversed de with a hard counter. Bang-- The air hammer collided with the blue de, instantly splitting the air apart. The blue de erupted with even more violent energy, beginning to crush the giant hammer flung by Fang Ren. But as Fang Ren parried with the hammer for a moment, his other hand instantly grabbed a Sword Qi and threw it at the assant''s neck. "What!" The swordsman was shocked and immediately tried to back off. But as he deted in that instant, the hammer and Sword Qi crushed him together, slicing his body in two and sending him flying tens of meters away. By then, the practitioner from Indra Sky had reached Fang Ren''s back. His legs were still bound, his back difficult to defend, and he had no time to react. Moreover, this enemy was at the Peak of the Ruoshui Realm, a full major Realm above Fang Ren! Bang-- His fist, wrapped in rocks, mercilessly smashed into Fang Ren''s head. In an instant, Fang Ren was sent flying, his head buzzing, blood beginning to cover his head. As he fell to the ground, the attacker leaped into the air, his fist cloaked in rock again, smashing down toward Fang Ren''s head. As he watched the falling rocky fist, Fang Ren''s eyes were suddenly filled with murderous rage. The aura of ughter surged violently within him. "Ah!" Fang Ren mmed one hand onto the ground and stood up abruptly, while his other hand turned into a fist, colliding hard with the rocky punch. The enemy smirked, convinced that with such a disparity in Realm, Fang Ren had be nothing more than a lump of flesh. Boom-- Fang Ren''s fist collided with the opponent''s rock-like fist, and in an instant, the rock shattered across the sky, mixed with flesh and blood being scattered about. His enemy''s arm was directly pulverized by his punch! Even with the difference in realms, Fang Ren''s meridian explosive power was more than five times that of ordinary people, and Qianye had even fed him a small fruit, making his True Qi extremely dense. Most importantly, he was also practicing the body-strengthening "Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat". There was no chance of winning for his opponent against that punch. Without any hesitation, Fang Rennded another punch on his opponent''s chest. The enemy''s body stiffened in an instant, and his entire chest was pierced through by Fang Ren''s punch. Even at this moment, he still did not understand why his own punch had lost to a practitioner at the peak of the Yuanxin Realm. "Come at me again." As Fang Ren looked at the dying expression of fear on his opponent''s face and felt the pain in his own body, his blood began to boil uncontrobly, like a bomb thrown into a sea of fire, beyond any containment! Thump-- With a casual toss, he flung the enemy''s body like a cannonball, knocking over three to five people, and blood started to ssh everywhere. Blood from his forehead flowed into his red eyes, his waist continued to bleed profusely, and the screams and cries of fighting around him were so harsh on the ears, the scene in front of him so cruel... In an instant, he was like a devil that had fallen onto the path of an Asura. He went mad! Thump! He punched through the skull of an Indra Sky member, mming it into the ground, turning it into mush! He extended a hand to produce a Sword Qi, severing the arm of an approaching enemy depriving him of his weapon, and finally, a massive hammer blow crushed the enemy''s body! A kick to the jaw of another enemy caused the enemy''s head to rapidly rotate on the neck, before it ultimately broke and resulted in death! ... Every move he made inbat was exceedingly brutal, far more so than the experimental cultivators of Indra Sky, resembling a heartless beast. The path of the Asura is not the path of a mad dog, yet he just couldn''t control himself. Perhaps the lion is mighty, but the mad dog fears it not. Fang Ren once believed that the path of the Asura was different from that of a mad dog, but back then he was sane, whereas now, he was anything but normal. Entering the battlefield like a mad dog, henceforth honor bes a stranger. "Come at me!" A roar erupted as he grabbed a corpse and used it as a weapon, chopping at other enemies. Flesh exploded, and blood covered his entire body. In a corner at a distance, the boy who had responded to Fang Ren earlier stood stunned: "Sister Qi''er... didn''t you say he was just a genius alchemist... how can he kill like he''s ying with a pet..." For a moment, he even felt that Fang Ren was crueler than those Indra Sky members--his ways of killing were too extreme, either blowing up an enemy''s head or chopping them in half, if not crushing them into a pulp with a hammer... Not leaving a singleplete body. In the Central Area, hordes of experimented cultivators were rampaging wildly; despite losing arms and legs, they could still fight. The middle-ranking members of the Nightfall Organization were being forced to retreat. These experimental cultivators were like monsters, utterly oblivious to bodily pain, and theirbat explosiveness was incredibly powerful, allowing them to kill beyond their own realm. "Quick, find a way to kill these experimental bodies! They are no longer human! Stop pitying them!" a man from the Nightfall Organization shouted. "But these things are too hard to kill! Attacking them head-on is like a suicide mission!" a woman member of the Nightfall Organization yelled. "No, we can''t keep retreating! Behind us are low-ranked members of our organization! If those things get past, we will suffer heavy casualties!" ... The Nightfall Organization in the Central Area was still struggling, but the harder they struggled, the more they were ughtered. "Just wait for me! I''ll clear this side up and be right there!" Jian Qi''er, dressed in a Night Walk Robe, shouted as she wielded a long sword, shing with three members of the Tianjiang Investigation Group. "Our consumption tactics are utterly useless! These experimental subjects have too much True Qi!" "Ah!" A practitioner from the Nightfall Organization was about to perish at the hands of the experimentals. An arm had already been torn off, and an experimental''s fist was about to hammer down on his head. "Brother Liu!" A group of people immediately rushed to help, but they were blocked by other events. At the critical moment, a body flew over like a projectile, knocking the experimental poised to kill "Brother Liu" off course. Flesh exploded, blood sttered. "This... flew over from the lower-ranked cultivators?" "Who is it?" Chapter 130: Chapter 128: Within Three Seconds (Eight Updates)_1 "How could anyone in the low-level war zone possibly deliver such a powerful strike?" "To be able to throw projectiles and knock those from the Chongshan Realm flying, it must take the strength of someone at the Peak of Xianyun Realm! Why would they even be in the low-level war zone?" The crowd immediately rescued the practitioner whose arm was severed. They all turned their heads back to look in the direction of the low-level war zone, where the corpse had flown from just moments ago. But as everyone turned their gazes, many were struck dumb. Within that lower war zone, a practitioner dressed in ck Night Walk Robe was charging into the center of Indra Sky, and arge group of Indra Sky members swarmed towards him like madmen. But for some reason, the moment those Indra Sky members lunged towards the practitioner in ck, before even touching him, they were sted away by some inexplicable cultivation technique. The bodies that flew away were bloody and mutted, each wound on them was extremely lethal and brutal; some were missing arms and legs, some had indistinguishable heads, while others had their bones smashed out of their flesh... The scene was incredibly gory. "Keeping!" Fang Ren grabbed two members of Indra Sky and leapt directly into the encirclement of enemies, using the two corpses in his hands as weapons, continuously swinging out afterimages of various weapons. Boom, boom, boom-- The sounds of flesh being pulverized exploded incessantly. At this moment, Fang Ren''s Night Walk Robe was soaked with fresh blood. Although he had killed many, the wounds all over his body were also very severe. He had arge gash on his neck that kept bleeding, his back was stabbed with three bloody holes, and a chunk of flesh had fallen off his calf, revealing the white bones within. However, such physical pain meant virtually nothing to Fang Ren. Back in the days on the Asura path, he treated the days of being yed and deboned like child''s y, unafraid even when his head was crushed or his heart pierced. "What the hell is this guy? He''s even stronger than those carefully crafted test subjects of ours!" an Indra Sky Member finally burst out frantically. "This isn''t even human! Could he possibly be a test subject that escaped from one of our centralboratories?" "Nonsense! Our test subjects would never attack us!" "What''s there to panic about! It''s just a flunky at the peak stage of Yuanxin Realm! Bring over two test subjects! ughter him for me!" ... No sooner had those several people finished shouting, when Fang Ren''s Sword Qi soared into the sky, shing off their heads. Grabbing a corpse, Fang Ren hurled it fiercely towards a test subject in the middle-level war zone. Thump-- The corpse disintegrated in midair, and on impact with a test subject, it exploded with a bang, sending the test subject practitioner flying. "Who is that guy...?" "I have no idea! Even though he''s wearing our organization''s robe, no one in our organization has ever used such a cultivation technique!" "To casually release Sword Qi... even Song Mobei of the Tiandao Sword Sect isn''t this skilled in Sword Dao, right?" "He''s not human... I feel likepared to these test subjects, he seems more like a test subject himself!" A group of Nightfall Organization practitioners from the middle-level war zone were dumbfounded. Just how powerful must one be to fling those formidable test subjects away with two corpses? Moreover, that person''s strength was judged to be at the peak stage of Yuanxin Realm, yet these test subjects were at the peak of the Chongshan Realm! There was even a Shuijing Realm in between! What''s more, although these test subjects were at the peak of the Chongshan Realm, their strength wasparable to practitioners of the Xianyun Realm! Yet that man drenched in blood and wearing a Night Walk Robe from the Nightfall Organization was only at the Yuanxin Realm... How could he possibly fight across three major realms? It simply defiedmon sense! Thump-- Fang Ren once again sent several members of Indra Sky flying with a punch, and the murderous aura on his body grew thicker. Despite fighting for so long, he felt no depletion of True Qi within his body; on the contrary, he was more excited and was even having irrational thoughts about killing indiscriminately without distinguishing friend from foe. As he continued the process of killing, the "Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat" had unknowingly broken through the secondyer! And as for the Asura path, he had finally progressed from the beginner stage and sessfully broken through into the firstyer! The dual breakthrough in cultivation and technique made him extraordinarily powerful. Coupled with theplexity of his meridians and the vastness of his True Qi, he had long surpassed the ordinary practitioners of the Chongshan Realm! After dealing with several members of the Indra Sky around him, Fang Ren then set his sights on the group of experimental subjects in the middle-level war zone. The aura emanating from these experimental subjects set his fighting spirit aze. These subjects were just like the soulless corpses he had encountered in his Asura practice, endlessly engaging in mutual cannibalism and ughter, leaving nothing but flesh, bones, and a struggle between life and death. As if attracted by the malevolent aura on his body, the experimental subjects in the middle-level war zone also began to notice Fang Ren. Both sides were momentarily stunned, but after a few seconds, they charged toward each other like mad. Fang Ren was driven by the battle intent within him, his nerves excited, but the experimental subjects were different; they detected an aura from Fang Ren that made them fearful, yet their belligerent nature made them want to fight even more because of their fear. "What kind of monster is this! He''s killed so many of us!" An Indra Sky member, looking at the heaps of bones around him and then at Fang Ren charging towards the experimental subjects, showed a look of fear on his face. "Devil! That guy is a devil!" "Our most vicious experimental subjects aren''t as brutal as him! He''s definitely not human!" "It doesn''t matter! Hold the line! He''s at the Yuanxin Realm Peak and dares to engage in closebat with the experimental subjects! He''s on a one-way trip to death!" Everyone active on this battlefield was fearless in the face of death, but even so, many felt a chill down their spine when they saw the malevolent aura emanating from Fang Ren. The perimeter members of Indra Sky were already terrified by the killing, which in turn boosted the morale of the Nightfall Organization members on the outskirts. Following behind Fang Ren, they eradicated many of the isted Indra Sky members. However, when they saw Fang Ren rushing toward the middle-level war zone, everyone was scared. "Has this brother gone mad? Hold him back quick!" "Although his strength is formidable, he''s no match for the experimental subjects! Don''t let him go over there!" "Brother! Don''t go over there! A man from the Nightfall Organization, seeing Fang Ren charging toward the middle-level war zone, immediately tried to stop him, but Fang Ren was too fast, leaping straight over. "Roar!" An experimental subject practitioner flew over and swung a punch at Fang Ren. Fang Ren met the attack and threw back a punch of his own. Boom-- The experimental subject staggered back in midair while Fang Ren was flung more than twenty meters away, tumbling on the ground. "Dude! You must be new here! Don''t go throwing your life away!" A member of the Nightfall Organization went to Fang Ren''s side, kicking away an Indra Sky member trying to ambush him, and shouted with a panicked expression. Fang Ren slowly stood up from the ground. His expression was nk as he stared at the experimental subject in the distance, and his wounds started bleeding profusely once again. "Brother! Just lead us in fighting on the outskirts! We can''t fight in the middleyer! The outskirts can''t manage without you! We''ll just handle the perimeter and that''s it!" said the Nightfall Organization member, pulling on Fang Ren frantically. Seeing the nk expression on Fang Ren''s face, he thought Fang Ren was scared and hurried to take him away from the middle-level war zone. But as he tugged, he found he couldn''t move Fang Ren. When he turned back to look at Fang Ren, he saw a crazed smile appear on Fang Ren''s face. He froze, "Brother... You okay?" All at once, the red aura on Fang Ren''s body red up again. As the experimental subject charged towards him, he said, "In three seconds, I''ll kill him." "Gah!?" The Nightfall Organization member was dumbfounded, "Big bro! Have you gone mad!?" Chapter 131: Chapter 129: Triple Eradication! Begin!_1 In the heart of the high-level battle zone, lightning shed and thunder roared, winds howled and clouds surged, strong True Qi caused the heavens and the earth to change colors. A single breath from a top expert could instantly annihte nearly a hundred people in the peripheral war zones. Heaven-reaching tornadoes shed with waves of fire, thunderbolts intertwined with vines, water and earth ceaselessly collided, leaving the ground littered with mountains of corpses and seas of bones. "Hold back these test subjects! Wait till I can break free!" Jian Qi''er yelled at the practitioners from the middle-rank battle zone. "Everyone, fall back! Don''t go up alone to duel with the test subjects! They have no senses! We choose to break them one by one!" a member of the Nightfall Organization shouted. In an instant, the Nightfall Members in the middle-level war zone gathered, and various cultivation techniques began bombarding the test subjects charging at the forefront. "No good! A test subject has slipped through! It''s heading for that young man!" "Stop it quickly!" ... "Roar!" Watching the test subject trample over corpses in a frenzied dash towards him, red Qi continued to burst incessantly from Fang Ren''s body. The air around him began to twist as it was scorched by the red Qi waves pattering on the ground, and grey True Qi at this moment surged into the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat, turning into strands of grey threads that threaded through the red Qi. Bang! With a stomp that shattered the ground, Fang Ren''s figure turned into a red afterimage as he charged towards the test subject. The massive wave of Qi from the impact blew the nearby Nightfall Member''s face into disarray, grabbing his hair and shouting, "Fuck! Bro! Don''t do something stupid!" "Roar!" The test subject let out a furious roar, erupting in red mes with a two-meter-wide fireball clutched in its fist, ready to smash onto Fang Ren, who was less than a meter away. "Young man! Retreat quickly!" A member of the Nightfall Organization, who had rushed over from the middle-level battlefield, saw this scene. He was toote to stop the test subject and immediately shouted at Fang Ren. "Second Kill! Activate!" Fang Ren roared, and red patterns spread across his arm, looking like boiling blood. He punched directly at the fireball speeding towards him! Bang! The fireball exploded in an instant, Fang Ren''s fist was burned down to the bone, flesh sttered. But his punch didn''t stop; it continued toward the test subject''s head. "Roar!" The test subject reacted swiftly, its arm that held the fireball turned into a fist, colliding with Fang Ren''s fist amidst the mes. Hum-- The air around them sted out ripples, and the ground beneath caved in. Fang Ren was sent nearly five meters back by the impact, his feet dragging two long grooves in the ground, his shoes torn, his arm that had struck was burnt, and the flesh of his fist was revealed down to the bone. The test subject, however, was only staggered half a step back, but its fist was twisted out of shape, bones in its shoulder piercing through the skin, one armpletely destroyed. As Fang Ren''s body was sent flying back in that instant, he started to use Wannian Great Extremity to continually bring forth various weapon energies to sh at the test subject in front of him, not pausing for a moment as he charged again. "Roar!" The test subject threw another punch towards Fang Ren''s head, and Fang Ren countered with his own fist. "Fall down!" Bang! Fang Ren''s punchnded on the test subject''s fist; the immense impact was about to send him flying back again. Just as he was about to be flung backwards, the test subject quickly circted True Qi. If Fang Ren were sent flying, his True Qi would almost certainly hit Fang Ren. However, at that moment, Fang Ren turned the air into a huge hammer and smashed it behind him, directly counteracting the force of the punch, and his body did not retreat any further. Both of the test subject''s arms had their bones shattered by his punches, so it needed to rely on True Qi and leg movements to fight him. But Fang Ren didn''t give it a chance. His fists, endowed with the air hammer, came crashing down from above, smashing onto the test subject''s head. Bang! But to his surprise, the test subject''s head was covered with circting True Qi, forming a solidyer of me protection. "Go down!" Hum-- Fang Ren disregarded it all, his fists plummeting down on the shield of fire. With a massive force, the shield shattered, and his fistsnded solidly on the test subject''s head. Bang-- The test subject''s body fell to the ground, the sound of its skull shattering clearly audible, yet it still didn''t die, its True Qi still in operation. Bang-- Fang Ren delivered another punch to the test subject''s head, lifted it by the neck with his other hand, his face twisted and frenzied, "Making trouble, still wanting to make trouble?" "Roar!" Out of the blue, the test subject opened its mouth, and mes were about to spew from its mouth at Fang Ren''s head. Hissing crack! Before the mes could gather, Fang Ren punched through the test subject''s throat, and its head flew off. And his entire arm had been charred by the mes from the experimental subject''s mouth, blood continuously flowing out, with some of the flesh even starting to fall off. The Nightfall Member from the middle-rank battle zone who was rushing to his aid stood there dumbstruck at the sight, "Holy shit, this young man! A Yuanxin Realm just blew up a Chongshan Realm!?" The peripheral Nightfall Member who had been following Fang Ren, after fiercely killing an Indra Sky Member, ran to Fang Ren''s side and yelled excitedly, "Holy shit! Big brother! You, you, you..." Fang Ren tossed aside the body of the experimental subject and with a punch, sent another Indra Sky Member flying, then continued to charge into the middle-level war zone. "Big brother, wait for me! I just wanted to tell you! You exceeded three seconds!" The peripheral Nightfall Member shouted as he ran behind him. And behind this Nightfall Organization member was a group of Indra Sky Members chasing and shing at him. Previously, he had been following Fang Ren and ended up deep within the encirclement; he had no choice but to keep running with Fang Ren--if he stopped for a moment, he would be chopped into mush by the Indra Sky Members pursuing him! "Young man! The middle level needs you! Stop mingling in the outskirts!" the support member who hade over immediately yelled at Fang Ren. However, before he could finish his sentence, Fang Ren turned into a blur as he rushed past him, and then kicked his way into the middle-rank battle zone. "Young man, pay attention to coordination!" Another Nightfall Member from the middle-level war zone saw Fang Rening and while wrestling with an experimental subject, he roared loudly. Yet, Fang Ren wasn''t listening to anyone, his face twisted, his mind filled with the thoughts from his time on the Asura path, bing more and more maniacal as he killed. Boom-- With a stomp on the ground, Fang Ren went off on his own again, kicking towards a group of experimental subjectsing at him. "Has this young man gone insane?" The group of Practitioners from the middle-rank battle zone watched in rm as Fang Ren charged directly into the encirclement of experimental subjects. "Ao!" Just as Fang Ren kicked into the encirclement of experimental subjects, he was flung away by several of them, one of his already charred arms being torn off by an experimental subject. "Hehehe..." He stood up from the ground, a sinister smile hanging on his fierce face. A group of experimental subjects instantly rushed at him, their various attributes of True Qi bursting out, shaking the surrounding fixtures and sending them flying. "This guy''s gone mad! Quick, help him out!" "Let''s go together!" A bunch of Nightfall Organization members, seeing Fang Ren going it alone, immediately rallied and charged into the circle of experimental subjects, with many Indra Sky Members continuously obstructing them; blood sttered, and corpses littered the ground. Just as the experimental subjects were about to close in, the gray aura around Fang Ren suddenly warped, retracting into his body from the red aura around him. Half a secondter, an intense aura suddenly burst out from within Fang Ren, shattering the surrounding rocks! "This guy is making a breakthrough on the spot!?" "And this fighting method!?" "This guy was so fierce at the Yuanxin Realm Peak! Now that he has reached the Ruoshui Stage, he can definitely crush a few experimental subjects! Let''s charge with him!" Seeing the sudden change in Fang Ren''s aura, the people around were astonished, "Stop prattling! Hurry and find a way to deal with the experimental subjects, there are many more from the Tianjiang Investigation Grouping! Our people keep being killed!" But in just a brief moment, a group of Nightfall Organization members shed with the experimental subjects, creating utter chaos; various energies sshed and scattered wildly, with many peripheral Practitioners being severely injured by stray True Qi, some even dying on the spot. "Hahaha..." After a brief breakthrough to the Ruoshui Stage, the smile on Fang Ren''s face became even more deranged as he felt his Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat were on the verge of a breakthrough. Furthermore, the Cultivation Level within his body continued to surge! For days, he had been forcefully holding back from breaking through his Realm, even his Cultivation Technique had remained at the firstyer, not moving forward a step. Everything was for the sake of a bloody ughter, to create a chance for his breakthrough. The umtion of these days suddenly erupted, and he felt as if neither his Realm nor his Cultivation Technique could stop breaking through. Killing, more killing, and even more killing! In the blink of an eye, Fang Ren was once again confronting an experimental subject wielding a huge axe. "Ao!" The experimental subject swung down the giant axe with incredible speed, its Wind Attribute True Qi raging, reinforcing the axe, and unleashing powerful wind des. Fang Ren likewise turned the surrounding air into a giant axe and collided with the wind des, followed by a punch that struck from behind the side of the axe. Boom-- A loud hum resounded as the True Qi-enveloped gigantic axe was directly smashed away. Upon seeing this, Fang Ren immediately advanced two steps and hammered a punch into the chest of the experimental subject before him. However, the protective True Qi around the experimental subject''s body was very strong, and his arm was severely damaged from the previous battles. Even with the empowerment of the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat, his punch only managed to break through the experimental subject''s protective True Qi, not causing any substantial damage. "Ao!" In the moment when Fang Ren broke through the protective True Qi, the experimental subject suddenly grabbed his arm and smashed a punch towards his head. "Hahahaha..." As he watched the punch about to smash into his face, Fang Renughed excitedly. The people around him, hearing hisughter and sensing the murderous aura emanating from him, couldn''t help but shudder. "Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat! Third Technique! Activate!" Chapter 132: Chapter 130: Asura Slaughter Blade!_1 Hum¡ª Fang Ren''s gray vital energy, which he had previously retracted from the red aura, suddenly exploded once again at this instant. The patterns were moreplex, with specks of light scattered within, and though they resembled silk threads, vital energy was still an aura by nature; it''s just that no matter how much it dispersed, it followed fixed patterns. As the gray vital energy erupted once more, Fang Ren''s arm, which had been gripped by the test subject, directly snapped apart, and his blood sprayed onto the face of the test subject. Bang! With a loud noise, Fang Ren used the arm that had broken off in the middle to strike the head of the test subject, using his own arm bone to send the skull flying away. The test subject also lost its life force in an instant. The surrounding crowd was in chaos, as many of the test subjects were attracted by the murderous aura emanating from him and rushed toward him frantically. A group of Nightfall Members, honorable despite never having met him, swarmed up to help him fend off many of the test subjects they could not ovee. After killing the test subject in front of him, Fang Ren didn''t rush back into the battlefield. Instead, he paused briefly on the spot and used his Divine Sense to ce the herbs from his Space Ring into the Pill Furnace that was heating water. Although he hadn''t faced much threat since entering the battlefield, warfare often bes more cruel toward the end, and it was possible that enemies from the higher-level war zone could suddenly break away and rush over. He had to prepare in advance, before the danger arrived, and refine this life-saving pill. After adding the herbs, he did not hurry to act because he had already broken through to the third level of the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat. The first level strengthens the physical meridians, initiating an understanding of the Taoist principles of killing. The second level is about killing to gather murderous aura, then using essence blood to solidify into a weapon, and continuing to ughter to evolve the weapon. As for the third level, the flesh could be reconstructed in a short time, and blood energy surged. Fang Ren was very clear that being in this battlefield right now was a rare opportunity for him. After this three-way organization war ended, he did not know how long it would be before he could see such a magnificent battlefield again. Having already broken through the second level and able to shape his own weapon with essence blood and to evolve the weapon with the murderous aura from killing, he must not miss out on this massive opportunity to kill. Otherwise, he would regret it greatly. Hum¡ª Fang Ren immediately separated a clump of essence blood from his meridians and then used his Divine Sense to store this clump of essence blood into the Space Ring, allowing it to fuse with Mu Huanqing''s war scythe given to him. The second level of this cultivation technique allowed the practitioner to shape weapons with their essence blood and not only that, but also to devour other weapons for formation. What remained unknown was whether his essence blood could refine the weapon, given the strong immortal Qi that Mu Huanqing had bestowed upon it. "Fuck, Brother! Save me!" Just as Fang Ren was pausing, he suddenly heard a scream from behind him. Turning his head, he saw it was the Nightfall Member who had been following him since he first entered the periphery of the battlefield, constantly shouting words like "fuck" and "brother." The member now ran towards him with a panicked face, chased frantically by a group of members from the middle-level war zone from the Indra Sky. After all, this person was only suitable as a peripheral practitioner. Having followed Fang Ren directly into the middle-level war zone, he waspletely incapable of fighting the enemy, having only the fate to be killed. Fang Ren''s blood suddenly stood still, and a red aura enveloped his already severed arms. In less than half a second, two brand-new arms had regrown. As his aura surged again, Fang Ren grabbed the air and flung a burst of Sword Qi. In the very instant that the Sword Qi flew out, he also kicked at the enemies chasing the Nightfall Member behind him. Chichichi! Chichichi¡ª A series of bone-crushing sounds erupted as Fang Ren swung the enemy around like a fly swatter, the battle scene exceedingly extravagant. Even though Fang Ren was now covered in wounds, he refrained from using his Cultivation Technique to recover. The vital energy needed to restore his flesh was too immense, and the reserves within him couldn''t withstand many such recoveries. "Brother, I want to go back to the periphery!" The Nightfall Member who had been following Fang Ren shouted in panic, "I''m useless in the middle level! It''s better to kill more in the periphery before I die!" Fang Ren, with a maniacal smile on his face and blood-red eyes, said to him, "Scared of fuck-all, if you don''t want to die, just keep following!" "Alright, Brother!" The man, involuntarily shivering upon seeing Fang Ren''s bloodshot eyes, knew all too well the overwhelming murderous aura Fang Ren carried; an ordinary person standing in front of him might have fainted on the spot. Bang¡ª Fang Ren stomped his foot on the ground, and once again plunged into the encirclement of test subjects. He knocked down one with a punch and then used the fallen test subject''s body as a tform, raining non-stop punches onto the remaining test subjects. "Fuck! Brother, let''s be rational!" Seeing Fang Ren kick his way into the encirclement again, the man who called him brother was utterly disordered. But after a brief hesitation, he immediately ran over to Fang Ren. Regardless of how weak his own Realm was, he couldn''t make it back to the periphery anyway. Since the brother said to follow, he would follow, and at least he would die a more glorious death! When the surrounding test subjects saw Fang Ren rush towards them, they all crazily attacked him. The True Qi of various attributes erupted chaotically, but Fang Ren fought with increasing ferocity. "Why does this guy have to be such a handful! If he could just cooperate with our team, we would have controlled the situation long ago!" "No! Let''s focus on our own business! Don''t worry about him! I always feel that this young man isn''t as simple as we thought! Look, his arms have regrown! This guy is not afraid of death at all!" "Where is Qi''er? Hasn''t she broken free yet? If she doesn''te to help soon, the Tianjiang Investigation Group behind us is going to close in!" "She''s encountered a high-level practitioner at the Mid-stage of Blue Sky Realm! She''s engaged in a fight to the death!" ... Just as everyone was shouting, Fang Ren had already killed two test subjects with his bare fists within the encirclement. However, his body was covered with wounds, blood flowing incessantly, the flesh on his fists bursting open to reveal his bones once more. Ao¡ª¡ª After killing two test subjects, Fang Ren was overwhelmed by seven more, his entire body being hammered and rolling on the ground by the test subjects, but his face showed no fear, and he even let out a madugh. Weng¡ª¡ª Suddenly, a ripple burst out from his body once again, and his speed became extremely fast while his strength and the intensity of his True Qi both surged again. He had broken through again! From the Early Stage of Ruoshui Realm to the Mid-stage of Ruoshui Realm! "Who on earth is this guy? He has broken through twice in the heat of battle!" "I told you this youngster was no problem, we don''t need to worry too much! Find a way to deal with these test subjects quickly! Hurry!" ... Bang! Fang Ren kicked a test subject''s chest so hard it caved in, and the test subject was sent flying next to the man who had been shouting ''big brother''. When the man saw the test subject flying toward him, his whole body shivered and he nearly fell to the ground, his face filled with the utmost fear. But seeing the serious injury on the test subject''s chest, he suddenly felt emboldened! "Fuck! Do you have any idea how much you just scared me?" With an angry roar, the Wind Attribute vital energy within the man burst forth instantly, and he wielded an air de to sh at the severely injured test subject''s neck. Chi g¨¥! The test subject was instantly killed! After killing the test subject, the man nced at Fang Ren''s location and immediately moved closer to Fang Ren. No matter what, even though his strength was weak, he could still help big brother deliver a finishing blow. Even if he died from delivering the blow this time, it wouldn''t be a loss since killing a test subject was far more profitable than killing ten of those fringe folk! Just as Fang Ren was about to be cornered and overwhelmed by six test subjects, with seemingly no chance of survival, The man shouting big brother clenched his teeth, carrying a three-meter big Air de Spin and charged at a test subject from behind, putting all his might into it no matter what. While defending against the onught from the six test subjects, Fang Ren struck back, his shoulder and waist flesh already disfigured, but this still didn''t affect him at all. "Big brother! Hold on!" Suddenly he heard a roar; the man who had been following behind suddenly descended from high above with a three-meter big Air de Spin, fiercely chopping down onto a test subject''s head. Bang¡ª¡ª However, his Air de Spin didn''t even prate the protective True Qi around the test subject''s body and was directly shattered by the test subject. "My god... Big brother, we''re done for!" The man stood next to Fang Ren, shocked at how his sneak attack had left the opponentpletely unharmed. He was, after all, a practitioner at the Peak Stage of Ruoshui Realm, one small realm higher than Fang Ren. Why did Fang Ren fight these things like punishing his son, while his own strikes were like a grandchild shrieking at his grandfather? Fang Ren was somewhat surprised to see that he had actually charged in all the way with him; members of the Nightfall Organization really were all about brotherhood, charging in to face certain death. As the attribute vital energy of the six test subjects was about to explode beside him, ready to crush Fang Ren and the man next to him, "Blood Sickle!" At that moment, Fang Ren roared and a Blood Red Scythe flew out from his Space Ring,nding in his hand. The Sickle, which had been thoroughly reshaped by his vital essence, could no longer be referred to as the "Hundred Martial Divine Weapon." ording to the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat, it should now be called the "Asura ughter de"! "Myriad Martial Transcendence!" With a roar, Fang Ren grabbed the man next to him and leaped into the air, clutching the two-meter-long Blood Red Scythe and spinning three hundred and sixty degrees in the air at high speed. A torrent of scythe impact qi des burst forth, smashing the surging attribute vital energy. Chapter 133: Chapter 131: Breakthrough Again! War at the Peak of Idle Clouds! (One more) _1 The sickle''s de was covered in a bloody light, and as Fang Ren spun at high speed, the bloody light on the sickle''s de became like a giant luminous tornado, pulling in the True Qi of the six test subjects and continuously ravaging everything around it. Humming sounds¡ª Whooshing and screeching¡ª After cutting through the oing True Qi of the subjects, the bloody glow mercilessly harvested everything within a fifty-meter radius, the air exploded violently, the earth''s soil shot up into the sky, and over a hundred bloody lights charged at a test subject, instantly shattering its protective True Qi, blowing apart flesh and bone, and sending fragments flying through the air. Wherever the bloody light passed, nothing but ruins remained, with deep cuts in the ground reaching several meters, its destructive power was immense! Compared to earlier when Fang Ren used "All Martial Arts to the Extreme" by grabbing at the air, the power he wielded now with the sickle in hand was easily ten times greater! And with the enhancement of "All Martial Arts to the Extreme" at its peak, the sickle was like an extension of his own body, effortlessly wielded and mastered in all its uses. Fang Ren descended from the air, his feetnding on the head of a test subject, the sickle in his hand hooking around the subject''s neck. With True Qi surging through his body, the sickle cut through as easily as mud, severing the subject''s head and causing blood to spurt out. The test subject whose head had been severed by Fang Ren''s foot had not yet fallen, when his Blood Sickle flipped out, its tip dragging a bloody light, and a sweep that was fast to the extreme cut off the heads of three surrounding test subjects in mid-air. In an instant, only one of the six test subjects remained! "Augh!" And thatst test subject, upon seeing the ceaseless burning fierceness in Fang Ren''s eyes, actually began to retreat with a roar, entirely losing the mad stance of fearlessness in the face of death. Fang Ren directly chased after it, his sickle slicing across the subject''s waist, instantly cutting it into two pieces. After killing the six test subjects, Fang Ren''s aura began to retreat back into his body. Just a few short secondster, an even more massive aura burst forth from within him, pulverizing the surrounding corpses on the ground. Breakthrough! The Peak Stage of the Ruoshui Realm! "Holy sh*t! Holy sh*t!" The man who had just been saved by Fang Ren was so shocked that his jaw dropped to the ground, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. Not far away, the Nightfall Members who had thought Fang Ren was doomed to die under the attack of seven test subjects were stunned. "To break through three minor realms in a row on the battlefield! What kind of monster is this!" "The cultivation technique he possesses is extremely bizarre! Not only can it rapidly heal physical injuries in a short time, but it seems the more he kills, the more he grows!" "There are still hundreds of these test subjects! We can''t hold out! Since he''s not cooperating with us, then we''ll just follow his lead! Charge with him!" "Kill!" ... Turning his head, Fang Ren looked back at the Yuanxin Realm man who had been stunned, revealing a savage grin as he spoke, "Holy sh*t, keep up with me." No sooner had he spoken than Fang Ren used his Divine Sense to ce the medicinal ingredients from the Space Ring into the Pill Furnace, and then he charged toward arge group of test subjects ahead. "Huh? Big brother! My name isn''t ''Holy sh*t''!" Upon seeing this, the man known as "Holy sh*t" yelled out loud and followed him. In the southeast of the Middle-level War Zone, as Fang Ren''s realm continued to break through, the Nightfall Organization went on the offensive, with hundreds of Nightfall Members following Fang Ren straight into the camp of the test subjects. The crowd could only see a red light darting through the camp of the subjects, and at every instant, several subjects had their bodies cut apart by the sickle; unstoppable in its momentum, like a knife through bamboo, forcefully ripping through all opposition. Bang¡ª Jian Qi''er, who was at the edge of the high-level War Zone, also noticed this scene. With a single strike to create distance from her enemies, she looked at the shadow burning with red energy and immediately frowned, "Fang Ren? How did he get in here! And... he broke through to the Peak of the Ruoshui Realm!?" Distracted, Jian Qi''er was punched on the arm by a member of the Tianjiang Investigation Group, leaving one arm instantly numb. "Gather Wind Spurs!" Gritting her teeth, with her other hand, she pierced her de through the enemy''s protective True Qi and impaled the opponent''s leg. Immediately, she flew toward Fang Ren''s location, but three experts from the Azure Sky Realm were relentlessly pursuing her, giving her no chance to escape. The test subjects'' screams carried far and wide, and the once high-spirited Indra Sky organization of the Middle-level War Zone, seeing their meticulously designedbatants being so easily ughtered, immediately panicked. "Quick, find a way to ughter that guy with the sickle! Fast! Otherwise, our test subjects will all be killed!" "Where are the strong ones from the investigation group? Find a chance toe over and kill this guy!" "Out of my way! I''ll handle this!" A figure d in white, burning with blue mes, kicked away more than a dozen Nightfall Members and in the blink of an eye charged toward Fang Ren emerging from the pile of test subjects. Fang Ren, like a trailzer shing through brambles, continued to cut down the subjects in a straight line. A group of Nightfall Organization members followed closely, attacking any remaining subjects. The member who had been closely behind Fang Ren since the beginning also picked off several subjects that were still breathing, using his Wind Attribute to sever their necks, continuing to finish them off. "Big brother! There''s a sneak attack!" Cursing under his breath, the man immediately shouted to Fang Ren as he saw a white figure charging toward him. "Die! Ice Bind the Earth!" The white-robed man falling from the sky clenched a blue seal in his palm and pped it towards the top of Fang Ren''s head. "All Martial Arts to the Extreme!" Seeing this, Fang Ren swung the Blood Sickle upward, his True Qi erupting from his body, and a red de aura charged towards the white-robed man in the sky. Boom¡ª The de aura collided with the blue seal in the white-robed man''s hand, instantly slicing the seal in two, yet causing no substantial damage to the man. Although the seal held by the white-robed man was cut in two, it still persisted, and the man''s figure continued to fall, seemingly about to smash onto Fang Ren''s head. "Be careful! He''s at the Peak of the Xianyun Realm!" a Nightfall Member shouted to Fang Ren. With the opponent''s speed being so fast, Fang Ren, realizing he couldn''t dodge, immediately used All Martial Arts to the Extreme to pose the Blood Sickle defensively, the red aura on it instantly forming a shield. Hum¡ª The white-robed man''s palm mmed onto Fang Ren''s Blood Sickle, and suddenly violent winds raged, with ice shards flying out indiscriminately, spreading rapidly into the distance. Immediately after, ice spikes emerged from the ground, piercing directly through Fang Ren''s calf and forcing the Nightfall Organization members behind him to hastily retreat. "Die!" Seeing his strike sessful, the white-robed man immediately thrust an ice spike from his fist toward the top of Fang Ren''s head. The cursing man, upon seeing this, flung a wind de to aid Fang Ren, but before the wind de could hit the white-robed man, it was shattered midair by surrounding test subjects. In an instant, arge group of Nightfall Members engaged inbat with the test subjects again, unable to break free and help Fang Ren. Chitchat! Fang Ren tilted his head, dodging the white-robed man''s attack trajectory, the ice spike prating straight into his neck, blood continuously flowing out, while a crazed smile spread across the white-robed man''s face. Fang Ren quickly grabbed the white-robed man''s stabbing arm, his red aura wildly heating up, "You think you''ve got me?" As Fang Ren''s intense heat surged, a look of shock crossed the white-robed man''s face, "He''s still not dead!" Without pause, he grabbed an Ice Sword with his other arm and stabbed towards Fang Ren''s head, but Fang Ren punched directly at the Ice Sword. "Overestimating yourself!" The smile on the white-robed man''s face grew even more maniacal. Crack crack crack¡ª Fang Ren''s arm, colliding with the Ice Sword, shattered, but his arm, swirling with All Martial Arts to the Extreme, turned the air around it into an array of weapons, smashing the Ice Sword to pieces. "Hahaha!" As the Ice Sword broke apart, Fang Ren burst into derangedughter, the All Martial Arts to the Extreme running even more wildly on his arm. It didn''t stop after breaking the Ice Sword but instead crushed the white-robed man''s arm that held the sword to bits. Boom¡ª After breaking the white-robed man''s arm, an air hammer smashed against the white-robed man''s face, flipping him in the air. And the ice spike stuck in Fang Ren''s neck melted instantly due to the scorching red aura surrounding his body. Crack! Fang Ren''s other hand caught the spiraling white-robed man''s neck, his face wearing a ferocious smile and his eyes, red with blood, ring at the man, throwing back a phrase at him, "Overestimating yourself!" No sooner had the words fallen than Fang Ren punched the white-robed man in the chest, sending him flying like a cannonball. Test subjects hit by him turned into mush in an instant. However, the gap in their realms was ultimately too great, Fang Ren having lost an arm just to swap for his opponent''s, and while his punchnded, it did not cause significant damage to the enemy. Instead, ice spikes on the ground pierced several holes in his calf. "Pfft!" The white-robed mannded in the distance, spitting out blood and trembling as he looked at his sted-off arm. "How is this guy... at the Peak of the Ruoshui Realm? Thrown flying over an entire Realm difference!" "Ah! I''ll ughter you!" The white-robed man''s expression twisted with utmost fury, his cultivation technique rapidly cycling as he roared and charged at Fang Ren again. Fang Ren saw that the white-robed man''s cultivation technique seemed much stronger than before, and thus infused his own blood essence into the Blood Sickle in his hand. This sickle, having harvested countless lives, was already on the verge of evolving. Hum¡ª Suddenly, a red line emerged on the tip of the sickle''s de, its killing aura growing even denser! "It''s not over yet!" After evolving the sickle, Fang Ren used his Divine Sense to take a Fourth-order elixir, "Explosive Pill," from the Space Ring. Without a second thought, he popped the pill into his mouth. In the next moment, the aura from his body erupted like ignited explosives, instantly turning the ice spikes covering fifty meters of the ground around him into water vapor. Chapter 134: Chapter 132: Slaughter Heaven Pill (Two Updates)_1 ``` "Exploding Pill!?" The man in white furrowed his brows when he saw Fang Ren swallow the pill. This pill was not any orthodox pill, but rather a type that had long been banned. The main reason was that this pill was a defective product, although it could forcibly enhance the user by two minor realms within a short period, after use, sixty percent of the body''s flesh and blood would burst! There was no recorded instance of anyone surviving after taking this pill! Moreover, this pill could only increase the realm of practitioners below the Azure Sky Realm. For those above the Azure Sky Realm, it waspletely ineffective, with only side effects to show for it. Buzz! Fang Ren''s aura became even more violent in an instant, his blood vessels began to bulge, and wrinkles crept out from the corners of his eyes, making his eyes even more terrifying than those of the test subjects. His strength at the peak of the Ruoshui Realm instantly increased by two minor realms, taking him to the mid-stage of the Chongshan Realm! "Damn, this is young and reckless! This isn''t just risking his life anymore!" "Where did this Exploding Pille from! We can''t save him now! Quickly deal with the enemy in front of us and retreat to the back!" ... "Come on!" Fang Ren let out a roar, holding the tail end of the sickle in his hand, the sickle de flipped, pressed behind him, and he shot toward the man in white at a swift pace. "Damn it! Go blow yourself up! Don''t drag me into it!" The man in white turned to flee immediately, casting his cultivation technique toward the other Nightfall members, instantly killing two of them. Fang Ren wasn''t about to let him escape, his weapons'' auras flew forward, blocking the man in white''s path of retreat. "de Dance!" When Fang Ren''s figure got within about ten meters of the man in white, he bellowed, and his sickle became a rapidly spinning de, shing towards the man in white! Blood-colored lights continued to fly off of it towards the man in white''s limbs! Seeing all sorts of weapon auras blocking his way out, the man in white immediately activated his protective True Qi for defense, condensing another blue mark in his hand. Bang! Just as the sickle struck the protective True Qi, the man in white could not have imagined that with his full defense activated at the peak of the Xianyun Realm, it would be so easily shattered by the tip of the sickle de! "Ice Palm!" The man in white immediately pped out a twenty-meter-wide ice palm mark, trying to blow the sickle away with it. Crack¡ª However, as soon as the Ice Palm materialized, it was split in half by the sickle. "Die!" Fang Ren''s figure had already reached two meters from the man in white, and catching the spinning Blood Sickle, he made a backhanded swipe, with the sickle''s handle striking the man in white''s head, sending him flipping through the air. While the man in white''s brain buzzed, Fang Ren''s sickle had already hooked onto his waist. "It''s over!" The man in white tried to resist further, but before he could muster his True Qi, Fang Ren''s sickle had already fiercely retracted, cutting through his entire body. Blood and innards spilled everywhere, and a peak Xianyun Realm powerhouse was instantly in! "Damn it, big brother, this isn''t worth it!" The cursing man reached Fang Ren''s side and, after finishing off the man in white whose body was severed but head still alive, he looked at Fang Ren with horror. Fang Ren said nothing, his sickle suddenly began to evolve again. The originally blood-lit tip, extending a pattern, suddenly sprouted another red line. This pattern seemed to enhance the weapon''s solidity. With each new line, Fang Ren felt the sickle bing more spirited, and he could clearly feel the sickle''s weight increased, but once in battle, it somehow became very light. Boom¡ª Suddenly, an explosion rang out in the sky. Jian Qi''er was seen being knocked flying by a giant ice pir in the middle-level war zone, her long sword broken, and her body covered in blood. Seeing those three Azure Sky Realm strongmen from the high-level war zone about to fly over here, and the Nightfall members nearby all became agitated. "You guys hurry up and help Qi''er! We can''t let those three bastards get over here!" "No! It''s toote!" Just then, two of the Azure Sky Realm members of the Tianjiang Investigation Group went to chase Jian Qi''er, while one was flying towards this middle-level war zone. As Jian Qi''er and the Nightfall members here seemed doomed, suddenly, a tremendous silver light wave flew out from the central high-level war zone. The light wave was immense, reaching a hundred meters! It arrived almost in the blink of an eye, instantly slicing the two members of the Tianjiang Investigation Group chasing Jian Qi''er in half. Their bodies split in the air and then smashed into the ground, sting a giant crater over a hundred meters wide in the earth! Countless people were blown into the sky, and even Jian Qi''er nearby was knocked over to this side by the force. The Nightfall members, upon seeing this, were overjoyed, their morale soaring. "It''s Brother Li''s de qi!" "Quick, save Qi''er! We''ll hold off this Azure Sky Realm guy!" ... Fang Ren, watching the power of the de qi that came their way, estimated that its owner was likely at the peak of the Azure Sky or possibly a powerful practitioner of the Yingyue Realm! "A casual swing like this, the realm of a true master is truly enviable!" The sight inmed Fang Ren''s blood, and he immediately took up his sickle, charging toward thest enemy at the early stages of the Azure Sky Realm. "A bunch of ants!" That early-stage Azure Sky Realm member of the Investigation Group was also ughtering the Nightfall members in the middle level like a madman, constantly roaring, "Had it not been for that de! All you trash would be dead!" "Big brother, what do we do! The opponent is at the Azure Sky Realm! A single touch could kill us!" the cursing man, who had been following Fang Ren, said with a face full of terror. ``` ``` He was still only a Practitioner at the Peak of the Yuanxin Realm; that he''d managed to follow Fang Ren from the outskirts to the middle-level was already a miracle. Now facing an expert in the Early Stage of the Azure Sky Realm, he must be copsing inside. "Chicken my ass!" Fang Ren roared in fury, his Blood Sickle in hand suddenly turning into afterimages, splitting and transforming in the air, and in less than half a second, the original Blood Sickle had multiplied into ten! This was an ability he had acquired when his weapon evolved just then. Seeing ten Blood Sickles flying towards him, the member of the Tianjiang Investigation Group exploded with True Qi, pping towards the ten sickles. Bang! In an instant, the ten Blood Sickles were sent flying, offering no resistance whatsoever. The Azure Sky Realm was ultimately the Azure Sky Realm; the power of one palm was simply not something the Chongshan Realm could contest, let alone the fact there was also a Xianyun Realm in between! And above the Azure Sky Realm was the Yingyue Realm! That was nearly the strength of certain great n members within Tianjiang! "It''s you, you damn ant!" Seeing Fang Ren, the man from the Azure Sky Realm was instantly furious and bolted towards him, leaving the group of people beside him behind. "Withdraw quickly! You''ll die!" Jian Qi''er, who had been sted over, immediately picked up a broken long sword and rushed towards Fang Ren''s direction. At this moment, Fang Ren was utterly deaf to the words of those around him. He caught a Blood Sickle that flew towards him and then, wielding the other nine sickles, he charged at the man from the Azure Sky Realm. "All Weapons to Extremity!" Countless weapon auras kept mming into the man''s protective True Qi but caused no substantial damage. "Turning Cloud Palm!" The man''s Wind Attribute burst forth, gathering the surrounding air into the palm of his hand, followed by a terrifying hundred-meter air palm that shredded the earth and lunged at Fang Ren! But Fang Ren didn''t dodge at all; as long as his heart still existed, he essentially wouldn''t die! Moreover, he had temporarily reached the Mid-Stage of the Chongshan Realm, enough to withstand a blow without it being fatal. Fang Ren, with the Blood Sickle in his hand, smashed into the Turning Cloud Palm, and the nine Blood Sickles swirling around his body tightly shielded him. Bang ¡ª With a st, the Blood Sickle in Fang Ren''s hand was blown away and he himself was pushed continuously by the Turning Cloud Palm, swiftly crashing into Jian Qi''er beside him. "de Dance!" Jian Qi''er quickly pulled Fang Ren down from the impact of the Turning Cloud Palm, clutching the broken sword, her whole body''s silver aura whirling chaotically. With a sh, hundreds of silvery True Qi turned into sabre intent, cutting through the oing Turning Cloud Palm. Hum ¡ª However, she was severely injured and couldn''t exert her original strength. The power of Turning Cloud Palm directly dispelled her sabre intent and hit her body. "Pfft!" A mouthful of fresh blood spurted from Jian Qi''er''s mouth as she was hurtled backward at high speed. Fang Ren casually caught her as she flew backward and threw her among the Nightfall Members, then turned around and raised his sickle to charge again. "Qi''er! How are you?" A female member, holding the bloodied Jian Qi''er, panicked. Jian Qi''er''s shoulder was mangled, and there was an indent in her abdomen as she kept coughing up blood. Struggling to stand up, Jian Qi''er pointed towards Fang Ren and shouted, "Go save him, he''s our Alchemist... he can''t die! Cough cough cough..." "What! He''s that genius Alchemist!?" the female member eximed, immediately turning to shout, "Keep him protected! He''s our Alchemist!" "What! Him!?" "Damn it! I thought I''d never seen this guy before! Get over there! Even if it costs you your life, you must protect him!" "Fuck! Weren''t we told that our Alchemist only knew Alchemy? How the hell is he more badass than us!" "Move out!" ... In an instant, hundreds of Nightfall Members set aside their opponents and turned to charge at the man from the Azure Sky Realm attacking Fang Ren. "Holy shit! Big bro, are you fucking kidding me!?" The man who had been following Fang Ren and cursing was stunned when he heard the news and hastily ran to pull Fang Ren away: "Let''s fight on the outskirts, refine some pills, and call it a day! What the hell are you doing!" Fang Ren, seeing another palm strikeing from the Azure Sky Realm man, suddenly wore an even more excited smile on his face. Just as the man from the Azure Sky Realm made his move, there was a st from the Pill Furnace inside Fang Ren''s Space Ring, signaling that his 230 million-priced pill was ready! With a shift in his Divine Sense, a purple pill flew out from his Space Ring directly into his mouth. Hum ¡ª An endless wave of light spread out, and the world he saw suddenly paused for a moment. ughter Heaven Pill! For half an hour, meridians enter an expanded state! Able to control a small amount of Heaven and Earth''s Qi for personal use! True Qi is strengthened tenfold! It''s like temporarily having Liu Qianqian''s Yuanxin Sacred Body, but much stronger. The effect is extremely powerful, but the price is also devastating: after half an hour, all meridians will die off! Permanently lose Cultivation Ability! Exploding Pillsbined with ughter Heaven Pills, even with an Asura Body, might not be able to endure it! But he was betting that he could break through another level in a short time. If he wins, he''ll directly enter the Early Stage of the Chongshan Realm and suppress the side effects brought by the Exploding Pills. If he loses, probably only his bones and heart would remain, waiting for the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat''s thirdyer and Asura Physique to reconstruct his flesh. ``` Chapter 135: Chapter 133: Slaying a Blue Sky Realm Expert (Three Updates)_1 ``` Everything before his eyes dissipated, as if time, which had stopped, resumed its flow. Fang Ren then began to close his eyes. From the moment he had dashed into the battlefield until now, he had never used his mind''s eye. This was also the first time he was putting his all into realbat. Hum¡ª As he closed his eyes, everything within a hundred meters around him appeared like a ck-and-white three-dimensional picture, capturing even the slightest movement or stillness. Originally, his mind''s eye could only perceive the surroundings within a dozen meters, but with his breakthrough in realm, coupled with the consumption of explosive pills and ughter Heaven Pills, his mind''s eye had also undergone a qualitative improvement. In this ck-and-white world, he felt as if everything had slowed down. All his perceptual power became extremely clear. Without needing to be deliberately vignt, he had everything under control. In front of him, hundreds of Nightfall Organization members swarmed towards the man from the Blue Sky Realm, bombarding him with various cultivation techniques in an instant, but their attacks were too slow, hardly hitting the Blue Sky Realm man. "You motherfucker, don''t touch my big brother!" Cursing, the man unleashed all his True Qi, sending a gusting wind de dozens of meters long fiercely towards the Blue Sky Realm man. "Crap, it missed!" Thump¡ª The Blue Sky Realm man had already reached Fang Ren''s side. Attribute True Qi was violently twisting in his palm, ready to grasp Fang Ren and let the wind de above slice him into pieces. Hum¡ª Suddenly, a whirl of dust enveloped the ground beneath Fang Ren''s feet, and he vanished from his original position. His figure turned into a stream of light and appeared beside the Blue Sky Realm man, swinging up his Blood Sickle fiercely. "What!" The Blue Sky Realm man was shocked, never expecting a practitioner at the mid-stage of the Chongshan Realm to be so fast that he couldn''t even catch him! But it was inevitable. After all, the True Qi Fang Ren was using had been strengthened more than tenfold, and he was moving with the aid of Heaven and Earth''s Qi. It was as if his entire being had merged with the cosmos. Whether it was air ornd, or the various energies between heaven and earth, all had aided his movement in that instant. Moreover, with the use of mind''s eye, his speed was not something an early-stage Blue Sky Realm practitioner could catch. Hum¡ªThump! The sickle was swung out instantly, and its tip struck the practitioner''s shield of True Qi. In an instant, the ground beneath cracked, and fissures spread rapidly towards the distance. The Blue Sky Realm man''s shield of True Qi bore several cracks, and the sickle focused its pressure on those cracks, applying continuous force. "A mere ant! How dare you..." Enraged, the Blue Sky Realm man reached out to grab Fang Ren, but before he could turn around, Fang Ren''s nine sickles had swiftly shed towards him from behind, their tips striking the same crack, shattering the man''s shield. "To hell with you! Turning Cloud Palm!" The Blue Sky Realm man went berserk,unching dozens of huge air palms in an instant. His attack didn''t differentiate between friend or foe. One palm sent a group of Nightfall Members flying, scores of test subjects, and even a few Indra Sky Members who came to support perished under his chaotic blows. Meanwhile, Fang Ren''s figure once again turned into a stream of light and vanished in front of him. When he came to his senses, Fang Ren had already appeared behind him. Hum¡ª The nine Blood Sickles behind Fang Ren suddenly merged into the sickle in his hand, transforming it into a twenty-meter behemoth. Without a second word, he chopped at the head of the Blue Sky Realm man. "How is this possible!" The massive Blood Sickleing towards him left the Blue Sky Realm man with no time to react. He couldn''t flee; his shield of True Qi was just shattered, leaving him with only his offensive Cultivation Technique to brutally sh against the oing Blood Sickle. However, as his palm struck the sickle, he realized that his Turning Cloud Palm was sliced through by the sickle! "Who''s the ant now?" A mad smile stretched across Fang Ren''s face. Hum! The twenty-meter giant Blood Sickle cleaved directly at the Blue Sky Realm man''s neck, with blood spurting forth. After all, this sickle de was a part of Mu Huanqing''s Spirit Form, and with his Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat having evolved twice, its power was immensely formidable. With the various forbidden pills and Cultivation Techniques enhancing Fang Ren, this strike was more than enough to im the life of the Blue Sky Realm man! Crack¡ª With a crisp sound, the Blue Sky Realm man''s head flew off his neck. The surrounding battlefield, fraught with ughter, suddenly stiffened. "Holy shit... this, this young man!" "Mid-stage Chongshan Realm just split an early-stage Blue Sky Realm practitioner! Am I seeing this right?" "Damn it! Didn''t they say he was an alchemist? Is this seriously an alchemist? Are you sure!?" "Qi''er! Where the hell did you find this alchemist? Is he even human?" ... "Dare to hurt my big brother? Did you even take a good look at yourself, you sorry excuse for a warrior?" ``` The man who followed close by Fang Ren grabbed a wind de in his hand and split the head of a practitioner from the Blue Sky Realm again, all the while boasting arrogantly. After ughtering the man from the Blue Sky Realm, Fang Ren turned his head and, grasping the two-hundred meter Big Blood Scythe, began a frenzied ughter of a group of test subjects. His body now felt as if it were about to burst; the frenzy of the massacre and the energy that had no outlet made him extremely violent. "Ah!" With one swing of his scythe, he sent dozens of test subjects flying into the air, then immediately kicked his way into the midst of the Indra Sky members, continuously mming the test subjects from his scythe onto the enemies, blood sttering the sky and bones littering the ground. "This guy''s gone mad again!" "Him going crazy isn''t the big problem, I''m just worried he''ll kick his way into the high-level battle zone again! What then!?" "Stop bbering here; this group of test subjects are almost all killed by him alone! Leave a few to watch that young man, the rest of you, hurry up ande with me to support the back!" ... After a few brief exchanges among the Nightfall Members, thousands immediately charged toward the enemies at the rear. On this side, Fang Ren was practically conducting a unteral massacre, swinging his scythe continuously, each time taking away dozens, even dozens of lives, while the cursing man followed him relentlessly, delivering the coup de grace to the severely wounded enemies. ... The longer the war dragged on, the more unstable the entire battlefield became, with high-level warriors descending into the middle levels and middle-level warriors spilling to the outskirts, resulting in more and more casualties. After shing thousands of test subjects, Fang Ren finally felt a breakthrough in the aura within his body, and his scythe evolved once more, with a third pattern emerging on the de of the Blood Sickle. "Youe here!" Just as Fang Ren had finished evolving his scythe and he was about to charge again into the fray, a hand suddenly grabbed his arm. Turning his head, Fang Ren saw a very familiar figure wearing a Night Walk Robe, and though her face was covered with a ck veil, he could still recognize from her voice and eyes that it was Jian Qi''er. "Wait till I''ve ughtered this bunch!" Fang Ren said and attempted to rush back into the fight, but Jian Qi''er immediately pulled him back with True Qi, looking seriously at him, "Why did you take the Exploding Pill?" "Why even ask, it''s to kill enemies," Fang Ren replied. "Are you insane!" Jian Qi''er looked at him urgently, anger in her voice, "Do you know that in your realm, no one who has taken this pill has ever survived!" "You don''t need to worry about that." "What do you mean ''don''t worry''! You need to get off the battlefield now! Find a quiet ce to force the drug''s effects out of your body as quickly as possible, you might still have a chance to live!" Jian Qi''er earnestly said. Without a word, Fang Ren swung his scythe and killed more enemies approaching, and seeing Jian Qi''er covered in blood, he casually took a golden pill out of his Space Ring and handed it to her, "This is a Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pill, eat it." Jian Qi''er looked at the golden pill and was momentarily stunned: "You still have pills! And this one''s a high-grade quality!" "The box I gave you was all high-grade," Fang Ren said. Taking the pill, Jian Qi''er said, "I didn''t open it to look, I had already handed it to my master and the others. Who knew you were so capable." "Finish it and head back quickly; I still need to cultivate here," Fang Ren said, then again attempted to charge toward the enemy. "Cultivate what!" Jian Qi''er continued to hold on to him and said, "I won''t take this pill. You wait until the side effects of the Exploding Pill start to manifest, and then you take it; it might increase your chances of surviving a bit more." "You''re overthinking it." Fang Ren shook off her hand and then took out two more Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pills from his Space Ring and threw them to her, "I''ve got plenty of these; take them and y." Without further regard for Jian Qi''er, who looked puzzled, Fang Ren charged back into the crowd. He was on the verge of a breakthrough and needed to continue the carnage. "That... take them and y..." Hearing Fang Ren''s words, Jian Qi''er stood there inplete disarray. Watching Fang Ren battle furiously with the enemies from afar, Jian Qi''er immediately swallowed a Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pill and threw the remaining two into her Space Ring. Then she flew towards Fang Ren and grasped the man surrounded by enemies, hauling him up. "What are you doing! Put me down!" Fang Ren immediately turned back and shouted as soon as the fight was interrupted. "You''reing with me on an important mission!" Jian Qi''er said as she carried Fang Ren straight to the entrance of the Underground World of Linglong Bay, where the forces of all three parties were constantly engaged in brutalbat. "Where are you taking me?" Fang Ren asked. "To show you the conspiracy of Indra Sky and to rescue other cultivators," Jian Qi''er replied. "I want to kill, not rescue some damn people!" Fang Ren shouted. "What can you do in this state! You need to find a way to save your own life first!" Jian Qi''er yelled back. Fang Ren was beside himself with frustration, shouting, "If you put me down, I can save my life!" "We''ll see the master soon! They might have a way to save your life!" "..." At a loss for words and with Jian Qi''er gripping him tightly, Fang Ren started to hack wildly at the enemies on the ground with his twenty-meter Blood Scythe from mid-air. "Hey, flying up here seems to be a bit more convenient, huh." Chapter 136: Chapter 134: Return of the Leader of Nightfall (Four Updates)_1 Jian Qi''er dragged Fang Ren along as they flew, while Fang Ren wielded a Big Blood Scythe, shing wildly at the members of the Indra Sky. As he killed more and more people, Fang Ren noticed signs of evolution in his scythe, and the meridians within his body trembled. Power continuously surged forth from his Spiritual Root, signaling an imminent breakthrough from the Ruoshui Realm to the Chongshan Realm! Initially, when he was just a beginner cultivator who had just acquired True Qi, Qianye told him that if he wanted to be powerful quickly, he should practice the Asura path. At that time, he was skeptical, and even when he broke through to the Yuanxin Realm, he still harbored doubts. But now, he was utterly convinced. The cultivation speed of the Asura path was incredibly fast. While others were biking, it was as if he was riding a rocket. And as soon as killing was involved, others might go from biking to motorcycling, while he would definitely go from rocket to shooting star! Boom¡ª Jian Qi''er led Fang Ren straight through a stone wall and into a long tunnel behind it. More members of the Indra Sky continuously rushed out from within, clearly stronger than those in the middle-level war zone above. Most of them had the power of those in the early stages to the Peak of the Xianyun Realm. However, these people were merely minions in front of Jian Qi''er, who was at the early stage of the Azure Sky Realm, with only a few at the Peak of the Xianyun Realm posing a threat to her. "Swift Wind Frenzy!" With a short de in hand, Jian Qi''er shed through the air. Over a hundred silvery streaks flew past, instantly severing several members of the Indra Sky who were at the Early Stage of the Xianyun Realm. "Ultimate Martial Pinnacle!" Fang Ren transformed his scythe into ten des, sending a red shadow charging forward. Various true meanings of weapons burst forth from his body and flew towards the Xianyun Realm practitioners, continuously ying them. Jian Qi''er was stunned as she followed behind. Fang Ren killed at an incredibly fast speed, and his attacks were so varied that they left enemiespletely unprepared. The energy he emitted could be swords or sabers, but also spears, hammers, axes, or even bows and arrows¡ªan unpredictable assault. Moreover, what made one''s scalp tingle was the fact that this guypletely abandoned defense; no matter how many wounds he received, as long as he could kill his enemies, he would attack relentlessly. "What kind of perverse cultivation technique is this¡­" While Jian Qi''er was still in shock, Fang Ren had already cleared the enemies in the tunnel ahead for over twenty meters by himself, leaving only a few strong practitioners at the Peak of the Xianyun Realm entangled with him. Seeing this, Jian Qi''er immediately joined the fray, her de Qi erupting and unexpectedly killing a practitioner at the Peak of the Xianyun Realm. She then proceeded to alleviate some of thebat pressure from Fang Ren. Chit-chat, chit-chat¡ª Fang Ren''s scythe instantly killed two experts at the Peak of the Xianyun Realm. Suddenly, his scythe evolved once again, and the Spiritual Root within his body came to an abrupt halt. Whirr¡ª In the next instant, an even mightier power erupted from his body. He had broken through again! He went directly from the Peak of the Ruoshui Realm to the Early Stage of the Chongshan Realm! With the additional power from the explosive pills, his current stage was at the Peak of the Chongshan Realm, only a step away from the Xianyun Realm! "All of you, die!" The nine scythes at Fang Ren''s back suddenly transformed again, each splitting into ten identical Blood Sickles. In an instant, the entire tunnel was crowded with ny scythes, leaving no room for enemies to pass. As he mobilized the True Qi within him, ny Blood Sickles sliced ahead towards the end of the tunnel, filling the whole tunnel with corpses and rivers of blood in the blink of an eye. Jian Qi''er sheathed her broken sword, looking at Fang Ren with an expression as if she were staring at a monster: "What cultivation technique have you been practicing? You''ve crossed four minor realms in a short period of time!" Fang Ren nced at her: "Can''t you tell?" Jian Qi''er shook her head. "Mad Dog Path," Fang Ren said offhandedly. "¡­" Jian Qi''er blinked, and seeing that he didn''t want to talk, she sighed and continued, "At the end of this tunnel is argeboratory of Indra Sky. We need to quickly rescue the cultivators inside, and also find a way to obtain Indra Sky secrets and locate the whereabouts of Indra Sky''s organizations in other cities!" "Why doesn''t your organization just have a powerful member st the ground and be done with it?" Fang Ren asked. "No, that won''t work. There''s a very strong Formation protecting the bigboratory above. It simply can''t be broken in the short term. Moreover, our top experts are dealing with the Tianjiang Investigation Group and, most importantly, our leader Jiang Ling has been outwitted by a mid-stage Xuanyang Realm practitioner. We still don''t know where the two are fighting, so others must break through thisb," Jian Qi''er said before rushing deeper into the tunnel. Upon hearing that a mid-stage Xuanyang Realm expert had arrived at Tianjiang, Fang Ren''s eyes twitched fiercely. If this were within the Asura path, he would definitely want to challenge a mid-stage Xuanyang Realm fighter ¡ª after all, in the Asura path, he could have countless lives. However, there was no need to panic about the presence of a mid-stage Xuanyang Realm expert, since Jiang Ling, the leader of the Nightfall Organization, was also a mid-stage Xuanyang Realm practitioner. Two super strong fighters shing would likely not result in a victor for at least a couple of days and nights. Fang Ren followed Jian Qi''er with his scythe and charged into the tunnel. The two of them ughtered their way through the tunnel. Wounds kept umting on Fang Ren''s body, and Jian Qi''er was also covered in injuries, but fortunately, she had the two Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pills given to her by Fang Ren earlier, otherwise, she would have lost herbat capabilities halfway through. But for Fang Ren, these pains were a source of excitement. Each time he got hurt, his subconscious would involuntarily take him back to the mad experiences of his Asura path, driving him to frenzy and excitement. Bang! Jian Qi''er cleaved open a stone gate with a single strike, and as it split apart, what came into view was a massive space of over a thousand square meters. Inside stood over a hundred members d in white clothes, both men and women. Their cultivation levels were simr to those encountered earlier in the tunnels. Among them, however, were two members at the Early Stage of the Azure Sky Realm, just like Jian Qi''er, with their True Qi violently erupting, as if they had been prepared for a long time. Next to these members dressed in white, there were beds used for experiments arranged all over the floor, probably more than three hundred. Each bed was apanied by a small cart, constantly emitting cold air, freezing the blood, organs, corpses, and meridians on top... and these were all gruesomely harvested from living cultivators! Next to each experimental bed, dozens of men and women were submerged in liquid tanks by some means, all naked. Through the ss of the tanks, one could clearly see all sorts of scars on the practitioners'' skin. "Inhuman!" Seeing this, Jian Qi''er''s emotions suddenly became very unstable; her eyes reddened as she roared furiously and charged directly towards the over a hundred members of the Indra Sky organization opposite her. Seeing this, Fang Ren immediately fused the ny-odd Blood Sickles from behind his back into the sickle in his hand. Hum¡ª A gigantic Blood Sickle, a hundred meters long, materialized in the air! Without another word, Fang Ren swung the enormous scythe towards the group of Indra Sky members below, directly crushing those at the Early Stage of the Xianyun Realm into dust. As for the peak figures of the Xianyun Realm, they swarmed towards Fang Ren and Jian Qi''er. "Ultimate Martial Arts!" The war scythe in Fang Ren''s hand suddenly erupted with a zing red glow, and his speed increased even further, rampaging through the enemies in theboratory with the huge Blood Sickle. Meanwhile, Jian Qi''er backed him up, guarding his rear while sending out hundreds of shes of knife Qi. After a brief period, only the two Early Stage Azure Sky Realm powerhouses remained among the enemies in the entire space. Fang Ren was drenched in blood, his face still twisted with a ferocious smile, while Jian Qi''er was extremely emotionally unstable. She screamed in anger, charging with a broken de towards the two Azure Sky Realm opponents. Fang Ren was slightly faster, rushing forward to break through an enemy''s protective True Qi, then delivering a punch to their chest. His sickle swiftly reaped their life away. With one Azure Sky Realm practitioner down, Jian Qi''er engaged thest enemy. Fang Ren sent a sh their way, severing the enemy''s legs. Jian Qi''er thrust her de through the opponent''s head, her eyes bloodshot. Even after the enemy died, she fiercely stabbed their head several more times before she stopped, as if settling a deep, personal hatred. "How do we save these cultivators?" Fang Ren asked. "Just smash the equipment on them," Jian Qi''er replied, her True Qi bursting forth, shattering the tanks around her. Fang Ren swung his scythe, splitting half the tanks open. Practitioners tumbled out of the experimental tanks, but none regained consciousness. After searching the area, Jian Qi''er punched the ground, her face full of frustration as she said, "Damn it! Their secrets have already been moved!" "It''s okay, didn''t we save some people?" Fang Ren said. "It''s not okay!" Jian Qi''er insisted, her eyes red as she earnestly continued, "There is no telling how many of thesebs exist across Earth. Without the secrets, we have no way to locate the other experimental bases of their organization, essentially abandoning many more cultivators waiting to be rescued." "What do we do next?" Fang Ren asked. ncing at the cultivators around her, Jian Qi''er responded, "We''re in the midst of a great battle, so we can only save them temporarily and can''t provide any more help. I''ll take you to a ce to heal; your body must be near its limit." "It''s fine, I can still fight for a bit," Fang Ren said. Boom¡ª During their conversation, the ground above them suddenly shook violently. Boom, boom, boom¡ª The sound of explosions was constant, and even the formation that Jian Qi''er referred to as "extremely difficult to destroy" above theboratory now showed cracks. Jian Qi''er stood there, gazing dazedly at the ground above, her face a jumble of emotions. "The Leader... The Leader is back!" Chapter 194: Chapter 192: The Questioned Prodigy_1 As the golden light erupted from within the Alchemy Furnace, an aura filled with unique and mystical qualities began to permeate the senses of everyone present. In an instant, the entire examination hall fell into dead silence, with only the feeble crackling sound of the mes burning beneath the hundreds of Alchemy Furnaces. ng¡ª Secondster, the Pill Furnace lid in the hands of the shock-stricken Seventh Elder dropped to the ground, jolting everyone back to reality from their astonishment. "Golden light... This is a Fourth-order elixir!" "Impossible! There was still so much water in his Alchemy Furnace; how could the elixir have possibly formed!" "Quiet! Quiet!" ... Chaos erupted throughout the examination hall in no time, as many invigtors took swift action to maintain order. Despite the staggering and shocking scene before them, the other students were still practicing alchemy; they had to ensure their protection. The Seventh Elder looked dumbfoundedly at Fang Ren, then at the water halfway filling the Alchemy Furnace, an incredulous expression stering his aged face. "How... How is this possible?" The Seventh Elder felt entirely dumbfounded. At this moment, his worldview had been greatly shaken. From the start to now, he had been watching Fang Ren most intently because from the very beginning, his gaze had scarcely left Fang Ren. He had been thinking that once Fang Ren started to cheat, he would act to assist the deception. But from start to finish, up until now, he hadn''t seen Fang Ren engage in any behavior that could be considered cheating. He was certain that Fang Ren wasn''t carrying any other elixirs, as the invigtors responsible for checking were very strict at the entrance, and he had also touched Fang Ren, his Divine Sense probing around on Fang Ren and finding nothing suspicious. So, he was absolutely sure that Fang Ren had not cheated, for Fang Ren simply had no opportunity to do so. While pondering this, the Seventh Elder quickly suppressed the intense shock in his heart and, without another word, took out the Gold Pill that was soaked in the water inside the Alchemy Furnace. As he removed the Gold Pill from the Alchemy Furnace, the spectator stands exploded even further, with an uproar that the surrounding invigtors couldn''t silence. "This is impossible! There''s clearly still half a furnace full of water; the elixir couldn''t possibly have formed!" "Exactly! This idiot must be cheating!" "How did you invigtors inspect them! This idiot managed to bring in a Fourth-order elixir to cheat and you didn''t notice! Are you blind!" "Throw him out! Expel him from school! And deprive him of his Alchemist qualifications for life! Let him know that because of one person, the whole school is tarnished!" ... At this moment, the multitude on the spectator stands disregarded the group of students still engaging in alchemy below; even some students who were alchemizing stood up, echoing the same sentiment as those above, abandoning their alchemy outright. Anyway, thispetition is already nearly ruined because of a cheater. It must be restarted. §Ö%??&§à!§å-§à§Ú$-- Standing in the spectator stand, Bai Qi looked nkly at the fourth-order elixir in the Seventh Elder''s hand,pletely at a loss for what expression to make. She could bepletely certain that Fang Ren had not engaged in any cheating behavior. From the beginning to the end, he had almost been sitting in his original spot, unmoving. The few times he reached out was merely to casually adjust the mes, and when adding water, his hands were empty, without any opportunity to slip in a fourth-order elixir. Behind her, Lin Bozhongughed, while Chen Cheng''s eyes were wide with shock, his aged jaw almost dropping to the ground. Chen Cheng was also extremely clear in his mind that Fang Ren had not cheated at all, because he had watched his every move from beginning to end. He, a mid-stage practitioner of the Yingyue Realm, could not possibly have seen it wrong. The only exnation for the current situation was that Fang Ren had the talent to refine a fourth-order elixir within 15 minutes! A talent that was against the natural order, shattering all their past understanding! The expressions on the faces of the three old men from the Liu, Wang, and Cao Families were no better than Chen Cheng''s. They remembered very clearly that Lin Bozhong had told them around three minutes into the start that Young Master Fang would get up within 15 minutes. And up until now, there was only one boy from a lower-tier school standing in the middle of the field. Who else could that widely rumored Young Master Fang, whose name stirred up such a buzz, be? The crowd all around shouted usations of cheating, but as the young master of the Fang Family, did he really need to cheat in such an event? Unless he was out of his mind! And, to put it bluntly, even if Young Master Fang cheated in such an event, what could anyone do to him? "Silence!" The Seventh Elder suddenly unleashed a powerful surge of True Qi, enveloping the entire area, and subdued all the noise from the crowd. He held up the gold-colored fourth-order elixir in his hand, looking very serious as he announced loudly to the spectators, "Examinee: Fang Ren! Fourteen minutes and thirty-six seconds! One Upper Level Pill! Record the score!" As his words fell, there was still no sound from the crowd, but the invigtor responsible for the scoring did not lift a hand to record the score. Because even until now, he simply could not believe that a university student in his early twenties could refine an Upper Level Pill! This was an Upper Level Pill of the fourth order! Infinitely close to the unique and unmatched fifth-order elixir! Even among the Grandmasters of District One, who could dare to im they could refine a fourth-order Upper Level Pill within 15 minutes!? Even guaranteeing a third-order lower level pill was a stretch! "Seventh Elder! This is collusion in cheating!" While everyone was stunned into silence, Ah Si, who had been sent flying earlier, suddenly got up from the ground and shouted loudly. The Seventh Elder''s excitement had yet to subside when he heard this discordant voice. His gaze immediately turned toward Ah Si behind him, "You will pay the price for your words!" Ah Si wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and limping on his legs, he strode forward, his face wearing a vicious sneer, "Seventh Elder! The one who will pay the price today is you! You''ve been assisting this guy right from the start! Every one of your actions has shown how much you value him! I believe everyone here already has the answer in their hearts¡ªthis guy must be one of your very important rtives! To think you would resort to such means to craft his false glory!" While saying this, Ah Si pointed at Fang Ren''s Alchemy Furnace and yelled, "If I''m not mistaken, the reason you personally collected his elixir is that there was no pill in his furnace to begin with! That pill was put there by you! And in his furnace, those fourth-order medicinal materials have not been refined at all, they''re lying there intact!" Chapter 138: Chapter 136: Qianyes Streaming Light_1 "Can... Can he still be alive...?" A group of mid-ranking Nightfall Members ran to Fang Ren''s side and frowned deeply as they saw his body sted open and bloody. "Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pills! Didn''t Qi''er say he gave us a lot of these pills?" "But they''ve all been used up already!" "What do we do now!" "Move aside! Let me take a look!" A man with some medical knowledge rushed to Fang Ren''s side. The brown aura from his body seeped into Fang Ren''s arm, and within just a few seconds, He showed a face of grief and anger: "It''s over, all his meridians are dead... Right now, he''s just a normal person. Even if we had Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pills, his ordinary human body wouldn''t be able to digest them." "Damn it!" The man who had been constantly cursing beside Fang Ren clenched his teeth hard, "Damn it, why did our big brother insist on taking that forbidden drug!" "If it weren''t for this young man, our organization''s outer and mid-ranking members would probably suffer ten thousand more casualties." "Sigh! With injuries like these, I''m afraid even an Immortaling here wouldn''t be able to save him." "He''s still breathing. You guys take care of him, the rest of the outer ranks go underground to rescue people, the middle ranks follow me to fight those high-ranking enemies!" ... In no time, the members of the Nightfall Organization began to carry out their own tasks again, leaving only the cursing man and two others by Fang Ren''s side. In the central battle zone spanning several kilometers, only Jiang Ling and the General of that section were continuously shing with their massive Cultivation Techniques. The high-ranking warriors on both sides numbered just over a hundred, but the might unleashed by the war was also terrifyingly intense. Time ticked away bit by bit, and Jian Qi''er, along with a group of Nightfall Members, had already evacuated the Practitioners from the underground world. More and more time had passed. Jiang Ling was covered in wounds in the central battlefield. Because of the poisoning in her meridians, herbat power had decreased significantly. Fighting to stand, fresh blood kept seeping out from her arms and the de in her hands trembled, while the ck aura around her body became increasingly unstable. "Jiang Ling! You''re doomed to lose this battle! Now, if you surrender, I might consider sparing the others in your organization!" the General thundered, "Surrender? Haha! If I hadn''t fallen into a trap, would you even dare to utter such arrogance?" Jiang Lingughed coldly, and once again, the ck aura wrapped around her de and she shed out a massive ck crescent moon. Seeing this, the General, shrouded in lightning, shattered the crescent moon, and immediately after, he called down celestial lightning to charge at Jiang Ling. Her ck aura rose instantly to counter it, but after the brief collision, Jiang Ling''s body suffered additional wounds. "Since you refuse to surrender! Today, your Nightfall Organization shall perish here!" the General shouted. Grinding her teeth, Jiang Ling roared, "Why have I be like this! Isn''t it because you beasts forced me back then! And now you''remitting these outrageous and harmful acts! All under the guise of ''for humanity''? You have no conscience at all!" "You have no idea how much we have sacrificed for Earth!" "Bullshit! Your sacrifices do not justify making us continue to sacrifice!" The two shed again, and the heavens and earth shifted colors. Meanwhile, Fang Ren, lying on a heap of corpses, had long since stopped breathing and showed no signs of life. "Damn it! Big brother, why did you leave like this! Little brother hasn''t even had the chance to thank you!" The cursing man kept shouting beside him, a picture of mourning. ------ ------ At this time, in a ssroom at Linyang City Hundred-Mile University. Bang! Teacher Huang, with a furious look, mmed his book onto the podium, his hair messily standing up as he yelled, "Has Fang Ren fallen into the toilet!? He hasn''te back to me in forty minutes!" The ss was silent; no one had ever seen Teacher Huang lose his cool like today. Just before mming his book, Teacher Huang had changed his hairstyle, since his messy hair had been grabbed by himself into a receding hairline. Sitting at the back of the ss, Bai Qi, holding the little Qianye and sleeping soundly because of the pill given by Fang Ren, was oblivious to the teacher''s shouting. "Jing Haichuan! Li Xingwang!" Teacher Huang once again pulled at the receding hairline on his head and shouted. "Present!" Jing and Li immediately stood up from their desks. "Imand you two to go to the toilet and retrieve Fang Ren! I want to see him in front of me within ten minutes! Otherwise, don''t bothering back either!" "Yes!" Upon hearing this, Jing and Li immediately leaped out, running toward the bathroom withpletely bewildered expressions. "Why did we just cooperate with that old man?" Jing Haichuan was utterly confused. "How the hell would I know!" ... "Heiha!" Just then, little Qianye suddenly woke up with a start in Bai Qi''s arms, climbing out and letting out a shout that filled the entire ssroom. Bai Qi felt something stir and her instincts quickly brought her awake. She opened her panda eyes and looked at little Qianye standing on the desk and yelling, then at the surrounding students staring in their direction, and she suddenly becamepletely alert. She immediately hid little Qianye in the drawer and looked around sheepishly with a smile. Apparently, they were still in ss, and the teacher was watching her. From a young age, Bai Qi had been paragon of excellence and perfection in an aristocrat school, so how had she gotten into trouble in this less prestigious school? "Ahem." Upon seeing Bai Qi waking up, Teacher Huang hurriedly picked up the textbook and pretended not to have noticed, coughing twice, "Where were we, right, it''s this pill..." All the ssmates were also quite understanding. Once they saw Teacher Huang act that way, they immediately cooperated and turned their heads away. Bai Qi, seeing that the group had spared her, quickly took little Qianye out of the drawer. With a furious look, she scolded it in a low voice, "Are you trying to rebel?!" "Hee-ha, hee-ha!" Little Qianye looked at her with a panicked face. As soon as Bai Qi heard it making noise again, she reached out her hand and, imitating Fang Ren''s manner, flicked little Qianye''s buttocks, whispering sternly, "Don''t think you can be naughty just because your dad isn''t here! Mama can discipline you too!" "Hee-ha, hee-ha!" Little Qianye didn''t listen to her and, freeing itself from her grasp in a few moves, jumped onto the desk. The gray halo on its head expanded instantly as a mass of gray energy kept gathering. "What are you doing?" Bai Qi immediately covered it with her hand to prevent others from seeing, looking at it with a puzzled face. Buzz¡ª¡ªBoom! "Hee-ha!" Suddenly, a beam of gray light from little Qianye''s halo shot towards the sky, piercing through the entire floor and racing towards the heavens. After the beam of light had shot out, it suddenly seemed exhausted and fell asleep right away. Bai Qi, looking at the half-meter wide hole in the ceiling that it had created, waspletely dumbstruck. Whoosh whoosh whoosh¡ª¡ª Once again, the whole ss gazed in her direction; everyone was stunned as they stared at the hole above the ssroom. Teacher Huang on the podium was even more disheveled. He had just sacrificed his teacher image to give Bai Qi a way out, and then she suddenly pulled this... Embarrassment flushing her face, she hurriedly stood up and said, "I''m sorry, Teacher, I was just... My realm seemed to have be a bit unstable, sorry, everyone." "Ha... Haha." Teacher Huang, patting his balding head and chuckling, said, "It''s okay, it''s okay, Your Highness has exceptional talent; a sudden small breakthrough in your realm is understandable, understandable..." "Sorry for the disturbance." Bai Qi spoke and then sat down again, lowering her head in embarrassment. Looking at the exhausted little Qianye sleeping in the palm of her hand, she didn''t have the heart to scold it anymore. "Wait until your dad gets back; he''ll deal with you!" Having said that, Bai Qi theny down on the desk and fell asleep. ------ ------ On the battlefield of Linglong Bay. "Big brother, why did you have to die so young!" A man with a grief-stricken expression prepared to carry away Fang Ren from the pile of corpses. "What are you doing?" Another man said, "He''s dead, we don''t have time to grieve, we need to quickly take care of other matters." The man with a saddened face carried Fang Ren''s corpse on his back and said, "Never mind that, I have to take big brother back to our organization to arrange a burial for him; his contributions to this battle were too great." As he spoke, he bent down to pick up Fang Ren''s sickle; when he grabbed the sickle, he waspletely shocked, "Damn! Why is it so heavy!" "Idiot! You''re trying to move a hundred-meter-long sickle by hand? Use True Qi!" "I can''t lift it even with True Qi!" Buzz¡ª¡ª During their conversation, a buzzing sound suddenly came from the sky. "What''s that?" A man looked up at the sky and frowned. "Gray trailing light?" "Seems like it''s heading straight for us." "What do you mean ''seems like?'' It ising for us! Stop dawdling, run!" The two men saw the gray trailing light approaching fast from the sky, shouted angrily, and ran with Fang Ren''s corpse on their back. A few secondster... "Damn it! Why can this thing track us!" "Crap!" The two men frantically ran through the pile of corpses on the battlefield, with a gray trailing light persistently chasing after them. Boom¡ª¡ª The gray trailing light directly crashed into Fang Ren''s body, the two men carrying Fang Ren were knocked rolling into the distance by the impact. This gray trailing light was precisely the one emitted by little Qianye''s halo. Seeing this, the grieving man immediately scrambled to his feet and ran towards Fang Ren. Seeing Fang Ren''s "corpse" overturned by the gray light, he became even more mournful, "Damn! Is there no justice in the world! They''reshing my dead big brother!" Boom¡ª¡ª Suddenly, a gray light wave emanated from Fang Ren''s body. The body that was lying on the ground suddenly stood up. "Big... Big bro?" The grieving man was dumbfounded. After a few seconds, he came to his senses and yelled as he ran off, "Shit! Big bro''se back to life!" Chapter 139: Chapter 137: Your Plug-in Arrived_1 Fang Ren was enveloped by a mass of gray vital energy, standing powerlessly with his head lowered, motionless. Gurgle gurgle gurgle¡ª¡ª His meridians continually shattered, his bones constantly made crackling sounds, and blood and flesh began to grow from his bones, repeatedly covering over his initially mutted body. When all the meridians inside his body had broken, the external gray vital energy suddenly injected into his Spiritual Root. In an instant, countless gray light threads surged from the Spiritual Root, filling Fang Ren''s body. Crossing in every direction, exceedingly intricate, one after another, meridians were regenerated from these gray light threads. Flesh, tendons, and bones had fully grown back, skin rapidly covered the top, hisplexion returned to a healthy state, his eyes opened, and his breathing and heartbeat both resumed. Hum¡ª¡ª Fang Ren retracted his hundred-meter sickle into his hand, furrowing his brows slightly, "What is that brat messing with? His heart isn''t even damaged; I can recover from this injury on my own. I bet he has thrown the whole ss into disarray." "Is this... ying possum or a resurrection?" the swearing man copsed on the ground, sitting with his butt plopped down, staring dumbfounded at Fang Ren, his heart filled with immense shock. As the effects of both kinds of medicinal pills had passed, Fang Ren''s current cultivation realm had only retained the early stage of the Chongshan Realm. This was the realm he had genuinely broken through to, not the Peak of Chongshan Realm with the aid of medicinal enhancements. "All Heavens God Thunder Law!" A roar exploded from the Central battlefield, a million rampaging thunders descended from the sky, charging towards the already heavily injured Jiang Ling with a might that seemed to destroy thend. Jiang Ling nced at Jian Qi''er and others who had already rescued the practitioners in the distance. Her expression was extremely solemn; the poison in her body had already acted out widely. She was unable to use anyrge-scale cultivation techniques to contend with the enemy. Normally, she could have easily suppressed her foes, but the severe toxicity was too fierce. What was more infuriating was that, seeing her on herst legs, the enemy intentionally guided the battle zone to this side. She had no way to escape. The moment she left, all the members of the organization would be ughtered by the General at the mid-stage of the Xuanyang Realm. Bang¡ª¡ª Countless impacts struck the ck vitality around Jiang Ling. The two fierce auras struggled for half a second, then in the blink of an eye, the thunderlight pierced through the ck aura and hit Jiang Ling''s long sword. The violent thunderous energy sent her flying, shattering the de of her sword, while the side of her abdomen was pierced by the thunderlight, blood, and flesh. "Run!" Jiang Ling roared furiously in midair, but her body then mmed into the ground, creating a massive crater. This battle seemed certain to end in defeat. The Nightfall Members watching the battlefield from afar all revealed expressions of worry, fear, anger... a mixture ofplex emotions. They had never imagined that the Central District Command would spare a General from the first zone to interfere at the crucial moment of the Void Cave Split, and moreover, that they had even set up a poisonous array in advance to plot against the leader. "No one will escape!" The General from the first zone in the sky was once again covered in thunder, his eyes shooting forth lightning, with countless electric currents falling from his body to the ground, spreading continuously towards the distance. "Protect the leader!" A group of high-ranking members of the Nightfall Organization immediately flew in front of Jiang Ling, their various types of true energy rotating, attacking the approaching thunderous assault. "I told you to run! Did you hear me!" Jiang Ling shouted furiously. "We won''t run! If you are no longer here, leader! Then what do we have left to smash the Central District Command with!" a woman yelled fervently. "That''s right! If the leader dies, our lives are meaningless!" a man bellowed. "Yes! If we''re going to die, we''ll die together! A world where we can''t oppose the Central District Command is meaningless for me to live in!" "Ah! Let''s fight it out with them!" ... Hundreds of practitioners from the Azure Sky Realm roared, fearlessly charging toward the approaching thunder and lightning, their attribute true energies erupting without reservation. "A bunch of ants! All of you, die!" The thunder on the General grew even more ferocious. In front of him, the hundreds of Azure Sky Realm practitioners were like immature children. They tried their best to operate cultivation techniques, but they were pierced by the opponent''s thunderbolt, which struck their flesh and sent them flying away, flesh bursting forth. "Damn! We''ve nned so carefully for so long! To think we''d be thwarted by a mere poisonous array! Damn it!" "Heaven wants to destroy Nightfall! Screw it! I''m going all out!" "Even if Nightfall perishes today! In the future, countless Nightfalls will rise up! I''m risking it all!" A group of mid-level practitioners also unhesitatingly charged forward, disregarding their own lives. "Damn it! You spawn of a pig, if you have the guts then ughter me!" The swearing man beside Fang Ren also cursed out loud as he ran with wind attribute true energy surging forward. Hum¡ª¡ª A whistling sound reached his ears, and Fang Ren turned his head, only to see Jian Qi''er arriving beside him with a face full of rage. "Take the chance to run now! Don''t lose your life here! If ites to it, use your identity to save yourself!" After Jian Qi''er spoke to him, without waiting for Fang Ren to react, she charged with a broken sword towards the central battlefield. Fang Ren looked up at the lightning-filled sky, his eyelid twitching. He run? Run my ass! His cheat had just arrived! Fang Ren stashed the sickle into his Space Ring and, channeling all his vital energy, sped towards the crater where Jiang Lingy. "You ants! It''s because of you vermin that the high-level ns to save humanity keep getting dyed! You are all guilty!" The General from the first zone sent dozens of Azure Sky Realm practitioners flying with a thunderbolt, an expression of maniacalughter on his face. "Even if Nightfall is exterminated today! In the future, countless Nightfalls will rise up!" "A so-called salvation of life thatcks humanity is ultimately an extreme path! You are the ones who are wrong!" ... The crowd of practitioners was shouting, their faces filled with madness. "Who''s wrong? I want to see who''s at fault!" The general pped a female practitioner from the Yingyue Realm to death and, holding her head high in the sky, roared, "The history of human rule is already shrouded in darkness! But as long as we win, any history can be rewritten by the victors!" "You''re right!" Jiang Ling climbed out of the huge pit and roared with rage, "But throughout history, countless humans have rebelled! The most inhumane methods will always meet with endless resistance and battles to the death!" Just as Jiang Ling roared and was about to charge again, suddenly a gray vital energy blocked her path. "Hey, hey, hey, wait a second!" A man''s voice reached her ears, and Jiang Ling turned around, baffled. In such a life-and-death moment, someone was actually telling her to wait? When she turned around, she saw a man dressed in Nightfall''s Night-outfit standing about a meter from her, looking at her. Jiang Ling frowned slightly and turned to charge again. Hum¡ª Gray vital energy blocked her path once more. "Big sister, your cheat code has arrived." The man said with a calm face. Jiang Ling waspletely dumbstruck. She had seen all kinds of people on the battlefield, but someone who talked about "your cheat code has arrived" was a first. Is this a battlefield or a game? "If you don''t want to die then get out of here, fast!" Jiang Ling shouted angrily. "Calm down! Wait another ten seconds or so! Otherwise, if you charge in now, you''ll only get yourself killed." Fang Ren then hastily took an iron box out from the Space Ring and began to quickly search through various pills. Jiang Ling was even more perplexed. This odd man, at most in the early stage of Chongshan Realm, was actually giving orders to her? She got furious, drew her sword, and attempted to break the gray vital energy blocking her way. "This time, I have bet all my future on your organization, so you better not throw your life away for nothing," Fang Ren said as he took out a pill that radiated purple light and said, "Here, eat this quickly." "..." Jiang Ling suddenly stopped her motion to slice through the gray vital energy, her gaze fixating on the purple pill in Fang Ren''s hand, stunned, "A fifth-grade high-quality elixir!" In the world of elixirs, the fifth grade represents the peak, top quality the absolute best, and fifth-grade top quality stands at the zenith of all elixirs, unrivaled by any other grade! This... really could be described as a cheat-level price elixir. "Qingmai Pill, it can temporarily remove the toxins in your body," Fang Ren said. "Are you that genius alchemist Ji Qi''er mentioned?" "It''s probably me. Hurry up and swallow it," Fang Ren said. Jiang Ling immediately took the pill from Fang Ren and swallowed it without hesitation. In an instant, a wave of purple aura covered Jiang Ling''s entire body, and in the blink of an eye, a stream of blue poison was flushed out of her meridians, instantly detoxifying her. "You''ve been a great help!" Jiang Ling nodded, clenched her teeth as she endured the intense pain in her body, and turned to charge once more. "Wait again!" Fang Ren once again stopped her. "What now?" "Although the poison is gone, your injuries are too severe. You definitely won''t win in that state. Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pills won''t have any fundamental effect on your wounds. I have pills that can restore True Qi, but I don''t currently have any elixirs that can heal internal injuries on hand." As Fang Ren spoke, he activated his True energy Rotation, directed at his gray Spiritual Root, "Qianye!" Hum¡ª Suddenly, a giant gray tree appeared behind Fang Ren, its robust main trunk soaring into the sky, reaching a hundred meters high! Every branch of the huge tree was embellished with colorful fruit, and thanks to Fang Ren''s breakthrough in two major Realms, he could gain two opportunities from it. "Restore her to her peak condition," Fang Renmanded, and upon his words, a branch grew out from the gray tree and coiled around Jiang Ling''s arm. Hum¡ª A red aura began to transfer from the branch into Jiang Ling''s body incessantly. "My... My meridians are recovering!?" Jiang Ling''s face showed a look of shock. She was well aware of the state of damage within her meridians, almost on the verge of copse, and she knew that on the entire Earth, no elixir could restore meridians. But this tree actually could! Secondster, the tree withdrew its branches, and Jiang Ling''s entire body erupted with an unprecedentedly powerful aura. "Really a cheat..." She stared at her hands, murmuring to herself. After a brief shock, she immediately raised her broken sword and rushed towards the central battlefield. The ck aura on her body shot straight into the heavens, immense enough to cover half of the sky, leaving no sliver of light to pass through the heavens. Fang Ren, standing beside the tree, watched the fruits with rxation, "Can''t we just pick fruits here too? Why does that kid insist on dragging me into the Chaotic World?" Chapter 140: Chapter 138: An Imperfect Ending_1 "All of you go to hell! All Heavens God Thunder Law!" The General unleashed another strike of the All Heavens God Thunder, and the Nightfall Members charging at the forefront were about to be shattered by the violent thunderbolts. "Dark Night''s Twilight!" Jiang Ling suddenly rushed to the front of the Nightfall Members, her body''s ck aura surging wildly, turning into a giant ck wheel spanning a kilometer, devouring the raging thundering their way. "How is this possible!" Seeing this, the General''s expression started to show panic, "How could there be a pill capable of driving out the poison from that damned poisonous formation!" As Jiang Ling, having regained her strength, returned to the center of the battlefield, the sky that was once covered by lightning was now half swallowed by the soaring ck aura. The lightning and the ck aura were like two ferocious beasts, constantly tearing at and devouring each other in the sky. Their battle was incredibly intense; the other Practitioners couldn''t even get a hand in, and the senior warriors of both sides were again entangled in a harsh fight. On the periphery of the entire battlefield, only Fang Ren remained calmly perched atop a massive tree, his gaze carefully inspecting each and every fruit. Each of these fruits represented an opportunity, which he couldn''t just waste. Although his breakthroughs had been smooth so far, the more advanced the cultivation, the harder it became to progress, and the frequency of forming connections would drastically decrease. After wandering around the tree for a while, Fang Ren finally plucked a fruit from the very top of the great tree and another from the higher branches¡ªafter all, ording to Qianye, if he wanted to get stronger quickly, he should take the ones from above. Fang Ren had absolute faith in Qianye''s words. At first, when Qianye said the Asura Path''s strength increased rapidly, he didn''t really believe it, but now the truth was self-evident, as fast as riding aet. Of the fruits he picked from the tree, one was white and the other blue; the white one was from the top, and the blue one was also from the upper branches. The white fruit looked like a sweet potato, with no great spectacle, while the blue one was different¡ªit burned with a blue me, yet its temperature was ice cold and bone-chilling, quite strange indeed. But Fang Ren still favored the white fruit, after all, it was the one that grew at the top of the great tree. After plucking the fruits, Fang Ren didn''t immediately eat them, but stored them inside his Space Ring. By this time, the battle at the central battlefield was nearing its end. Jiang Ling was in peak condition, while the General had exhausted too much in the previous fights. There had already been a gap between the two, and if not for Jiang Ling being poisoned, that General probably would have been defeated long ago. Although both were of the same Realm, Jiang Ling was someone who could match the Commander of the Central Command, definitely not someone a Great General could withstand. "Dark Art! Prime Break sh!" Jiang Ling''s kilometer-wide ck de light cleaved through the pirs of lightning in the sky,nding directly atop the General''s protective True Qi, with the energy of destruction causing the ground for several kilometers around to crater dozens of meters deep. "Pfft!" The General, although he took the sh head on, couldn''t stop spewing blood from his mouth, his organs upended by the blow. Humm¡ª Seeing the dire situation, the General immediately turned and harnessed the power of thunder to flee into the distance. Just before escaping, he red fiercely in Fang Ren''s direction as if to etch his image into his memory. It was all because of this inconspicuous man at the Mid-Stage of the Chongshan Realm that he missed the perfect opportunity to annihte the entire Nightfall Organization! Seeing the General fleeing, Jiang Ling didn''t give chase but quickly turned around to deal with the remaining remnants of the Tianjiang Investigation Group; after all, no one knew if there were more Tianjiang forcesing from afar or if it was a trap set up. Once the enemy''s General of the Xuan Yang Realm fled, the remaining senior enemy warriors were easier to deal with. Jiang Ling alone could annihte dozens in an instant. After a while, the entirety of Linglong Bay had be a wastnd, with mes still spreading towards the distant forest. The ground across six miles was drenched in blood, piled with bones¡ªthe scene was exceedingly cruel. "Everyone, pull out from here!" With Jiang Ling''smand, tens of thousands of Practitioners swiftly retreated to various ces, taking with them the experimental subjects rescued from theb. Fang Ren watched, dazed, truly not understanding why they had to scatter for the retreat. "Let''s go!" Jian Qi''er flew over, grabbed Fang Ren, and flew off towards the direction of the school. "Hey, just because the battle''s over, we''re not having a meeting to wrap things up?" Fang Ren asked. "What do you know? The war was huge, and with so many people from our organization, a group retreat in the same direction would definitely expose headquarters," Jian Qi''er exined. "Much of the information can only be revealed during night gatherings." "So I''m going to be out all night again?" Fang Ren was stunned. "Who knows what nonsense they''ll spread in ss tomorrow about who I hooked up with this time?" "You don''t have to show up if you don''t want to, but the whole organization needs to thank you. Without you, we probably would have beenpletely wiped out in this war," Jian Qi''er said. "Speaking of which, I''m covered in blood; how am I supposed to return to school? And since Chen Cheng from the Bai Family definitely saw me leave, if I rush back now, I''m bound to be suspected," Fang Ren said. Jian Qi''er frowned. "Then why don''t youe over to my ce?" "To your ce?" Fang Ren was startled again. "Won''t that start another scandal?" Upon hearing this, Jian Qi''er pped her forehead in frustration and said helplessly, "I''m a major celebrity and I''m not afraid of any rumors with you, so what are you scared of?" "After all, I am the legitimate fiance of Princess Tianjiang and the rightful husband of Xuan Nv of the Nine Heavens!" Fang Ren stated earnestly. "Well ... now that you mention it, you would indeed be the one to lose out if a scandal broke," Jian Qi''er conceded with embarrassment. In a short while, Jian Qi''er took Fang Ren and flew directly to a vi in Yangming City. Since Baili University was in Linyang City, they were safe from Chen Cheng''s surveince in Yangming City, hence they could move without worry. Arriving at the vi, Fang Ren was stunned; the vi was simply too extravagant. "You live here alone?" Fang Ren asked, looking at the luxurious facilities inside the vi, dumbfounded. "Of course, how can I, as a member of Nightfall, dare to let any maids or security staff inside the house?" Jian Qi''er led him inside, locked the front door, dragged her tired body to the sofa, tossed the broken de in her hand away, and without caring about the blood staining the sofa, she leaned back and took off her veil. "You go wash up in the bathroom first; I''ll go after you''re done," Jian Qi''er said. "You go ahead, I''m not that tired," Fang Ren said. "Don''t start that dies first'' thing with me now. You''re our savior at Nightfall. No matter what, in my eyes, you''re a friend that Jian Qi''er respects," she insisted. "It''s just a bath, no need for all that talk," Fang Ren said as he headed toward the bathroom. "Hey! I''m seriously trying to give you the respect you deserve here!" Jian Qi''er called back in dissatisfaction. "Alright, alright, if it''s life and death, it''s life and death. I value Nightfall a lot, otherwise I wouldn''t bother giving you so many pills," Fang Ren said. "Speaking of which, what about that caretaker of yours?" "I tricked him into leaving; otherwise, he would have joined the Tianjiang Investigation Group by now," Jian Qi''er replied. "Tricked ... " "Let''s talk after the shower." With that, Fang Ren entered the bathroom, and the sound of water soon followed. Jian Qi''ery on the sofa with aplicated expression. Although they had won today, many brothers and sisters had died, and they had not managed to secure the most crucial secret documents. What seemed like a victory was also a kind of defeat. As Jian Qi''er''s thoughts were swirling withplexity, her phone suddenly rang in her pocket. She immediately took it out to find it was a call from her manager. "Crap! I forgot there was something on today with the film crew!" Jian Qi''er looked at her phone, her whole person suddenly feeling chaotic: "She wouldn''t havee directly to my house, would she?" ncing again toward the bathroom where Fang Ren was and then at her phone, she hurriedly pressed the answer button. Chapter 141: Chapter 139: Feng Meis Intrusion_1 A few secondster, Jian Qi''er pressed the answer button. "Hello! Qi''er! What''s going on? I''ve been calling all morning and you haven''t picked up!" A middle-aged woman''s shout immediately came from the phone. "Sister Mei, I...uh, I''ve got a fever." Jian Qi''er spoke in a feigned sick tone. It must be said, a professional actor is just that¡ªespecially someone like Jian Qi''er, who could fake a fever to the point of seeming half-dead. "What? You have a fever? Wait for me, I''m already at yourmunity." The woman on the phone hurriedly hung up upon hearing this. Beep beep beep... Jian Qi''er stared nkly at the phone that had already hung up, suddenly feelingpletely frazzled. Thump¡ª She immediately stood up and saw the blood all over her body and the trail of red footprints Fang Ren had left on his way to the bathroom. She then hurriedly opened the door and stepped out, took the broken sword, and chopped up a few blood-stained tiles at the entrance, overturning the soil underneath and covering it with True Qi. She closed the door, returned to the room, and ced the sofa she had just been lying on into the Space Ring. Finally, she took off her shoes, levitated using True Qi, and mopped the blood off the tiles. "Damn it! Why is there still such a strong smell of blood?" In a moment of panic, Jian Qi''er quickly flew upstairs, grabbed two cans of air freshener, and started spraying wildly over the tiles downstairs, not forgetting to light two mosquito coils from her room on the first floor. "What the heck are you up to?" Fang Ren''s voice came from the bathroom, having heard the noise outside. Thump thump thump... Knocking sounds came from the front door, apanied by the shouts of Jian Qi''er''s agent Feng Mei from outside: "Qi''er! What happened to you? Did some bad guye over? The ground by the entrance has been dug up!" Jian Qi''er hurriedly flew to the outside of the bathroom, knocking frantically on the door. Click¡ª Fang Ren, wrapped in a towel, immediately opened the door, frowning at the panicked Jian Qi''er, then turned his attention to the vigorous knocking outside. Gray vital energy surged from his body: "There are still pursuers!" No sooner had he spoken, Fang Ren prepared to summon his Sickle and burst out. "Hey hey hey!" As soon as Jian Qi''er saw the gray aura emanating from him and him grabbing the Sickle to rush outside, she was dumbstruck. "Hold on a second!" She immediately reached for his arm, but Fang Ren''s Realm had improved, and he was much quicker than she had expected. Instead of grabbing Fang Ren''s arm, she ended up pulling hard on his towel. Rip¡ª A sound of fabric tearing followed. Fang Ren felt a chill on his chest and a pain in his groin as he was running, stopping after two steps and immediately turning back. Jian Qi''er, meanwhile, was staring at a certain part of Fang Ren,pletely stunned. She never expected Fang Ren to have wound the towel underneath his crotch... and with that pull she just made as he dashed forward... "Fuck, Jian Qi''er... you... I haven''t protected myself with True Qi yet..." Fang Ren, in agony, held his crotch, facing the bewildered Jian Qi''er across from him. Even having been through the Asura path and not afraid of pain, the sorrow of one''s eggs still instinctively brought fear to every man. "I I I I... I really didn''t know that''s how you wore a towel!" Jian Qi''er immediately turned her head and covered her eyes, her cheeks flushing red; although she usually said whatever came to mind, after all, she was just an inexperienced girl, not a woman. This was the first time she saw something like that... and it was so ugly. "Forget it! I''ll take care of the people outside first!" Fang Ren said, turning to rush out again. Upon hearing this, Jian Qi''er couldn''t just stand there; she quickly grabbed a towel and dashed toward the bare-assed Fang Ren. Without the aid of the two types of pills, Fang Ren''s Realm was only at the Early Stage of the Chongshan Realm and not as quick as Jian Qi''er. Hum¡ª Jian Qi''er instantaneously wrapped him in a towel and spun around, pulling Fang Ren back into the bathroom with True Qi. She looked at him frantically and said, "I came to tell you to stay in the bathroom and note out! Why are you so impulsive?" "That''s your excuse for pulling on my groin?" Fang Ren shouted out loud. "Howe it''s my fault again?" Jian Qi''er said with an innocent face. Thump thump thump¡ª "Qi''er! What on earth is going on? Why can I hear a man''s voice inside!" The moment Feng Mei outside heard themotion, she became frantic: "Qi''er! Hang in there! Sister Mei is calling the cops for you right now!" Upon hearing this, Jian Qi''er in the bathroom panicked even more, promptly opened the bathroom door, and yelled outside: "Sister Mei! I''m fine, you heard wrong, I was just using voice prompts to practice my script." "Don''t be scared, Qi''er! I''m calling the cops for you! Don''t be afraid of him!" Feng Mei from outside shouted: "The guy inside! If you dare toy a finger on Qi''er, you''re a dead man!" Jian Qi''er inside waspletely dumbfounded, and immediately said to Fang Ren, "The person outside is my agent, turn off the bathroom light, and don''t you dare go out!" Having said that, Jian Qi''er dashed to the rooftop room, stowed her blood-stained clothes into the Space Ring, then hurriedly took out a set of clothes to wear, and sprayed the most pungent perfume on various parts of her body. In thest blink of an eye, she flew downstairs and opened the door. "Qi''er! Where exactly is the criminal?" The hundred and eighty pound Feng Mei immediately rushed in, rolled up her sleeves, and looked around vigntly. "You really heard wrong, Sister Mei, I was really just using voice prompts to practice my script," Jian Qi''er said with a smile on her face. As soon as Feng Mei entered the room, she immediately covered her nose with her hand, frowned, and looked at the various incense on the floor: "What are you doing? Even religious rituals aren''t this excessive, are you trying to smoke yourself to death?" Jian Qi''er was taken aback for a moment, and then said with a sheepish smile: "Here''s the thing, Sister Mei. Last night when I got back, I suddenly found the tiles by my door were chopped up by something. Then, on the road, I came across a fortune-teller. He hadn''t even seen my house, but said it was cursed. He told me to light these incenses in the room for a day to exorcise the spirits. So I did." "What? Qi''er, what age are we living in? You still believe in this stuff?" Feng Mei''s face showed disbelief. "Sister Mei! That master was truly amazing. He could tell something had happened to my house without even seeing it. I didn''t use to believe, but now I really do," Jian Qi''er said earnestly. Feng Mei pped her own palm to her face with resignation: "Qi''er, are you mistaken again? How can you believe this stuff? Also, I clearly heard a man''s voice just now, and you''re lying to me! Tell me, is that fortune-teller in your room trying to swindle money and seduce you?" With that, Feng Mei started walking further inside. "Sister Mei! It''s really nothing!" Jian Qi''er protested. "Still denying it! Look at these footprints on the floor! There''s someone in the bathroom!" Feng Mei eximed. As she spoke, Feng Mei directly charged into the bathroom. Jian Qi''er stood there, dumbstruck, having never imagined she''d forget to deal with the most crucial detail. Click-ck¡ª Feng Mei pushed open the bathroom door to see a cloud of hot steam, and she furrowed her brows. ording to her many years of experience as an agent, this was definitely a major scandal! "Who''s there! Come out!" Feng Mei shouted. As she spoke, Feng Mei was about to pull back the bathroom curtain. Jian Qi''er felt utterly helpless: "It''s over... That guy is definitely going to be mistaken for my boyfriend by Sister Mei..." As the curtain was pulled aside by Feng Mei, there stood Fang Ren, wrapped in a bath towel, dumbfounded, with a pile of bloody ck clothes on the ground next to him. "Blood!?" Feng Mei was shocked, her mind flooded with crime scene connections, and she was totally bbergasted. Seeing this, Fang Ren immediately switched to Oscar Actor Mode. He suddenly adopted a serious and rather chuunibyou sword-wielding pose and said, "Audacious scoundrel! I am in the midst of exorcising demons! How dare you interrupt me!" Feng Mei was stunned again. "Wh-what?" Following her in, Jian Qi''er, seeing Fang Ren, who without any sense of disharmony posed like a Taoist priest and was acting all chuunibyou, was also stunned. "Get out this instant! The demon is not yet vanquished! Miscreants should not enter this ce!" said Fang Ren, frowning. "Is this that master?" Feng Mei nkly looked towards Jian Qi''er. After a brief moment of being stunned, Jian Qi''er quickly nodded: "Yes... Yeah! The master is exorcising spirits! Sister Mei, don''t disturb him." "Qi''er! Are you really out of your mind!" Feng Mei burst out angrily: "He''s just a bluffing swindler! Since when does a daoist performing rituals take baths in the bathroom?" "Ignorant woman!" Fang Ren pointed at the ck clothes covered with blood on the floor and said, "The blood of the demon I''ve in lies right here, yet you''re so short-sighted! Insulting me! If you don''t leave immediately, don''t me me for showing no mercy!" "Scammer! You''ve got some nerve putting on a show!" With those words, Feng Mei was about to roll up her sleeves and throw a punch. Chapter 142: Chapter 140: Start Performing_1 Fang Ren''s heart settled when he saw Feng Mei rolling up her sleeves, ready to take action, as everything was proceeding ording to the script he had designed. As the five-centimeter-thick palm was about tond on his head, Fang Ren immediately and quietly started to activate "Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat," releasing a red aura all over his body. "Ignorancees with a price!" Pretending to be a Taoist priest, Fang Ren transformed the red aura into streams of thread, continuously rushing toward Feng Mei. "What!" Feng Mei was startled by the red threads and nearly fell to the ground, her 180-pound frame slipping several steps on the smooth tiles before she turned to run out of the bathroom. Fang Ren manipted the red aura to follow her, not immediately knocking her out, but instead shouted with feigned authenticity, "Audacious thief! How dare you disturb my ritual! You shall not escape!" After saying this, Fang Ren finally struck Feng Mei''s forehead with a red thread of aura. Thud! The 180-pound body suddenly fell onto the tiles, the sound making everything in the bathroom from the basin towels to the makeup tremble thrice. "Sister Mei! Sister Mei!" Jian Qi''er immediately shouted and ran beside Feng Mei, switching to Oscar-worthy acting mode, looking earnestly at Feng Mei lying on the ground and saying, "Sister Mei! You mustn''t be hurt, this master is real, why wouldn''t you believe me?" At this moment, Feng Mei hadn''tpletely passed out and immediately tugged Jian Qi''er''s arm, saying, "Qi''er... you mustn''t believe him." "Thief! Not only do you disrupt my demon-hunting, but you also continue to nder me in front of others!" Fang Ren, seeing Jian Qi''er''s performance, how could he show any weakness? He roared in anger, struck a ch¨±niby¨­ pose, and aimed a punch at Feng Mei on the ground. Watching Fang Ren''s punche her way, Jian Qi''er smiled inwardly, clearly sensing the deliberate slowness of the punch and its intended dramatic effect¡ªindeed, her coordination with this man was wless. Then, Jian Qi''er looked pleadingly at Fang Ren, who was striking a very ch¨±niby¨­ pose, and said, "Master! She was just ignorant and trespassed by mistake! Please don''t take this to heart! Spare her life, please!" Fang Ren halted his punch with an angry expression, nced at Jian Qi''er, and said coldly, "Hmph! You knew I was performing a ritual and yet allowed others in so casually. If not for the goodness in your heart, I would never have agreed to perform it here!" "I understand, master, master... please give Sister Mei a chance to live. After all, she didn''t know any better and only barged in because she was too concerned about me," Jian Qi''er continued the act, "There''s a foolish saying that ignorance is no sin, which is utter nonsense! The ignorant should also receive the punishment they deserve to learn their lesson!" said Fang Ren. With those words, Fang Ren''s red aura burst forth, striking Feng Mei''s head once more, knocking her out cold, but not harming her life. Jian Qi''er looked at Feng Mei, now motionless by her side, and with a face full of worry, she shouted, "Sister Mei, Sister Mei?" After a few seconds, Jian Qi''er''s worried expression instantly vanished, she nced at Fang Ren, and chuckled, "I must say, you have a talent for this, your acting synchs up with mine without even needing a script." "Absolutely." Fang Ren dusted off his hands, then used the Space Ring to collect the pile of ck clothes in the corner into his storage space. "You ought to hurry up and leave here to go back to school. Although the rumor between you and me can be avoided now, as soon as Sister Mei catches wind of this, it''s going to lead to new misunderstandings," Jian Qi''er frowned as she spoke. "Isn''t it just a matter of dealing with an agent? For you, shouldn'' that be a simple task to brush off?" Fang Ren replied. Jian Qi''er waved her hand dismissively and said, "You don''t understand. I still need to think of ways to gain more fame and acquire more useful information for the organization, so I take my work very seriously. If any bad news were to leak out, it could very well affect my future." "Then forget it, I''ll try to find somewhere else to stay for a while," Fang Ren said. "By the way, do you have any men''s clothes here?" "Huh?" Jian Qi''er looked bewildered, "I''m a girl, why would I have men''s clothes at home?" "Huh?" Fang Ren was taken aback and then spoke, "If you don''t have men''s clothes at home, why did you let me take a shower first? You want me to go back to school wrapped in just a towel?" "How was I supposed to know that despite having a Space Ring, you didn''t bring any clothes with you?" Jian Qi''er said helplessly. Even more helpless, Fang Ren thought about how, during his time on the battlefield, his Space Ring was in utter chaos, filled with a burning Alchemy Furnace, all sorts ofplex herbs, ny-one sickles, and various discussed elixirs... Although he had indeed thrown his clothes into the Space Ring before, considering that his Space Ring''s storage space was only 10 cubic meters, he had no idea how he managed to fit those ny-one sickles in there, not to mention now also having to worry about clothes. Using his Divine Sense to check the Space Ring, Fang Ren''s face turnedpletely dark. Were those even clothes anymore? They had been charred by the Alchemy Furnace, torn open and cut by more than ny sickles, and rubbed shiny by other pills... Seeing Fang Ren fall silent, Jian Qi''er turned and ushered Feng Mei into the living room. When she returned to the bathroom, she said, "Alright, alright, I''ll go out and buy a set of clothes for you now. Just don''t wander off, okay?" "Am I supposed to just hang out in your house wearing nothing but a towel?" Fang Ren said in astonishment. "What else can we do? It''s not like I can let you wear my super short shorts and miniskirts, can I?" Jian Qi''er replied. "Alright, alright." "Wait for me at home, and keep an eye on Sister Mei." ... A few minutester, Jian Qi''er came rushing back into the house, her face flustered, carrying a bag. She had barely entered the room before mming the door shut, and even the front door was dead bolted. "What happened? Did you run into the paparazzi on the way home?" Fang Ren stared at her panicked appearance with some bewilderment. "Worse than just paparazzi!" Jian Qi''er shut the door to the room and yelled at him, "If it were just the paparazzi chasing me, that''d be one thing. But do you even know about the existence of fan clubs?" "Aren''t those just part of the two forces that surround any popr star?" Fang Ren asked. "The key point is the fan club! The core fan club! They were all lying in ambush! And now they''ve revealed themselves." Chapter 143: Chapter 141: Great Thief?_1 "Huh?" Fang Ren was confused, "So when we came in wearing ck clothes earlier, were we seen by many people? No, that can''t be right, I didn''t sense anyone around at that time." "They didn''te at that time, they just got here." Jian Qi''er said with a helpless hand on her forehead, "Sister Mei also doesn''t know what she posted in the die-hard fan group, but people from the area all rushed over, and my ce has been exposed." "What? She hasn''t been here for twenty minutes, and your fans... are that enthusiastic?" "Oh no, quickly change your clothes and find a way to get out of here." Jian Qi''er tossed him a set of clothes and sat down on the sofa beside her with a helpless face, "This time, I''m definitely going to be involved in a scandal." Fang Ren took the clothes and headed towards the bathroom, saying, "I''ll just use True Qi to run out, and then you cane up with an excuse to cover it up. How would there be a scandal?" "You''re oversimplifying it. Who knows if the paparazzi came while I was out buying clothes?" Jian Qi''er said worriedly, "No one is going to take just my word for it. The gossip they write using their imagination is way more effective than what I say." "It''s no big deal, as long as you have nothing to hide, you don''t have to fear your shadow being crooked." Fang Renmented from inside the bathroom while changing his clothes. "You don''t understand, I''m going to have a lot of trouble, and if it isn''t handled well, it could affect many of my personal issues. Being used of acting high and mighty, being kept and such things, it''s all possible." Before long, Fang Ren came out wearing clothes that didn''t quite fit and looked at her, "What can we do then? Kill everyone outside?" "Huh?" Jian Qi''er looked at him incredulously, "What are you thinking? They''re just a bunch of innocent people, why would you kill them?" "I was just speaking off the cuff. How could I seriously entertain that idea." "But you still thought of it, otherwise how could you say something like that?" Fang Ren replied, "Didn''t you say this could affect your reputation? And then it could also affect your ability to gather higher-quality intelligence for the organization." "But ultimately, our organization''s purpose is to consider the people, how could we sacrifice other citizens to achieve our goals? Then what would be the difference between us and Indra Sky?" "You''re right on that, but your organization also mentioned killing witnesses, whether they''re innocent or not." "That may be what''s said, but have you ever seen our organization kill innocent people? It''s mostly idents or for self-preservation." Fang Ren shrugged and nced at Feng Mei, who was lying on the sofa, "Alright, alright, let''s talk about how we can solve the current situation." "What else can we do? You just need to run out quickly so no one takes a good picture of your face, and I''ll handle the rest alone," Jian Qi''er said with a frown, "In the end, it was my idea to bring you here, none of this is on you." "Alright then." Fang Ren looked around the room and asked, "Do you have something to cover my face? After all, if I am captured on camera, by the time the paparazzi has spun the tale, I have no idea what version will reach Qing''er, and that would really trouble me." "Wait a second." Jian Qi''er said, moving to a small closet nearby and pulling out a little clothing basket filled with clothes she had worn before. "These are from thest few days; I haven''t had the chance to wash them. But there''s no strange smell, so just pick one to cover yourself with," Jian Qi''er said. Thud thud thud¡ª Just as her voice fell, suddenly, a heavy knocking sound came from the door. Together with a loud roar that broke through the thick door, "Goddess Ye! Open up! Tell us which bastard is threatening you! We''ll kill him!" "Goddess Ye, please tell me! Is the guy inside threatening you? Don''t be scared! My dad is the deputy mayor of this city! If he dares to threaten you, I''ll make sure he rots in jail!" "Damn it! Despicable viin, you''re surrounded! Put down Goddess Ye! We might consider leniency!" ... "Holy crap, your fans are too insane. I''m outta here." Fang Ren watched the security door tremble from the knocks, immediately grabbed a piece of clothing from the basket with his hand and ran towards the balcony on the top floor with True Qi. If he were to charge out the front door, his True Qi would certainly hurt many ordinary people. Boom¡ª As he jumped off the balcony, he immediately pped the piece of clothing onto his face. A mass of die-hard fans below instantly became agitated and rushed towards where Fang Rennded, and in the distance, the paparazzi''s cameras that were already on immediately focused on the figure jumping out of the star''s room. "What on earth... did I just grab?" It was only when Fang Ren put the item on his face that he realized something was off. The item could only cover his nose and eyes, and moreover... Seeing what he had pressed to his face, the fans below went from riotous to enraged. "Damn! That son of a... actually stole Goddess Ye''s...!" "I''m estimating that''s still unwashed! Unforgivable! Chase after him!" "Whoever catches this guy first gets to keep him! Any objections?" "None! Charge!" ... Hearing the roar of a group of fans below, Fang Ren waspletely bbergasted. Never had he imagined that what he had casually grabbed was Jian Qi''er''s personal bra! "What the fuck!" Fang Ren immediately covered his face more thoroughly. If his face were captured by the paparazzi below, he would be totally screwed! Within an hour, he could instantly be the biggest... thief in Yangming City! Meanwhile, Jian Qi''er in her room was also dumbfounded. She stared nkly at her wardrobe. A few secondster, she frantically searched through it, and only after flipping through one piece of clothing after another did she suddenly realize the one missing was the one she found mostfortable to wear... "Fang surname! Can''t you watch what you''re grabbing!" ... A few minutester, on the edge of a certain continent, Fang Ren stood next to a garbage bin, his gaze very wary as he watched the pedestrians around him. Only after confirming that no one was looking at him did he cautiously toss the ck... from his Space Ring quickly into the trash bin. "Jian Qi''er, oh Jian Qi''er, I willpensate you for this..." After tossing the bra, Fang Ren hurried to find a faucet to wash his guilty hands clean, then quickly took out his mobile phone to check thetest gossip. Fortunately, there was no gossip about the star Jian Ye yet, but that was only temporary. No one knew what might emerge in a few hours¡ªmaybe headlines like "Lingerie thief spotted in Jian Ye''s vi in Yangming City" or "Shocking! Clue to Yangming City''s lingerie thief found, popr star''s manager knocked out at home!" And behind every piece of news, there would be a photo of him with... pasted on his face, running outside. The very thought of those images made Fang Ren feel dreadful. Shaking his head to clear his mind, Fang Ren wandered around Yangming City, had a meal, and returned to Baili University in Linyang City. It was now the time for noon dismissal from school. He bought some mouthwatering chicken outside and brought it back for Bai Qi, figuring the tired girl probably didn''t have the energy to get food herself. Since he was the one who fed her the pill, at least he ought to ensure she''s fed for today. Back in the university ssroom, besides Bai Qi snoozing away on a desk, there was no one else. There was a hole about a meter in diameter in the floorboard directly above Bai Qi''s seat, likely the result of Qianye''s antics. Approaching the desk, Fang Ren tapped Bai Qi''s arm. She woke up reflexively, still groggy with two panda eyes, and looked at Fang Ren. "Is it time to eat?" Bai Qi''s cheeks reddened as she wiped the drool from her mouth and said. "You guessed right. Here''s the chicken I brought you." Fang Ren ced the mouthwatering chicken on the desk and took the sleeping Qianye into his arms. The little one seemed quite weak, showing no reaction even when Fang Ren picked her up. Upon examining Qianye, Fang Ren could see nothing but chaos inside her body. Eventually, he sent the weakened Qianye into his Spiritual Root to recover slowly on her own. Truth be told, if Qianye hadn''t sent him a burst of True Qi at thest moment, allowing him to use the Giant Tree Spirit Form, things would not have been so simple. Firstly, the Nightfall Organization would definitely be annihted. As for him, he could indeed survive based on his identity, and even without that burst of True Qi, he could have regenerated his body. But afterwards, he would definitely be caught and imprisoned by the Tianjiang Investigation Group. "That smells good." The sight of the mouthwatering chicken on the desk made Bai Qi''s panda eyes stare unabashedly. Because of her deep sleep, her lips were numb, and she didn''t feel her drool trickle down until it dripped onto her arm. She blushed all the way to her neck and quickly wiped it off, saying embarrassedly, "Sorry... I..." Seeing this, Fang Ren handed her a tissue and said, "No worries, everyone''s like that when they just wake up." Though he said that, he knew very well that it was because of the pill he had given her. "Thank you..." Bai Qi took the tissue and wiped her mouth, still feeling exceedingly embarrassed. She had never been so undignified in front of anyone other than her family... and though Fang Ren wasn''t exactly a stranger, he wasn''t quite family either. However, thinking back, every time she had been embarrassed... Fang Ren happened to be there. He had seen her at her most embarrassed. Chapter 144: Chapter 142: You Got the Wrong Feeling_1 "Hurry up and eat, there are gloves inside, and here''s some sour plum drink." Fang Ren sat opposite her and spoke. Bai Qi, with her head hung low in embarrassment for a while, finally dared to slowly reach out and take a disposable glove. It was the first time she felt so ashamed that she couldn''t even lift her head to nce at Fang Ren. "Why is there only one pair of gloves?" Bai Qi asked. "I already ate on my way back, you can eat it by yourself," Fang Ren replied. "Really?" Bai Qi took a stealthy nce at him. "Really, why would I lie to you about this?" Bai Qi pondered for a moment before saying, "What if you''ve run out of money, and you''re starving but still bought me food, tricking me into eating?" Fang Ren was taken aback, "Huh? Why would I ever do that?" "How should I put it... it''s just a hunch," Bai Qi said. "I always feel that if one day you''re out of money for food, you would still starve yourself to buy me something to eat..." Fang Ren smiled and said, "Your intuition might be deceiving you." Bai Qi frowned and still didn''t start eating, "But I always feel like you''re too nice..." "I''ve told you I''m wealthy, why don''t you believe me?" Fang Ren said. "At the very least, I''m the young master of the Fang Family. Do I really seem that poor in your eyes?" "But you''ve said yourself that you don''t like the Fang Family, and you wouldn''t ept their money even if they offered it. Plus, you''re not working right now, and you''re getting so much money each month," Bai Qi said. Fang Ren felt helpless; he really wanted to reveal his identity as an Alchemy Master to her, but he was also afraid that her family, the Bai Family, would find out and this would lead to someplications. "Just eat already, where are all these questionsing from?" Fang Ren said brusquely. After a pause, Bai Qi nodded, tore off a chicken leg, and seriously offered it to Fang Ren''s mouth, "You eat first, then I will." As she spoke, her lips were pursed because the few buns she had scrimped on for breakfast had hardly been filling, and now the aroma of the mouth-watering chicken made her drool and crave it badly. "What, are you worried I''ve poisoned it or something?" Fang Ren found her behavior somewhat amusing and at the same time, a bit sad. Such a meticulous and kind-hearted girl, why would she have a grandfather like Bai Chaojin? "No, it''s just that I feel like you haven''t had enough to eat!" Bai Qi said earnestly. "Alright, alright." Toozy to exin further, Fang Ren simply took the chicken leg and started eating. Seeing how envious she looked, he guessed that if he didn''t take the chicken leg and eat it, she would be too craving to sleep, and even the elixir probably wouldn''t work. Seeing Fang Ren take the chicken leg, Bai Qi immediately grabbed another one to eat, mumbling while chewing, "I''ll buy your dinner tonight; you''re not allowed to waste money anymore." Fang Ren chuckled, "Do you really want to take care of me like that?" "Of course! If I don''t look after you, you''re going to starve," Bai Qi said seriously. "Besides, no matter what, I''m your fianc¨¦e in name right now. I can say these things out of concern and set some limits on your bad behavior, and you should listen to me." "Yes, yes, you''re right, absolutely right," Fang Ren nodded vigorously. "Could you finish chewing your food before you talk, Your Highness?" "I don''t care, you have to let me buy your dinner tonight!" Bai Qi said seriously. "Okay, I''ll let you feed me tonight, just hurry up and eat." "It''s settled then, no running away," Bai Qi said earnestly as she ate. After finishing her sentence, she didn''t forget to take a sip of the sour plum drink, her cheeks puffing out adorably. Fang Ren spoke up, "Didn''t the other students wake you up before they left?" "They did, but I didn''t want to get up. I''m so sleepy," Bai Qi said. "It''s exhausting to work on the first day. I''m wondering how I''m going to survive theing days." "It''ll be fine. You''ll have energy tonight," Fang Ren reassured her. "Of course, after sleeping all day like this, how could I possibly still be sleepy tonight?" Bai Qi replied. Before long, a te of mouthwatering chicken waspletely devoured, and Bai Qiy satisfied on the table again, closing her eyes. "Don''t sleep here. Since you don''t have ss this afternoon, go back to the dorm and sleep," Fang Ren suggested. "No, I''m so sleepy, I don''t want to move," Bai Qi said, her voice sounding drowsy. "If you sleep here, you might not be fully rested by tonight, and then if you make a mistake at the barbecue restaurant, you could lose your job," Fang Ren warned. "But I really don''t feel like moving at all. I''m even sleepier after eating," Bai Qi murmured groggily. Fang Ren felt a bit helpless and after a moment of silence, he spoke, "By the way, did the little guy cause any trouble during ss today?" "Yeah, you should look after your own kid. It''s a good thing everyone just thought it was because my realm was unstable, or else it would have been a disaster," Bai Qi said. Fang Ren felt much more relieved when he heard her take the me for Qianye''s mischief, but at the same time, he began to worry. If Bai Qi took the me for Qianye''s damage to the floor, that meant she would have to pay for the repairs. With not a penny to her name and already owing him so much money, how could she afford to pay for the damage? Of course, Fang Ren couldn''t let her pay. After all, it was because of him that everything happened. Bai Qi was just taking care of little Qianye. "Fang Ren..." Bai Qi suddenly murmured drowsily again. "What is it?" Fang Ren asked. "Don''t be so nice to me. Even if you like me... don''t be so good to me..." Bai Qi, lying on the table with her eyes closed, spoke in a faint voice. "What''s wrong?" "The kindness you''ve shown me, I can''t repay it. If you keep being this nice to me, I will, I will..." "What will you do, my princess? Can''t you finish a sentence in one go? You sound like you''re drunk," Fang Ren teased. Bai Qi''s voice suddenly grew louder, "You like me, right?" "Huh?" Fang Ren was stunned. If it hadn''t been for the fact that he personally fed Bai Qi the elixir, he would have truly thought she was drunk, for her to say such things. "Why do you think that?" Fang Ren questioned. "I feel that you like me¡­" Bai Qi said. "Is there no other reason?" "I''m beautiful, and I''m your fianc¨¦e. If we continue to spend time together, you''re bound to end up liking me..." "That''s..." Fang Ren pped himself on the face. What kind of reasoning was that? Her intuition told her he had no money, her feelings told her he liked her. They say a woman''s sixth sense is both mysterious and urate, yet this girl''s intuition had never been right, veering wildly off course. Chapter 145: Chapter 143: Bai Qis Breakthrough_1 "Haven''t I told you I already have someone I like?" Fang Ren said with a helpless expression. "Xuan Nv of the Ninth Heaven?" Bai Qi said groggily. "Who else could it be?" "Hehe..." Bai Qi, sprawled on the table, suddenly showed a silly smile and said, "My grandpa said that''s not real liking. You''ve only seen her once, and you haven''t even spent time together... It doesn''t count as liking." "What do you know, kid." Fang Ren shook his head. He couldn''t exactly tell her now that he and Mu Huanqing already had a child; knowing her notions of "spousal duty," she would definitely see that as a great disrespect towards her, and who knows what kind of chaos she might stir up afterward. "Hmph, I think his reasoning is unreliable too. Although I haven''t spent much time with Brother Song and we''ve met rarely, I''m sure I like him." Bai Qi said. "Ah, right, the older generation''s ideas really are different from ours," Fang Ren nodded. Bai Qi suddenly got up from the table, her groggy face nodding emphatically: "That''s true, but you must never fall for me, I can''t be with you, and I don''t want you to be heartbroken because of me." "Alright, go back to the dorm and sleep." Fang Ren spoke. Bai Qi shook her head: "Don''t want to go." "Think about it, if you really sleep here all day, it would damage the Bai Family''s image." "This... alright then." Upon hearing the key phrase about family image, Bai Qi immediately got up and turned to leave. But just as she was about to take a step, she tripped over the leg of a nearby table. Crash¡ª Seeing her whole face about to hit the ground, Fang Ren was about to catch her with True Qi; after all, it was better to have as little physical contact as possible between them. But just as he was about to activate his True Qi, he suddenly remembered an important issue¡ªthat his own realm had broken through so much unexpectedly, which would definitely be noticed by Chen Cheng, who was covertly protecting Bai Qi, and might raise suspicions. After a fleeting moment of thought, Fang Ren grabbed Bai Qi''s arm with his hand, narrowly saving her from a head-first encounter with the ground. "So sleepy." Bai Qi said with a tired voice. "Just sit here for now, I''ll ask the ss leader toe pick you up," Fang Ren said. Bai Qiid her head back down on the table and hummed, "Humph, such a good opportunity to take advantage, and you''re giving it up." "Am I that sleazy?" Fang Ren, a vein popping in his head, was about to take out his phone to call Liu Qianqian, but then he suddenly realized¡ªhis phone had already shattered in the previous battle, not even a card remained. Feeling very helpless, Fang Ren said, "Wait here for me, I''ll go find a female ssmate." "Can''t you use True Qi? Just use your True Qi to send me back, getting someone is too much trouble," Bai Qi said. Fang Ren stiffened; now what? Using True Qi would expose his realm, which would make Chen Cheng suspicious. After a brief pause, Fang Ren suddenly thought of his Giant Tree Spirit Phase. Although Qianye was asleep, this thing did not sleep. It could not talk, but itsbat power was even stronger than Qianye''s, and its healing ability was top-notch. More importantly, he could use the Spirit Form without activating True Qi, perfectly concealing himself. "Qianye." Fang Ren softly called out in his consciousness, and a grey tendril stretched out from his hand, wrapping around Bai Qi''s arm. Now that the war was over, Bai Qi could run around everywhere, even dance on the ruins of Linglong Bay, and Chen Cheng wouldn''t be able to catch any Nightfall Members. "What is this?" Bai Qi asked groggily, looking at the grey tendril wrapped around her arm, then frowned at Fang Ren. Fang Ren offhandedly said, "Qianye, heal her quickly." Buzz¡ª A red aura suddenly surged from the tendril, passing through the veins on the tendril into Bai Qi''s arm. As the red aura entered Bai Qi''s body, her panda eyes visibly returned to normal, and her wearyplexion began to glow with health. Bai Qi blinked, looking enchanted at the tendril hanging on her arm: "You have this ability?" "I didn''t expect it either; I thought it could only heal physical injuries, but it seems it can also restore the spirit," Fang Ren said. "Such a miraculous power, even moreplex than my wood attributed recovery power," Bai Qi said in amazement. "Alright Qianye, stop the power." Fang Ren nodded, beginning to tell Qianye through his Divine Sense that it could retract. But just then, he froze; it seemed Qianye wasn''t listening to him, the energy transferred from the tendril wouldn''t stop. Fang Ren was stunned, staring at his Spirit Form, and said, "Stop." Buzz¡ª ... At that moment outside in some part of the sky, someone in yellow clothes watched the scene unfold, then quickly turned and left with an exasperated smirk on their face. "It''s not just the Central Area departments, the Spiritual Root itself is helping. How can these two not end up together?" ... Time ticked by slowly, and the energy on the tendril continued transferring, supplying nourishment for growth to Bai Qi''s Spiritual Root. Fang Ren tilted his head, his eyebrows deeply furrowed. The tendril wasn''t responding to him at all. It was all too sudden, and he felt very helpless. After a while, the tendril finally began to show signs of loosening; the red aura suddenly disappeared and swiftly retracted back into Fang Ren. Buzz¡ª Just as the tendril retracted, a silver sigil burst forth from behind Bai Qi and hung mid-air. Pop pop pop¡ª The silver sigil in mid-air shattered, which was the dispersing Spirit Seal her grandfather had set for her. As the seal shattered, a powerful pressure emanated from Bai Qi, filling the entire ssroom. "This is..." Fang Ren was startled, watching the True Qi of wood attribute pouring out of Bai Qi, his pupils twitching uncontrobly. "The Xuanyang Realm?!" Chapter 146: Chapter 144: This is a Big Misunderstanding_1 Xuanyang Realm experts, Fang Ren was the first toe into contact with and understand Mu Hui, who is currently at the peak of the human realm. Hence, he could keenly discern the aura emitted by Xuanyang Realm experts. The aura exuding from Bai Qi, who stood in front of him, was undoubtedly that of an expert at the peak of the Xuanyang Realm. "A breakthrough?" Fang Ren stared at Bai Qi, dumbfounded. The leap from the peak of the Yingyue Realm to the Xuanyang Realm was a process considered by humans as difficult as ascending to the heavens, and Bai Qi had done nothing special, yet she relied on the power of her Spiritual Root to soar through this heavenly ascent! Moreover, looking at the imprint that just shattered, it must have been the Spiritual Imprint dissipating from Bai Qi''s body. With the imprint broken, she now possessed the power to split mountains and rivers with her hand. ¡­ Meanwhile, in the distant sky, an old man dressed in yellow suddenly turned his head, his face filled with shock as he looked inside a ssroom on the campus. "How is this possible? Her Highness... the Xuanyang Realm!?" Chen Cheng''s aged eyes trembled incessantly as he observed the scene inside the ssroom, feeling as though all his past cultivation concepts had been overturned. To break through despite the control of the Spiritual Imprint, and from the peak of the Yingyue Realm to the early stages of the Xuanyang Realm at that, the span between these small realms was extremely difficult! The two of them had only embraced a moment ago; how could there be such a sudden breakthrough? "Indeed, the master wasn''t wrong at all; these two must be together!" Chen Cheng''s gaze suddenly became more resolute. ¡­ "You jerk!" Inside the ssroom, Bai Qi cried out in a fit of rage, ready to rush forward and hit Fang Ren. "Hey! This isn''t a joke! Stop it! Quick!" Seeing her about to p him, Fang Ren waspletely flustered. If an early-stage Xuanyang Realm expert were to reallynd that p, he wouldn''t even have a chance to escape! Just as Fang Ren was about to speak up, Bai Qi suddenly felt there was something wrong with her p and immediately stopped her motion. She gazed at the Wood attribute True Qi emerging from her body, her eyes still brimming with tears. The sudden use of such powerful True Qi left her feelingsplex and mixed. "I broke through... and the Spiritual Imprint is gone?" Bai Qi stood there, dumbstruck, never having imagined she would break through under such awkward circumstances, and even shattered the Spiritual Imprint. Fang Ren, seeing her halt her attack, finally had his heart stop racing; that p would have surely reduced him to mush. "So, uh..." Fang Ren scratched his head awkwardly, unsure what to say. "Don''t speak!" Bai Qi yelled at him, quickly wiping away her tears, face still tinged with a blush, "It''s all your fault! You take responsibility for me!" "What? My princess, you really can''t make jokes like that." "Everything was touched by you! If you don''t take responsibility, what am I to do?" "Is... are you serious?" Fang Ren blinked, once again dumbfounded. Bai Qi eyed him with reddened eyes; then, after a few seconds, she turned her gaze aside, speaking with displeasure, "Of course, it''s a joke." Seeing her like this, Fang Ren finally breathed a sigh of relief, "Alright, alright, it was really an ident just now; I didn''t mean for it to happen like that." Bai Qi cast her eyes on Fang Ren, her expressionplicated, "I know, I wasn''t really going to hit you, but no matter how you look at it... this is your fault." "That''s Qianye''s fault," Fang Ren corrected quietly. "Don''t push the responsibility onto it; isn''t it the child you raised?" Bai Qi gave him a disdainful look. Fang Ren was stunned, "ording to what you said before, you''re its mother, so why don''t you educate it a bit?" "You are its father! ''The son''s faults lie with the father''! However, I think about it, it''s your fault!" "Stop, stop, where are you even going with this," Fang Ren said with a helpless expression. "Anyway, it''s all your fault!" "Alright, alright, it''s all my fault, now quickly withdraw your True Qi. If it bursts out here in school, it''s sure to draw a lot of attention," Fang Ren said. ``` "That''s true." Bai Qi wiped away her tears and hurriedly pulled her released body back inside. Hum¡ª However, just as she retracted her True Qi into her body, suddenly a silver seal recondensed behind her, branding itself onto her back in an instant. Bai Qi was stunned, so was Fang Ren. The shattered Spiritual Seal had unexpectedly reformed itself! Outside in the sky, Chen Cheng shook his head with a smile: "Princess, oh princess, this seal has been reinforced by the master himself. You might as well focus on your romance and give up on running away." Muttering to himself, Chen Cheng turned and flew off into the distance. Meanwhile, inside the ssroom, Bai Qi was not okay, stamping her feet on the spot in anger, and indignantly said, "Why am I always schemed against by my family!" What she hadn''t noticed was that her clothes on the back had been torn when the Spiritual Seal had shattered earlier, and even the straps of her undergarment had snapped. As she stomped her feet, her upper garments began to slowly slide off. Bai Qi, still furious, suddenly felt a chill on her upper body and realized that something was amiss. Fang Ren, standing opposite her, had turned to stone, staring nkly at the upper garments and undergarments falling from her body. Fang Ren suddenly had the feeling that disaster was about to strike. In less than a second, Fang Ren immediately turned his head away, silently chanting in his heart: I''m sorry, Qing''er, I''m sorry... Seeing Fang Ren absentminded for a while and then suddenly turning his head, andbining that with the cold sensation from her upper body, Bai Qi halted her angry emotions and nced towards her chest. As she looked down, she saw her upper bodypletely exposed, its fairness revealed to the air. Her face flushed red, extending down to the root of her neck, so red it was almost bleeding. Bai Qi immediately crouched down, picking up the clothes from the ground to cover her chest, her head bowed so low it almost buried in her chest, unable to utter a word, her brain in chaos and her emotions extremelyplicated. "That, uh! I didn''t see anything! I had already turned my head when the clothes were sliding off! I didn''t see a thing!" Fang Ren earnestly said with his eyes closed. "What color?" Bai Qi asked in a small voice. "Pink... Ah? No! I didn''t see anything!" Fang Ren immediately shouted. Upon hearing the word "pink," Bai Qi almost went mad. Her undergarment was white, so what about pink... What did that pink mean! The chest! "Fang Ren, you''re just an asshole!" Bai Qi, disregarding everything, stood up and delivered a heavy punch to his back. "Hey! What''s wrong with you! Making a fuss over a color!" Fang Ren, not daring to turn his head, said helplessly. "Isn''t it because I wanted to know if you were lying!" "Isn''t it obvious that I was lying! Yet you still asked!" "Then why couldn''t you keep lying!" "Howe it''s my fault now?" "It''s all because of you! It''s all your fault!" Bai Qi unreasonably hammered away at his back with a flurry of weak punches, without True Qi her fists felt like a set of daintybo punches. "What''s going on here!" Just then, a figure suddenly rushed in from outside the ssroom. Fang Ren and Bai Qi immediately turned around, only to see Liu Qianqian, wearing a student council armband, standing at the entrance, staring nkly at the scene. Fang Ren became even more bewildered. It''s over! The misunderstanding has gotten even bigger! ``` Chapter 147: Chapter 145: An Inexplicable Sense of Relief_1 The air became stagnant. One second, two seconds, three seconds... Liu Qianqian stared nkly at the scene before her, only to feel her brain smashed by aet-level impact, followed by an outburst as she screamed. "You, what on earth are you doing!" "Hey! Qian Qian, don''t yell nonsense! I, Fang Ren, am innocent!" Fang Ren also shouted in disarray. "Ah!" Bai Qi let out a sharp scream, clutching her clothes to cover her chest and squatting on the ground, crying again. "Fang Ren! You actually did such a beastly thing! I really misjudged you!" Liu Qianqian yelled and rushed forward to give Fang Ren a beating. "Hey! Stop! Listen to my exnation!" "An exnation is just a cover-up!" Liu Qianqian yelled and threw abination of punches at the stupefied Fang Ren. In the meantime, Bai Qi, squatting on the ground, kept crying, and the scene became even more chaotic. Minutester, Fang Ren was thrown outside the ssroom, and Liu Qianqian took off her school jacket and draped it over Bai Qi,forting her nonstop. "You can''t indulge someone like this hooligan! He must be punished severely!" Liu Qianqian dered with righteous indignation. "It''s okay, ss president, it''s not his fault," Bai Qi said as she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "What?" Liu Qianqian was stunned. If she remembered correctly, Fang Ren had told her that he and Bai Qi were nominally fiance and fiancee with no real feelings involved, and they were going to break off the engagement eventually. But now that this had happened, why was Bai Qi still defending him? Could it be that Bai Qi... Liu Qianqian started concocting her own dramatic narrative. Could it be that Bai Qi had suddenly fallen for that idiot? Even if that idiot forcibly removed her clothes, she still said she didn''t me him. But Bai Qi''s interpretation of the situation had nothing to do with Liu Qianqian''s imagination, because the incident was indeed not Fang Ren''s fault. The main reason was the mutual attraction and growth of the Spiritual Roots inside their bodies. If it weren''t for the Spiritual Root given by Fang Ren, she would not have lived to see this day. Therefore, she med no one. If there were anyone to me, it couldn''t be the Spiritual Root, but rather her own misfortune, which required Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root for her survival. "You... really don''t me him? After what he''s done to you," Liu Qianqian said with a sudden sense ofplexity in her heart. "I really don''t me him. Please don''t speak ill of him," Bai Qi said, zipping up the jacket with a slight blush of shyness on her face. "Since you say so..." Liu Qianqian suddenly felt like she was meddling in others'' affairs. If Bai Qi wanted Fang Ren to take advantage of her, what more was there to say? For a moment, Liu Qianqian felt a surge of anger within her, anger directed at herself. This was a very strange emotion to her. Even though she had never thought about getting back together with Fang Ren, why was she so angry when he did something like this to another girl? Was it that she didn''t mean what she had said before? Or was she upset that the person being taken advantage of by that idiot was Bai Qi, not herself? Suddenly, Liu Qianqian turned around and walked outside, looking at Fang Ren standing at the door with a somewhat cold expression, she said, "Are you sick or something!" "What''s wrong with you, being so sudden?" Fang Ren, seeing the cold-faced Liu Qianqian, felt helpless: "I''ve said it''s a misunderstanding. Didn''t she exin it to you?" "What misunderstanding?" Liu Qianqian said coldly: "I thought you were at least a devoted man, but what are you doing now! Do you think you deserve her?" "I... this wasn''t voluntary," Fang Ren said, looking helpless. "Right, it wasn''t voluntary. You just couldn''t resist and lost control for a moment, right?" "How did I lose control?" "Sicko!" Liu Qianqian snapped: "The things you''re doing now are theplete opposite of what you told me before!" With that, Liu Qianqian turned away angrily and walked off into the distance, leaving Fang Ren behind, looking at her leave, unable to understand. "This is definitely a misunderstanding." With a dejected face, Fang Ren immediately ran back into the ssroom and looked at Bai Qi, who had stopped crying, he said, "Your Highness, did you or did you not exin to her?" The moment Bai Qi saw him rush in, she immediately turned her head away and said softly, "Of course I exined." "So what did she misunderstand?" Fang Ren was confused. "Let her misunderstand. It was your Spiritual Root that did it; you deal with it," Bai Qi said with a huff. Although she said that, she didn''t actually me Fang Ren at all. She spoke this way because, after all, she was a princess and she cared about her dignity. Fang Ren said helplessly, "It''s as if your Spiritual Root wasn''t involved." "Well... well, you can''t me that on me, can you? I am the one who was taken advantage of!" Bai Qi said. "Yeah, yeah, it''s all your logic. I apologize, sorry, it''s all my fault." "Such a perfunctory attitude!" "So, what exactly do you want me to do?" "Buy me lingerie!" "What? Can''t I just give you the money and you buy it yourself?" Fang Ren was taken aback. "No, you did the wrong thing; you have to buy it!" Bai Qi insisted firmly. "For a grown man to enter a women''s lingerie store, where''s my face going to be?" "When you were looking, you didn''t seem to worry about saving face, did you?" Fang Ren''s eyelid twitched. Alright, he couldn''t make a clear case for himself; in such situations, it''s often the men who are the real disadvantaged group. "Fine, fine, can I buy it online, then?" Fang Ren said. "I want it in white." "Whatever you say." "Hmph! Seeing that you''ve apologized sincerely, this princess will forgive you for now." "Alright, now can you tell me, what exactly did you and the ss president talk about just now?" "I didn''t really say much; I just said that it wasn''t all your fault," Bai Qi said. Hearing this, Fang Ren became even more dejected. These weren''t the sort of words to cause a misunderstanding, so why did Liu Qianqian suddenly act like that? Could it be that she let her imagination run wild? That''s it, if a woman starts using her imagination, it could really be deadly. After a littlemotion, Fang Ren took Bai Qi to the dorm, where they said very little on the way. Fang Ren also felt extremely awkward and kept quiet. In the end, Fang Ren escorted Bai Qi to the bottom of her dorm building and was about to leave, but then, Bai Qi, who had been looking down all the time, suddenly said, "Hey." "What''s up?" Fang Ren turned around and saw her still looking down, her arms tightly wrapped around her clothes at her chest, the blush gone from her face. "You... don''t have to buy me lingerie," Bai Qi said. "Do you have any other?" Fang Ren asked. "No, I only brought the one I have on," Bai Qi said. "But it''s just the strap that''s broken, I think I can fix it and still wear it, and lingerie... is quite expensive. We''re both short on money right now, so let''s not buy it." "..." Fang Ren was stunned. Since when had the princess be so thrifty and sensible? Hearing her words, Fang Ren couldn''t help but visualize a picture of the two of them living a poor life together, her words sounding too much like those between a young married couple. "Didn''t I tell you before, I have money, don''t worry," Fang Ren said. Bai Qi suddenly looked up and gave him a nce before saying, "You just like to pretend to be rich when you''re not; starving yourself, you know it." "Why don''t you believe me?" Bai Qi huffed, "I just don''t; hurry back, and don''t forget to let me take you to dinner tonight." After speaking, Bai Qi turned her head and ran towards the dormitory. Watching her retreating figure, Fang Ren felt an unusual sensation in his heart. This feeling was simr to the first time he took Liu Qianqian back to the dormitory... harmonious, beautiful, and a certain inexplicable happiness. She was an innocent girl that gave people a sense of peace. On the surface, it seemed she wanted him to admit his faults, but in reality, she always had his best interests at heart. The small happiness he felt wasn''t because Bai Qi had romantic feelings for him, but rather because Bai Qi, the girl, gave him a strange sense offort. Chapter 148: Chapter 146: Encounter with Su Sen_1 ``` Liu Qianqian headed straight for the campus registrar''s office after leaving the teaching building and obtained a set of keys to the surveince room from the new registrar. The surveince room at Baili University was always locked throughout the year, and no one would enter unless something significant happened on campus that necessitated an investigation. Once inside the surveince room, Liu Qianqian immediately called up the footage from the ssroom at noon. She wasn''t overly interested in knowing what had transpired; her intent was to delete the footage. After all, if what had happened between Fang Ren and the princess in the ssroom was seen by others, it wouldn''t be good. However, after pulling up the surveince, Liu Qianqian couldn''t help but be curious about what exactly had urred before. Fang Ren didn''t seem like the type to do such a thing, and if he truly were to do it... it should have been with her. Gradually, the image of Fang Ren appeared on the surveince video, and Liu Qianqian began watching intently. But after more than ten minutes of the footage, nothing had happened between the two besides conversation and sharing some food. "I really did misunderstand him," Liu Qianqian thought, suddenly feeling somewhat relieved. Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Fang Ren''s Spirit Form suddenly went out of control on the surveince screen, tangling the two of them together, creating a moment that appeared rather intimate. Liu Qianqian frowned; she knew Fang Ren''s Spirit Form was a miraculous little tree person, living, and it knew certain things that humans were not aware of, such as her constitution. The footage continued, and Liu Qianqian''s frown deepened with each passing moment. From her perspective as an observer, it looked like Qianye was orchestrating a match between Fang Ren and Princess Bai Xi. Especially when Princess Bai Xi suddenly made a breakthrough, Liu Qianqian became even more certain of her spection. Qianye''s awareness surpassed human understanding, and there must be something about Princess Bai Xi that was of great help to Fang Ren; otherwise, it wouldn''t have made such a senseless gesture. For instance, the fruit Fang Ren had given her that day, she didn''t believe it was custom-tailored by Master Qing''an at all¡ªit was clearly a real fruit; how could it be artificially synthesized? "Fianc¨¦s¡­ arranged since childhood?" Liu Qianqian suddenly felt she understood something, "Could it be that the reason why their marriage was arranged is due to some kind ofplementarity in their constitutions?" Liu Qianqian promptly deleted the video segment and cleared theputer''s memory records, ensuring that this footage could never be recovered. Leaving the surveince room, Liu Qianqian felt more convinced of her own spections. Because Fang Ren had only recently started cultivating and had a low cultivation level, and just a month before, he waspletely ordinary, while Princess Bai Xi was still the most talented cultivator on Earth. If there wasn''t some special connection between their constitutions, why would the head of the Bai Family allow such a talented granddaughter to marry an ordinary person? It seemed fraught with skepticism. "If those two are truly fated to be together, then what about the rtionship between the fool and Xuan Nv¡­" Liu Qianqian couldn''t help but worry for Fang Ren; his love life was indeed full of obstacles. When he liked her, she had to refuse him to protect him, and now that he liked Xuan Nv, this situation had arisen. It seemed like everything that happened didn''t want Fang Ren to have a peaceful romance or marriage. Liu Qianqian had only just left the surveince room when she saw Fang Ren approaching from not far away. Fang Ren also saw her and couldn''t help but feel somewhat embarrassed, but he quickly put that embarrassment aside and ran over to Liu Qianqian. "What, you came to delete the surveince?" Liu Qianqian looked at him disapprovingly. "Of course. It would tarnish Princess Bai Xi''s image if others saw that kind of thing," said Fang Ren. "Then why didn''t you bring the key? Or ask me to get it for you?" Liu Qianqian asked. Fang Ren chuckled awkwardly and said, "Seeing how much you seemed to dislike me just now, I didn''t dare to approach you." ``` "So you didn''t have the key, what were you nning on doing?" "Uh, kicking it down, smashing it open," Fang Renughed. "I''ll just say I identally smashed it during a sudden breakthrough in my realm, and I''llpensate for it afterward." "Yeah, after you smash it, you call me to put in a good word for you, right?" Liu Qianqian said. "I didn''t have much of a choice, did I? If I''d gone to the administrative office to borrow a key, they definitely wouldn''t have given it to me, and if I had tried to call you, it''s very likely you wouldn''t have answered," Fang Ren exined. Actually, his phone had already been broken before, not that he didn''t want to call, but that he simply couldn''t. "You really are so stupid!" Liu Qianqian gave him a look, "I''ve already deleted the surveince records for you guys." "Ah? That fast?" Fang Ren was stunned. "What else? You think I would just sit by and watch Princess Bai Xi''s scandal get seen by others?" "You thought it through pretty well." "Well-thought? I''m practically cleaning up after you like a mom following a kid who''s peed his pants!" Liu Qianqian said displeased. Fang Ren was stunned, "I didn''t do anything indecent, didn''t you watch the surveince footage?" Liu Qianqian walked past him without stopping, a look of displeasure on her face, "I did watch. I misunderstood you before, sorry about what I said." Fang Ren quickly followed, a look of confusion on his face, "You''ve seen it and still use me of acting indecent, what do you mean?" "It means nothing; I just wanted to say, I''m willing." Fang Ren shook his head helplessly, "Liu Qianqian, you weren''t like this before." "That''s right, I''ve changed!" Liu Qianqian said huffily. "I changed the moment you stopped liking me." "Hey, why suddenly bring up the past?" "Because I want to bring it up, it''s none of your business." Liu Qianqian walked on, her face expressing utter indifference. As the two bickered and bantered, they passed by the academic building, only to see a group of students from Baili University''s Cultivation System approaching from the distance, withst year''s provincial third cer, Su Sen, at the forefront. The group had about twenty or so people, their presence aggressive, especially Su Sen with his face wrapped in gauze, his expression extremely angry and annoyed. "Are they here to make trouble again?" Upon seeing Su Sen, Liu Qianqian couldn''t help but frown. Fang Ren, watching the menacing group approach,ughed, "They must not be content, this guy was pretty embarrassedst time he got beaten up." "He''s embarrassed?" Liu Qianqian said. "He shed such a big gash across your chest." "I''m not talking about that time." Fang Ren pointed at the gauze on Su Sen''s face. "I''m talking about that time there." Chapter 149: Chapter 146: Surpassing Oneself_1 Liu Qianqian nced at Su Sen across from her, his face wrapped in white gauze, and frowned even deeper, "You fought him again?" "He came looking for a beating. How can you me me?" Fang Ren said. "Let''s hurry and leave, don''t get entangled with them." Liu Qianqian said this and reached to grab Fang Ren''s arm, trying to lead him away through a side path. Fang Ren didn''t follow her and said, "If he wants to entangle, taking a different path won''t help." "But if we go straight through, the chance of conflict breaking out will be even greater," Liu Qianqian said. "It''s fine." While the two were talking, Su Sen and a group of people had already approached within ten meters. "What''s the matter, thinking of taking a detour?" Su Sen folded his arms across his chest, ring at Fang Ren fiercely, "Kid, you ambushed mest time ¨C I haven''t forgotten that debt." Looking at Su Sen''s angry face, Fang Ren couldn''t muster any anger; instead, he felt the urge tough. After experiencing the battlefield, he always found such situations resembled children ying make-believe. "A group fight or one-on-one?" Fang Ren said. "What''s this group fight or one-on-one nonsense," Su Sen said impatiently, "I, Su Sen, am fair and square. I brought people today only to ensure fairness and prevent some sneaky tactics from affecting the oue of our contest." "Exactly, you pipsqueak from Mediocre University, do you think my brother Sen needs our help to beat you?" A student from the Cultivation System at Baili sneered. "Last time outside the school gate, my brother Sen went easy on you because you were so weak he didn''t even bother to use his killer move. Otherwise, do you think you could still stand here?" Another Baili student said arrogantly. "Really? Gave me a break?" Fang Ren looked at Su Sen. There was a twitch in the corner of Su Sen''s eye as he said seriously, "My strongest cultivation technique is the high-ranked Xuan level ''Nine Abyss Snow''. Once released, it can slice everything within a hundred meters with snow des. With your speed, you can''t dodge it at all. I was afraid you would die. But after the ambushst time, I think you deserve to have me use my strongest technique on you." In the Great Cultivation Era on Earth, cultivation techniques are ssed as Heaven, Earth, Xuan, and Huang, with Heaven being the highest. And a high-ranked Xuan level technique was indeed a rarity in such a university. But Fang Ren always felt that Su Sen''s technique wasn''t as useful as his own punch... just all sh and no substance. Fang Ren nodded, "Sounds mighty impressive. So can we start now?" Su Sen gave a signal to the group of students behind him, "You all back off a bit. If this kid gets seriously injured by me, don''t forget to call an ambnce for him." "Don''t worry, brother Sen, I''ve already contacted the school infirmary, they''ll be here in three minutes," a Baili student shouted. "Can we start now?" Fang Ren said, "Don''t use me of ambushing you againter if you''re not convinced." Su Sen nced at Liu Qianqian standing beside Fang Ren and frowned, "Is your girlfriend not leaving? What if she gets hurt by ident?" "She''s not my girlfriend," Fang Ren said. Su Sen said impatiently, "Go on, go on, no matter whose girlfriend she is, it''s not a woman''s ce to meddle in a man''s fight. Quickly step aside." Liu Qianqian stood still and blinked, this guy named Su Sen, she felt, was a bit foolish, bringing so many people over just for fairness''s sake, preventing an ambush? Such a reason could be taken seriously¡ªLiu Qianqian couldn''t understand his way of thinking. As Liu Qianqian also retreated some distance, Su Sen started to emit a cluster of sky-blue True Qi, twisting incessantly around his body. "Ming Snow Qi!" All of a sudden, Su Sen let out a loud shout, and his hands continued to gesture in the air, intensifying all over. But those gestures... they looked somewhat like an olddy wiping windows, and judging from his movements, one at least ny years old. Watching this so-called high-ranked Xuan level technique, Fang Ren couldn''t help feeling embarrassed for him, thinking it was even more cringeworthy than pretending to be a Daoist at Jian Qi''er''s house earlier that day. Suddenly, Su Sen stopped moving, and clumps of ck snowkes swirled around his body. He looked at Fang Ren confidently and said, "Once you give me enough time to channel the Ming Snow Qi, I''m practically unbeatable among my peers. The ck snowkes around me can block any attack, and with a wave of my hand, they can turn into des sharper than knives and sh through everything. Your mode of attack is mere punches and kicks, using your body to sh with my technique. I can only tell you, your flesh will definitely be ripped apart." "And then?" Fang Ren watched intently. "Then, I came here today to tell you that without resorting to sneak attacks, you have no chance of beating me!" Su Sen dered. "Shall we give it a try?" "Heh, give up already," Su Sen said with a coldugh, "Today, I, Su Sen, must wash away the humiliation I''ve suffered before. Fang Ren, you don''t stand a..." Vroom¡ª Just as Su Sen continued to speak, Fang Ren transformed into a gray streak of light and appeared right in front of him,nding a punch, neither too fast nor too slow, onto the snowkes around his body. Thump¡ª The body of Su Sen flew backward like a kite with a snapped string, rolling over a dozen times on the ground before finallying to aplete stop. The face that had been wrapped in gauze was now marked with several more scars. Hey on the ground, eyes rolling back with his tongue sticking out, limbs syed in a pose akin to that of an elderly person dancing disco ¡ª a sight far more graceful than his previous impression of an olddy wiping windows. A group of students who had followed Su Sen saw a ck shadow sh by their side. Upon taking a closer look at the shadow, they all turned to stone in an instant. The shadow that flew over was Brother Sen? Impossible! Just now, Brother Sen was monopolizing the aura with absolute confidence, so how did he suddenly dete? "Ah! Brother Sen, what happened to you? Why did you let this kid have his way?" "Brother Sen lost on purpose! That punch from Fang Ren was weak as could be, struggling to swat a fly. How could it send Brother Sen flying? It must have been Brother Sen hitting himself!" "What? You''re saying Brother Sen was y-acting?" "At least my call to 120 wasn''t in vain." ¡­ At a distance, Liu Qianqian ran up to Fang Ren with a shocked expression and asked, "What realm are you in now?" Fang Ren was taken aback. He hadn''t used the "Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat", and even his True Qi had only burst forth in an instant. People of the Yuanxin Realm like Su Sen''s group would not capture his True Qi. "What realm do you think I''m in?" Fang Ren asked. "I don''t know exactly, but based on divine sense, it seems you have improved by two major realms," Liu Qianqian said. Fang Ren was startled by her words. He had indeed leapt from Yuanxin Realm to Chongshan Realm, crossing two major realms. But just now, he had merely used an instant of True Qi, which even those in the Yuanxin Realm like Su Sen''s group hadn''t detected. Yet Liu Qianqian, who was only at the peak of the Gathering Qi Realm, seemed to roughly sense the range of his power. And she imed to have done so through divine sense. It was known that divine sense was something most practitioners began to develop and strengthen only upon reaching the Yuanxin Realm. She was still only a Gathering Qi Realm practitioner. This Sacred Body... what kind of overpowered constitution was it? Seeing the astonishment on his face, Liu Qianqian knew her divine sense had grown stronger and immediately grabbed Fang Ren''s arm, urging, "Okay, let''s hurry up and go. They got what they deserved." Fang Ren allowed her to pull him away. Nearby, Su Sen, whose eyes were rolling back, suddenly twitched and managed to raise his head, "Can... can''t you let someone finish their sentence!" With that said, he fainted again. ¡­ On a certain path. "By the way, how many days until the pillpetition starts?" Fang Ren asked. "Two days," Liu Qianqian nced at him and said, "Are you still nning to participate?" "Of course." "Just to p your uncle in the face?" "Not just that," Fang Ren said, "I want the Mu Family to acknowledge me and to irk certain members of the Fang Family. Additionally, I want to create some momentum for myself." "Momentum?" "Yes, people like Song Mobei are well-known and universally acknowledged as geniuses. I, on the other hand, am a nobody. It never feels right, and by announcing my intention to marry the Xuan Nv as ''amon man'', I feel like I would lose face for Qing''er," Fang Ren exined. "You sure have considered a lot," Liu Qianqian said with a smile. "Of course, because currently, everyone in the Mu Family, including some from Battlefield One, like topare me with Song Mobei," Fang Ren said. "Honestly, I''m not too fond ofparisons, but there is no helping it. I just want to see those who have looked down on me pull unhappy faces." "What''s this about wanting to see others unhappy?" Liu Qianqian gave him a look and said, "With your stubborn nature, do I not understand you? You don''t care about others belittling you. You just want Mu Hui to be proud. Stop making up excuses." "It''s all the same, all the same," Fang Ren said with augh. Liu Qianqian fell silent for a while, her gaze shifting from his face to the ground nearby, her demeanor turned serious. "It''s not the same," she said. Fang Ren looked back at her and asked, "Is this small talk really worth such seriousness?" "Yes, it proves that you love her more than you love yourself," Liu Qianqian said. Fang Ren frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, "I think that everyone who loves deeply should feel that way. I value Qing''er more than myself, and she values me more than herself in her heart." He spoke these words with confidence. The true heart of a person is unfathomable, and no one can assert what lies in another''s heart beyond their own. But Fang Ren was certain that Mu Hui held him in higher regard than herself because of the words she once said. ¡ª¡ªIf I can''t be with Ah Ran, I will cripple my cultivation and sever my own legs. Her resolute and angry demeanor back then had etched itself strongly in his memory, impossible to forget. Chapter 150: Chapter 148: Silently Giving Again_1 Liu Qianqian nodded silently after hearing what he said. Such things should indeed happen between two people in love, just as simple and understandable as being full after a meal, and it had to be so. "But sometimes, people who are not in love can have these feelings too," Liu Qianqian said. Fang Ren pondered for a moment before speaking, "Perhaps there might be other reasons besides love." "Of course, there are, like unrequited love or something," Liu Qianqian remarked. When Fang Ren heard her say this, he suddenly didn''t know how to respond. She was obviously talking about herself, leaving Fang Renpletely disordered and helpless. The two walked for quite a while, and as they were about to reach the dormitory, Fang Ren suddenly felt a powerful presence rapidly approaching them. He turned around abruptly and saw a woman dressed in ck standing behind him and Liu Qianqian. The ck clothing of this woman was different from the Night Walk Robe of the Nightfall Organization, leaning more towards the attire of a chivalrous adventurer. Upon seeing the woman appear so suddenly, Fang Ren''s senses immediately sharpened. His strength had improved greatly, yet he could only feel the presence of the woman after she arrived by his side. This meant that the woman must possess at least the strength of the Peak of Azure Sky. Liu Qianqian also sensed something unusual beside her after half a second, and turned her head around. But upon seeing the woman in ck, she immediately positioned herself in front of Fang Ren, her eyes coldly fixed on the woman, she asked, "Wu Hui, what are you doing here?" Seeing Liu Qianqian turn around, the woman in ck kneeled on one knee immediately, cing one arm in front of her chest, slightly bowing her head as she said, "Miss, there are some matters I need to discuss with you." Fang Ren realized then that the woman in ck was actually a master from the Liu Family who had been secretly protecting Liu Qianqian. No matter what, Liu Qianqian was the young miss of the Liu Family, and with the Spirit Embryo within her, the Liu Family would naturally ce great importance on her protection. Seeing Wu Hui say this, Liu Qianqian became even less pleased, "Is there something that must be said here?" "I just feel that it would be better to discuss these matters in front of Young Master Fang," Wu Hui said, raising her head to look at Fang Ren. Fang Ren also caught the ck-d woman''s gaze. Her eyescked any sparkle, and he could sense a numbness within them, along with azy yet raging killing intent. Fang Ren was slightly surprised inwardly; this woman must have killed many people. He was delving deeper into the path of Asura and had grasped such low-level killing intent perfectly. However, this woman knew his identity. If all this information hadn''te from Liu Qianqian, then the woman must have overheard some important conversation between him and Liu Qianqian at some point. Hearing Wu Hui mention matters rted to Fang Ren, Liu Qianqian became infuriated in an instant, her eyes icy as she warned, "What does he have to do with it? I''ve told you, don''t drag him into any family matters! Otherwise, you know the consequences I mentioned before." "Miss, you misunderstand. Before I was unaware of Young Master Fang''s identity, I harbored those thoughts. Now that I know, I would not dare to even think them," Wu Hui said, still with an expressionless face. Her expression seemed eternally t, devoid of any emotionalponent ¨C a face that belonged to someone desensitized by too much killing. Hearing her words and seeing the numbness in her pupils, Fang Ren stopped for a moment before asking, "Did you intend to kill me before?" Wu Hui lowered her head slightly upon hearing Fang Ren''s words and replied, "Originally, the family had unanimously decided that the young miss must marry Mr. Li Zhong of the Tianjiang Fang Family, but at that time, the young miss couldn''t stop thinking about you. The family was also unaware of your true identity, so they ordered me to take some extreme measures against Young Master Fang. However, every time I tried to carry out the n, I was stopped by risking my young miss''s life, forcing me to give up every time." Anger welled up in Fang Ren after hearing what the woman had said. If he were not Young Master Fang, perhaps he would have been killed simply because Liu Qianqian loved him. This woman before him had at least Peak of Azure Sky strength; if such a master wanted to kill him, it would indeed be effortless, just a flick of the wrist away. However, this anger dissipated in a few seconds, reced by a moreplex emotion. Because he suddenly remembered that night under the teaching building, Liu Qianqian wept as she confessed everything about her past to him. She told him that the reason she had rejected him twice despite loving him was out of fear that her family would harm him. It seemed now that Liu Qianqian was indeed always considering his well-being, even protecting him from life-threatening dangers behind his back. The words "risking her life" to stop her, as mentioned by the woman in ck, suddenly reminded Fang Ren of the knife wound on Liu Qianqian''s arm she imed was from a fall. But, even covered in bandages, Fang Ren still sensed it was a knife wound. In an instant, Fang Ren recalled the scene from that day when he and Liu Qianqian were heading to the station, and she suddenly left the spot, telling him to take the train back to school by himself. Was it true that on that day... Liu Qianqian had used her life as leverage to prevent this woman from acting? At that time, Liu Qianqian didn''t know his identity and only knew he was a guy with a talent for Alchemy, unaware of the powerful protector like Lin Bozhong standing behind him. Nevertheless, she had taken concrete actions. If, just hypothetically, He still hadn''t met Mu Huanqing by now, and he was also strong enough not to make Liu Qianqian worry, then after learning the whole truth, he would have gone to any lengths for Liu Qianqian, wouldn''t he... But it couldn''t be helped; life is always apanied by many surprises and incidents. Amidst sorrow, good fortune is found, and with that fortunees the knowledge of sadness that was just meant to protect him. Suddenly, Fang Ren''s mood grew increasinglyplex, and his anger at the woman in ck was instantly suppressed by this swirling mass of feelings. "Stop talking nonsense," Liu Qianqian said coldly, looking at Wu Hui, "Just say the main point of this time, and keep the rest brief." "Wait," Fang Ren momentarily pushed hisplicated emotions aside and, looking at the woman in ck, he asked, "Did you say Tianjiang Fang Family, Mr. Li Zhong?" "Yes, he is the one that the Liu Family originally decided to betroth the young miss to. He is one of your cousins, your third brother," Wu Hui immediately replied. Chapter 151: Chapter 149: The Fang Family Disagrees_1 ``` "Cousins?" Fang Ren frowned slightly, "Does that mean my second uncle has two seeds?" Based on the information that Fang Ren had now, his second uncle intended to kill him, coerce the current Family Head of the Fang Family with no heirs into a forced marriage with the Bai Family, then have his son marry Bai Qi, ultimately usurping the position of Family Head. So if one son wanted to marry Bai Qi, surely the one who wanted to marry Liu Qianqian wasn''t the same one. Wu Hui was momentarily taken aback by his tone before replying, "No, the second master of the Fang Family only has one son, Fang Liqun, while Fang Lizhong is the third master''s son." "Turns out I have a third uncle after all this time," Fang Ren smacked his lips. He just didn''t know whether this third uncle was aligned with the left or the right faction of the Fang Family. "Has Young Master Fang never returned to the Fang Family?" Wu Hui asked. "Never been there," Fang Ren continued, "Speaking of which, since all of you refer to me as the young master, does that mean Fang Liqun and Fang Lizhong are considered my younger brothers?" "Yes, in this generation of the Fang Family, you are the eldest brother," Wu Hui said, slightly stunned. She hadn''t expected Fang Ren to be so ignorant of his own family. A twitch appeared at the corner of Fang Ren''s mouth. The situation was quite messed up; one brother wanted to marry his fianc¨¦e, while another desired his first love. Why did they both set their sights on women of sister-inw status? Immensely impatient, Liu Qianqian interjected, "Hurry up and finish what you need to say." Hearing this, Wu Hui continued, "On the night Young Master Fang gave the fruit to the youngdy, I was by her side protecting her and inadvertently witnessed everything. Moreover, I informed the family about the youngdy''s ability to cultivate and Young Master Fang''s identity." Liu Qianqian felt her anger surge at Wu Hui''s words. What did she mean by ''inadvertently''? It was obviously done with intent. "Go on," Liu Qianqian said. Wu Hui continued, "After learning of the youngdy''s ability to cultivate, the family also considered the Sacred Body described by Master Qing''an and concluded that the youngdy must remain chaste, cing cultivation above all else. Hence, a few days ago, our lord personally visited the Fang Family to call off the engagement between the youngdy and Mr. Li Zhong, but was refused. To ensure the youngdy''s continued cultivation, the family had no choice but to send me to seek help from Young Master Fang, hoping he would lend his aid." "How dare they!" Liu Qianqian erupted angrily, "Theye seeking help now, but have they forgotten the time they wanted to kill him!" Wu Hui lowered her head and said, "I hope Young Master Fang will extend a helping hand to the youngdy in consideration of their past affection." "Shameless!" Liu Qianqian clenched her teeth tightly, her mind a storm of rage and struggle. Wu Hui went on, "I am but a servant tasked with family affairs, devoid of independent judgement and action, knowing only to serve my masters well. If cursing at me would make the youngdy feel better, then please do so." Liu Qianqian looked at her expressionless face, her emotions having no outlet, and could only grit her teeth and turn her gaze into the distance. After hearing Wu Hui''s words and piecing together all of her mannerisms and details, Fang Ren felt she was right; she was a servant carrying out the family''s bidding, indifferent to right or wrong, merely serving her masters. Her numb gaze was like that of a robot. Right and wrong were associated with her, but she was not the root of right or wrong. Fang Ren paused momentarily before saying, "I help Liu Qianqian not because your family asks me to, and your requests don''t influence my personal actions." Wu Hui nodded, "This humble servant thanks Young Master Fang on behalf of the family." "I don''t ept," Fang Ren said, "Besides, I remember your family once tried to kill me." "The one who wanted to kill Young Master Fang is me. If Young Master Fang wishes to alleviate his resentment, he may take my life at any time, but I respectfully ask Young Master Fang to ensure the youngdypletes her cultivation," Wu Hui said without expression. Fang Ren and she locked gazes for a while, and after a long moment, Fang Ren asked, "A person like you, are you already considered dead?" "What do you think?" Wu Hui responded. Fang Ren sighed inwardly. He wondered what experiences Wu Hui had gone through in life; she truly seemed like a machine programmed only to obey orders. "Such a waste of high cultivation level." After saying that, Fang Ren turned and began to leave. Liu Qianqian also nced at Wu Hui. This kind of person, she found both lovable and detestable. When protecting her, Wu Hui would risk her life, and everything was considered for her. However, when the family''s interests were against her, Wu Hui would oppose her too. In everyrge aristocratic family, there were people like Wu Hui who lived like corpses, merely obeying orders and not understanding right or wrong, devoid of the humane thinking many others possess, with all actions serving family interests. ``` "If you want to be a puppet, don''t make me one too!" Liu Qianqian harshly left these words behind and turned around to leave with Fang Ren. Wu Hui, kneeling on one knee, hung her head low, her numb gaze fixated on the ground. Within a few seconds, she got up and began to vanish from the spot. "Your family is really bizarre," Fang Ren said helplessly to Liu Qianqian from a distance. "Isn''t yours the same?" Liu Qianqian retorted. Fang Ren frowned slightly and then added, "Alright, maybe the bigger the family, the more bizarre it gets." Actually, what he wanted to say was that the headquarters in the Central Area and the imperial aristocratic family of Tianjiang, the Bai Family, were the real gathering ces for extreme oddballs. They were like rulers, devoid of humanity, devoid of emotion, possessed only by oundish thoughts. "Speaking of the Alchemypetition, are you still going to participate?" Fang Ren asked. Having broken free from the shackles of marriage, Liu Qianqian said, "I''ve achieved half of my goal and decided not to participate. But I''ve found a new goal. I''m nning to join the university cultivatorspetition in half a month." Fang Ren naturally understood what her new goal implied: to grow stronger so that one day she could help him and Mu Huanqing be together. But that was an incredibly difficult journey. In Fang Ren''s view, whether or not Liu Qianqian offered her help made no difference; the power he sought was vast, and next to it, Liu Qianqian seemed so insignificant, offering little help. Of course, that was just how he felt. "Even if you''re not participating, you should still learn more about alchemy. It will be very helpful to you in the future," Fang Ren suggested. "I know," Liu Qianqian nodded. They continued walking forward in silence for a while longer. Again at the dormitory entrance, Liu Qianqian had no sses that afternoon, so she was nning to stay in the dorm to rest or cultivate. "I''ll go up first." Liu Qianqian was about to walk towards the female dormitory entrance. Fang Ren''s expression began to twist, and just as Liu Qianqian was about to enter the dorm, he couldn''t help but speak up, "Is your life goal really that simple?" Liu Qianqian turned back to see Fang Ren looking downcast, his brows slightly furrowed, a look of distress on his face. Seeing him like this made her happy, because he was distressed for her. "Once I''ve dealt with your issues, I''ll go travel to mountains and waters to re-think what I should do," Liu Qianqian said with a smile. Fang Ren''s expression remained troubled, and he continued morosely, "What about the sentiments you''ve cultivated daily through music, chess, calligraphy, and painting? Shouldn''t your heart be vast? Why insist on persisting with such matters? It''s not worth it. Compared to the grand life you''re meant to have, this is nothing!" His voice grew a bit loud, but fortunately, there was no one elseing and going at the dormitory entrance at that moment. Liu Qianqian fell silent for a while, then smiled again, "When I used to watch romance dramas, I always thought the characters'' happiness and sorrow were over-exaggerated. Is it really necessary to go to such extremes just because you missed out on someone you liked? But now that I''ve experienced it for myself, I realize..." She paused, choosing her words carefully, and looking at Fang Ren''s distressed face, she continued, "Actually, it''s not hard to forget each person. What''s unforgettable are the things I''ve done with them. Before I knew you were Master Qing''an, I thought you were nothing special, forgetting someone as ordinary as you should have been easy. But I can''t forget the first boy who held my hand, the first time my heart raced, the three years of my life when you were there every day." Fang Ren remained silent. With a subtle smile, Liu Qianqian continued, "There''s a popr sayingtely, ''The person you love is but a mortal, it''s your gaze that gilds them.'' You''re ordinary, and so am I. I like you, so you''re special. You used to like me, so I was a goddess in your eyes. If I didn''t like you, even if you were the Central Commander, we would have no story. If you didn''t like me, even if I were Su Daji, I couldn''t enthrall you in any true sense." After hearing what she said, Fang Ren spoke, "I remember when I first met you, you always spoke so artistically, and you were beautiful too. It made me really want to get to know you, but at the same time, it made me feel slightly inferior, unconsciously elevating you to a high position in my heart." In the campus, Liu Qianqian was still a goddess-like figure, radiant and splendid. It''s just that Mu Huanqing appeared by Fang Ren''s side, like the sun,pletely overshadowing her. "When we first met, you were already pretty ordinary, not much different from those boys who had a crush on me." Liu Qianqianughed, "This rather pretty face has given me a lot of confidence, and even arrogance. I didn''t want to take the initiative to understand or contact anyone, but I believed in fate. The first time I fell into the river at school, you didn''t know how to swim but you still jumped in to save me, which left a deep impression on me. After that, a lot of things happened in our daily lives, we kept meeting coincidentally, you were always so clueless, but that was what I liked. Gradually, I started to believe in fate more, and I don''t know when but your cluelessness ground down my pride. I let go of my pride, forgot my identity, and my arrogance, and started reaching out to you. At that time, I felt weak for caring so much about a perfectly average boy. I did something very childish then, I resolved to put on a cold demeanor towards you, trying to bring your image back down to that of a mere mortal, but in reality, I was the childish one, because the moment I saw you, I would act like an idiot trying to please you, even seduce you. Meeting you and liking you was the silliest thing I''ve done in over twenty years." Chapter 152: Chapter 150: Made the News_1 Fang Ren sat there, his worries deepening after hearing these words. He began, "I don''t know how to persuade you, but the future is long, and you will surely meet many people. When that timees, your mindset might change just like it did when you first watched a romance drama and then experienced things." Liu Qianqianughed and shook her head, "Don''t say anymore. You''re still a fool. How can this kind of thing be persuaded? It''s a waste of breath." "..." Fang Ren didn''t know what to say. Liu Qianqian had earnestly protected him with her life, and both of them had truly felt for each other once, but things just didn''t turn out well. "Hurry up and go back. The fiance of a princess standing at the door of the girls'' dormitory and speaking sweet nothings to another girl, what kind of situation is that?" After Liu Qianqian finished speaking, she turned around and walked toward the stairs. Fang Ren stayed in his spot for a while, then let out a sigh and turned to leave. He didn''t feel regret after the fact initially, but after learning about the things Liu Qianqian had silently done, he admitted he did. She was right, people are easy to forget, but events are hard to. After all, it had been three years, but there was no going back. It was best to treat it as a memory. ... When the afternoon sses ended, Fang Ren hadn''t left the ssroom when Bai Qi ran over from the dorm. Since her uniform got damaged at noon, she now wore a new one, but it felt awkward around her chest. The clothes on the outside were loose, but the inside felt tight. "Come on, I''ll take you to eat." Bai Qi said this and, in front of the whole crowd, grabbed Fang Ren''s arm and ran toward the cafeteria. The ssroom buzzed. These past few days, no one had dared to mention Fang Ren and Xuan Nv in Bai Qi''s presence. Both were important figures, and neither could be offended. Speaking out would be aiding Xuan Nv, but betraying Fang Ren. Keeping silent would be betraying Xuan Nv, but assisting Fang Ren. As ssmates with hearts and a sense of loyalty, everyone felt that it was best to first help Fang Ren. Arriving at the cafeteria, Bai Qi bought two not-so-expensive set meals and came to Fang Ren''s table. Watching the two sit opposite each other, not only the students from Yangming University, but also those from Baili University were quite surprised. No one had expected that the princess''s fiance would turn out to be the guy who made the campus beauty Zhang Shanshan lose face in the cafeteria a few days ago. "You shouldn''t wear that lingerie anymore." Fang Ren took a bite of rice, gaze focused on the table as he spoke. Bai Qi''s face turned red: "Can you not stare at my chest while you eat?" Fang Ren was taken aback: "I''m looking at the table." "Then how do you know my underwear is tight?" Bai Qi gave him a nce. "When you pulled me over here, you were acting very unnaturally; anyone could see that your chest was ufortable," Fang Ren replied. Bai Qi looked down at her chest and frowned; she was exasperated. Her broken bra had only been sewn back together with a needle and thread in the dorm, which significantly reduced its size, making it understandably tight for her to wear. "It''s fine, I''ll rece it when I get my paycheck next month," Bai Qi said. Fang Ren nced at her and smiled slightly, not saying a word. After finishing the meal, Bai Qi went to work, and Fang Ren made a trip to the cell phone store. Upon getting a phone, Fang Ren immediately went online shopping and bought a very high-quality bra, size C cup, because he estimated that was Bai Qi''s size. No matter what, having Bai Qi, a princess in her own right, wear a tattered bra for a month was simply uneptable. The next day, before Fang Ren could wake up in his dorm bed, he was startled awake by a kick from Jing and Li. "Ranzi! Get your ass over here!" Li Xingwang grabbed Fang Ren''s neck, and Jing Haichuan shoved the phone right in his face, "Quick! Come clean! Is this guy you or not?" "What''s going on here?" Fang Ren, bewildered by their shouting, finally focused on the phone''s screen, and then he waspletely dumbfounded. Indeed, the photo of him with Jian Qi''er''s bra on his face, fleeing yesterday at noon, had been posted online, and the media had described it with all sorts of imaginative and "indescribable" stories. "How could this guy be me?" Fang Ren said seriously, dressed only in his boxer shorts, "Although he''s wearing the same clothes as me, how could I possibly know a celebrity like Jian Ye?" "Oh, Jian Ye?" Jing Haichuan smirked, "Take a closer look, kid. The text below the photo doesn''t say which star''s home this pervert ran out of. How did you know it beforehand?" "Huh?" Fang Ren was stunned and took another careful look at the text below the photo, which indeed didn''t mention "Jian Ye." "I didn''t notice," Li Xingwangughed, "Turns out you have this kind of fetish?" "This guy really isn''t me!" Fang Ren started to panic, "My girlfriend is so beautiful, why wouldn''t I buy her several sexy pieces instead of stealing a celebrity''s lingerie? Would I need to do that?" "Who knows? What if you enjoy this kind of thrill?" "Exactly, you hadn''t even read the full news before jumping to conclusions; you can''t escape suspicion now." Fang Ren furrowed his brows and immediately switched into Oscar Actor Mode, solemnly saying, "Actually, I knew about this yesterday. My family was renovating our home yesterday morning, so I returned to Yangming City for a while. On the way, I heard something about a lingerie thief running out of Jian Ye''s house. I wasn''t sure if it was true, so I didn''t care much about it." "Damn it! I was okay not remembering yesterday, but now that you mention it, I recall us two going to the restroom, searching for you in each and every shit pit!" Li Xingwang said. "And damn it, I was forced by Master Huang not to go back to the ssroom! He said we couldn''t unless we dug you out of the shit pit and threatened to make us stand in there as punishment for a whole day!" Jing Haichuannded a punch on him. "Fuck, when did I fall into a shit pit?" Fang Ren was utterly clueless. "Don''t change the subject! Exin this to me! Why are you wearing the same clothes as the person in the photo!" "What, can''t somebody else happen to wear the same clothes as me?" Fang Ren said with a tough face. "Shit, this build looks exactly like you." "Compared to my wife, what the hell does she, Jian Ye, count for?" Fang Ren continued his act, "Stealing her lingerie? Am I sick or what?" After saying that, Fang Ren inwardly kept apologizing to Jian Qi''er; to make his act convincing, he really had no choice. After a bunch of senselessmotion, Fang Ren finally managed to break away from the two bare-chested bruisers and head to the canteen. That morning, both Jing and Li didn''t have sses, but he went to the canteen early by himself. In the canteen, he simply grabbed two steamed buns. But just as he was about to eat, Bai Qi suddenly burst through the canteen''s entrance. She scanned the room and then, with her head lowered, rushed toward him. Chapter 153: Chapter 151: Suffering Again_1 Fang Ren watched her rush over in haste and slowly stuffed the bun in his hand into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Bai Qi plopped down opposite him, still holding a duckbill cap in her hand, her face wearing an expression of extreme grievance while her eyes, slightly red, looked at him. "What''s wrong?" After seeing her expression, Fang Ren slightly frowned, feeling like she was about to cry. "I got scolded again," Bai Qi said with a slight huskiness in her voice. "Ah?" The bun in Fang Ren''s mouth almost fell out in shock. Were the citizens of Linyang City so fierce, not even sparing Princess Tianjiang, not caring for their lives? Last time it was a supermarket auntie, this time who could it be, a grandma-level figure? "Who scolded you? Why?" Fang Ren asked. "Last night I was serving food at the BBQ joint and someone at a table spilled tea on the floor, which I didn''t notice. I slipped over it, and the soup spilled on someone''s foot. I apologized, but they still scolded me, even said they would hit me... It wasn''t until the boss came to speak for me that things were okay," Bai Qi said, growing even more aggrieved as she spoke. "Hit... hit you?!" Fang Ren was stunned. Were the citizens of Linyang City so hot-headed, threatening to hit a powerful early-stage Xuanyang Realm fighter, not valuing their lives? "Yeah, even though the boss stood up for me, I still had topensate for the damages at full price, lost my wages, and... was told to resign," she said helplessly. As she spoke, more tears started to form in Bai Qi''s eyes, making her look like a stray kitten at the height of pity. Seeing her like this, Fang Ren began to feel a surge of sympathy in his heart, which, because of the Spiritual Root, grew very strong. Bai Qi rested her arms on the table and buried her head into them, her voice very quiet with a slight sob: "Do you think I''m useless... If I don''t have an innate Spiritual Root or a family background, I can''t do anything right. As soon as someone bullies me, I don''t know what to do..." Watching her like this, Fang Ren instantly lost his appetite. Regarding this matter, spilling tea on the floor instead of the trash can was already somewhat of a bullying act towards the server. Then, after she slipped and apologized, they not only scolded her but also threatened to hit her. That was just too much. Even if they were technically right, that was no way to behave. "What about your steward? With all this happening, he''s not doing anything?" Fang Ren frowned and said. "I called for Steward Grandpa, but he ignored me. When he arrived, he said he was only responsible for my safety and to deal with other matters myself," Bai Qi said, feeling helpless. Upon hearing this, Fang Ren became even angrier. The steward was clearly trying to dump the problem onto him, knowing that Chen Cheng would not disregard such matters. The bigger the family, the more entrics¡ªabsolutely true! Though those who threatened to beat Bai Qi wouldn''t be reprimanded immediately, the Bai Family would certainly record the incident. After seething for a while, Fang Ren looked at Bai Qi crying on the table and sighed softly. Regardless of anything, Bai Qi was wronged, and to him, it felt as though someone very important to him was wronged. He couldn''t just ignore it. Ever since Bai Qi had fled her family to discuss calling off their engagement with him, she hadn''t had a single good day. But among the children of big families, her character was quite strong. She didn''t stir up trouble, didn''t use her status to gain wealth, and never demanded anything from him with a sense of entitlement. She worked jobs to earn money, never resorting to improper channels. Every time she borrowed money from him, she would seriously tell him about her ns to repay it, even considering his finances when she was most strapped for cash, thus borrowing very little. She was naive and pure, born into a big family in this era. Lacking the arrogance of other nobles, she could humble herself during hard times and lived simply. "It''s okay, if the job is gone, it''s gone. It wasn''t your fault. They had ill intentions spilling the tea on the floor to begin with. Let''s eat first," Fang Renforted her. "But... how are we going to live..." Bai Qi whimpered. "Ha?" The words made Fang Ren stunned, as if they were a couple, and he the type who did not earn, while she was the breadwinner. It gave him the feeling of being taken care of. "Cough cough, I''ve told you, I have money. Why are you worried?" Fang Ren said. "You must be lying to me." Bai Qi lifted her head, her eyes red as she looked at him and said, "What if...what if you''re donating blood secretly from me?" "Gah?" Fang Ren waspletely bewildered. How could this girl''s thought process be so different from normal people? How many soap operas had she watched? "Eat your food and stop with the wild fantasies," Fang Ren pped his forehead in exasperation and said. Saying this, Fang Ren stood up, bought a few more buns, and came back to find Bai Qi still not eating. Seeing her pitiful look, he suspected it might be because of the verbal abuse from those people. After all, a superstrong Xuanyang Realm fighter suddenly losing their power and being bullied by ordinary people would make anyone upset. "It''s fine, when I have time I''ll take you to get back at them. Getting worked up over a bunch of troublemakers like them isn''t worth it," Fang Ren said. "But I''m thinking about how I can repay you," Bai Qi said with her head down. "There are no ces to work nearby, and the ones further away won''t hire me because I don''t have that much time." "Stop fretting about that and just eat," Fang Ren replied as he picked up another bun and began munching. He had told this girl many times he had money, but she always imagined strange scenarios. Ah well, he wouldn''t talk anymore; he''d find the right moment toy it out clearly. "But..." "But nothing, eat your food," Fang Ren directly countered her words. Bai Qi looked at him and then wiped her reddening eyes, only picking up a bun to eat after several seconds. Hardly taking a few bites, she spoke again, "Then you promise me, if we run out of money, you must tell me. If it reallyes down to it...I''ll borrow from someone else, even if I have to write an IOU." "Alright, alright, focus on eating. If you say one more word, I''m leaving," Fang Ren said. "Mmm!" Reassured by his promise, Bai Qi finally started to eat without restraint. No sooner had she crammed a few buns into her mouth than a gray shadow leaped from Fang Ren''s abdomen,nding on the dining table. "Hee haw, hee haw!" Little Qianye plopped down onto Bai Qi''s arm, grinning at her. "Little guy." Upon seeing Little Qianye bounce out, Bai Qi, who was feeling sad, began to cheer up slightly and reached out to touch the little guy''s head. But before her hand could touch Little Qianye, Fang Ren abruptly snatched him away. "Stillughing? Can''t you see your mom is upset?" Fang Ren seriously scolded, flicking Little Qianye''s bottom with his finger. "Hee haw..." Little Qianye looked bewilderedly at Fang Ren, then at Bai Qi, and then started wailing, trying to run back to her. "Why are you hitting it?" As soon as Bai Qi saw Fang Ren hit the child again, she immediately grabbed Little Qianye back, looking seriously at Fang Ren: "It''s so small; what if you break it with your hitting?" "Huh?" Fang Ren was somewhat dumbfounded by her serious demeanor; he had only meant to make a joke to distract her and had not expected her to take it so seriously. "Even if you''re worried about me, you can''t hit the child," Bai Qi added. "..." Fang Ren was in disarray, suddenly wanting to p himself. Why on Earth had he chosen this particr topic as a distraction? Now Bai Qi was slipping back into ''mother hen'' mode. Bai Qi petted Little Qianye''s head, speaking affectionately, "There you go, if daddy hits you again, mommy will hit him, since daddy''s cultivation level is way weaker than mommy''s." "Hee haw?" Little Qianye looked dazed after hearing this. To it, there was not yet a human on Earth who could surpass Fang Ren, so Bai Qi''s im about her cultivation level being higher than Fang Ren''s could only be true for a brief moment in time. In Little Qianye''s view, Bai Qi was exaggerating. Bai Qi nced at Fang Ren again: "See, you''ve stupefied the child." "I..." Fang Ren feltpletely helpless; he couldn''t understand why this silly girl was so intent on treating the little creature as if it were their own child. Was this some kind of delusional syndrome? Or rather, a severe, advanced case! "Anyway, the little guy doesn''t have a name yet, so let''s give it one," Bai Qi suddenly spoke up. "Hee haw?" Fang Ren said with an exasperated face, "It does have one, it''s called Qianye." Bai Qi froze for a moment before realizing that when Fang Ren had shouted "Qianye,e back" in the ssroom yesterday, he was referring to the little creature. But recalling yesterday''s scene in the ssroom made Bai Qi''s face turn red. He had seen her most private parts... Seeing that she had sessfully shifted her focus to Little Qianye, Fang Ren was relieved. He couldn''t bear to see Bai Qi so downcast; the familiarity within their beings made him extremely sensitive to her subtle emotions. He even worried that if someone were to insult Bai Qi in his presence one day, he might end up throwing that person out of the eighth-floor window. Indeed, the affinity between spiritual roots is a remarkable thing, affecting even the mood of their owners. Of course, it might also be because Little Qianye was a living Spiritual Root with its own thoughts. By the end of the meal, Bai Qi''s eyes were no longer red; instead, she busied herself with amusing Little Qianye with a bun, immersing herself in the joy of "child-rearing." Fang Ren watched with resignation but thought that as long as his silly girl was happy, it was more than enough. Chapter 154: Chapter 152: Why Steal_1 After the meal, Fang Ren followed Bai Qi to their ss. But as soon as Fang Ren entered the ss, he felt the atmosphere was a bit strange; no sooner had he shown his face than the entire ss''s gaze suddenly focused on him. "Hey, here hees, shut up, everyone." "Wow, who would''ve thought Ranzi was already so skilled at flirting with girls, and turns out he has that kind of fetish too." "Stop it, if this gets to the princess, it won''t be good, after all, Ranzi is her betrothed." ... Whispers erupted throughout the life of the ss, which, if Fang Ren were still a normal human, he wouldn''t have been able to hear. But the problem was that he had be a cultivator, and his cultivation had reached the middle stages of the Chongshan Realm, so these whispers werepletely and entirely reaching his ears without missing a beat. "I''m doomed!" Fang Ren couldn''t help butment incessantly in his heart. Thebel of "Lingerie thief" was firmly stamped on his forehead now, and he was worried sick - why did he have such terrible luck to touch a piece of lingerie yesterday? "What''s wrong?" Bai Qi looked at Fang Ren''s downcast appearance, thinking he was still worried about money, and asked in a very low voice. "It''s nothing." Fang Ren waved it off, feeling relieved that Bai Qi had not regained her full strength; otherwise, listening to all this might have caused her internal injuries. "Yo, Lord Fang is back?" No sooner had Fang Ren taken a few steps inside the ssroom, Li Xinyue approached with a contemptuous expression and said. "Cough cough, we''re all ssmates here, why call me lord?" Fang Ren said, embarrassed. While talking, he nced at Liu Qianqian in the front row, who was frowning at her phone, and he didn''t need to guess to know what she was looking at. "Speaking of which, Qian Qian''s lingerie seems to have gone missing recently, Lord Fang, do you know where it is?" Li Xinyue turned to look at Liu Qianqian and then back at Fang Ren with a smile. "Ah? How can you speak of such things?" Fang Ren immediately switched to Oscar Actor Mode, looking at her with feigned surprise. Liu Qianqian, sitting in the front row, immediately put down her phone at these words, her face flushing red, and looked at Li Xinyue angrily, "Xinyue! What are you talking about!" Then, a girl from Liu Qianqian''s dormitory also chimed in, "Actually, it''s true that one of Qian Qian''s pieces of lingerie went missing a week ago." "You..." Liu Qianqian looked at the two of them, suddenly at a loss for words, her teammates always liked to embarrass her, and inadvertently hurt Fang Ren even more. "Then why bring it up to me?" Fang Ren said, confused. "Right, the ss president lost her lingerie, whye tell him?" Bai Qi, seeing the girlsing up to Fang Ren again, said seriously, "You guys are so weird." When Li Xinyue and the others saw Bai Qi speak up, they immediately didn''t know how to continue their teasing, and their formerly disdainful expressions turned very awkward. "Princess, I believe that as Fang Ren''s betrothed, you have the right to know about this matter." Suddenly, thest girl from Liu Qianqian''s dorm ran out, saying seriously. Fang Ren nced at the girl, feeling that she seemed to be ying for real, and a trace of panic grew within him. Although he had never considered having any romantic feelings towards Bai Qi, it didn''t mean he wasn''t concerned about his image in her eyes. "Hey! You guys are too much!" Liu Qianqian immediately ran over, pulling Li Xinyue and the other two girls, and said seriously, "The person in the news just wore the same clothes as him, we can''t be sure it was really him." "Qian Qian, oh Qian Qian." Li Xinyue couldn''t stand it anymore when she saw Liu Qianqian defending Fang Ren, and said, "Why are you so stubborn, always protecting him no matter what?" Bai Qi, listening to the girls'' brief exchange, became increasingly curious, and her expression started to get more serious. "What exactly is going on?" Bai Qi asked. "Your Highness, could it be that you haven''t seen today''s trending news yet?" Bai Qi was taken aback, "I haven''t." "Then you''d better look at it now." A girl immediately handed her phone to Bai Qi. Fang Ren stood there dumbfounded. Had he managed to anger all the girls in ss? What''s wrong with sleeping with Xuan Nv? It was mutual consent, wasn''t it? What''s wrong with being Bai Qi''s fianc¨¦? He didn''t want it either! What''s wrong with liking Liu Qianqian? He wasn''t flirting with her right now! What''s wrong with getting a bit close to Jian Qi''er? He did it for the salvation of human Cultivators! Why did all these things in the eyes of every girl in the ss count as evidence of him being a scumbag? "Stop making a fuss, the person in the photo didn''t show his face. How can you confirm it''s Fang Ren?" Liu Qianqian said with a woeful face. Li Xinyue pulled Liu Qianqian aside to a distant spot and whispered sternly, "Why do you always defend him? He''s not your boyfriend!" Liu Qianqian frowned, "This has nothing to do with whether he is my boyfriend or not. I''m just telling the truth." "I think you just want to protect him!" ... Bai Qi immediately took the phone from the girl. The webpage on the phone was about the trending news of the star Jian Ye, and in the middle of the page, there was a photo of Fang Ren using one hand to ce Jian Qi''er''s ckce brassiere over his face as he fled. The moment Bai Qi nced at the phone screen, her pupils dted. The person in the picture felt eerily familiar to her, whether it was the chin revealed on the face, the physique, or even the clothes the person was wearing. She looked back in a daze, her gaze surveying Fang Ren. His attire, hairstyle, physique... no matter how she looked at it, he seemed to be 95% simr to the person in the photo. "Damn! How can I exin this to clear my name?" Fang Ren was utterly stunned. "You,e with me!" Bai Qi immediately returned the phone to the girl and dragged Fang Ren by the arm toward the outside of the ssroom. Her voice was so loud that everyone in the already quiet ss could hear the anger in her words. Under the watchful eyes of the whole ss, a visibly embarrassed Fang Ren was pulled out by Bai Qi. The moment he stepped out, the ssroom erupted into whispers again. Bai Qi didn''t stop until she had dragged him to a distant corner. "Bai Qi, about this... listen to my exnation," Fang Ren said, his face awkward. "No need to exin!" Bai Qi snapped, visibly furious. Upon hearing her angry voice, Fang Ren was taken aback, as even if he did what he was used of, there was no need for Bai Qi to be so angry. "This..." He wanted to say more, but the moment he looked up and saw Bai Qi''s face, he closed his mouth again. Bai Qi was staring at him, her eyes beginning to redden once more. She looked like she was about to cry again. "Tell me, why?" Bai Qi asked, her eyes welling up. "Why did this suddenly happen..." Fang Ren couldn''t understand why her eyes were suddenly red. "Why, if you don''t have the money to buy for me, would you resort to stealing?" Bai Qi shouted. "..." Fang Ren was dumbfounded. Chapter 155: Chapter 151: Your Express Delivery Has Arrived_1 This girl''s thought process really is different from that of a normal person. "That wasn''t me," Fang Ren still insisted with an embarrassed expression. "Still saying it''s not you? The size of the clothes is exactly the same!" Bai Qi said seriously, "If you have no money, just say so. Why steal? Even if we''re poor, we can''t be short of integrity." "I..." Fang Ren was in despair, feeling like even if he jumped into the Yellow River, he couldn''t clear his name. "Quickly return the stolen items! Apologize!" Bai Qi said earnestly. "I don''t have anything on me..." "Then where exactly have you hidden it?" "I didn''t hide..." "Still being stubborn!" Bai Qi said while grabbing his arm again: "Come on, take me to your dorm! If you don''t have the face to return it, then I''ll do it!" "My princess, can you not treat me like this? I really don''t have it," Fang Ren said, looking as if he had lost all will to live. "I don''t believe you!" Bai Qi still clung to his hand, intending to lead him away, but how could Fang Ren possibly take her into a boys'' dorm? If he didn''t have it, then he didn''t have it; he firmly believed he was innocent! "Young Master!" Just as the two of them were struggling, suddenly an old man''s voice came through. Fang Ren turned his head and saw Lin Bozhong, dressed in a whiteb coat, running back from Tianjiang. What the hell! Old Lin, what perfect timing you have! The moment Fang Ren saw Lin Bozhong, his heart was moved, and he couldn''t help thinking, why hadn''t he realized how handsome this old man was before? How dashing he looked while running? In the blink of an eye, Lin Bozhong had run up beside Fang Ren, but when he saw the face of the girl next to Fang Ren, he suddenly froze. "Prin... Princess!" Lin Bozhong immediately bowed in greeting, wondering why the princess was crying because of the young master. "Are you his protector?" Bai Qi asked, wiping her reddened eyes with her sleeve, looking angrily at Lin Bozhong. "Yes... yes, what happened, Princess?" Lin Bozhong asked, confused by Bai Qi''s angry expression. He had just arrived, so when had he managed to upset the little princess? "Don''t you know what kind of life your young master is leading?" Bai Qi rebuked him with an angry face. "Huh?" Lin Bozhong was even more bewildered. "Even if he refuses to ept the money from the Fang family, can''t you think of other ways to make his life a bit better?" Bai Qi continued. "I..." "With that brain of yours, I bet he would starve to death before his enemies even show up!" "Huh?" Lin Bozhong was left utterly confused by Bai Qi''s barrage of usations, his elderly face showing an expression of confusion that did not match his age. "Stop, stop, don''t listen to her nonsense." Fang Ren quickly pulled Bai Qi to one side and turned to Lin Bozhong, "How much did you sell it for?" Lin Bozhong immediately took out a bank card from his waist pouch and said, "The pills sold for a total of 730 million, but as per the young master''s instructions, I''ve already returned the money for the herbs to the family, leaving 500 million." "Perfect." Fang Ren took the bank card, looked back at Bai Qi who was still in shock, and said, "Come on, you tell me, with so much money in my ount, why would I choose to steal instead of buying for you?" Bai Qi looked at the bank card in his hand. Her big eyes, still red, blinked a few times, and two secondster, she suddenly burst out angrily again, "So! It''s not because you don''t have money! It''s because you do it for fun!" "..." Upon hearing her bewildering response, Fang Ren was petrified, convinced that this girl''s thinking was too far removed from normal. "What do you mean ''for fun''!" Fang Ren blurted out in disarray, shouting, "If I were really doing it for fun, why wouldn''t I just buy out all the stores around me!" "What if you just enjoy the thrill of stealing!" "Do I really look that twisted in your eyes!" "It''s already a fact!" ... Lin Bozhong, standing to the side watching the two of them bicker, felt that his aging brain couldn''t handle so much information. The young master going out to steal? And getting caught by the princess, which made her cry? But hold on, even if the young master had such a quirk, what''s that got to do with the princess, and why did she cry? A few secondster, a shocked expression spread across Old Lin''s aged face. Could it be! Could it be that the princess had fallen for the young master at first sight! When she saw him stealing, she felt that the young master didn''t live up to the image she had of him, which made her cry? Lin Bozhong''s mind was inplete disarray. ``` How could this be? The Fang Family had already decided to break off the engagement with the Bai Family, and the eldest son had been sharing a bed with Madame Xuan for so many days. Their feelings were surely solid. So why now did the little princess suddenly take a liking to the eldest son? If the little princess found out that her fianc¨¦ had been sleeping with Madame Xuan for so many days, and on top of that, Madame Xuan found out the little princess had developed feelings for her boyfriend... Wouldn''t the two most talented female practitioners in human history just start fighting each other right away? The Bai Family really is unbelievable, not willing to call off the engagement at such a critical moment. Whatever excuses they came up with, it even made the Family Head start to think that the eldest son couldn''t break his marriage with the princess! Lin Bozhong felt a massive headacheing on. This battle between the princess and Madame Xuan... seemed very likely to erupt now. Just as he was imagining all this, Fang Ren had already finished arguing with Bai Qi. Seeing Old Lin clutch his head with a terrified face one moment and then stare nkly the next, they were both extremely curious. "Old Lin, what are you thinking about?" Fang Ren frowned as he spoke, "Don''t listen to her nonsense. Just ask your own heart, do you think I would be the type to steal underwear?" Lin Bozhong stared at him nkly, screaming inside: My young master! Is it really just about stealing that thing? Your fianc¨¦e is about to fight with your girlfriend, and you''re still worried about this? "Still being stubborn!" Bai Qi shouted angrily. "I thought you had no money before and considered working to lessen your burden. I thought you stole the underwear to give to me, but it turns out you just did it for your own amusement!" Hearing Bai Qi''s words, Lin Bozhong looked even more despondent. The little princess was even thinking about lightening the eldest son''s burden, and she had let the eldest son touch such an important item as her underwear. To what extent had their rtionship progressed? That''s it, humans can forget about resisting the Void; it''s better to make sure these two geniuses and heavensent beauties don''t meet first. Otherwise, resisting the Void? If these two start fighting, they could destroy several cities... "Well, young master, there''s not much I can do about your private matters, I can only advise you to consider the consequences," Lin Bozhong said somewhat awkwardly. "Huh? Old Lin! You don''t believe me either!" "Who would believe you!" As the two started arguing again, Lin Bozhong quickly took the opportunity to retreat, leaving with a helpless expression on his face. What kind of fate did the young master have, to stir up trouble that could potentially ruin the future hope of humanity over a fling... After arguing for a long time, Fang Ren and Bai Qi finally returned to their ss. Fang Ren had chosen to sit at the back of the ssroom because sitting at the front made him feel a chill down his spine, knowing how many eyes were watching him from behind. Thud thud thud... Just as ss was about to start, there was a knock at the ssroom door, and all eyes turned toward the entrance. A delivery guy, dressed in a courier uniform and smiling, was holding an address and carrying a parcel. He spoke, "Excuse me, is this ss 3 of the Medical Department?" "Yes, who are you looking for?" Liu Qianqian immediately asked. "Well," the delivery guy said with a smile, "I''m looking for Mr. Fang Ren. Is he here?" "This¡­" As soon as Fang Ren saw the parcel, the guy immediately stood up. The content was something he had bought for Bai Qi, and he couldn''t let anyone else find out. Now he''s already unfairly maligned, and if another incident like the underwear purchasees out, even if they threw him in the ocean, it would probably turn ck. Seeing Fang Ren stand up, the delivery guy immediately rushed over, courteously cing the parcel on the table and handing over a pen to Fang Ren, "Good day, Mr. Fang, your white **** ordered from ourpany has been delivered. Could you sign for it, please?" Whoosh¡ª What? The whole ss was in an uproar again, with all the strange gazes once more turning to Fang Ren. "What the heck?" Fang Ren turned to stone, staring nkly at the delivery guy standing next to him, who had a politely smiling face. His hand, originally reaching for the pen, had frozen in mid-air. Is this how good the courierpany''s service is, to loudly report what someone bought? Bai Qi next to him was also stunned, immediately burying her face in her arms on the desk, her face flushing to her neck, too embarrassed to look up. He actually went online shopping for her! And got the exact same color! Upon hearing the delivery guy''s words, a bunch of girls in the ssroom immediately stood up and stayed away from Fang Ren, some even instinctively covering their chests with their hands when they looked at him. "My goodness, Fang Ren is even more despicable than we imagined!" One girl said with disdain. "How could there be such a beast in our ss!" "Right, Cui Hua, didn''t you lose an itemst week?" A girl weighing over 280 pounds immediately covered her face, shyingly, "Ah, stop it, I''m... I''m dying of shame!" ... "Qian Qian! You saw it, right? This guy is scum!" Li Xinyue immediately grabbed Liu Qianqian''s shoulder next to her, shouting earnestly. "This..." Liu Qianqian, looking at Fang Ren in the back row, waspletely bbergasted. When she first heard the hot news, she kept deceiving herself: he''s not that kind of person, but now how could she exin this situation? Could he really have such a fetish? Then why, during the three years they spent together before, did he never do such a thing to her? Must be sick! Chapter 156: Chapter 154: Who is Fooling Around_1 "Mr. Fang, please sign for the delivery." In front of Fang Ren, who had turned into a statue, the delivery guy still wore that polite smile as he repeated his request. "Sign... I''ll sign." Fang Ren took the delivery form with a nk face, his heart pounding, hands trembling; he really didn''t have that kind of habit. "Mr. Fang, I hope you can give me a five-star rating. I wish you a happy life and academic sess. Thank you!" After reluctantly signing his name on the delivery form, Fang Ren watched the delivery guy looking at him with a polite smile, even asking for a positive review. Damn it! Can your service be any less excellent? Can''t you just drop it off at the security office at the school gate so I can pick it up? Fang Ren waspletely devastated. After signing for the delivery, Fang Ren immediately stuffed the parcel into his desk slot, looking listlessly at Bai Qi beside him. What a disaster, I will definitely not order from thispany again! ... Fang Ren had a hazy day today, feeling like he was being watched wherever he went, and there were always whispers around him, making him ufortable. Compared to him, Bai Qi was treated differently. Many girls in the ss still liked to gather around her to chat and seemed to enjoy it very much. Some of the girls even asionally expressed pity for Bai Qi having Fang Ren, that hooligan, as her fianc¨¦. Liu Qianqian did not seek out Fang Ren for more conversation either. She remained preupied with whether her lingerie had indeed been stolen by Fang Ren. Then there was Jian Qi''er, who hadn''t returned to school, likely dragged by her agent to film. That evening, Fang Ren withdrew some money for Bai Qi. Although she knew Fang Ren was rich now, she used very little, yet Fang Ren insisted on giving it to her. As for the lingerie... Fang Ren gave it back to her face to face that night. Tonight, Fang Ren had intended to simply have a meal and then go to an empty ssroom to practice alchemy and cultivation, but Bai Qi insisted on eating dinner with him, so he went with her to a ce off campus. Just as they arrived at the ce to eat, Fang Ren got a message from Liu Qianqian on his phone, asking if he had eaten yet and inviting him to join her. Fang Ren replied that he was out and invited her to join them, but as soon as Liu Qianqian heard that Bai Qi was also there, she suddenly made an excuse that something came up and didn''te. "Hey, I heard from the ss president that you signed up for the pillpetition this time?" Bai Qi asked him. "I''m just going to mess around," Fang Ren replied casually. "You still have time to mess around?" Bai Qi nced at him and said, "Isn''t your goal to marry Sister Hui Qing? Instead of cultivating, what are you doing joining in the fun for no reason?" "Well¡­ Chasing a goddess shouldn''t be rushed, right?" "Forget it, I suppose you''re just joking about wanting to marry Sister Hui Qing anyway." "Is that so." Fang Ren smiled and did not borate further. "Sigh," Bai Qi suddenly looked distressed and let out a sigh, "Sister Hui Qing is already twenty-five this year, and she could get married at any time. Moreover, once she does, it''s bound to be with Brother Song, and even though I''ve advanced to the Xuanyang realm, I can''t continue to cultivate. How could I possibly stop the two of them from getting married?" Fang Ren nced at her and asked, "Do you like your Brother Song that much?" "Yeah, I want to be with Brother Song, but I don''t know how he feels about me, or what his feelings are for Sister Hui Qing. Anyway, I only know that Sister Hui Qing, that battle maniac, isn''t interested in any man at all. For someone to catch her fancy¡ªwell, there is no such person at the moment," Bai Qi said. "Yes, how could Madame Xuan possibly fall in love with a mortal man?" Fang Ren nodded repeatedly after hearing this, praising himself secretly, as he is no ordinary person. "Brother Song is already a dragon and phoenix among people, it''s just that Sister Hui Qing... seems totally clueless about romantic feelings between men and women. Every time I talk to her, she seems so indifferent, with her mind always on her brothers and sisters on the battlefield andforting Earth," Bai Qi said as she took a bite of her food. "Really?" A smile involuntarily appeared on Fang Ren''s face as he recalled the shameless acts he and Mu Huanqing had done in bed. Apathetic? Well, she isn''t like that with him¡ªshe''s the one who takes the initiative and tells him to speed up. "What are youughing at?" Bai Qi frowned and said, "The people you and I like could get married at any moment." "Yes." Fang Ren continued to nod; this girl was absolutely right, Mu Huanqing was about to get married, but the man she was marrying was him. Bai Qi, seeing his indifferent expression, began to feel more and more that this guy iming he would marry Sister Hui Qing was just creating a fuss, not taking it seriously in his heart at all. "That''s right, you''ve only met Sister Hui Qing once; it''s impossible for you to truly fall for her. Of course, you''re not in a hurry since she''s marrying someone else," Bai Qi said fretfully. "But it''s different for me. I really like Brother Song, and I would be very sad if he got married." Fang Ren didn''t say anything, letting the girl indulge in her own fantasies. "Although I really like Brother Song, I am currently your fianc¨¦e. Even if Brother Song has feelings for me, I need to break off the engagement first," Bai Qi added. "If the two of you really like each other, is it that important whether the engagement is broken off or not?" Fang Ren said. "Of course, it''s important," Bai Qi said seriously. "If I get together with Brother Song before breaking off the engagement, what would everyone in Tianjiang think of you? You''re such a nice person; I wouldn''t want you to be wronged." "Er..." Fang Ren smiled awkwardly, suddenly feeling a bit guilty towards her¡ªhe and Mu Huanqing were already parents! "Anyway, talking about this is very annoying," Bai Qi said with a displeased face. "Grandpa is really something, too. You don''t like me, I don''t like you, yet he insists on pushing us together, not allowing the engagement to be broken off." "Yes." Fang Ren had been nodding in agreement all along. Listening to Bai Qi say these things, he suddenly felt a bit sorry for her. She didn''t even know she was being treated as an experimental subject, and she was unaware of the reason and consequences of the engagement not being broken off, not to mention she hadn''t the slightest clue about what was going on between him and Mu Huanqing. It seemed as though everything was quite unfair to her. After a few bites of her meal, Bai Qi''s thoughts turned gloomier. She didn''t want Fang Ren to be the subject of gossip, nor did she want to just lose the one she loved. "Can I have a beer?" Bai Qi suddenly asked. "Huh?" Fang Ren was taken aback: "Why would you want beer all of a sudden?" "I''m worried, and you''re not," Bai Qi said, frowning. "Your liking for her seems like a foolish caper, but I genuinely like him." Who is truly making a fuss? The truth would have to be proven. Chapter 157: Chapter 155: I Want to See Someone_1 "Have you ever drunk that stuff?" Fang Ren stared at her nkly and said, "Don''t forget, you now have the physique of an ordinary person. If you drink too much, you''ll definitely get drunk." "Even though I''ve never tried it, I feel like I won''t have any problems," Bai Qi said, unconcerned. "Well... how about a bottle of light beer? Just to give you a taste," Fang Ren suggested. "What''s ''light beer''?" Bai Qi asked. "It''s a kind of beer fordies, with a very small bottle and a low alcohol content, so you basically can''t get drunk from it," Fang Ren exined. "If you can''t get drunk, then what''s the point of drinking? I want to feel a bit tipsy," Bai Qi dered. "Forget about it, if you get drunk, I''ll have to take you back to the girls'' dormitory. Buying you underwear was embarrassing enough; if I get you drunk and take you back, who knows what kind of rumors will spread," Fang Ren said. "Alright then, boss, a bottle of light beer, please." Before long, the owner brought over a small pink bottle of beer. Bai Qi opened it and took a sip, then her brows furrowed instantly. "What''s good about this stuff?" "Anyone who hasn''t drunk before would definitely find it bitter," Fang Ren said. "So, if you drink a lot, it starts to taste good?" "Hmm, most people start to like it after they drink more," he replied. After hearing his words, Bai Qi took a few more sips from the bottle, still frowning. She decided to give up, feeling that this really wasn''t for her. "Hey, your cultivation level has improved really quickly," Bai Qi suddenly changed the subject and said. "Did your butler tell you?" Fang Ren asked. In his memory, Bai Qi knew at most that he was at the Peak of the Yuanxin Realm and was unaware of his breakthrough to the Mid-Stage of the Chongshan Realm. However, just yesterday Su Sen suddenly came over to challenge him to a duel, and he had to use his cultivation. Even though it was just for a brief instant, it was enough for someone as powerful as Chen Cheng to see through at a nce. Although he was afraid that the sudden increase in his cultivation level would arouse Chen Cheng''s suspicion, he was no longer worried when Bai Qi made her breakthrough to the Xuanyang realm yesterday. He could use this as his reason; if Bai Qi could sense the energy breakthrough in his body, then he could simply say he had a breakthrough because of Bai Qi, too. "Ah? He doesn''t evene out to talk to me," Bai Qi said: "It was during the Spiritual Root handover yesterday when I sensed your realm. I was surprised at that time. In just over a month, you had broken through to the Mid-Stage of the Chongshan Realm, while it took me five years just to break through the Chongshan Realm." "Maybe it''s the umtion of fundamental strength," Fang Ren said offhandedly. "Even with umtion, it shouldn''t be this exaggerated," Bai Qi gave him a look and said, "This is talent, a very powerful talent for cultivation." "Could be," he replied. "If you can maintain your cultivation speed like this, it won''t take 30 years for you to surpass Brother Song," Bai Qi stated. "Thirty years..." Fang Ren shook his head with a smile, knowing he didn''t have that much time. Although his life these past few days seemed leisurely, he was actually cultivating tirelessly every day in ss, including now as he ate with Bai Qi, with the True Qi continuously circting within his body. However, another breakthrough would require sufficient settling; after all, his realm had advanced too quickly and was still unstable. As the meal wasing to an end, Bai Qi''s expression suddenly became somewhat troubled. Seeing her like this, Fang Ren asked, "What''s wrong?" "It''s nothing..." Bai Qi was in a dilemma as he spoke. "But no matter how I look at you, it seems like you have something on your mind." "No, no." Shaking his head like a ghost, Bai Qi then grabbed a small beer from the table and gulped it down, before putting the empty bottle on the table and saying, "Boss, bring two more bottles." Fang Ren was taken aback; the girl had just said it tasted bad, so why had she suddenly drunk it all in one go? And she said she had no worries¡ªstubbornly so. "If you have a problem, just say it," Fang Ren said. "Maybe I can help you solve it too." After drinking half a bottle of small beer in one go, Bai Qi felt a burning sensation in his stomach and said, "Wait for a moment, let me take two more sips, and then I''ll tell you." Gulp gulp¡ª Bai Qi picked up another bottle and drank it straight down, his face reddening at an inexperienced rate. "Burp!" After putting down the bottle, Bai Qi immediately covered his mouth with his hand and let out a burp. Although the alcohol content was very low, drinking two bottles back to back could still go to one''s head. "Can you talk now?" Fang Ren asked as he saw her face flush with red, hastily saying. "Not yet, just a little more." Bai Qi said and drank another bottle of small beer head back. Fang Ren across from him had a dumbstruck expression on his face; he had to get this girl back to the dorm quickly. Otherwise, there would definitely be all sorts of sensational rumors about him tomorrow. After three bottles in quick session, Bai Qi''s face was even redder. She rubbed her stomach with one hand, feeling a burning sensation in her lower abdomen and a slight swelling in her vision. "Okay, I think I can say it now." Bai Qi said with a flushed face, looking straight at Fang Ren. "Alright, alright, just say it, before it turns into more gossip about me when I take you backter," Fang Ren said, waving his hand in resignation. Bai Qi was still conflicted for a while before she finally spoke with a red face, "Actually... I heardst night that Brother Song will make an appearance in the final round of the Alchemypetition, and I really want to see him." Her head was feeling dizzy now, and the words she had been afraid to utter were finally said with courage. "Then go see him," Fang Ren said nkly, not understanding why Bai Qi needed to drink three bottles of small beer just to say something so trivial. "But, but..." Bai Qi continued, thenid her head directly onto the table. Seeing her lying on the table, Fang Ren was stunned; he could already envision the scenes of being the subject of malicious gossip as he took Bai Qi back tomorrow. "But, I''m your fianc¨¦e now, and if I meet another man behind your back and speak words of adoration, what would that be?" Bai Qi said, lying on the table. "Well... actually, it''s not that big of a deal," Fang Ren said with an awkward smile. "After all, we don''t like each other, and although we can''t annul the marriage, why not give each other some freedom?" "Do you really... really think so?" Bai Qi''s voice was slow and gentle, sounding almost as if she were falling asleep. "Of course, it''s true," Fang Ren immediately said. He hadn''t even told her about his situation with Mu Huanqing yet. "Then, can I... can I go to see Brother Song, I really want to meet him," Bai Qi mumbled in a daze. Chapter 158: Chapter 156: Messy Conversation (First update)_1 Fang Ren got up promptly to settle the bill as her voice came out muffled. By the time he returned, Bai Qi had already climbed up from the table, her little hands cupping her flushed face, elbows propped on the table, her face dazed as she looked at Fang Ren. "Let''s head back," Fang Ren said. "We agreed that I would treat you to dinner... why did you pay the bill?" Bai Qi asked. "You can just treat me to two more meals in the future, can''t you?" "Then... okay then." "Can you get up by yourself?" "Don''t rush off, I haven''t finished what I was saying yet." Bai Qi frowned slightly as she spoke to him. "It''s just a meeting with Song Mobei, just meet him then, there''s nothing to worry about. I don''t feel disrespected by you over this kind of thing either," Fang Ren said. "But... if I meet Brother Song during the Alchemypetition, many people will gossip about you," Bai Qi said. Fang Ren nodded after listening, understanding what Bai Qi was saying. Now, his existence as the Young Master Fang was starting to be known to manyrge families in Tianjiang, and he was being introduced to Tianjiang as Bai Qi''s fiance, so he would definitely attract attention in the eyes of some families. But the majority of Tianjiang''s impression of him was, cking Spiritual Root," "incapable of Cultivation," "just an ordinary person," "lucky to ride on the princess''s coattails"... If Bai Qi were to meet Song Mobei during the crucial finals of the Alchemypetition, looking delighted in their conversation, and considering the fact that Bai Qi''s liking Song Mobei was quite clear among some of the younger generation of geniuses, he would definitely be theughingstock, andbels like "can''t even keep his own woman," "toad wanting to eat swan meat," would appear. It might even worse get spun into: "a piece of trash who dares not to fight back even when cuckolded by a princess," such spiteful mocking remarks. This was indeed troubling for Fang Ren; after all, as the husband of the Xuan Nv, how could he bebeled like this? Even if he didn''t mind the mockery, it concerned the reputation of Mu Huanqing''s husband, and he couldn''t allow this to happen. "It''s fine, go ahead and meet him, I''ll have a way to deal with it when the timees," Fang Ren said with a smile. If he were truly someone with poor Cultivational Talent and ipetent at Alchemy, he would indeed be a disgracefulughingstock, but the key now was that his Cultivational Talent was faster than that of Xuan Nv, and his Alchemy skills stronger than the master of the first district. In the face of Bai Qi, who was noble by birth and had supreme Cultivation Ability, who was deemed a perfect woman, without sufficient strength, any association he had with Bai Qi would be the object of ridicule by some people. Only if he had the credentials to stand as an equal to Bai Qi would people be left speechless. No matter what Bai Qi did with Song Mobei, he could just say he didn''t like Bai Qi either, and people would only talk about how there was no affection between Young Master Fang and the princess, and that they just peacefully dissolved the engagement. On the other hand, if he didn''t have the power to stand shoulder to shoulder, even if he spoke his true feelings, saying that he didn''t like Bai Qi, it would seem feeble and powerless. Everyone would say He''s just a toad who failed to eat swan meat and now finding excuses to save face. Having the ability to stand on equal footing is crucial; without it, even the truth he speaks is deemed false, seen as a pretext to cover up embarrassment. Bai Qi furrowed her brows as she looked at the table, her cheeks puffing out as she said, "But it really will cause you a lot of trouble... I hadn''t nned to tell you this... but I kind of wanted to say it." "I''ve already said it''s okay, don''t overthink it," Fang Ren said. Bai Qi''srge eyes gazed at Fang Ren, and after a few seconds, she spoke, "Fang Ren." "Hmm?" "You''re really silly." "You''re the silly one." "You''re just too nice, and that''s going to make you suffer a lot." Fang Ren chuckled, "This time you go meet Song Mobei, next time I''ll go meet the Xuan Nv, how about that?" "There you go talking nonsense again, you don''t even like her... you''re just trying to find an excuse tofort me, to put my mind at ease..." Bai Qi said with a worried look. Fang Ren didn''t know what to say; this girl had a kind heart, but her mind was a bit off. Before he could speak, she had already started making assumptions. "I''ve already agreed to this, whether you go or not is up to you," Fang Ren said. "I''ll go," Bai Qi nodded, but her expression was still fraught with worry. "If there''s anything else, just speak up. Don''t hold it in, or should I get you a few more bottles?" Fang Ren said. "Great! Boss, two more bottles!" "Hey, don''t take that seriously." "No, I want to drink!" ¡­ Gulp, gulp¡ª After two more small bottles of beer, Bai Qi felt like she was floating, but the troubled look on her face had eased significantly. She looked directly at Fang Ren and began, "Actually, I have a favor to ask of you." "Speak," he said. "My abilities have been restricted right now, and the butler grandfather is watching over me... If I don''t follow you, he definitely won''t let me go to the Alchemypetition," Bai Qi said with a frown and a pout, "And to get into the finals scene of the Alchemypetition, you must either be a qualified finalist or a specially invited guest..." After listening to her, Fang Ren was puzzled by what she wanted because, in Bai Qi''s eyes, he was at best a medical student who learns quickly but knows nothing about Alchemy. She had no idea he was qualified to enter the finals. "Be more straightforward," Fang Ren said. "It''s just... I want you to cheat... topete in the finals." Bai Qi''s gaze fell, and her face showed loss: "I''m sorry, my request is too capricious..." "So you want me to cheat, to gain the qualification topete in the finals, and then im that you are mypanion, so as to bring you into the finals venue?" Fang Ren asked. "Roughly like that..." Bai Qi frowned and said, "But there are great risks to cheating in the alchemypetition... and if someone of your status cheats, it will definitely impact the entire Fang Family''s image, I..." "Let''s do it then," Fang Ren said. "Ah?" Bai Qi stared at him with wide eyes, her entire flushed face full of surprise: "Hey, did you listen to what I''m saying? The consequences of cheating can be very serious." "I understand the consequences better than you." "Then why do you agree..." "It won''t be a big problem, trust me," Fang Ren said. Bai Qi watched him for a long time, then lowered her head and muttered softly, "You''re just a silly nice guy..." "If you''re willing to go through fire and water for me, can''t I do this little thing for you?" Fang Ren joked. With Bai Qi, he indeed was a nice guy, but that didn''t mean he was a good person through and through. One must distinguish when dealing with people. For a girl as silly and naive as Bai Qi, he was very willing to help her, just as he had wanted to help Liu Qianqian in the past. "Yes!" Bai Qi suddenly mmed her palm on the table and shouted, "For Fang Ren, I won''t hesitate to go through fire and water!" As she yelled out, all the eyes in the restaurant immediately turned towards them, and Fang Ren quickly pressed down her duckbill cap to prevent her face from being seen. "What''s with that girl, what did she say her name was? Bai Xi? Why doesn''t she call herself Bai Nen (tender)?" "Young girls who drink a bit of liquor, they all end up like this." "Guess another pure-hearted little miss got tricked by a scumbag." ... Fang Ren stayed sitting with his usual face and spoke, "Can we leave this ce now?" "Sure, let''s go," Bai Qi shouted again. "My gosh, can you not be noisy?" Fang Ren immediately released True Qi from his body, wrapped it around her, and ran towards the outside of the restaurant to avoid being stared at by others for any longer. On the main road, Fang Ren used True Qi to carry Bai Qi towards the school, attracting the attention of many people along the way. And now, Bai Qi''s brain had entered a semi-sleep state, and her speech became even more slurred. "Fang Ren..." "What now?" "Do you... like me?" Bai Qi suddenly asked. "Huh? Why would I like you all of a sudden?" Fang Ren waspletely baffled. "Because you... couldn''t possibly like Sister Hui Qing... and you''re willing to do so many things for me... you like me, right?" Bai Qi mumbled incoherently. "You''re wrong," Fang Ren said. "No... you definitely like me..." Bai Qi said, "But I don''t like you... I''m sorry..." "Why apologize?" "I don''t know... I''m sorry... I can''t ept you... sorry, sorry..." After listening, Fang Ren sighed softly. It seemed in her eyes, she believed that offering herself in return for his help was something she ought to do, otherwise, she wouldn''t be apologizing so earnestly. The gratitude she felt for his saving her life always held a very heavy ce in her heart. When she talked about going through fire and water... she probably meant it. "I hope you can meet a girl... whom you''ll like more, and she will treat you very well... I hope you are happy," Bai Qi said. "Stop fantasizing," Fang Ren said. But Bai Qi was not listening to his words, continuing to talk to herself: "Stop liking me... I''ll make you sad..." Listening to her words, Fang Ren suddenly remembered what Liu Qianqian had said when she rejected him not long ago. She had also told him, "Stop liking me." How could such a thing be resolved with just a few words? Fang Ren spoke, "You''re wrong there. When you fall for someone, it''s not possible to just stop liking them because you say so." "See... you do like me..." "Huh?" Fang Ren was stunned: "I was just exining the principles of emotions to you!" "I don''t understand. All I know is that I''m sorry... I''m sorry... If only I had met you sooner..." Fang Ren was at his wits'' end and stopped talking to her, immediately speeding up toward the school. Chapter 159: Chapter 157: Another Misunderstanding (Part Two)_1 On the way to the school, Fang Ren still dared not approach where there were many people, considering being seen with a drunk girl in the middle of the night would cause an uproar in the ss the next day. "Where are you taking me¡­" Bai Qi, groggy and vague, looked around at the pitch ckness, her voice filled with discontent, "Don''t do this... I can do a lot for you... but not that kind of thing." "..." Fang Ren''s whole face darkened, this girl actually thought he had taken her to this secluded corner for some nefarious purpose? Imaginations of young girls are truly frightening. "Qian Qian,e over here and help me out." Fang Ren urgently made a phone call to Liu Qianqian for help; he could lose face in front of her, but not in front of others. After the call, Fang Ren wrapped Bai Qi with True Qi and started pacing back and forth in a dark corner of the campus, filled with anxiety. "Fang Ren... let me down! Don''t treat me this way! No! I''ve said no!" Bai Qi began to struggle within the encirclement of his True Qi, an expression of resistance across her face. Standing beside them, Fang Ren, listening to her wild shouts, wanted nothing more than to find a hole to crawl into; this girl''s thought process was melodramatically ridiculous. "How the hell does the Bai Family raise a princess! I''m going to knock some sense into them!" Fang Renpletely lost hisposure. ... At that moment, in a nearby corner, Lin Bozhong''s age-worn face was fraught with worry as he watched the scene, his hands clenching the corners of his clothes, as nervous as a young girl. He continuously muttered to himself, "Young Master Fang, you must restrain yourself! If Madame Xuan hears of this, there will surely be a seven-day-seven-night fight with the princess!" As he talked to himself, he suddenly felt a strong presence approaching. He quickly turned his head in alert only to see a shadow behind him. "You are¡­" Lin Bozhong stared dumbfounded at the figure before him, an elder in brown clothes. This person was none other than Chen Cheng, the one secretly protecting Bai Qi. "Brother Lin, I didn''t expect you to be protecting Young Master Fang," Chen Cheng said with a smile upon seeing Lin Bozhong. "Brother Chen? You''re here too?" Lin Bozhong was shocked. "Oh, I have to worry about the young lord and the princess''s affairs," Chen Cheng chuckled and theny in the corner, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he looked over towards Bai Qi and Fang Ren. "My, my, Young Master Fang might just have found his opportunity!" Chen Cheng, trying hard to contain hisughter, watched from afar, "I, this old man¡­ I''m truly pleasantly surprised!" Lin Bozhong stood behind him, looking stunned at Chen Cheng, and suddenly felt a sense of chaos within, even wanting to curse out loud. You don''t know a damn thing! Madame Xuan is about to fight the princess! And here you are, an old coot, hoping Young Master Fang has designs on the princess! "Hey hey, Brother Lin,e over and look!" Chen Cheng excitedly pointed towards Fang Ren in the distance,ughing, "He''s finally making his move!" Lin Bozhong, his face nearly scandalized by the lecherous expression, was on the verge of cursing, Damn it! What''s there for an old man to get excited over young people''s business! But helpless due to the Bai Family''s stature and influence over Tianjiang, and knowing the Bai Family expected Young Master Fang to share a bed with the princess and have a child, Lin Bozhong could only apany him andugh along, "Yes¡­ yes, the young master has finally seen the light!" "Tsk tsk tsk, why did this kid stop again?" Chen Cheng, looking towards Fang Ren who had suddenly left Bai Qi''s side, saw his lecherous smile turn into a frown. "Ha¡­ hahaha," Lin Bozhongughed dryly, "Maybe the young master wasn''t ready, considering it''s the wilderness after all¡­" "Brother Lin speaks wisely!" Chen Cheng frowned thoughtfully, then as if realizing the crux of the problem, he suddenly said, "I''ll go book a room for Young Master Fang and lock them in it." "What?" Lin Bozhong, shocked by his words, nearly fell to the ground and hastily said, "Brother Chen! Stay calm! Stay calm!" "What''s up?" asked Chen Cheng looking at him. With a stiff smile, Lin Bozhong replied, "This... this... nowadays youngsters like the thrill, right? Plus, if we really lock them up in a room, I''m afraid the young master might get annoyed about our spying and might not take action." After a moment of contemtion, Chen Cheng nodded thoughtfully, "Brother Lin has considered everything thoroughly, after all, I don''t know Young Master Fang''s temper, let the young people be." "Yes... yes," said Lin Bozhong with a wry smile, while internally he was crying his eyes out. Young master, young master, for the future of humanity, we can''t have your wife fighting with your fianc¨¦e. Hold on! "Hey, by the way," Chen Cheng, after peering into the corner again, suddenly said, "There seems to be a surveince camera over there. How can Young Master Fang be so careless to not destroy it before going about his business?" "What?" Lin Bozhong immediately looked in that direction, and sure enough, there was a surveince camera. He pped his own face in an instant, full of bitterness inside, Oh my god, young master, can''t you be more careful when doing this kind of thing! "Brother Lin, it''s time for us to act," Chen Cheng said with a serious face. "What''s the matter, Brother Chen?" "For the future of humanity, we must destroy the school''s surveince room tonight!" Chen Cheng''s expression was very serious. "This¡­" After a brief moment of conflict, Lin Bozhong suddenly also spoke with resolve, "It''s a must! For the future of humanity, I, Old Lin, am willing to brave fire and water!" In truth, he was on the verge of tears; saying it was for the future of humanity was just a front¡ªhe was really just cleaning up a mess for his young master. If Madame Xuan came to know about the surveince, she might take it out on Young Master Fang too! "What are we waiting for, let''s take down that surveince room!" ... Under theplete ignorance of Fang Ren, two superpowered crusty old men stealthily rushed into the school''s surveince room, sporting sleazy grins as they wildly smashed theputers. Especially Chen Cheng, who, while demolishingputers,ughed heartily, "This old man will finally be able to hold the little princess''s baby soon! Wahahaha..." The man didn''t exhibit a shred of the demeanor expected of a superpowered elder. "Brother Lin, to celebrate the two kiddos weing the new year, how about we go out for a drink?" After smashing theputers, Chen Cheng, with a face full ofughter, said to Lin Bozhong. Lin Bozhong immediately put on a strained smile and replied, "We''ve definitely got to drink to that! To celebrate the Fang Family and Bai Family rejoicing over a new child a year from now, how could we not have a big one?" "Let''s go!" "But Brother Chen, about those two... Shouldn''t we keep an eye on them? What if there are assassins?" "No problem, I''ve already left a Teleportation Talisman there. The moment we detect any other True Qi traces, we''ll be right over," Chen Cheng said. No sooner had he spoken, the two old men began to head toward the barbecue stand outside the school. Meanwhile in the corner just a moment ago, Fang Ren had already handed Bai Qi over to the arriving Liu Qianqian. "Why did you get her drunk?" As soon as Liu Qianqian took over Bai Qi, she seriously questioned Fang Ren. "Would you believe me if I said she got drunk on her own?" Fang Ren pped his own face, expressing his helplessness. "I believe you my foot!" Liu Qianqian said disdainfully, "You''re even capable of buyingdies'' lingerie! It seems today''s news can''t be fake!" "You''ve got to believe me..." "I don''t believe you one bit right now! I even suspect that it was you who stole my lingerie!" Liu Qianqian dered. "That really wasn''t me..." Fang Ren was on the verge of tears. "It was my favorite one, too!" Fang Ren subconsciously said, "The pink one?" Back when he and Liu Qianqian were together, they shared everything with each other, including seeing Liu Qianqian''s lingerie more than once. He always had the feeling that she deliberately shed him. "You... It really was you!" Upon hearing him mention the pink color, Liu Qianqian immediately became furious and started throwing a flurry of punches at Fang Ren. "Hey! That was what you told me yourself!" Fang Ren took to his heels. "Pervert! Don''t make excuses!" Fang Ren thought the farce would end with this minor scuffle, but just as Liu Qianqian retracted her fists, Bai Qi on her back suddenly started shouting again. "Fang Ren! Don''t hold me... don''t... we can''t do this, I''ll get pregnant..." Bai Qi felt so drowsy she could barely open her eyes, yet she felt herself being held and did not know about Liu Qianqian''s arrival, so she presumed the one holding her was Fang Ren. "Quack!" Fang Ren let out a startled squawk. He stared nkly at Liu Qianqian, who had just stopped punching, feeling that everything was ruined... if he jumped into the sea now, the sea would turn ck. "Fang! Ren! Ren!" Liu Qianqian''s body suddenly burst with fierce nature''s spiritual energy, ready to strike at Fang Ren. "Misunderstanding! Qianqian! A real misunderstanding!" Seeing this, Fang Ren immediately turned and ran towards the distance. Although he wasn''t afraid of a Peak Practitioner, he was worried that his own True Qi rebounding might hurt Liu Qianqian, and Bai Qi could get hurt as well. "Qianqian! Calm down! Are you really going to carry the princess and chase me around the whole school in the middle of the night!" Fang Ren shouted. "Fang Ren! You''ve disappointed me too much!" "I didn''t do those things to her!" "That''s what I''m angry about, isn''t it!" "Then what exactly are you angry about!" "That you would get every woman but me drunk! Are you only interested in women other than me!" "Huh!?" "Or is it that the moment I admit I like you, you lose interest in me!" "Not at all!" "Then prove to me right now that you''re still interested in me!" "You''re misunderstanding again!" "So you are not interested in me!" "No, that''s not it either!" "Stop exining! Don''t you run away!" ... After a bout of senselessmotion, Fang Ren ended up standing obediently to let Liu Qianqian deliver another round of punches before she stormed off to the girls'' dormitory with Bai Qi in tow. Fang Ren sat on the ground, looking utterly despondent. "What sins have Imitted!" Chapter 160: Chapter 158: Blue Flame and Soul Force_1 The next day, the entire school was abuzz with the news that the campus surveince room had been smashed, and both teachers and students were looking for the real culprit. Fortunately, no girls had lost their underwearst night; otherwise, by this morning, there might have been rumors saying, "The lingerie thief, in order to satisfy his perverse desires, even went so far as to destroy the campus surveince room." And knowing the wild imaginations of these students, they could probablye up with even more scandalous rumors than that. The day of the Dan Medicine Competition was fast approaching, and Fang Renran hadn''t made any preparations. His days were spent either in cultivation or delving into his cultivation techniques. Speaking of which, this year''s final round of the Dan Medicine Competition was quite lively¡ªMu Huanqing would be there, Bai Qi would be there, the second master of the Fang Family would be there, and Song Mobei and Xia Fu Lan from the Tiandao Sword Sect as well, with even the Void Hole floating above the final''s venue. Just the thought of all these people gathering together was exciting, let alone for Fang Renran, who intended to turn the Dan Medicine Competition upside down. "Ding-dong~ Students who have registered for this year''s university Dan Medicinepetition, please assemble in the lobby of Building 1 after the lunch break." With the campus broadcast ringing out, Fang Renran, who had been sitting in the garden cultivating with his eyes closed, opened his eyes with a frown. This morning he didn''t have sses, so he had been sitting in the garden cultivating the whole time. Who would have thought that he would be so immersed in his practice that he felt signs of a breakthrough in his realm? As he continued to cultivate, the feeling of breakthrough grew stronger and stronger until he felt he was just a hair''s breadth away from reaching the peak of the Chongshan Realm. But then, all of a sudden, the campus broadcast disturbed his concentration, and to prevent his True Qi from recoiling within him, he was forced to stop cultivating to stabilize it. "Why do I feel like everyone wants to go against me these days?" He shook his head in frustration, full of indignation. With no other choice, he directly pulled out Xiao Yuan and looked at its small round face, saying, "Tell me, why is your daddy so unlucky?" "Hey ha hey ha?" Xiao Yuan looked at him with a puzzled face, not understanding where he was unlucky. "You''re still young; you wouldn''t understand the pain of being called a scumbag." Fang Renran said with a helpless face. "Hey ha?" Xiao Yuan still didn''t understand the meaning of scumbag. "A scumbag is a man who takes pleasure in hurting women, a man who is a scoundrel when ites to feelings." "Hey ha?" Seeing that it was still confused, Fang Renran pped his own face and muttered to himself, "I must be sick to be discussing these matters with a nt. This creature doesn''t even have a gender, with no distinction between male and female..." Xiao Yuan saw his troubled face and thought he was upset about the interruption in his cultivation. It went straight into Fang Renran''s Space Ring and brought out two fruits. "Hey ha hey ha." Xiao Yuan''s spherical arms tapped Fang Renran''s palm, and its branch tips held two fruits, which Fang Renran had picked from the battlefieldst time. "Damn, I actually forgot about them." Fang Renran pped his forehead as he suddenly remembered the two fruits he had picked and had not yet eaten. Mostly because there had been so many scandals surrounding him these past few days¡ªabout the lingerie thief, being a scumbag, and so on¡ªthat they had disrupted his cultivation mindset. Now, even a campus broadcast could interrupt his state of mind. "I''ve broken through too quickly these days; I need to really consolidate my cultivation mindset." Saying this, Fang Renran took the two fruits from Xiao Yuan''s branches and looked at Xiao Yuan, asking, "What''s the difference between the fruits I picked from that tree and the one from the Chaotic World?" Xiao Yuan extended a branch and began to carve a line of words on the ground. Influenced by Bai Qi''s speech these days, it made the words less cryptic than before. The words on the ground read: The physical tree''s fruits have not reached their peak, and thus their strength is somewhat diminishedpared to those of the Chaotic World. However, what the master picked was destined, no need for regret. "Although you say that, it''s impossible for me not to feel regret deep down," Fang Renran replied as he picked up the fruit with the Blue me, sighing, "Am I simply not fated to pick the better fruits?" "Hey ha!" Xiao Yuan quickly shook its head and carved another line on the ground: Tiandao fate is not determined by the process, but by the result. After reading this sentence, Fang Renran casually sighed, "The key is that I want to speed up the process, not take any detours." Without further ado, he tossed the Blue me fruit into his mouth. The me on the fruit was incredibly cold, even holding it in his hand he could feel a bone-chilling sensation. Swallowing the ice-cold fruit, Fang Renran''s taste buds instantly froze, and his brain throbbed with pain; this chill was even more intense than eating a snow cone in the middle of winter. Gulp¡ª Hastily swallowing the fruit, a branch from his Spiritual Root instantly reached out and absorbed it. Only then did the feeling in his mouth slowly return. Hum¡ª Just as the fruit was absorbed by the Spiritual Root, a mutation urred on one of his meridians. The gray meridian in the middle was tinged with a faint blue light, which spread from end to end, directly connected to the Spiritual Root. "This is..." Fang Renran felt the changes in his body and discovered that in addition to True Qi, he could also sense the presence of another energy that moved at the slightest intimation of his Divine Sense, just as familiar as if he had been born with it. Whoosh¡ª As he channeled the blue energy inside him, blue mes suddenly ignited on his hand. The temperature of the me was very low, cold enough to chill to the bone. "What''s the use of this?" Fang Renran tossed the me onto awn behind him, and after a few seconds, he noticed that it didn''t even burn the grass. "This... was my opportunity wasted in vain?" Fang Renran stared at the small blue me, utterly befuddled. "Hei ha hei ha!" Upon hearing his words, Xiao Qianye immediately ran onto thewn, pointing at the blue me with a spherical arm and shouting. "What''s wrong?" Seeing it act this way, Fang Renran suddenly felt that there still might be hope, so he immediately got up and moved closer to carefully observe the state of the me. When he got close, almost with his face against the me, he was startled to find that under the blue me, some small grass had already condensed into a green spherical body, and green juice was continuously dripping from above the green sphere. "Is this... refining?" Fang Renran spected. "Hei ha hei ha!" Xiao Qianye forcefully nodded his head a couple of times. "Really?" Fang Renran waspletely dumbstruck, "Does this thing work on all herbal materials?" "Hei ha." Xiao Qianye nodded and then shook its head. Fang Renran roughly understood its meaning, "That is to say, as long as the material isn''t too special, it can be refined." Xiao Qianye nodded again. Seeing its confirmation, Fang Renran was instantly thrilled. A me that could extract the essence of medicinal materials was akin to a cheat for an alchemist. It was well known that during the alchemy process, many elixirs contain impurities, and alchemists generally want only the essence, discarding the dross. However, getting rid of impurities is time-consuming, and some impurities just can''t be removedpletely, needing to fuse with the elixir. They contribute nothing to the efficacy and might even affect the final result of the elixir. The elimination of impurities is a major challenge in alchemy. The control of the me, temperature, and timing of adding new ingredients require strict precision. Missing that "degree" would affect the efficacy of the elixir, and there are many other factors that can affect the external appearance of the elixir. Do not be fooled by the simplicity of throwing ingredients into a pill furnace and lighting a fire¡ªthe actualplexity of alchemy is no less than that of cultivation. "With this, I can also improve some of my ammunition." Fang Renran put away the blue me, talking to himself in shock, "Really, an opportunity meant for me will find its way to me, enabling me to pick exactly what I need most." Having briefly learned the purpose of the blue me, Fang Renran couldn''t wait to grab the white fruit and stuff it into his mouth. The white fruit,pared to the previous blue fruit, was outright in. It had nothing unusual about it, just like an ordinary white sweet potato. As the white fruit entered his mouth, Fang Renran didn''t taste anything notable when suddenly, his spiritual root extended branches that engulfed the fruit. Hum¡ª Fang Renran felt a nk in his brain for a moment, and a few secondster, he came back to his senses. He immediately felt for changes in his body but found that... it seemed nothing extra had appeared. "What is this now?" Fang Renran was stunned. "Hei ha hei ha!" Seeing his dazed expression, Xiao Qianye happily jumped up onto his shoulder and knocked his head with its spherical arms. "Are you saying my divine sense has been strengthened?" Fang Renran was taken aback. Thest fruit he had consumed had already strengthened his soul force once. How could it be strengthened again? "Hei ha?" Xiao Qianye looked at him with disdain, and eventually, it extended a branch from its head to write on the ground: Soul force. "Soul?" Fang Renran was confused. Even though the Great Cultivation Era hade and overturned many past beliefs, the word "soul" had not been truly proven in this era. People of this era knew about True Qi, elixirs, and divine sense, but what a "soul" actually was, no one had encountered yet. "So, this fruit is meant for strengthening soul force?" Fang Renran asked. Xiao Qianye shook its head and then scratched a few words on the ground: Starting to have. Fang Renran paused, "You mean to say I didn''t have this thing called soul force at all before?" "Hei ha!" Xiao Qianye nodded. "What''s the use of it, then?" Fang Renran asked again. Xiao Qianye knocked his head with its arm again. "You mean that I should explore it myself?" "Hei ha!" Xiao Qianye nodded. "Alright, I''ll give it a try." With that, Fang Renran closed his eyes. Chapter 161: Chapter 159: The So-Called Soul Force_1 As Fang Ren closed his eyes, he suddenly realized that the scope of his inner vision had expanded once again, from the original ten or so meters to over fifty meters. Within this range of over fifty meters, even where his line of sight could not reach, he was able toprehend everything at a nce. But after this activation of his inner vision, everything appeared different; previously, his inner eye would see everything as a ck and white image, but now, the objects within the view began to show colors. However, this differed greatly from what his physical eyes saw before. For instance, the expanse of flowers and grass behind him radiated faint white glows, entirely different from the green and red colors visible to the naked eye. And the few trees beside him were also flickering with white glows, which clearly were much stronger than those from the flowers and grass. Fang Ren observed himself and found that his own body was also shrouded in white light, but the glow emanating from his body was very dazzling, especially around the lower abdomen, the location of his Spiritual Root. "Is this the soul force? But what is its use?" Fang Ren furrowed his brows and opened his eyes, and the surroundings returned to their original colors. In this era on Earth, no one had evere into contact with soul force, and he couldn''t help but feel a great deal of confusion about this sudden experience. "Hehehaha!" Qianye patted his head with her arms again, signaling him to explore on his own. Fang Ren pondered for a moment, then closed his eyes again, but this time he didn''t activate his inner vision; instead, he sensed the newly acquired soul force. He didn''t see any of the objects around him, nor the white light on his own body, but he felt a force that didn''t exist in his physical form. The force was very faint. He could only feel it and found it very difficult to wield it. Trying to move the faint energy was like trying to push a great mountain. After attempting for a while, he gave up and activated his inner vision once again. Everything around him instantly brightened, casting white glows on all things alive. Since the energy couldn''t be maneuvered at will, he decided to use his physical body to move the soul force. He squatted down and touched the faintly glowing grass on the ground with his fingertips, the white aura from his body colliding with the grass. In an instant, the faint white glow emitted by the grass vanished. Seeing this, Fang Ren immediately opened his eyes and saw that the grass he had just touched with his fingertips had withered, its leaves turning yellow and stiff. Fang Ren''s brows furrowed in an instant. He had not used any True Qi or Divine Sense, and definitely no offensive moves, just a light touch which had caused the grass to lose its life. He promptly stood up, withdrew his soul force, and touched a nearby tree with his hand. This time the tree showed no signs of erasure. Seeing that the tree was unaffected, Fang Ren breathed a sigh of relief. He had feared the uncontroble extent of the soul force, which could strip life from flora and fauna at any moment. If that were the case, he wouldn''t dare to physically touch ordinary people. However, it seems that the soul force is indeed quite peculiar. Just in its uncontroble state, it could take the life of a nt with a touch. He couldn''t help but specte in his heart¡ªif he could control the soul force as he wished, would he be able to reach the level of killing people within a hundred meters with a mere movement of his soul force? "Qianye, do you think with this power in use, I could easily kill people without anyone noticing?" Fang Ren asked. "Hehe!" Qianye nodded and carved these words on the ground, "Currently, Cultivators can only take lives with True Qi and their physical bodies, ignorant of Soul force. To kill with Soul force, present Cultivators cannot detect it." Fang Ren gazed at the row of characters on the ground, his heart churning with amazement and disbelief. The ability to kill without being detected by a Practitioner was quite extraordinary in this era. It could be used in framing, murder, and all sorts of sinister tactics. However, the specifics of the range within which Soul force could kill had not yet been defined. How strong did Soul force need to be to harm ordinary people? And how powerful to affect Cultivators? "The white light I saw just now, that was the Soul, right?" Fang Ren asked. Qianye nodded. "Then, since even nts and trees possess Soul force, why did you tell me earlier that my Soul force has only just emerged?" Fang Ren continued. Qianye carved, "Soul and Soul force are two different concepts, most living beings possess Souls without force, while the Master has both Soul and force." "I see," Fang Ren said. "So my Soul contains an energy that can be cultivated and wielded, while others have only the energy of the Soul with no force tomand?" Qianye nodded. Fang Ren continued, "Then, is it possible for me to use only Soul force to kill a Practitioner of the Mid-Stage of Chongshan Realm without using True Qi?" Qianye kept carving, "The growth of Soul force is closely rted to one''s Cultivation Level. The Master cannot inflict damage with Soul force on Practitioners of rtively higher Realms, because their Souls are inherently strong, albeit without the power to attack." Fang Ren nodded, "What if, for instance, I wanted to kill a Practitioner of the Ruoshui Stage with my Soul force?" Qianye carved, "In the blink of an eye." "Huh? Are you sure?" Fang Ren was taken aback. Qianye nodded emphatically and continued carving, "The Master''s Soul is unmatched among his peers. Currently at the Mid-Stage of the Chongshan Realm by the standards of this era, it would be as easy as using True Qi to kill a Ruoshui Stage Practitioner¡ªin the blink of an eye." "So you''re saying, whatever level my True Qi can achieve, my Soul force can reach that level too?" "Heh heh!" Qianye nodded again. The previously uncertain scope of killing, Fang Ren now had an approximate grasp of it, and he couldn''t help but feel even more astounded. Qianye implied that whatever Realm of powerful expert he could kill with his strength, his Soul force could also achieve that, and it would be done invisibly. As Fang Ren pondered, he immediately began to mobilize his Soul force again, reaching out to touch therge tree beside him. Krak krak krak¡ª In an instant, the entire tree withered away. His heart still shaken and struggling to settle, he looked at his hands, "Once I fully cultivate this ability, I can release it like True Qi¡­ In actualbat,bining overtbat with covert attacks, mybat power is sure to double." Chapter 162: Chapter 160: Direct Promotion (Part 1)_1 Fang Renran had been studying soul force for quite some time, noticing that it became powerful whenbined with his Heart''s Eye ability. Without Heart''s Eye, he muste into physical contact with a creature or nt to sense their soul aura, while with Heart''s Eye open, he could sense it within a 50-meter radius without contact. This bold idea couldn''t help but emerge in his mind. "If I could use soul force to drive the Ultimate Martial Arts, wouldn''t that be a breakthrough soaring to the heavens?" The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. He wasn''t currently interested in breaking through to the next realm and decided to master soul force first, especially since he was about to meet formidable figures he was unprepared for, making this ability incredibly useful to him. However, he was soon required to gather at the main hall of Building One for the campuspetition portion of the Alchemy Tournament, leaving him little time to explore soul force. Halting his cultivation practice, Fang Renran prepared to grab a quick bite in the cafeteria before heading to the main hall of Building One, but as he was about to step out of the small garden, he saw Bai Qi, dressed in the school uniform, running towards him from a distance. In the sunlight, her slender figure looked even thinner, giving off an extremely delicate and fragile appearance, to the point where Fang Renran couldn''t help but worry if her legs would fracture from running too hard? "This girl has been eating more than a pig these past few days, how can she still be this thin?" Fang Renran muttered to himself as he watched Bai Qi approach. "Why are you here?" Bai Qi ran up to him and asked with a displeased look. "Where should I be?" Fang Renran blinked in confusion. "I''ve been waiting for you in ss for ages, and you didn''t evene to call me for lunch," Bai Qi frowned. "Other than eating, is there nothing else in your head, girl?" "Of course, there is, like waiting for you to take me to lunch." "..." After a bit of chit-chat, Fang Renran followed Bai Qi to the cafeteria and started eating together. Since Bai Qi had been so close to him these past few days, Li Xingwang and Jing Haichuan didn''t show up as often around mealtimes, and Liu Qianqian also rarely asked him out for anything, talking much less to him. Jian Qi''er was still dragged away by her agent to film, her whereabouts unknown, and she hadn''te to discuss the specific situation of the organization with Fang Renran. Sitting at the cafeteria table, Fang Renran ate while scrolling through the top news stories, which were not gossip but reports on the "terrorist attack" incident at Linglong Bay. Even though many days had passed, Linglong Bay continued to dominate the headlines every day. All the media were vilifying the Nightfall Organization, making up clear and doubt-free reasons, not mentioning "Indra Sky" and instead referring to it as a "secret organization contributing to humanity." They painted the mutated cultivators on the battlefield as those released by the Nightfall Organization and built "Indra Sky" as a righteous organization studying those mutated practitioners, with the goal of allowing those "victims of mutation due to Nightfall''s wrongdoing" to be reborn. This distortion of truth sent chills down Fang Renran''s spine. He guessed anyone who read these articles wouldn''t suspect that Nightfall was actually the humane organization preventing the cultivators from mutating. "Hey, the campuspetition is starting this afternoon," Bai Qi said after taking a few sips of her drink. "I know," Fang Renran put away his phone and replied. Bai Qi looked around, realizing there were not many people nearby, then leaned in and whispered, "So, do you have a way to cheat?" "Of course, I do," Fang Renran said nonchntly. "Just make sure you don''t get caught," Bai Qi said with a worried face. "If you''re caught cheating, it will definitely cause a lot of public outcry. Although I will definitelye forward to take the me and clear your involvement, the process..." "You don''t need to worry about that. My cheating technique is so skilled even a master from District One might not see through it," Fang Renran said. "Keep bragging," Bai Qi rolled her eyes and said, "Let''s get one thing straight, though. We''re only cheating to get into the finals. Our scores can''t stand out too much, and if it really doesn''t work out, justpete normally without cheating." "Got it." "By the way, I have a question I''ve never asked you. Uncle Lin said you earned your money by selling alchemy pills, where did the pillse from?" Bai Qi asked. "Isn''t it obvious? Uncle Han must have left me a stash of valuable alchemy pills, worried that I wouldn''t live well," Fang Renran casually replied. "Just...left you alchemy pills worth over 700 million?" "Who knows where that guy got them from." "Alright then," Bai Qi frowned and said, "But now you sold the pills, and you''re having to buy more... sorry for troubling you again." "It''s nothing," Fang Renran replied off-handedly, having no intention of cheating, and determined to secure the first-ce spot in the finals. In fact, he hadn''t helped Bai Qi with anything; she was just feeling touched on her own. Since telling Bai Qi the truth¡ªthat his alchemy skills could easily secure first ce¡ªwould likely be met with disbelief, there was no harm in her continuing to be clueless. When he did achieve first ce, Bai Qi would understand, and it wasn''t like he was actively trying to hide it from her. ------ ------ At half past two in the afternoon, in the hall of Building One. Fang Ren stood alone in the center, dumbfounded by the empty hall. He had arrived just after lunch at half past one and had been waiting ever since. However, other than himself, he hadn''t seen a single soul. "Did Ie to the wrong ce?" Fang Ren couldn''t help but doubt what his eyes had seen¡ªthe words "Building One." Just as he was about to get up and check the location outside once again, a hunchbacked old man with a folder tucked under his armpit walked in. After entering, the old man stood still, opened his folder, took out a pen from the pocket over his chest, carelessly wrote a couple of words, never once ncing around, then turned his head to leave. The moment Fang Ren saw the old man, he immediately approached him and asked, "Hey, tutor, isn''t this the ce for the Elixir Competition campus event?" Upon hearing someone calling him, the old man looked up, sizing up Fang Ren with his eyes. Then, adjusting his sses, he showed a face of utter iprehension, "You''re here to participate in the contest?" "Of course." Fang Ren replied. The old man blinked, then opened his folder again, crossed out the line of words he had written earlier, and said, "What''s your name? You''re promoted." "Huh?" Fang Ren was startled, "But thepetition hasn''t even started yet, has it?" The old man nced at him and said, "Young man, you have courage, but I still must advise you¡ªpeople should know themselves well, recognize their own strength before acting." "This... What do you mean?" Fang Ren was bewildered. The old man adjusted his sses once more and said, "You''re not aware of the recent changes to the Elixir Competition?" "What changes?" Seeing his reaction, the old man put away his folder and exined, "Let me be frank with you. This morning, the Education Bureau issued thetest notice about the Alchemy Contest. This time, advancing past the campus event doesn''t lead to city-levelpetitions but is decided by drawing lots for regional contests instead. However, both Yangming and Baili Universities drew lots that gave them unfavorable oues. Judging by your looks, you''re a student from Yangming. After advancing from your campus event, you will have topete in the same region as the qualifiers from Qingdu''s Feiyang University. Plus, in that region, not a single school ranks below the top hundred worldwide. The students from those schools are all monsters. So even if you advance in the campus event, there''s no point in participating in the regional contestter. You''d just end up feeling too embarrassed to show your face amongst those geniuses, and you wouldn''t dare to go." Fang Ren could roughly understand what he meant. It meant that students from Yangming University, upon advancing in the campuspetition, would have to face exceptionally challenging opponents, with no hope of advancing further¡ªonly a chance to disgrace themselves by finishingst. Ending up second from thest would mean doing immensely better thanst, so no students were willing to participate. Their ability had predestined them to be at the bottom, without even a chance for the second-tost spot; it was just too humiliating. "Now, you should hurry back to ss, right? Don''t go thinking about winning top three in the district during the Elixir Competition and earning some rewards. In this regional event, both Yangming and Baili districts won''t even have anyone securing the second-tost position." The old man spoke as he started walking out, his face filled with a helpless sigh. "Wait a moment," Fang Ren called out to him. "What is it?" The old man turned around. "I want to confirm again, am I directly promoted now?" Fang Ren asked. "Huh?" The old man was taken aback, "After all I''ve exined to you in in terms, you still want to participate?" "Of course I do." Fang Ren said. The old man frowned, "Young man... Aren''t you afraid that not only will you lose face, but you''ll also bring shame to your entire school?" Fang Ren gave a dryugh, "Just write my name down, please. What if I win first ce in the region and even make it to the finals?" "..." The old man paused, sighed casually, and remarked, "I''ve seen plenty of students like you, headstrong and unaware. Once you enter society, you''ll know how much trouble such a temperament can bring." As he spoke, the old man took out the folder again and said, "Tell me your name; I''ll write it down for you. Consider it a lesson you are purchasing for yourself. However, as a tutor, I must advise you that, after you return from this Elixir Competition, you should reflect on yourself a lot more. Someone who can''t even recognize their own ce will frequently hit a wall in their future life and career." "Fang Ren, as in let nature take its course," Fang Ren said. He didn''t dislike what the old man was saying; he felt the old man had the air of a collegiate role model. In such situations, middle school teachers generally educate their students on the importance of participation, urging them to take part no matter what. High school teachers, on the other hand, often say that experience is vital, and even if they fail, it doesn''t matter as long as they gain something. But university tutors don''t say these things. Because middle school teachers had already made the students participate many times to recognize reality, and high school teachers had made them experience a lot to gain self-awareness. They ought to speak the truth, and what they should do is to guide adults on how to step into society, not to keep blindly encouraging a student in their twenties. Chapter 163: Chapter 161: Bai Qis Misunderstanding (Second Update)_1 ``` "Fang Renran... such a waste of a name." ``` The elderly man shook his head with a sigh, "Let nature take its course; your parents certainly hoped you would live without worries and not suffer from the whims of society. Instead, you prefer to charge ahead, which is nothing like your name." Having finished speaking, the old man put away the folder and ced the pen back in his shirt pocket before walking away. "Thank you, mentor." ... On the school''s main path, the old man looked down at his folder, staring at the name "Fang Renran" and frowned, "Why does this name seem so familiar?" As he walked on, a young teacher approached him. Upon seeing the older man, he immediately greeted him with a smile, "Vice Principal, where are you off to?" The old man nced up at the young teacher, "I''m submitting thepetition advancement information for a student." "Ah?" The young teacher paused in surprise, "Do we still have students participating in thispetition from the two schools? There is hardly any chance of sess there, it''s just humiliating and subject to disdain, there''s really no need to go." The old man did not continue the conversation and instead asked, "Do you know a student named Fang Renran? I feel like I''ve heard this name before." "Vice Principal, don''t tell me you''re talking about the fianc¨¦ of the princess?" the young teacher said. "The princess''s fianc¨¦..." The old man suddenly remembered something, with a sudden realization: "The eldest young master of the Fang Family?" The young teacher replied, "There are such rumors, but in reality, Family Head Fang Zheng of the Tianjiang Fang Family only has one daughter and no sons. The specifics are still quite vague." The old man nodded, "If it''s him, then it''s a different story." "Vice Principal, is the student participating in the Alchemypetition actually that Fang Renran?" "Exactly." "But... although his background might be noble, ording to his academic records, his medical grades have always been the third fromst in the ss, when he participates... it might just be forughs." "Always the third fromst?" "Right. Strangely, he manages tond precisely in the third-tost spot every time, he''s really a genius in that way," joked the young teacher,ughing. The old man shook his head, a smile on his face, "Not necessarily, this kid could be quite extraordinary." "Vice Principal, are you suggesting that..." "Born into nobility without arrogance, humble despite youthful sess." ... As soon as Fang Renran returned to the ssroom in the afternoon, he was immediately surrounded by Li Xingwang and Jing Haichuan, facing a barrage of friendly pats and punches. "I heard you''re participating in the Alchemypetition!" Li Xingwang shouted. "Yeah, some old man just announced that I had advanced," Fang Renran replied. "Are you freaking stupid?" Jing Haichuan yelled, "Have girls be too difficult to chase, or have you run out of condoms? Why the hell would you put yourself through this embarrassment?" "Exactly! Do you know how many people will mock and jeer at you after you''ve advanced? Those top-ranked college students are so smug, and for someone from a bottom-ranking university like you, you''re sure to be aughingstock," said Li Xingwang. "No big deal, I''ll just take first ce," Fang Renran said. "Damn! Bro, has your brain short-circuited?" Jing Haichuan eximed, "Or has indulging with the princess these past few days caused memory loss due to kidney failure?" "First ce? If you even manage to get second tost, I''d hire eight bands to shoot fireworks for you!" "Is it really as exaggerated as you guys make it sound?" Fang Renran said with embarrassedughter. "Dude, do you realize? In ourpetition zone, everyone is a monster! Three-level pills, do you know about them? Those are the kinds of pills we could never make in our lifetime, and those guys can make them in two hours!" Jing Haichuan eximed. "Sounds... pretty impressive," Fang Renran said with a dryugh. "Man, this morning when you weren''t here, didn''t the ss president inform you about all this? And you still dare to go," Li Xingwang said. "Just take care of yourself during thepetition," Jing Haichuan patted Fang Renran on the shoulder, "If it''s really bad, just forfeit. It''s better than being ridiculed by those arrogant folks." Upon hearing this, Liu Qianqian, who was sitting at the front of the ss, walked over and said, "Although I didn''t inform everyone properly, I have a lot of faith in Fang Renran''s ability." Jing and Li were stunned to hear her say this. What did she mean by having faith in Ranzi''s ability? Didn''t she know that Ranzi had perennially been the third fromst in ss? It was obvious she was trying to set Ranzi up! Jing and Li exchanged nces, then looked back at Liu Qianqian. "ss president... you can''t let love turn into hate. We''re all ssmates, you can''t take personal revenge like this," Jing Haichuan said earnestly. "What?" Liu Qianqian was startled, how had she turned from love to hate, settling personal scores under the guise of the public good? What she said was the truth, if she couldn''t trust Master Qing''an''s abilities, then whose could she trust? Li Xingwang was also looking at Liu Qianqian with a serious face, and said, "Although Ranzi is indeed kind of scummy, hooliganish, and even a bit perverted now, these still can''t justify your disgust toward him, you know!" "I..." Liu Qianqian didn''t know how to exin herself for a moment, never having imagined that these two guys'' wild spections were no less potent than those of their female ssmates. Fang Ren was even more dumbfounded, when had the two guys beside him be like this? Were there no normal people around him anymore? "Don''t look at Ranzi in such a sorry state now, but ss leader, have you forgotten who made her this way?" Li Xingwang said sternly, "That''s right! It was you!" "Damn, Li is absolutely right!" Jing Haichuan said to Liu Qianqian with great agitation, "If it wasn''t for your push-and-pull tactics back then, the woman forcing Ranzi to take kidney tonics now would definitely be you!" "You guys! What are you talking about!" When Liu Qianqian heard the three words "kidney tonics," her entire face couldn''t help but turn red. She gave up on exining and sat back down in her seat, fuming. Seeing Liu Qianqian return in a huff, Li Xinyue immediately approached and said, "Qian Qian, you really did wrong on this matter. Even if you dislike him, you can''t use this kind of thing to trap him." "Xinyue, you think so too?" Liu Qianqian feltpletely helpless. "Do I have a choice but to think so? Look at you, you walk around with the smell of jealousy all over you every day, and when people say you yed hard-to-get, I don''t think they''re wrong at all." "What hard-to-get? You don''t understand," Liu Qianqian frowned. She had truly acted under the pressure from her family, and it had nothing to do with ying hard-to-get. Sitting in the back, Bai Qi felt instantly displeased when she heard Liu Qianqian had not told Fang Ren about this morning''s events. She had thought that when Fang Ren spoke to her at lunch, he already knew all about it. Now that Fang Ren was still in the dark, she felt Liu Qianqian was purposely setting him up. Talking about trust among ssmates, didn''t Liu Qianqian, who has been ss leader for three years, know that Fang Ren couldn''t do alchemy? And Liu Qianqian had no clue about Fang Ren nning to cheat. Anyway, she just felt that Liu Qianqian deliberately didn''t tell Fang Ren, wanting him to face humiliationter. "Hey, don''t think like that. The ss leader didn''t mean it that way." Fang Ren was still making excuses for Liu Qianqian, when suddenly Bai Qi came over and pulled him to sit down at the back of the ss. Seeing this, Jing and Li didn''t feel it was appropriate to join in; they thought it better not to listen to the private conversation of the soon-to-be-wed couple. "How could the ss leader do something like this?" Bai Qi whispered to Fang Ren. "This thing... it''s not her fault." Fang Ren said awkwardly, after all, Liu Qianqian knew his true identity, which was why she didn''t tell him these things, as there was no need to worry. "You''re still defending her. She''s setting you up," Bai Qi said unhappily, feeling even worse, as she had heard from ssmates that Fang Ren used to like Liu Qianqian. Combined with Fang Ren''s current protective attitude, Bai Qi suddenly felt that Fang Ren still had feelings for Liu Qianqian. "It doesn''t matter. I''m going to cheat anyway, does it make a difference who my opponent is?" Fang Ren said. "What do you mean it doesn''t matter! She didn''t know you were going to cheat before. She didn''t inform you about such a critical matter!" Bai Qi frowned. Fang Ren, looking puzzled at her reaction, said, "Even if she did trick me a bit, there''s no need for you to be so upset..." Bai Qi''s expression went nk for a moment, then she said earnestly, "How can I not be upset, you are my fianc¨¦. Her tricking you is like ignoring me." "..." Fang Ren was embarrassed, thinking that Liu Qianqian also knew about Xuan Nv having lived with him. ording to Bai Qi''s logic, didn''t that mean Liu Qianqian also didn''t take Mu Huanqing into consideration? "Let''s not talk about that." Bai Qi frowned, nced at Liu Qianqian in the front and then turned back to Fang Ren, "So now that you know who you''re facing next, can you still tell me what you said at noon?" "Are you talking about promising to cheat to get you into the finals?" "Yeah." "One thing doesn''t affect the other," Fang Ren said. Hearing him say this, Bai Qi couldn''t help but feel grateful. In her eyes, Fang Ren was continuing with thepetition just for her. If not for her request, Fang Ren would likely choose to withdraw, like the other students preparing for thepetition, but he insisted on going because of her. As for the reason, Bai Qi thought it was because of something she heardst night while she was drunk; she vaguely remembered Fang Ren admitting his liking for her, even though she was a bit out of it at the time. But she felt confident she hadn''t misheard. Bai Qi''s expression twisted in conflict for a moment, then she said, "Or maybe... you should withdraw. I won''t go, and you don''t have to take the risk." "Why the sudden change?" Fang Ren was surprised. After a pause, Bai Qi whispered, "I already owe you a great debt, I don''t want to be indebted to your affection as well..." Chapter 164: Chapter 162: Current Status of Nightfall Organization (First Update)_1 Fang Ren couldn''t help but crack a slight smile when he saw her like this. Last night, the girl had only dared to speak about these matters while bolstered by the effects of alcohol. It seemed that even up to now, her heart was still greatly torn over whether to let him help her or not. She wanted to go, but feared for his safety, yet if she didn''t go, she couldn''t meet the person she longed to see. To go or not to go, each side''s multitude of factors were entwined together, making her entire being extremely distressed and conflicted. As for her little mood swings, Fang Ren was understanding. "You''re overthinking it. I''m just doing what I want to do, and incidentally, I''ve given you a hand. Don''t think too much about it," Fang Ren spoke. Bai Qi looked at him and said, "Someone like you who''s always ying the good guy usually says things like that just to make me feel a little more at ease about epting your help." "There you go with your wild imagination again." "Why do you always call me ''youngdy''?" Bai Qi frowned and said with displeasure, "And the way you say it... you sound like an old geezer." "Really? I didn''t notice," Fang Ren responded. "Yes! Stop calling me ''youngdy''!" "Alright then." Fang Ren nodded. ¡­ As evening approached, Fang Ren, once again alone, sat in an empty ssroom and began to study alchemy using the Blue me. He discovered that with this me, his alchemy speed had undergone a qualitative change. What originally required at least three hours to concoct a Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pill now took at most 30 minutes, and the yield of pills had also substantially increased. What originally could yield a maximum of two Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pills from one jin of herbs could now double to four pills through refinement. Just as he was getting familiar with the Blue me and preparing to start his cultivation for a breakthrough, he suddenly felt someone walking in the hallway towards this ce. Fang Ren promptly stowed the Alchemy Furnace from the table into his Space Ring, stood up, and walked to the corridor at the ssroom entrance, only to see a familiar figure as soon as he stepped out. "Silly Sister?" Fang Ren looked at Jian Qi''er, who was wearing old-fashioned sses with her hair hanging down, and was somewhat surprised, "Aren''t you supposed to be filming? What are you doing here sote at night?" Upon seeing Fang Ren, Jian Qi''er quickly stepped forward and said, "You really are here." "What do you want?" Jian Qi''er nced around, pulled Fang Ren into the empty ssroom, and whispered, "Has the master who''s covertly protecting you returned?" "Whatever you need to say, say it here; they can''t hear you anyway," Fang Ren replied. Jian Qi''er frowned and looked at him, "I heard you''ve gone through the campus selection for the Pill Competition." "So, you came all this way because of this?" "Of course," Jian Qi''er continued, "With your skills, participating in the big Pill Competition will definitely create a sensation, and while you''ll gain a lot of honors after making a name in one battle, there will also be lots of trouble. I originally wanted you to expand yourwork of connections through thispetition, but things are different now. You''re tied to our organization, practically hand in cuff, and as soon as you be famous, countless eyes will be watching you, and then the danger wille." "Opportunity and danger always coexist," Fang Ren said, "And now, after seeing the strength of your Nightfall Organization, I am even more determined to do more on my own." Jian Qi''er was taken aback, "What you mean is, you no longer want to cooperate with us?" Fang Ren replied, "Your organization almost got wiped out just trying to take down onergeboratory in Indra Sky, so I can''t rely on you to overthrow the Central District Command. It''s not that I don''t want to coborate with you, I just hope I can achieve my goals more quickly." "Our organization may be weak right now, but what can you do alone to speed up the process?" Jian Qi''er said with a worried expression. "I''ve told you, it''s not that I don''t want to work with you; our cooperation will continue. But right now, I''m just doing what I want," Fang Ren said. "But it''s still very dangerous. Because we are in cooperation, I really don''t want anything to happen to you," Jian Qi''er said, "Besides, I''ve heard that at the finals of the Pill Competition, your second uncle, the one who wants to harm you, is also there. He definitely won''t miss an opportunity to strike at you." "Didn''t you hear that the Xuan Nv of the Ninth Heaven is also present?" Fang Ren said. Jian Qi''er blinked nkly, "Really?" "Even if it''s a fake, aren''t the experts secretly protecting me supposed to do their job? How could I be so anxious to rush to my death?" Fang Ren protested. "I''m just afraid that with your rising fame, you''ll meet a lot of influential people, and our rtionship might be exposed. If they can''t catch us, they can only go after you." "No worries, my intelligence is still sharp." Fang Ren said, "Butst time, that general got away, and he saw my Spirit Form, which does bother me a bit." "So far, he hasn''t made your Spirit Form public, probably because he didn''t pay much attention to you during the big battle. Besides, there should only be a few people who know your Spirit Form, and as long as he can''t reach them, there shouldn''t be a big problem," Jian Qi''er said. "Currently, the ones who know about my Giant Tree Spirit Phase are the Mu Family Head, Hui Qing, the expert protecting me, Bai Qi, and finally, your organization. Chen Cheng of the Bai Family should only know about the minimized version of my Spirit Form and not about the Giant Tree. The escaping general is from the First Area; he should only be able to contact Hui Qing. Even if Hui Qing knows it''s me, there shouldn''t be arge issue," Fang Ren exined. "Not a big issue?" Jian Qi''er was dumbfounded, "Xuan Nv will definitely think you''ve been brainwashed by me! She won''t listen to your exnation at all!" "How could such a nonsense situation happen." Fang Ren dismissed the concern nonchntly. "This is not nonsense at all. There have been many news stories before about us brainwashing cultivators and turning them into our brethren," Jian Qi''er said, "If you tell Xuan Nv that our organization is righteous, she''ll definitely think you''ve been brainwashed by us, and she might end up blowing up our hideout in retaliation." "Are you serious... Has the smear campaign gone this far?" Fang Ren twitched the corner of his eye; it was a cruel tactic indeed. Indra Sky was creating mutant cultivators, yet the me was ced on the Nightfall Organization; Central Command brainwashed unsuspecting individuals, and still, it was Nightfall that was held responsible. In this case, even if Nightfall tried to exin the truth to others, those people would only believe they were being brainwashed. "Anyway, many things are not to your advantage right now, and you still want to make waves. Why can''t you just keep a low profile?" Jian Qi''er frowned. "I truly can''t afford to." Fang Ren replied, "Hui Qing is already twenty-five this year, and even if the old Mu Family Head agrees to help me drag it out, at most he could only buy seven years. The Central Command won''t allow that amount of time; they will move against it swiftly." "This¡­" Jian Qi''er looked distressed, twiddling her fingers before reluctantly saying, "Maybe you could try to talk to Xuan Nv about our organization, but don''t reveal your cooperation with us lightly. Use an indirect approach." "I understand how to handle it. If at that time Hui Qing acknowledges the truth I speak of, I''ll still have to fight a war with her, and the Central District Command¡­ they''re our enemies no matter what," Fang Ren stated firmly. "So your goal now is not merely to marry her." "Of course, what I want is a peaceful life after marrying her. If the world won''t grant this, then rebellion is the only option." "All right then, but be very cautious at the Alchemy Competition this time. Don''t expose your Spirit Form or the Red Breath Method, and certainly don''t take out the Sickle. Otherwise, we may not be able to save you even if we wanted to." "I understand." Fang Ren was aware that Jian Qi''er was not considering the organization at the moment; after all, if something happened to him, Nightfall wouldn''t be affected. Jian Qi''er was merely concerned about his safety. "By the way, aren''t you filming today?" Fang Ren added. "Yes, but now it''s a break, and I happened to see the news of your advancement in the Alchemy Competition on the campuswork, so I came over to ask you what''s going on," Jian Qi''er said, sitting down in a chair beside him. "Right, tell me about the recent situation with your organization," Fang Ren said, finding himself a spot to sit down as well. Upon hearing his request, Jian Qi''er couldn''t help but sigh and said, "Although we ultimately won, the Tianjiang Investigation Group''s involvement resulted in heavy casualties for our organization. Groups D and E lost over seven thousand people, B and C over four thousand, A lost thirteen, and S lost one." Hearing these numbers, Fang Ren also had a rough idea in his mind; he had personally experienced the battlefield that day, where the swarm of warriors seemed endless. Even at the end of the battle, the ground was so soaked with blood that it had formed rivers. Saying that there were mountains of bones was no exaggeration¡ªthe dead indeed piled up into mountains. "However, we rescued more than three hundred and sixty cultivators, all of whom are above the Xianyun Realm in strength, and a few of them are in the Blue Sky Realm. Now they have agreed to join us, which is a strong addition to our organization''s forces," Jian Qi''er said. "Over three hundred Xianyun Realm?" Fang Ren raised an eyebrow, "Those practitioners are probably under forty years of age, which means they''re quite talented. Does Indra Sky really use cultivators of this level as test subjects?" "That''s right. Cultivators with too high a talent are sent to the battlefield, and those with too low don''t hold much research value to them, so Indra Sky targets cultivators with slightly above-average cultivational talent for experimentation," she exined. "How many more suchrgeboratories are there?" Fang Ren frowned. "How many moreboratories and their locations are exactly the secrets we wish to uncover. But some documents were moved by Indra Sky ahead of time, and we didn''t get them," Jian Qi''er responded. Fang Ren pondered for a moment, then suddenly thought of something else and asked, "By the way, why didn''t we see that Void beast that day?" Chapter 165: Chapter 163: Heading to the District Competition Venue (Second Update)_1 "That Void beast must also be a secret of Indra Sky, and if they haven''t moved the beast in advance, they''ll definitely release it on the battlefield to serve their purposes," Jian Qi''er said. "I really can''t understand these guys; it''s one thing to use humans for experiments, but to experiment on Void beasts?" Fang Ren said with a speechless expression, "And those cultivators they''ve turned into mutants, do they really think they can use that group of mutated practitioners to resist the Void? Facing the power of the Void beasts, those mutated practitioners are utterly useless." Jian Qi''er said, "Those are merely experimental subjects they use to umte experience. Their ultimate goal is to find certain methods to enable the cultivators to evolve. The final test subject is Bai Qi; they will impose all their achievements on Bai Qi, making him the strongest practitioner in the world." "That''s truly a sick mindset." "Indeed it is sick, but if ultimately Bai Qi can shatter the Void and return a peaceful homnd to humanity¡­ then no matter how grave the sins of Indra Sky have been in the past, they will end up being the ''savior organization'' praised by humanity." "This is so-called history being written by the victors I suppose." "Yes, they will say whatever they want at that time, even iming that the experimental subjects were volunteers who contributed to their research willingly¡ªwho could then uncover the truth?" Jian Qi''er said, "The cultivators brutally killed by them will have their souls wandering the world without a resting ce, with no one to cry for justice on their behalf, with no one knowing their suffering, and foolish people might even regard them as martyrs, not realizing that those who were experimented upon and led to death, feel nothing but hatred for this world." Fang Ren didn''t speak further, his heart was in turmoil. The ultimate test subject? Shattering the Void? Truly, a bunch of fools beyond redemption. ording to Qianye, Liu Qianqian alone could grow up to travel the Ten Thousand Realms. A mere Void, returning a peaceful world to humanity, that''s nothing. The people of Indra Sky aren''t thinking of how to discover human geniuses and nurture them. Instead, they''re fixated on shattering the Void by any means necessary. They seem to be protecting future generations with the sacrifice of the modern day, but in reality, they are nothing but petty viins who use the lives of others as stepping stones for eternal fame! They be famous for eternity, admired by posterity, but what about the restless souls that died at their hands? Those souls don''t desire admiration from future generations; they only wish to ughter those who killed them in the first ce. As of now, the Void is killing people, but humans still can resist; there''s really no need for desperate measures. And with each generation, practitioners are progressing, bing stronger. At this rate, the shattering of the Void is merely a matter of time. Indra Sky is looking to expedite the shattering of the Void, which is not improper in itself, but by killing people, they''re out of their minds¡ªthat needs to be cured. "The Large Elixir Association''sboratory here has already been cleared. Is your organization preparing to move to another location?" Fang Ren asked. "Indeed, we need to prepare to move, but we haven''t found a new destination yet. Besides, arge-scale relocation at this time would draw attention from Tianjiang. Although it''s dangerous here, it''s hard for Tianjiang''s sent ones to find us," Jian Qi''er said. "The most dangerous ce is the safest?" "That''s the idea." "By the way, it seems that your leader has no intention of making contact with me; what''s going on?" "The situation hasn''t settled yet, and there are still strong individuals around you, so it''s not convenient for other members of our organization to meet with you." As Jian Qi''er spoke, she brought up another matter, "Right, there''s something very important to tell you. Recently, keep a closer eye on Bai Qi as she might be taken away by Chen Cheng to Indra Sky at any moment." Fang Ren was taken aback, "What''s going on? Isn''t the scientific research technology of Indra Sky still not mature enough?" "The Void beast you mentioned before, our organization spectes that the reason they didn''t abandon the Void beast in the battlefield is because they''ve had a significant research breakthrough with it. Next, it''s very likely that Bai Qi will be asked to cooperate with the experiment''s progress," Jian Qi''er said. Fang Ren nodded, "So the day Bai Qi suddenly gets taken away is also the beginning of the next great battle between the two organizations?" "Correct." Jian Qi''er stood up and said, "Well, I''ve said everything I needed to say on this visit. Be extra careful on your own." Having said that, Jian Qi''er left the ssroom directly. Fang Ren also didn''t choose to stay in ss but went back to the campus garden and resumed his study of Soul force. He can now slightly control this power. At least when he harnessed that power to touch nts, he could choose not to harm them and just quietly touch them. He could even feel the slight vibrations on the nts. Those vibrations were like the emotions of the nts; they were afraid of him. "All things have spirits, and that saying is indeed true." ------ ------ The next day, Fang Ren carried on with his usual routine: attending sses and cultivating, eating with Bai Qi, and spending the night with the two robust men in the dormitory. Life was peaceful and swift, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for the regionalpetition of this session''s Elixir Contest. Today, Fang Ren had no sses, as he would be participating in the regionalpetition. He took the shuttle to the newpetition area early on. Originally, on this special vehicle, there should have been no one else besides him and the driver, but now there was an extra passenger¡ªBai Qi. Fang Ren sat in the back seat, a puzzled look on his face as he said to her, "This isn''t the finals, what are you following me for?" "If I don''te out now, I probably won''t have the chanceter," Bai Qi said seriously, "You have no idea how hard it is for me to get a leave." "How hard can it be for a princess to get a leave?" Fang Ren said. "It''s not that I have trouble getting a leave; it''s that the butler grandpa won''t allow me to take leave and go out. He insists that I stay at school, saying that his mission this time is to make sure I finish my studies well here. Even if I run away, he would drag me back." "So how did you end up running out?" With a helpless expression, Bai Qi said, "What else can I do? I just told him that I need to be with you all the time, that I want to build a rapport with you, and only then did he allow me to leave." "That old coot..." "Exactly! An old coot!" Bai Qi said huffily, "He''s so old and still worries about young people dating. Moreover, when I left, he said a bunch of things I didn''t understand." "What did he say?" "Something about... I should often drink more with you when I''m outside. I don''t get it. He used to be very strict with me; why all of a sudden is he allowing me to drink? And even telling me to drink more? It''s baffling," Bai Qi said with a troubled face. After listening, Fang Ren couldn''t help but twitch the corner of his eye. The old man of the Bai family really is a piece of work... This time, the regionalpetition was held in a Large Elixir Association in the North Wind City District. It took three hours to get there from Linyang City by this special vehicle. Today''s preliminary was set at noon, and besides Yangming University, the other universities participating were all globally ranked within the top hundred. "Say, with opponents that strong, are you sure you can cheat from the sidelines?" Bai Qi, looking at thepetition information on her phone, couldn''t help but frown and whispered in his ear. "I told you it''s fine, why won''t you believe me?" Bai Qi was still not at ease, "So what elixirs did you prepare?" "A high-level second-tier Qi and Blood Pill and a high-level third-tier Derivative Pill¡ªone of each. That should be enough to get me through," Fang Ren said. "But how will you put the pills into the Pill Furnace when the timees?" "You don''t need to worry about that; I have my ways." "Even if you say so, I''m still really concerned," Bai Qi said with a still gloomy face, "Let''s get one thing straight¡ªif you really get caught cheating, I''ll step in and take the me, and you can say you were coerced by me." Fang Ren stared at her in amazement, "You''re that righteous?" "Of course, I, Bai Qi, am willing to go through fire and water for you," Bai Qi dered. Fang Ren smiled and said, "Then when the timees, if I say I was coerced by you, wouldn''t that make me look bad? A big man like me being pushed around by a little girl." "So what?" Bai Qi said. "My power is now at the Xuanyang realm level; being coerced by me is nothing to be ashamed of, okay?" "Alright, alright, whatever you say," he conceded. ... The special vehicle was a bus, and since their conversation was quiet and they were sitting in thest row, it was obviously not something the driver was meant to overhear. Bai Qi flipped through her phone for a while and suddenly saw a news report, remarking, "The experts'' predictions from a few days ago were really urate. Right when the Elixir Competition finals are happening, a Void Hole is going to drift right above the finals venue." "You know, I''ve never actually seen a Void Hole with my own eyes," said Fang Ren. "You''ll see one once we get to the finals venue. It''s really eerie. I remember once when I was training, just standing underneath it made my hair stand on end," Bai Qi said, continuing to scroll through her phone. "Do you think a Void Beast might fall out during the match?" Fang Ren asked. "There''s a big chance of that happening, but as long as it''s not too strong of a Void Beast, it won''t be much of a problem. The warriors of Tianjiang can y them before they even touch the ground," Bai Qi exined. "Actually... I kind of want to see a higher-level Void Beast," Fang Ren said, looking somewhat embarrassed. Bai Qi rolled her eyes at him and then continued to look at her phone. After a short while, she suddenly spoke with a look of surprise, "News from three minutes ago! The army sent to protect the students during the Elixir Competition is being led by Sister Hui Qing''s Nine Heavens Corps!" Chapter 166: Chapter 164: Imagination Is the Scariest_1 "Nine Heavens Corps?" Fang Ren was taken aback; he seemed to have heard Mu Huanqing mention it before. "It''s the army under Sister Hui Qing herself, filled entirely with female warriors," Bai Qi suddenly said with a look of admiration. "And it''s also the army that all female practitioners around the world aspire to join." "The female warriors there must be very strong," remarked Fang Ren. "Very strong indeed. Even a minor team leader there has the strength of the mid Yingyue Realm, and the minimum strength of an ordinary soldier is at the Peak of Blue Sky Realm," Bai Qi said. "An ordinary soldier... at least the Peak of Blue Sky Realm? How... how many of them are there?" Fang Ren was momentarily stunned. "If I remember correctly, there should be more than thirty thousand people," Bai Qi casually replied. "Thirty... thirty thousand?" Fang Ren was left speechless, this army was easily many times stronger than the entire Nightfall Organization. "How about that, isn''t it shocking?" Bai Qi looked at him and said, "If you really want to marry Sister Hui Qing, even if you''re not at her realm, you at least need to have a decent force of your own, right?" "This... I don''t have that," Fang Renughed awkwardly. Just kidding, the kids are already here, whatever you say won''t matter, the wedding must go on. "Alright, alright," Bai Qi waved her hand dismissively. "I know you''re just saying you want to marry her as a joke, after all, most of the aplished young men who see Sister Hui Qing fall in love with her at first sight. It''s normal for you to feel that way." "Of course," Fang Ren nodded immediately, feeling somehow even more pleased than being praised himself when his wife wasplimented on her beauty. "If you make it to the finals this time, you''ll be able to see her again," Bai Qi said with a clearugh. "At that time, I can take you to talk to her, but let''s get this clear first, you can''t harbor any thoughts about her." "You taking me to see her..." Fang Ren''s face held an awkward smile. Did he really need her to take him there? The two had already arranged to meet in private, what was this girl ying at? "Yes, I''ll take you. If she has the time, I can even take you to have a meal with her, how about that, doesn''t it sound exciting?" Bai Qi said with a smile. The smile on Fang Ren''s face froze, managing to say, "Let''s not..." "What''s wrong?" "ording to what you''ve said, I''m not a match for her anyway. To say I want to marry her..." Fang Ren stopped halfway through his sentence, adding in his mind: But I must marry her. Bai Qi, seeing him stop, revealed a smug smile, "Exactly, you''re just ying around when you talk about marrying her, surely covering up your li..." In the middle of her sentence, Bai Qi suddenly stopped. Fang Ren liking her was something she couldn''t just blurt out openly; wouldn''t that make Fang Ren feel awkward? Recalling the past, Bai Qi suddenly realized a significant issue. That was when she first came to this city to annul their arranged marriage, starting off by saying she liked someone else and couldn''t be with him. Fang Ren was a man after all. To be suddenly jilted like that must have been a blow to his pride, so... was him saying he liked someone else just a cover? To marry Sister Hui Qing? As a normal person, he would never have such a thought given the vast differences in status and strength. A pretext, surely a pretext to save face! A new realization dawned on Bai Qi, as she recognized the importance of what she had overlooked. If it was just a pretext, then that meant... The more she thought about it, the more Bai Qi felt she had overlooked too much. Could it be that Fang Ren fell for her upon their very first meeting, love at first sight? And then, because of her sudden deration of having someone she liked, wanting to annul the marriage, he imed to like Mu Huanqing only to save face? Bai Qi''s mind was thrown into disarray; she realized how foolish she had been to take his outrageous im of marrying Sister Hui Qing seriously! If it weren''t for the interactions afterward, where she noticed Fang Ren''s fondness for her, she might never have understood the truth. Taking into ount all these matters, and aligning them with Fang Ren''s current statements, Bai Qi found her understanding to be spot on! If Fang Ren had been serious about marrying Mu Huanqing, how could he possibly refuse an opportunity to have a meal with her now? Indeed, it was all a ruse! A cover-up for his affection for her! However, Fang Ren only felt awkward having her at the dinner table; he simply wanted to spend some alone time with Mu Huanqing, nothing more. It must be said that imagining a young girl''s mind is a terrifying thing indeed. "Hide what?" Fang Ren asked when he saw her stop mid-sentence. "Nothing," Bai Qi immediately shook her head with a smile, "But, marrying her is something you can joke about with me but don''t ever b about it outside. Otherwise, the Corps will arrest you, and you''ll be in big trouble." "I know," Fang Ren nodded, his face crinkled in embarrassment. What a joke, was it a crime to want to marry the mother of my child? With the end of this topic, the atmosphere between the two became slightly awkward. Bai Qi was looking down at her phone all the time as if preupied with thoughts, and Fang Ren asked out of concern. She told him it was nothing. Without giving it much thought, he simply sat in the car, closed his eyes, and began to cultivate. During the process, he felt the breakthrough of his realm again. This time, he did not try to raise his realm immediately but quickly stopped. There was no protection inside this bus; apart from him, the driver was just an ordinary person, and Bai Qi could not use True Qi for now. If he were to break through his realm at this moment, the bus would surely be burst apart by the powerful True Qi. He paused his realm breakthrough, but there was still a distance left to their destination. Without opening his eyes, Fang Ren chose to continue cultivating his soul force. These days, his mastery over soul force was bing increasingly smooth. Although he couldn''t yet release it outside of his body, he could use it to enhance many aspects of his abilities duringbat. Hum¡ª As the soul force circted, his inner eye also opened, and everything within a fifty-meter radius became clearly visible to him. Vehicles passed by, and he could see the white breath emanating from the people within. Some people''s white breath fluctuated too much, clearly in an excited emotional state, while others had very slow-moving white breath, indicating a particrly low mood. However, among the passing vehicles, one caught his attention. Inside one car, two white figures were both sitting in the driver''s seat, one on top of the other, engaged in some dubious activity. "Is this...how open they are on a public road?" Fang Ren twitched at the corner of his eyes, thinking about the risk if an emergency arose and the driver was too preupied to respond, leading to an ident. He quickly looked away and shrank the scope of his inner eye significantly. Sitting beside him was an expert of the Xuanyang Realm. Rather than gawking at such varied spectacles, it was better to narrow his focus and explore the soul force. As the scope of the inner eye diminished, Fang Ren could feel the soul aura of Bai Qi with great rity. Powerful, incredibly powerful. If the white glow within Fang Ren was dazzling, then the one within her could certainly be described as blinding. Even with his inner eye active, he still couldn''t see Bai Qi''s soul in a human form; it was just a bunch of white light, spherical, like a mini sun. If their souls were to collide, Fang Ren was sure his would likely be reduced to ash instantly. However, fortunately, aside from him, no one on Earth knew of the existence of soul force, nor did anyone use it. After observing the soul within Bai Qi for a while, Fang Ren was about to start practicing his soul force. But just as he was about to withdraw his attention from Bai Qi, a faint gleam within her light sphere caught his eye. The faint light seemed to be in the region of Bai Qi''s lower abdomen, where the Spiritual Root would reside. Fang Ren nced at his own Spiritual Root inside him and noticed it was perfectly fused with him, emitting a consistent light. The light from Bai Qi''s Spiritual Root was different. It seemed the faint glow was the root he had transnted from himself. He felt a strong sense of familiarity with the faint light within Bai Qi''s body, which affected his entire mood, even making Bai Qi in front of him appear as someone he was willing to be close to. He thought that the feelings he had for Bai Qi, and her feelings for him, originated from a sense of innate connection. Bai Qi, who was sitting beside him, was looking at her phone with a slight frown, unaware that Fang Ren was peering into her soul. "Why does this guy have to be into me...and it''s love at first sight..." Bai Qi muttered to herself as she looked at a photo of the Tiandao Sword Sect disciples arriving at the location of the final round of the Dan Medicinepetition. Suddenly, she lost interest in Brother Song, who was in the pictures. "Ah! This is so annoying!" Bai Qi suddenly turned off her phone and slumped onto the seat, a troubled look on her face. "What kind of feelings does he have right now, helping me... He must be very sad. He likes me, yet he cheated to help me meet the person I like..." Chapter 167: Chapter 165: Arrival_1 "We''ve arrived." Time flew by quickly, and Fang Ren had only just closed his eyes to cultivate for a short while when he heard the driver''s voice from up front. However, for Bai Qi, those few hours had been spent in constant turmoil. No sooner had they gotten off the bus than they saw a continuous stream of people stepping off other coaches, all of them d in various dazzling aristocratic school uniforms. Frankly, these uniforms looked more like formal attire. With characteristics akin to formal wear, these school uniforms all bore some hallmarks, and some had several golden chains dangling from their chests, exceptionally shiny and glittery, definitely not something that seemed fitting for a student to wear¡­ In contrast, the school uniforms that Fang Ren and Bai Qi were wearing seemed exceptionally nd, just regr ck tracksuits, the kind that was extremelymon. About a hundred meters from where the fleet of coaches had stopped stood a grand structure, its main entrance asrge as the gates of ancient cities, and above the entrance hung a sign with the words "Orchid Bamboo Special Alchemist Guild" engraved in gleaming gold. "Do the top hundred elite schools all attach such importance to their uniforms?" Watching the crowd around him dressed in bright, refined clothes, for a moment Fang Ren felt as if he wasn''t here to take part in the alchemypetition, but rather as if he had walked into an aristocratic ball. "Can''t help it, the students who attend these schools usuallye from very wealthy families and are highly talented, receiving focused cultivation, so they pay a lot of attention to their appearance and attire," replied Bai Qi. Having said that, Bai Qi put on a duckbill cap he had prepared in advance, pulling the brim much lower to cover the top half of his face above the nose. The two began to follow the crowd of brightly dressed students and head towards the Alchemist Guild. The crowd around them was packed, all students from globally ranked aristocratic universities. Amongst them, Fang Ren and Bai Qi felt like they stuck out like a "crane in a chicken coop." Well, actually, in terms of attire, it was more like a chicken in a crane flock. Since they had entered the main group, they inevitably caught snippets of conversation from those around them. "Hey, that school uniform, I remember it belongs to one of the universities ranked in the bottom ten globally," remarked a student from an aristocratic school upon seeing Fang Ren and Bai Qi, whispering to a ssmate beside him. Following thisment, a group of students walking beside him all turned their heads to look at Fang Ren. A girl burst intoughter upon seeing Fang Ren''s uniform, "That little county town school actually came to participate." "Those two are from... if I''m not mistaken, it''s called Yangming University, right?"mented another girl. "Now that you mention it, I suddenly recall that in ourpetition area, there are two universities ranked rather low, one called Baili, the other, Yangming. Particrly Yangming, it seems like its ranking has never broken out of thest ten,"ughed one of the girls. "Hey, I just checked online, and this uniform is indeed from that bottom ten ranking, Yangming University." "For real? Baili is slightly better; at least its ranking is within the top five hundred. No students from that university came here, so howe Yangming did?" A boy spoke with disdain, "Can''t understand where they get the courage from,ing here to lose face." "Let''s move away quickly, don''t talk to them or it''ll lower our IQ." ... As several voices dropped off, the sounds around them grew louder and the aristocratic students who had been crowded around Fang Ren and Bai Qi began to distance themselves, their expressions fairly disdainful. "Is this the quality of Aristocrats?" Fang Ren muttered embarrassingly as he looked around at the distancing crowd. "This is only part of it. Although I don''t like to admit it, I''m still an Aristocrat, right? I think what they''re saying is too much." Bai Qi frowned and said, "And hey, you''re an Aristocrat too, okay? Are you so angry that you''re cursing yourself as well?" "I am not." Fang Ren smiled and denied. He had never acknowledged himself as the young master of the Fang Family. What others thought, how they referred to him, it was none of his concern. "Suit yourself then," Bai Qi snorted. After entering through the main gate, they had to pass through a corridor over 20 meters long. Even though the corridor was wide, it was still overcrowded, making the emptiness around Fang Ren even more noticeable. As they walked through the corridor, the view inside suddenly expanded. Upon entering, they saw arge area spanning over a thousand square meters. The area was like the training ground in a martial arts drama: t, square, and withrge pirs standing at each corner, all covered in a multitude of carved patterns. Both the tiles on the ground and the pirs were amber-colored, giving a solemn atmosphere to the whole ce. Behind this vast area, there was a group of retro buildings, a total of five stories tall, veryrge and towering, giving the entire guild a serious tone. In the middle of therge area stood six middle-aged men and women dressed in the attire of the Orchid Bamboo Alchemy Guild, each beside arge sign bearing the names of various schools. Just when nearly everyone had arrived, an elder wearing the Alchemist Guild''s uniform, holding a microphone, walked to the center of the area. "Please, instructors from each school, maintain order and line up your students neatly at the designated spots. Once all the students from each school are present, I will go over the instructions for thispetition," he announced. Following the elder''s announcement, instructors from various schools stepped forward, leading their students towards the signs in the center of the area. "Where''s our instructor...?" Bai Qi stared nkly at the students from the other schools moving towards the center and then at Fang Ren. "Probably too embarrassed to show up," Fang Ren casually remarked, and started walking towards the area. Seeing this, Bai Qi immediately lowered the brim of his hat and followed. As the two of them stepped onto the area, they realized that all six school signs were already upied by students from other schools. Seeing this, Fang Ren simply bypassed a group of Aristocratic students and walked towards the old man with the microphone, with Bai Qi trailing behind him. As the two approached, the Aristocratic students from Yangming University began tough uncontrobly. "Oh, look, they didn''t even prepare a spot for Mediocre University." "What''s he doing? Going toin to the instructor? How shameful." "Exactly, if it were me, I would have just turned around and left. I couldn''t lose face like that." ... Chapter 168: Chapter 166: Low-Ability Student (First Update)_1 Watching the mocking faces of the surrounding aristocratic students, Fang Ren could also understand why students like those from Yangming and Baili were reluctant to participate in thepetition. Indeed, no one wanted to be on a ying field where there was not even the slightest chance of victory, endure ridicule, and ultimately have to leave the stage because of theirck of strength. Coming to the center of the venue, Fang Ren still politely asked the old man holding the microphone, "Excuse me, sir, why haven''t the students seen Yangming University''s location?" The elder nced at the other nobles who were constantly mocking, then looked at Fang Ren and Bai Qi, who were dressed simply, and said, "Are you two students from Yangming University?" "Yes," Fang Ren nodded. After listening, the elder immediately turned to a middle-aged alchemist beside him and frowned, "Ah Si, didn''t you say that the students from both Yangming and Baili universities had given up their ces? What is this about now?" Seeing the elder frown, the middle-aged alchemist named Ah Si quickly stepped forward and said respectfully, "Seventh Elder, I indeed received news that all the students from both schools gave up their rights topete." After speaking, he turned and pointed at Fang Ren and Bai Qi, "You see, although they are wearing the uniform of Yangming University, there are no teachers apanying them. I think they are not really students from that university. Of course, maybe they are from Yangming, but they are certainly just here to cause trouble." After hearing this man''s words, Fang Ren''s gaze became somewhat cold. Although his Teacher Huang at the university usually didn''t like him much, and this time also did not bring him along to avoid embarrassment, his name should have still been submitted. It was clear that it was the alchemists here who looked down on the students from Yangming. The elder holding the microphone frowned even more after hearing what Ah Si said, then turned his head and looked at Fang Ren, "Where are the teachers from your school?" "Ashamed, they didn''te." Fang Ren didn''t shy away from speaking these words outright. "Hahahaha... my god, this guy is too straightforward!" As soon as his words fell, the aristocratic students from various schools burst intoughter. "Are all the oddballs from Mediocre University like this? Hahaha, how can he say such an embarrassing thing so naturally." "Oh man, how can he have the face to say that? If it were me, I would have quickly found an excuse to get away." Some students even shouted at Fang Ren from a distance, "Low-Ability Student! It''s not embarrassing to give up now, hurry and run, just afraid you''ll try to save face by pretending to be strong, but in the end, find out not only is your face not swollen but you also have to go to the hospital." "Hahaha..." "Quiet!" The old man holding the microphone frowned and shouted at the group of unruly aristocratic students, and after the noise had died down a lot, his gaze returned to Fang Ren, "Show me your proof of participation." Fang Ren took out his phone at once, brought up his school information, and handed it to the elder. The elder took the phone and after a while, he nodded and returned the phone to Fang Ren. "Ah Si, isn''t it your job to tally up the participating students from each school?" the elder turned his head looking very displeased at the middle-aged alchemist. Seeing the elder angry, Ah Si immediately bowed slightly, "Seventh Elder, students from a low-level university like Yangming would mean nothing even if they participate. Not only does it waste time, but their self-respect couldn''t endure it either. I was indirectly protecting their dignity." "Presumptuous!" the Seventh Elder scolded, "This Pill Medicine Competition is unprecedentedly grand, attracting immense attention globally, and here you are, a staff member of the event, privately stripping a student of their right to participate! What is your intention?" The alchemist named Ah Si looked down with a stunned expression, his gaze fixing fiercely on Fang Ren beside him. He really didn''t understand why such a student would still want to join thepetition. Idiots like him were just seeking humiliation, and why should he, a dignitary of the guild and a third-order alchemist, help such trash take the exam? "Seventh Elder, this was my oversight. I will prepare for it immediately." The Seventh Elder still looked displeased at him, "I will have to criticize you for your attitude. Students need guidance, not everything to be predetermined by talent." "Yes, Elder. I ept the criticism." Ah Si nced at Fang Ren and Bai Qi, then turned and left. A group of noble youngsters not far away also started whispering among themselves. "This kid is lucky today, running into the Seventh Elder of the Orchid Bamboo Guild, who takes every assigned task very seriously and is strict. Otherwise, this kid would probably be driven out directly." "He''s just stirring up trouble by participating. It''s meaningless to participate. I think what Teacher Ah Si said was right. They didn''t save him a spot, considering his pride, otherwise he''d start crying as soon as the alchemypetition begins." "Disgusting, he doesn''t have the strength but still has the courage, just like some people are poor but act so proudly." ... Soon, the alchemist named Ah Si brought over a sign with Yangming University''s emblem and set it up in the center of the venue. The position where the sign was erected was very conspicuous; anyone in the venue could see it from any position. Obviously, Ah Si intended to embarrass the students from Yangming. Seeing the sign set up, Fang Ren didn''t say much, turned his head, and walked toward where the sign was ced, the mockingughter still ringing in his ears. He was someone who generally didn''t like topete, and as long as his bottom line wasn''t touched, many things could be ignored. Of course, people like him, once their bottom line was touched, would change their behavior to the other extreme. Bai Qi had been following him the whole time, witnessing the scornful expressions on many aristocratic students'' faces. Her feelings, which had been veryplex in the car, became even moreplicated. Thisplexity was a mix of indebtedness, heartache, entanglement, and irritation... "I''m sorry..." Suddenly, Bai Qi spoke up. Fang Ren looked at her, puzzled, "Why apologize all of a sudden?" With her head lowered, Bai Qi shook it slightly, her voice very somber, "Just... I''m sorry..." In her eyes, Fang Ren''s participation in thepetition was all because he liked her and was willing to endure humiliation just so she could meet the person she admired. ... The Seventh Elder looked at a sign not far away and frowned slightly, but he didn''t say much. Because in this world, without talent and strength, one would suffer from all kinds of unjust treatment. He could help these two students put up a signpost because it was his duty to assist the participating students. As for how others belittled these two students, he would not interfere. "Could the participating students please be quiet for a moment," the Seventh Elder said into the microphone, "Let me briefly exin the rules of thispetition. Currently, there are over 7,000petition sites like ours around the world, and only five students from each site will advance to the Tianjiang Finals. This means there will be at least 35,000petitors in the finals, making it an unprecedentedly grand event." "As for why this year''spetition has adopted a random draw for sectional matches, the reason is that during thest pillpetition, there was an incident of collusion with cheating, involving local site supervisors fabricating false results. Therefore, we''ve implemented sectional draws. This time, any cheating will be severely punished, with a lifetime ban from entering the Alchemist Guild, prohibition from engaging in any pill-rted business, and the recording of the incident in their files. I hope the students will not gamble with their future for short-term profit." As the elder''s voice faded, Bai Qi, standing beside Fang Ren, immediately wore a worried look and quickly tugged at Fang Ren''s sleeve. "What''s wrong?" Fang Ren looked at her. "Let''s not cheat," Bai Qi whispered into his ear almost inaudibly, "A lifetime ban from the alchemy industry and a record in your files will greatly affect your life in the future." "I know." Fang Ren chuckled dryly and nodded twice, having never intended to cheat from the very beginning. Seeing him nod, Bai Qi felt a little disappointed for not being able to meet Brother Song, but she was much more relieved. "Either forfeit immediately orpete with your true abilities." "It''s fine." Fang Ren looked at her with a sheepish face and continued, "That Seventh Elder seems to be a master from the Azure Sky Realm, even if you talk to me in such a quiet voice, he''s probably already heard it." "..." Bai Qi was dumbfounded, she suddenly looked flustered at the old man with the microphone not far away, realizing that he was indeed watching them with a serious face. "I''m sorry, I... I didn''t realize..." Bai Qi quickly lowered her head, covering her face with her hands, having forgotten that she was no longer capable of sensing others'' realms. Moreover, in the Alchemist Guild, most alchemists don''t have particrly strong cultivation levels, and some aren''t even capable of cultivation. Those who are both powerful and have exceptional talent in alchemy are incredibly rare on Earth. How could this Seventh Elder be so coincidentally...? ... "I will repeat it once more, cheating will be met with severe punishment! It will greatly impact one''s life!" The Seventh Elder looked at Bai Qi with disapproval and repeated the warning. People around them noticed how he had deliberately directed thisment towards the two students from Yangming and began to specte. "It seems that the Seventh Elder implies that those two low-ability students dared toe here because they had prepared to cheat from the start." "Wow, I was also wondering, how do two guys with no hope have the nerve to show up here? Kudos to the Seventh Elder for his keen insight!" "It''s really pathetic, they don''t have the skills but still try to trick their way into showing off, low-ability students will always be just that,cking both ability and decency." "Just leave already, why stick around and lose face?" ... An alchemist named Ah Si, upon hearing these words, felt immensely relieved and red viciously at Fang Ren and Bai Qi before loudly speaking out, "Rest assured, Seventh Elder! I apologize for my previousck of sincerity in my attitude. I will atone through my duty in supervising this exam and will strictly monitor to prevent any cheating!" Chapter 169: Chapter 167: Failing to Recognize a Great Person (Second Update)_1 "I''m sorry, it''s all my fault!" Her face flushed with embarrassment upon hearing the words spoken by the people around her, Bai Qi pulled her hat brim even lower and apologized to Fang Ren in a quiet voice. "It''s okay, don''t worry," Fang Ren said. "I shouldn''t have let youe..." "I wanted toe on my own, this isn''t your fault." Seeing him still trying tofort her even at this moment, Bai Qi felt a warmth in her heart, and the guilt welting up in her mind grew even stronger. I''m sorry, Fang Ren. If I had met you earlier, I would have married you without hesitation... I''m sorry. ... The Seventh Elder, standing in the center of the field, continued with his announcement, "Due to the absence of nearly two schools'' worth ofpetitors today, we will not use this afternoon for testing. Competitors can use this afternoon for prepetition preparations or choose to explore the local area and settle their amodations for tonight. Of course, you also have the option to visit our Orchid Bamboo Special Alchemist Guild to delve into deeper alchemy theory. Lastly, I must go over some important matters that must be heeded..." The Seventh Elder spoke for about half an hour, but fortunately, it wasn''t just idle talk. "Finally, I will confirm the list ofpetitors. Those whose names are not called should visit the Guild''s reception to collect their results and thene to me toplete registration." With that, the Seventh Elder took out three lists and began reading, "Westwind University: Liu Zhengfeng." "Present." "Xu Huawei." "Present." ... "Lingdong University: Jiang Chaoguo." "Present!" "Sun Bing." "Present!" ... This roll call continued for a while, and as the names from the other six aristocratic universities were almost all called, the Seventh Elder began reading from another list that only had two names on it. When he saw the name on the list, his entire expression went nk. Fang Ren? Why does this name feel like I''ve heard it a bit too muchtely? What puzzled him even more was that the word "attendant" was written in front of the second name on the list. He, a Invigtor Alchemist at a Superior Guild, only had two attendants, so why would a mere university student be involved in this? Did he need someone to pass him alchemy ingredients? Or someone to help maintain the peace at the Alchemy Land? A student causing such a fuss! And there was also talk of cheating earlier, truly low ss! Before he could be indignant, he suddenly saw the two characters written after "attendant," and he was stunned once again. Bai Qi? Isn''t that the name of the Princess from Tianjiang? Alright, it must be just a coincidence of having the same name and surname. Without giving it much thought, the Seventh Elder continued, "Yangming University: Fang Ren." "Present," Fang Ren responded. "Attendant, Bai Qi." "Present." Bai Qi also quickly pulled her hat and answered. As the Seventh Elder''s final words fell, the aristocratic students from the other six universities were stunned. Within a second, all of them burst intoughter once again. "An attendant? My goodness, a low-ability student has an attendant? Is this going to kill me withughter and ruin my great inheritance of wealth? Even though I hardly use it back home." "Hahaha... what aplete oddity, definitely something wrong with his brain! Cheating aside, he even has an attendant with him!" "What kind of achievement has he made to have an attendant? Has he be a Invigtor Alchemist of the Superior Alchemist Guild? Or has he produced a three-level pill before the age of 25? Ridiculous!" "The attendant really has talent, too¡ªbeing an attendant for a low-ability student at such a young age, how big is the hole in their brain?" "Hey, hey, did you hear that? That girl''s name is Bai Qi, just like the Princess. I really don''t know how much expectation her parents had for her when they named her, but look at the embarrassing thing she''s doing now." "That oddball called Fang Ren is just too funny, cheating? Having an attendant? Damn, even a genius wouldn''t dare to pull such stunts." ... The crowd was filled with sarcasticughter and ridicule. Biting her teeth, Bai Qi had endured enough. These so-called aristocratic students hadpletely disgraced the face of nobility! Back in Tianjiang, hadn''t every aristocrat she''d met been upright and honorable? Weren''t they all concerned about their country, its people, and the world? Which of them took pleasure in mockingmoners? They could ridicule her, and she could endure it. She had already dealt with being scolded by the olddy and threatened by thugs; she could handle these matters. But when they bullied Fang Ren, Bai Qi couldn''t hold back anymore. Bai Qi grabbed her hat with one hand, her face filled with anger as she was about to throw the hat on her head away, eximing, "Enough..." p¡ª Just as she had shouted a single word, Fang Ren''s palm was already on the top of her head, stopping her from continuing her movements. "Exposing yourself now would just give you away," Fang Ren said. "So what if I''m exposed! They''re bullying you like this!" Bai Qi retorted angrily. "Think about it, once you''re exposed, andter when I take you to the finals arena, when you meet Song Mobei, how will others look at me?" Fang Ren said. "All this, and you''re still thinking about the finals?" Bai Qi was stunned,pletely unable to understand what he was talking about. "Of course I''m going, I have to meet Madame Xuan," Fang Ren said. Upon hearing these words, Bai Qi bit her lip and said softly, her head lowered, "You don''t have to humble yourself like this, nor find such an excuse... " In her eyes, what Fang Ren said wasn''t "I have to meet Madame Xuan," but "I have to take you to see the person you like." This time, it was Fang Ren''s turn to be stunned. He had no idea what the imaginative girl was thinking as he said, "If you expose your identity and meet Song Mobei, those rubberneckers from Tianjiang will definitely say I can''t even keep my fianc¨¦e, and wouldn''t that be embarrassing for me?" After listening to him, Bai Qi was even more convinced that Fang Ren had found an excuse that humbled himself just to take her to see Brother Song, and the acidity mixed into theplexity of her emotions began to grow stronger. "I don''t want to meet him anymore!" Bai Qi said, her voice heavy and her head down, her hand gripping her skirt tightly, shaking her head vehemently, "All I want now is for you not to be bullied by others!" "..." Fang Ren didn''t know how to respond for a moment. He was simply reluctant to argue with this group of aristocrats. In the end, it woulde down to alchemy to prove his strength. Should he really have to alchemize on the spot to prove himself and then put those snobbish aristocrats in their ce? Isn''t having to prove oneself at a single sneer a behavior more suited to a three-year-old child? The mockery from the sidelines continued unabated, and the invigtor alchemists from afar, silent, continued watching the spectacle. Except for the Seventh Elder, no one could hear the conversation between the two. "Shut up!" Just as Fang Ren was looking conflicted, the Seventh Elder, who stood in the center of the field, suddenly roared into the microphone. Immediately, his voice echoed throughout the thousand-square-meter venue. It was not hard to sense the anger in his voice. Following the Seventh Elder''s outburst, all noises ceased in an instant, and all the aristocratic students turned their gazes towards him. The Seventh Elder''s expression turned very serious, his brow furrowed, his hand holding the microphone trembling slightly with anger. Ah Si, not far from the Seventh Elder''s side, was stunned. He rarely saw the Seventh Elder with such a rich expression, and even when someone in the guild made a mistake, he would just sternly scold them. A roar like this was almost unprecedented. "What''s gotten into the Seventh Elder all of a sudden? He didn''t react this way when we were just chatting," whispered an aristocratic student. "Maybe... it''s not about our chatting. Look, those two low-ability students have been muttering non-stop, and the Seventh Elder, with his Azure Sky Realm mid-stage strength, must have heard what they were saying." "You mean, those two low-ability students said something that angered the Seventh Elder?" ... "Silence!" The Seventh Elder turned to the group of aristocrat students and yelled again, "As fellow students, by what right do you mock others? Talent is predetermined from birth, and being talented in alchemy is not something worth showing off, much less a reason for you to ridicule other students! If everything in this world were determined by talent, what would be the point of hard work! The survival of humankind is at stake at this moment, and as aristocrats, you should have the heart to protect all people, and even more so should you lead by example! The nobility thates with your birth and talent is meant to shoulder the heavy burden of human survival¡ªnot to be a de that belittles your kin!" As the Seventh Elder finished his statement without pause, the aristocratic students who were continuing their mockery were all stupefied in silence. The Seventh Elder''s expression was extremely serious, and his voice was angry with a hint of a tremble. However, only he knew how much cold sweat he was breaking out on his back. When he was reading the names earlier, he felt something was off. It was understandable for a girl to share the name with the princess, but why would she deliberately wear a baseball cap and hide her face at this event? This made him puzzled. As he heard the whispers of the group of aristocratic students, everything clicked into ce all of a sudden. Fang Ren? Bai Qi? Either name, taken separately, wouldn''t have meant much to him, but put together, it was a huge deal! He suddenly remembered the major event that had been spread internally in Tianjiang not long ago! Fang Ren? He had just been wondering where he had heard that name before. Wasn''t that the name of the Fang Family''s great young master, hidden for twenty-two years? And with the emergence of the Fang Family''s great young master, even Princess Bai Xi''s marriage arrangement had been exposed¡ªthe great young master of the Fang Family was none other than Princess Bai Xi''s betrothed! They had been promised to each other since they were children! If there were many other people on Earth named Bai Qi or Fang Ren, there would only be one pair of 22-year-olds who could put these two names together¡ªthis very pair! He thought back to when Ah Si didn''t arrange seats for the two of them in the guild, the Seventh Elder''s old heart nearly gave out. He even had the impulse to perform a 720-degree spinning kneel right then and there. But because he heard Fang Ren say that Bai Qi''s identity could not be exposed, he could only perform with a racing heart, suppressing the urge. Thinking back, he really felt that he had beenpletely ignorant of the towering figure right before him! Chapter 170: Chapter 168: Seventh Elder, the Leading Spearman Dier (Third Update)_1 A group of aristocratic students looked at each other, all remaining silent. If they said anything that the Seventh Elder overheard, they would probably be in for another scolding. Yet, they couldn''t understand why the Seventh Elder, who had just been hinting at cheating by two Yangming University students, rebounded back as if he wanted to hit a wall at high speed? First, he demeaned their talent and background, only to then praise their efforts as noble andmendable. No matter how you heard it, it sounded like the Seventh Elder was lecturing them and salvaging face for the Yangming students. There''s something wrong with this thought process. Ah Si, standing by, was also baffled. How could the Seventh Elder suddenly seem like apletely different person? Could it be that even a master in the mid-stage of the Azure Sky Realm couldn''t avoid the ravages of time that bring about senile dementia? "Recognized...?" Bai Qi stared nkly at the distant Seventh Elder, then nced at Fang Ren. "You''re still talking." Fang Ren patted her hat lightly, not very forcefully. After hearing Bai Qi''s words, the Seventh Elder''s entire face soured, and his gaze immediately became pleading as he looked toward Bai Qi, as if silently conveying a message. Princess, oh Princess! Why, with nothing better to do, did you bring your fianc¨¦ here to y at cheating? Is Tianjiang no longer fun, or is the school unweing, that you must disguise yourself as a student of Yangming University? "Dismissed!" The Seventh Elder hurriedly announced the end of the address and, after those two words, didn''t forget to add, "Would the two students from Yangming pleasee with me this way." Upon hearing this, everybody was stunned again. Dismissed? He had just been energetically criticizing, so why the sudden extinguishment? Please? The two from Yangming? Was this manner of speaking not a bit too polite? Or do the powerful beings of the Azure Sky Realm also suffer from senile dementia? Everyone stood there, dumbfounded, watching as Fang Ren and Bai Qi walked toward where the Seventh Elder had departed, their minds filled with a thousand unspokenints, yet none dared to voice them. ------ ------ "Your Highness the Princess, I was truly blind as a bat! I beg you not to hold it against this humble one..." No sooner had Fang Ren and Bai Qi followed the Seventh Elder to a deserted corner than the Seventh Elder performed a 720-degree spin in mid-air, kneeling, and began repeatedly kowtowing with a posture indicating an earnest plea, all the while loudly eximing. This more than a hundred-year-old elder suddenly performing a 720-degree spinning kowtow was something Fang Ren dared not ept. He swiftly stepped aside, leaving Bai Qi still dumbfounded, standing in front of the Seventh Elder. Bai Qi''s crystal-like,rge eyes stared nkly at the Seventh Elder, who kept kowtowing and shouting in front of her. Although she had been knelt to numerous times from her childhood, she had never seen anyone hit their head against the ground with such force, even to the extent of creating a hole, until now. Boom, boom, boom¡ª The frequency of the Seventh Elder''s kowtowing reached an intense ten times per second. The speed was so fast, the force of the impact so severe, that even the ground beneath Bai Qi''s feet trembled with the continual impacts from the Seventh Elder''s head. The shadow that shed through the air formed an arc¡ªit was the aged head of the Seventh Elder. "Hey hey hey, stop." Bai Qi, seeing his kowtowing was almostparable to a pile driver, immediately stepped forward to help him up. "No no no, I shan''t stop until Her Highness forgives me!" The Seventh Elder continued to bang his head on the ground with such ferocity that it seemed as if he had downed 10 bottles of energy drink, utterly unstoppable. "You haven''t done anything wrong from start to finish, why are you asking for forgiveness in vain?" Bai Qi frowned and said. "Ah?" The Seventh Elder kneeled on the ground, his tousled hair looking at Bai Qi: "But I actually ndered Her Highness on the spot by saying you cheated during the exam..." Bai Qi, with a face full of embarrassment, blinked and said, "I did indeed talk about cheating at that time, but... it was just a joke. However, it was from my mouth that the misunderstanding arose, and as the proctor, you naturally must prevent all cheating. That is what you should do, and it''s not your fault." "No no no, Your Highness, it is my fault for not realizing that you were joking with Young Master Fang at the time!" The Seventh Elder quickly denied. "Are you denying what I said?" Bai Qi said. "Dare not!" The Seventh Elder quickly shook his head again. "Then I say you have done nothing wrong." "Then... thank you, Your Highness, for your forgiveness!" The Seventh Elder immediately got up and bowed, dusting the dirt off the top of his head. In his heart, he couldn''t help butbel this princess as "approachable and humble" and "firm in her principles." After hearing Bai Qi''s words, Fang Ren''s impression of her deepened, realizing that this girl was not always so naive and did handle matters with care. When it came to cheating, as a proctor not allowing the students to cheat was, of course, a perfectly normal expectation. Frankly speaking, even if the Seventh Elder had directly criticized the two of them in public, that would still have been what the Seventh Elder was supposed to do. It was because Bai Qi''s words were inseparable from cheating, and he, too, had failed to clear up the misunderstanding when he replied, that the Seventh Elder was led to misunderstand. Seeing the Seventh Elder stand up, the embarrassed look on Bai Qi''s face began to turn serious. Although the cheating matter was indeed not the Seventh Elder''s fault, there were other things that made her extremely angry. "Although this matter is not your fault, there are two things here that I am very dissatisfied with," Bai Qi said in a serious tone. "Your Highness, please speak! I will definitely take it seriously and change my ways!" The Seventh Elder said. "Firstly, you, as the chief proctor of this exam, didn''t even know whether the campus signs wereplete on the field. That is your mistake." "I''m sorry, Your Highness. It was indeed my oversight! I will certainly repent thoroughly! I will nevermit such errors again!" The Seventh Elder immediately bowed and apologized, but his heart was filled with fury towards the alchemist named Ah Si. That segment of work was supposed to be done by Ah Si, but since he was the chief proctor of the exam, any problem could be traced back to him. Subordinates'' mistakes cause superiors to suffer¡ªthat''s just the way it is. Bai Qi clearly understood this principle. The matter couldn''t be entirely med on the Seventh Elder, so setting it aside, Bai Qi continued, "Let''s put this incident aside for now. The second thing I''m very dissatisfied with is that you, as the chief proctor here, saw students ridiculing and mocking each other and did nothing appropriate. Even though you criticized some of the students with bad behavior in the end, I think if you didn''t know the identities of the two of us, that is to say, if Yangming University had sent two ordinary students today, I don''t think you would have spoken the words you did at the end." Upon hearing this, the Seventh Elder quickly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. His back almost bent to the ground as he apologized sincerely, "Your Highness is right! I must reflect and renew myself! Should I encounter such situations again, I must set an example as a teacher should!" Chapter 171: Chapter 169: The Script in the Mind_1 After the Seventh Elder made a series of kowtows and bows to admit his wrongdoing, Bai Qi had not nned on making things difficult for him. After putting on his duckbill cap again, Bai Qi spoke, "There is a very important matter that I need your cooperation with, that is... do not reveal our identities." Upon hearing this, the Seventh Elder immediately disyed an epiphanic expression and said, "Is Your Highness secretly investigating the social standing of the lower-ss students with Young Master Fang?" Bai Qi froze upon hearing his words, as she had not even thought about an excuse herself, yet the Seventh Elder had already drafted the script for her¡­ "Ahem." Bai Qi coughed and adopted an even more serious expression, "Indeed, all of us are of the same kin, and in society, we should enjoy equal treatment rather than letting superior treatment be the exclusive privilege of the Nobles." The Seventh Elder also spoke earnestly, "Your Highness is truly a woman of great virtue and wisdom; this old man admires you wholeheartedly!" Bai Qi blushed with the praise; she had never been involved in politics from a young age, living a carefree and joyous life daily. The idea of being a woman of great virtue and wisdom... that had never even crossed her mind. "Alright, alright, you better go now, or it will arouse suspicion again," Bai Qi waved him off and said, "As for concealing our identities, I''ll leave it to you." "This old man shall put forth his utmost effort!" With that, Bai Qi quickly pulled Fang Ren along and walked away into the distance. Left behind, the Seventh Elder''s head full of disheveled white hair became even messier with the wind. Watching Bai Qi and Fang Ren leave, he couldn''t help but sigh, "Isn''t His rtionship with Young Master Fang quite good? Why then say he''s going to find Song Mobei? What is Her Highness thinking... No, I must go back and hint to those grandsons in the guild that they better not cause any trouble in the next few days!" ------ ------ "Not to mention, your identity is quite useful. You don''t even have to think of a reason; others will draft the excuse for you," Fang Ren said with augh. "Why are you still focusing on that issue?" Bai Qi frowned, "Shouldn''t you be thinking more about what we should do next?" "Do what?" Fang Ren was startled. "Of course, it''s the matter of whether or not to cheat." "Is there even a need to say it? He has already concocted a legitimate reason for cheating for you, would it not be a loss if we don''t cheat?" Since the Seventh Elder believed they were there to understand the social treatment of lower-ss students, even if they cheated, he would only assume that they were continuing their investigation. Also, if Her Highness wished to investigate matters, would they not fully cooperate, let alone consider an alchemypetition? "Although that''s said..." Bai Qi spoke with distress, "But... I still don''t want you to be wronged." "Isn''t it just being mocked a few times? That fits perfectly with our investigation into the social standing of the lower-ss students," Fang Ren said. As he finished speaking, Bai Qi took two steps, stood in front of him, and looked into his eyes very seriously, "You know I''m not talking about that." "Then what is it?" Upon hearing this, Fang Ren was clueless. He felt he hadn''t been wronged up until now. Was Bai Qi perhaps worrying too much? "You''re still pretending!" She was clearly referring to the ridicule he would face for taking her to see Song Mobei, yet he only mentioned thetter half. Bai Qi turned away in frustration and said, "I''ve changed my mind." "Changed what mind?" Fang Ren couldn''t fathom the girl''s train of thought. Bai Qi did not speak immediately, pausing for a moment to calm the frustration in her heart due to his own wronging, before speaking, "Even if I don''t go to see Brother Song, it doesn''t matter; stop sacrificing for me like this..." "..." Fang Ren was utterly baffled now. It wasn''t because he couldn''t understand what was in her mind¡ªit was because he understood her all too well that he was baffled. He had never imagined that this girl actually took seriously the matter of him liking her, and what was even more bizarre, she believed that he was participating in the alchemy contest entirely to let her meet Song Mobei. That is, in this girl''s mind, he was cast as the tragic soap opera character who willingly bears everything to help the person he likes be with someone else. Moreover, his scripted role involved enduring ridicule from others, resorting to unfair means to bring the person he liked together with the person she liked. Fang Ren waspletely dumbfounded. A girl with an overactive imagination truly is frightening! Up till now, he had never even considered cheating from start to finish, and as for going to the finals of the alchemy contest, one reason was to vex his uncle, and the second was to see his wife, who was already with child. No matter how he thought about it, these two matters had nothing to do with Bai Qi. It was only because Bai Qi was still unaware of his and Mu Huanqing''s situation, and since Bai Qi still held very loyal views towards their betrothal, he temporarily could not tell her, which was why he had to help her get to the finals to meet Song Mobei, eventually to reveal his rtionship with Mu Huanqing to her. That was all there was to it. "You girl¡­" Watching Bai Qi turning her back, Fang Ren''s face was etched with deep resentment. "I already told you not to call me ''girl''." Bai Qi turned her head back angrily, "Also, don''t you change the subject on me, I''m being serious here." "I haven''t done anything for you, okay? I just want to meet Madame Xuan and prove myself," Fang Ren said with a face full of distress. "Still making excuses. Yesterday, when I said I''d take you to have dinner with her, you didn''t agree, and now you say you want to meet her, you are so¡­" Bai Qi was both angry and helpless, ultimately letting out a sigh. After hearing what she said, Fang Ren metaphorically pped himself in the face. About the dinner yesterday, he said he didn''t want to go, only because he feared she would feel like a third wheel. But now the girl had taken his liking for her seriously, and in her ears, the story had taken on apletely different vor: it sounded like he clearly liked her, yet was being hypocritical about it. Forget it, forget it, to exin this could likely bring up Mu Huanqing, and if this girl learns about him and Mu Huanqing even having a child together, given her views on the sanctity of marriage, who knows what she might do. It''s better to wait until the alchemypetition when she sees Song Mobei, then he could clear things up. By then, this girl might be ready to let herself pursue the person she likes, and she probably won''t take his issues with Mu Huanqing so seriously anymore. "Forget it, forget it." Before Fang Ren could speak, Bai Qi shook her head with annoyance, "Don''t cheat this time, I don''t want to meet Brother Song anymore." Upon hearing that she wouldn''t meet Song Mobei, Fang Ren''s face fell. Although the whole thing had no impact on his meeting with Mu Huanqing, if she wouldn''t meet Song Mobei, when would he ever be able toe clean about Mu Huanqing to her? Was he supposed to keep her in the dark forever? Fang Ren paused for a moment, feeling that it wasn''t such a big problem after all since neither of them liked the other. It was just her strong view on the concept of "fianc¨¦ and fianc¨¦e" that mattered, but such views could be influenced over time. As long as he guided her properly¡­ "No worry, this time I will definitely make it to the finals," Fang Ren said confidently. "I said I''m not going," she reiterated. Bai Qi turned and walked away furiously. She did not want this man to suffer, especially not for her, and now she suddenly regretted letting Fang Rene here in the first ce. Initially, when she discussed this with Fang Ren, she thought that even if he was ridiculed uponing here, she would bear it with him and make it up to him afterward. But after arriving here, when Fang Ren was really being mocked by a group of aristocrat students, she found that she couldn''t bear it silently as she had thought she would and share the ridicule with him. She was very angry, intolerably so. It wasn''t because she was being mocked, but rather she couldn''t bear to see Fang Ren being bullied like that in front of her. He was obviously such a good person; he hadn''t offended anyone since arriving here. So why was he without the school''s endorsement and resented by the invigtor? Why were those groups of noble students all mocking him? If Fang Ren hadn''t pressed down on her head at that moment, she would have definitely thrown all the mocking words back at all the people present without hesitation. ------ ------ Visit the Superior Alchemist Guild? Visiting was out of the question, Bai Qi walked directly onto the main street with Fang Ren following closely by her side. Because most of the nobles had chosen to stay and visit the Guild, the pair walking down the street were instantly free from those annoying stares. Ever since the dispelling mark was ced on Bai Qi, many of her habits had be quite simr to those of an average person. And due to the fact that she had been working for the past few days, her appetite had grown a bit. Now, when she encountered something unpleasant, she wanted to have a big meal. After all, gaining weight didn''t matter, right? As soon as she regained her strength, losing weight would be a piece of cake. They arrived at a local restaurant famous for its specialties, and without a second thought, Bai Qi ordered ten dishes. "Let''s settle the matter about the tournament like this. You are not allowed to cheat again; either participate with your true abilities or forfeit. Let''s go back quietly and steadily," Bai Qi said while gnawing on a chicken leg. "Okay, okay," Fang Ren agreed indifferently. Compete with his real abilities? Wouldn''t that be bullying the college students? "Don''t be so unhappy," Bai Qi kept talking, "Those guys are low-ss; there''s no need to dwell on it. I''ll go out with youter to cheer you up. Wherever you want to go, I''ll apany you. Just take care of your mood, it''ll be fine." When Fang Ren heard herforting him, he smiled and shook his head, "I just want to go to the hotel right now." Who had time for shopping? All he wanted to do was find a ce quickly to raise his soul force and break through the realm that was on the verge of breaking through. If he held back any longer, the True Qi in his body would start to revolt. Chapter 172: Chapter 170: Bai Qis Wild Imagination_1 Thud¡ª The chopsticks Bai Qi held in her hand suddenly dropped and ttered onto the dining table. Her sparkling big eyes stared nkly at Fang Ren across from her, her mouth stuffed with a chicken leg, puffing her cheeks out in an adorably dazed expression. What did he say? Go, go, go to... go to a hotel!? "Fang Ren! You hooligan!" Without a second word, Bai Qi reached out and flung the chicken leg she was biting into straight toward Fang Ren''s forehead. Fang Ren immediately caught the flying chicken leg, looking at Bai Qi with a bewildered face, only then did he suddenly realize there was something off about hisst sentence. I''ll apany you anywhere... I stand by only wanting to go to a hotel¡­ "Stop, stop, stop! I didn''t mean it like that!" Fang Ren hastily raised his hands in protest. "Then what do you mean!?" "I just want to start cultivating as soon as possible." "I don''t believe you!" "How can I make you believe me?" "I just don''t believe you!" "Do I really seem like the kind of person who would take advantage of you?" Fang Ren said. Upon hearing this, Bai Qi''s cheeks turned red, "Wasn''t it enough for you to stand by taking advantagest time?" "But... wasn''t that an ident?" Fang Ren said with an embarrassed face. "You still took advantage of me!" "Didn''t you take advantage of me, too?" "You''re a man!" "So a man can''t be taken advantage of? Just now you were saying something about equality for everyone, yet you change your tune when ites to this." "Are they the same thing!" "Fine, fine, fine, whatever you say goes, but please stop nagging," Fang Ren quickly conceded, worried she might speak even louder. Her voice had attracted the attention of everyone around the dining table. Bai Qi also snuck a peek around and hurriedly snatched back the chicken leg she had thrown, and continued gnawing on it in her mouth. Fang Ren also got serious and said, "If you want to go shoppingter, I might not have time to apany you, but make sure to look after yourself. You do have some experts around you, after all." "By myself? Shopping?" Bai Qi was instantly irritated by hisment, "I was considering taking you shopping because I thought you were in a bad mood, and now you''re telling me to go by myself?" "If you don''t feel like shopping, let''s find a ce to settle down first. I still need to work on my cultivationter," Fang Ren said. Bai Qi saw his indifferent look and felt even more angry. She was concerned about him, and yet he was showing no appreciation. "Hmph!" Bai Qi lowered her head and bit fiercely into the chicken leg, grabbing a small bun with her other hand and stuffing it into her mouth, puffing out her cheeks again. Coupled with her angry demeanor, she looked immensely haughty yet adorable. After a few aggressive bites, Bai Qi began to calm down and analyze the situation. Fang Ren liked her, this Bai Qi considered beyond doubt, but why was it that when she suggested apanying him shopping, he showed no gratitude? A few secondster, an epiphany dawned on Bai Qi. He was ying hard to get! That''s right, she felt sure that Fang Ren must be in a fit of pique with her right now! Since Fang Renthen liked her and had even made concessions because she had developed feelings for someone else, it was already quite humiliating for him. Now, Fang Renthen had gone so far as to allow her to meet Brother Song, and she decided not to see him, tacitly putting an end to the matter. This must have made Fang Renthen think she was ying him. Yes! That had to be the reason! He was angry! The moment Bai Qi realized this, her eyes lit up; everything suddenly made sense. If Fang Renthen didn''t want to go shopping because he was sulking, then his mention of wanting to cultivate signified, Bai Qi thought, something deeper was at y. Before leaving the Orchid Bamboo Alchemy Guild, she had told him seriously that she didn''t want to meet Brother Song and that she didn''t want him to keep feeling so wronged. Yes, it was because of that sentence! That sentence was full of misleading implications. Bai Qi believed that when Fang Renthen, who was fond of her, heard it, he must have felt as if she was being sympathetic to him, possibly leading him to misunderstand that she had some feelings for him as well. So, after hearing this, Fang Renthen must have thought he had a chance. He said he needed to rush off to cultivate¡­ could it be that he wanted to quickly close the gap in their cultivation levels and prove that he was better than Brother Song, ultimately winning her affection? The more Bai Qi thought about it, the smarter she felt she was. With just a few words, she was able to guess Fang Renthen''s inner thoughts so "clearly." Truly, she was a supreme genius. In conclusion, Bai Qi summed up her theories: he didn''t want to shop because he was sulking, and he wanted to hasten his cultivation because he wanted to win her heart. Clear as day! Everything was crystal clear in the eyes of Bai Qi, the genius detective! Having settled on her line of thought, Bai Qi began to ponder how to broach the subject. It didn''t matter how it was put, it was she who had asked Fang Ren toe, and it was also she who had asked him to give up his rights. No matter how you looked at it, it was her capriciousness that had caused this mess. Now that Fang Ren was upset, of course, she needed to find a way to soothe him. However, for her, a princess who had always been the one to be pampered, figuring out how to cajole someone else was indeed somewhat challenging. She had never done such a thing before and had no experience to draw from. This matter waspletely unfamiliar territory to her. Bai Qi''s mind grew more chaotic as she thought about it, and she started gorging on the dishes on the table, taking out her emotions on the food. "Hey, I''m discussing something with you, don''t just focus on eating," Fang Renthen said with a sheepish look as he watched her devour the food like a tornado. "Huh? What is it?" Caught off guard by his sudden interjection, Bai Qi lifted her head, her cheeks bulging with food. "Tsk~" The moment she looked up, Fang Renthen couldn''t help butugh out loud: "Look at you, you''re a mess." "What is it?" Bai Qi''s face turned red, she paused for a moment, then pulled out her phone to check her reflection in the camera and saw that one side of her face was smeared with remnants of food, resembling a patched-up cat. Blushing even more, Bai Qi grabbed a napkin and wiped her face, demanding, "What''s the important thing?" "I''m talking about where we''ll stay for the night. We can''t sleep on the streets, right?" Fang Renthen suggested. "Two separate rooms!" Bai Qi blurted out immediately. "¡­" Fang Renthen was taken aback. Could he, a married man, actually share a room with her? If his wife found out, wouldn''t she fight with Bai Qi while still carrying their child? Seeing Fang Renthen silent and motionless, Bai Qi felt she might have crushed his hopes and remembered that she had just been considering how to appease him. Her remark probably made him feel even worse, which was not the oue she wanted. Bai Qi, with her face still flushed, struggled for a moment before she spoke up, "But... even if we are engaged, we can''t share a room. I like Brother Song... and we''re going to annul the marriageter¡­" As she spoke, her voice dropped to a near whisper, thest word so faint it was hardly spoken at all. Comforting someone was clearly not her forte. She hadn''t even spoken two full sentences before she felt she had made Fang Ren''s mood even worse. Chapter 173: Chapter 171: Mysterious Woman_1 Bai Qi realized that her tone was off and immediately shifted directions, her face twisted with conflict as she said, "Well¡­ canceling our engagement¡­ can only be done when both of us willingly want to part ways. Given the current situation¡­ let''s not cancel it for now." Fang Ren simply couldn''t understand who she was talking to. Had he ever said he wanted to share a room? Had he ever said he didn''t want to cancel their engagement? Why was this girl acting like she was out of her mind, making up scenarios that even he himself hadn''t thought of? "Stop, stop, stop, enough already." Fang Ren couldn''t stand her wild fantasies any longer and hastily raised his hand to interject, "First of all, we need two separate rooms tonight; and also, we must cancel our engagement. I have no idea what you''re thinking, but please, I beg you to stop making things up." "..." Bai Qi was momentarily stunned when she heard him speak so abruptly. Was Fang Ren actually serious when he said these things to her? He said they needed separate rooms tonight, which seemed to her as if he was giving in on that matter, but then he said they must cancel the engagement, which confused Bai Qi. He clearly liked her so much, so why was he suddenly so serious about canceling their engagement? And he said something about her making things up¡­ After briefly deliberating, Bai Qi once again had a sudden realization. Fang Ren had already been angry at her for her willfulness before they left the Alchemist Guild, and she had thoroughly analyzed that situation before. Fang Ren was already on a "temper," and her words just now hadn''t soothed him at all but instead pushed him to a self-sustaining critical point. There''s a saying, "The straw that broke the camel''s back," and Bai Qi felt that Fang Ren was in such a state now; his affection for her had brought him here, but due to her recent words, he was at the brink of his feelings for her copsing. After a careful analysis in her mind, Bai Qi reached a heavy conclusion: Fang Ren''s feelings had finally copsed under the weight, and he wanted to give up on her! As for why Fang Ren said she was making things up, Bai Qi believed it must be an excuse he found to mask his emotions. She was making things up? How was she making them up? She was analyzing calmly¡ªall of it based on facts. Fang Ren must have been upset by her urate guess about his feelings, hence he deliberately called her reasoned analysis "making up things." Having arrived at all the "correct" conclusions, Bai Qi frowned deeply as she stared at the chicken leg in her hand, wondering how she should proceed. Should shefort him? Or should she simply let him give up on her right here and now? If Fang Ren knew about her current analytical process, he would probably want to bash his head against a block of tofu. Watching Bai Qi staring nkly at the chicken leg in her hand, Fang Ren couldn''t help but frown. This girl was really strange, and he couldn''t guess what was going through her mind at all. "Hurry up and eat, and then let''s go find a ce to stay. And stop guessing wildly," Fang Ren said. He was petrified by her way of thinking; now he couldn''t say two words without them being about asking her to stop making wild guesses. "Oh¡­" Bai Qi took a small bite of the chicken leg, her eyes still vacant. Somehow, she was unable to make a decision about the matter at hand, unsure whether to appease Fang Ren or to put an end to his feelings right there. It was a very simple multiple-choice question, and even she felt the options were straightforward, but she just couldn''t make a choice. ``` She was very clear in her heart that since she didn''t fancy Fang Ren, she should make a prompt decision now and let Fang Ren give up on her once and for all. That would be the best option for both of them. It might seem nice to just cate him for the moment, but what then? In the end, they would still have to face this issue. So no matter what, she should choose to let him give up on her here and now, but... she simply couldn''t bring herself to say those words. Seeing her suddenly slow down her eating, changing from her previous whirlwind manner to taking small nibbles, Fang Ren knew that the girl had fallen into deep thought once more. For a moment, Fang Ren felt utterly helpless. It seemed this girl would never change, so he thought... let her be. Seeing Bai Qi like this, he estimated it would take at least half an hour before she''d be ready to clear the table and stand up. Fang Ren shook his head, sighed inwardly, and chose not to talk to Bai Qi any further. He closed his eyes and used this brief half-hour to start practicing his soul force. However, the moment he closed his eyes, his mind''s eye extended 50 meters around him, bringing every soul in the restaurant into his view. Sensing the souls around him, indeed, it was Bai Qi''s soul that was significantly more powerful; her soul was incredibly dazzling, like a little sun. After assessing most people''s cultivation levels in the restaurant, Fang Ren prepared to close his mind''s eye and further enhance his soul force by a notch. However, just as he was about to close his mind''s eye, a blindingly bright light suddenly invaded the edge of his perception. "Hiss~" As the light entered his mind''s eye, Fang Ren instantly furrowed his brows and drew in a sharp, cold breath. The moment the white light appeared, he felt a piercing pain in his nerves, and an overwhelming pressure that made him almost afraid to look directly at it. The white light continued to step into his cognitive range; Fang Ren couldn''t see the owner of the light because the luminous sphere was simply toorge and dazzling, muchrger and more ring than even Bai Qi''s soul. As the owner of the light approached the restaurant, Fang Ren couldn''t help but specte. He immediately stopped practicing and, looking at the troubled Bai Qi opposite him, he asked, "Besides Butler Chen, has your family sent any other powerful protectors for you?" Bai Qi looked up at Fang Ren, not understanding why he had suddenly changed the subject, but she replied, "No, there isn''t." Hearing this, Fang Ren immediately turned his head to look outside the restaurant, his brows knitting tight. Judging by the strength of the soul, the neer had to be a high-level warrior, at least in the mid-stage of the Xuanyang realm! If Bai Qi had no other experts besides Chen Cheng around her, then who could this person be? It was well known that warriors of this realm were typically on the battleground and rarely avable toe out. As the owner of the light was about to reach the door, Fang Ren''s concentration intensified. Click¡ª As the ss door opened, a woman entered, wearing a vivid teal sunhat and a pure white long dress. Her hat was low, covering half of her face. But even with only half of her face showing, the intensely focused Fang Ren was stunned. ``` Chapter 174: Chapter 172: Bai Qi Enraged_1 A young woman? Moreover, a realm above Bai Qi''s, with very few peers in the entire world. And no matter how Fang Ren looked at it, he found this woman eerily familiar. Even though a straw hat hid half of her face, revealing only her chin and lips, he still felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity. Just those crimson lips alone... He couldn''t help feeling as if he had kissed them himself just by looking at them. As the woman in the white dress entered the restaurant, her ethereal aura drew many gazes. It was as if she was enveloped in a halo of light, and even in simple attire, she stood out strikingly. Watching the woman in the white dress walk straight towards him, Fang Ren activated his soul vision again¡ªthis time at a much closer distance. He saw a soul within the white-dressed woman that was slightly different from her own. In such a case, the exnation could either be that, like Bai Qi, she had undergone a spiritual root transnt in her childhood, or the woman was pregnant. And the possibility of transnting a spiritual root, even now, was considered by everyone as an impossibility, with no clue as to how people in the past managed to transnt their spiritual roots into Bai Qi''s body. Generally speaking, once a spiritual root is removed from a body, it should wither and die, making transnting it an unlikely notion. A young individual who had undergone a spiritual root transnt and had reached the Xuanyang Realm in cultivation¡ªBai Qi was the only known person in the world. No matter how he analyzed it, the conclusion was that the woman must be pregnant. Fang Ren wore a smile on his face as he opened his eyes and watched the woman in the white dress approach step by step. He really wanted to go up, pick her up, and give her a kiss, but he couldn''t. There was a fianc¨¦e in front of him who held severe convictions about "premarital rtions," so he had to sit appropriately, pretending not to recognize her. Bai Qi had wrestled with the issue for a long time and eventually decided not to break up with Fang Ren. It wasn''t that she feared being without means if she broke up with him, nor did she feel indebted for owing Fang Ren money... Her mind was in turmoil just thinking about it, and ultimately, on impulse, she determined she didn''t want to end her rtionship with Fang Ren. Anyway, she didn''t want to be strangers with Fang Ren. As for liking Brother Song, she thought these two matters didn''t sh; she would consider ending the rtionshipter... For now, she didn''t want to just disappear from his life forever. Bai Qi gave up contemting the issue and decided to follow her feelings. Since she wasn''t breaking up, of course she had tofort Fang Ren. Lifting her head, she nned to quickly appease his temper. However, the moment she looked up, she saw Fang Ren gazing fixedly at a woman in a white dress who had just entered the door, with an intensely direct stare. From Bai Qi''s perspective, it seemed Fang Ren, upon seeing a beautiful woman, had instantly forgotten the anger he had shown towards her earlier, his face bright with a radiant smile, not at all like his earlier sulky self! Witnessing this scene, Bai Qi''s recently brewed intentions tofort him vanished instantly, and her expression involuntarily turned indignant again. He obviously liked her, yet there he was, ogling another woman right in front of her, and staring so dumbfoundedly! "Hey!" Bai Qi hurriedly knocked on the table, her tone filled with displeasure. "Huh?" Fang Ren immediately pulled his gaze from the woman in the white dress, nced at Bai Qi, who looked incensed, and blinked in confusion, "What''s wrong with you?" "You can''t behave like this even if you''re upset with me!" Bai Qi pouted and frowned. "Upset?" Fang Ren was puzzled again. The girl must be imagining some unfathomable notion that even digging three feet into his brain, he couldn''t have thought of. "Pretending!" Bai Qi looked at him and spat out the word. This guy was clearly throwing a tantrum at her, and now he''s pretending he doesn''t understand what she''s talking about. After reconsidering the situation, she was sure that he got so angry that he simply decided tosh out, as if looking at beautiful women wasn''t something one could do anytime. Besides, that woman had a good figure, but you couldn''t even see her face, how could she be more attractive than her? It was obviously something Fang Ren did on purpose, casually looking at another woman just to make a show for her and provoke her. Hmph! Such dishonesty! Bai Qi continued to stuff a chicken leg into his mouth, ring at him with a look of indignation. Then, just at that moment, the woman in the white dress had suddenly stopped right next to Bai Qi and Fang Ren''s dining table. Bai Qi thought she was just passing by and didn''t pay much attention, but now that the woman had stopped, Bai Qi felt even more ufortable. She was certain that this woman was upset because Fang Ren was staring at her, and she hade over to say something like "Keep your boyfriend''s eyes in check." My fianc¨¦ is looking at you? Do you think he''s interested in you? Let me tell you, that''s impossible. If he wasn''t trying to make me jealous, he wouldn''t even give you a second nce! Bai Qi had mentally prepared this script and was waiting for the woman in the white dress to speak arrogantly, so she could retort. "Excuse me, sir, may I have a word with you?" The woman in the white dress said with a smile. Her voice was melodious, exceptionally pleasant to the ear. "..." Bai Qi was stunned; this wasn''t at all like the script she had in her mind. Wasn''t the woman supposed to think Fang Ren was a creep for staring at her ande over to confront him? What the hell does "may I have a word with you" mean? "Yes." While Bai Qi was still shocked by the unnned turn of events, Fang Ren, who was sitting opposite her, had already answered and stood up. "What are you doing?" As soon as Bai Qi heard him agree without a second thought, she immediately became frantic, her delicate brows furrowed as she looked at him: "There''s no need to take the jealousy this far, right? I was already thinking about how to sweet-talk you." "Stop, stop, stop!" Fang Ren quickly intervened, this girl could let her imagination run wild usually, but now she was saying these things in front of his child''s mother. What if Mu Huanqing misunderstood? Fang Ren immediately found an excuse, quickly saying, "The person next to us... she''s a sister from my family n, she came over to talk to me about something. You keep eating, I''ll step out for a moment." Before Bai Qi could even react, Fang Ren had already gotten up and walked outside, with the woman in the white dress following him out. As they were leaving, the woman in the white dress gave a nce towards Bai Qi, her face wearing a slight smile as she left. Bai Qi watched him leave in a daze,pletely bewildered. Sister? Among the three masters of the Fang Family, aside from Fang Zheng who has a daughter, the others have sons. Moreover, that daughter is Fang Ren''s actual younger sister. Where did this sudden "sister"e from? A few secondster, Bai Qi fell into deep thought. Could it be... this guy has got a side chick? Chapter 175: Chapter 173: Just a few words of reassurance_1 ``` Outside the restaurant, Fang Ren led the woman in the white dress a long way, only pulling her into his embrace when they passed by a small park. Fang Ren removed the straw hat from atop her head, her white hair cascading down like a waterfall, her stunning face adorned with a joyful expression. "How did you end uping here?" Fang Ren pinched her face, his own feeling an unstoppable flow of happiness. Mu Huanqing smiled and nced at him, "If I didn''te over, my husband would have been snatched away by someone else." "That''s not true," said Fang Ren. Mu Huanqing reached out and grabbed his ear, smiling as she spoke, "I heard every single word you two said outside, clearly and distinctly. For instance, her willingness to apany you anywhere, and then there''s the part about you going to the hotel with her, right? What for, to discuss the great matters of life?" Upon hearing this, Fang Ren panicked and immediately tried to exin, "That wasn''t my fault, the girl just overimagined things and I was helpless. When she asked where I was going, I just subconsciously uttered... and I mentioned the hotel because we needed to seize the time to cultivate, not to discuss any great matters of life, okay?" "Sure, sure." Mu Huanqing looked at his frantic exnations, then let go of his ear and gently touched his head with a smile, "Xiao Xi wouldn''t fall for a dummy like you." "Xiao Xi?" Fang Ren paused, then realized that Bai Qi often called her Sister Hui Qing. "Are you two really close?" asked Fang Ren. "Very close. I used to take her out to y when we were little," Mu Huanqing said with a smile. "But we only spent just over four years together before I was called back to my family to focus on cultivation. After that, we had less contact. Thest time I saw her, she was eighteen and went to the battlefield for trials, and I went with her again." "Then why didn''t you tell me about your rtionship with her when you learned about my marriage engagement with her?" Fang Ren was baffled. "There was no need. At the time, she must have thought I was dead, and you also said you wanted to break off the marriage engagement with her to be with me. At that time, we wouldn''t have had any more interactions with her, so I didn''t mention it." Mu Huanqing continued, "But unexpectedly, you two met." "It''s quite an annoying situation. Her grandfather doesn''t agree to breaking off the engagement, and hering to my school was also her grandfather''s arrangement. He said to see how things go without feelings between us for two years," exined Fang Ren. He certainly couldn''t tell Mu Huanqing directly about the unspeakable secret of the Cultivators'' marriage engagements in the Central Area and that he and Bai Qi were obligated to have a child. If he did tell her, she definitely wouldn''t be able to ept it for a time since she was the Great General of the Central Area, and having lived there for so many years, she certainly had feelings for that ce. Mu Huanqing said, "Grandpa Bai probably feels he owes a lot to your family from back then. Xiao Xi is also very picky, so directly breaking off the engagement seems improper. Hence, he forced her to spend some time with you. If you both don''t like each other in the end, then the engagement can be dissolved, which would serve as a proper acknowledgement of the past favor." "I guess so," Fang Ren smiled and nodded. "Speaking of which, when I heard you two talking, it sounded like she thinks you like her?" "I definitely never said that. Like I said, it was all in her imagination," Fang Ren said with a helpless face as he sat on a stone bench and looked up at the sky. "As long as you don''t like her, that''s all that matters," smiled Mu Huanqing as she sat beside him. "If you fall for her, I''m sure I would do something drastic." After hearing this, Fang Ren replied with a bitter smile, "Such as?" "I''d beat you up ten times until you only like me," said Mu Huanqing. "This... one punch from you could send me to meet the King of Hell, let alone ten times..." Fang Renughed and shook his head, acknowledging the extremity of it. Then he continued, "How long do you reckon you can stay this time?" "The battle zone isn''t far from here; it''s just a half-hour away, which means I have eleven hours to spend with you," Mu Huanqing exined. "Then don''t go tonight. Let''s discuss life." ``` "You look like death!" Mu Huanqing pinched his waist, her voice full of grievance, "Talking about life, when life is about to be brought forth." Upon hearing this, Fang Ren''s gaze drifted towards Mu Huanqing''s belly, "This little one has been there for over a month now, hasn''t it?" Mu Huanqing also lowered her head to touch her belly, her face brimming with a blissful smile, "Yes, in nine more months, the little one will be able to meet daddy." As Fang Ren watched her joyful expression, the smile on his face gradually faded away. To protect this happiness, he was ready to take an extreme and lethal path. He still needed to build momentum, to the point ofpletely overpowering the Central Area. His participation in the Alchemypetition was, of course, not only about pping his uncle''s face. More importantly, it was about using the event to shed thebel of "ordinary mortal" from himself, to expand his reputation in order to establish his own power. He intended to stir up a big fuss in this Alchemypetition, the bigger themotion, the better. After all, with the identity of the Fang Family''s eldest son, no one dared to touch him. And if there were those who were reckless enough to try, well... didn''t he have his wife there to back him up? In the end, just do it and it''s done. As long as the rtionship between himself and Mu Huanqing isn''t exposed, he would undoubtedly be the most dazzling star of the Alchemypetition. "Qing''er," Fang Ren suddenly thought of something. "What is it?" Mu Huanqing asked, leaning gently on his shoulder. "I heard that Xia Fu Lan from the Tiandao Sword Sect will being to this Alchemypetition," Fang Ren said. Upon hearing that name, Mu Huanqing''s mood fell a bit. Xia Fu Lan was a fellow nswoman andrade-in-arms that she had treated with true heart. However, it was Xia Fu Lan who had almost caused her death on the battlefield and led to so many of her sisters in the Nine Heavens Corps losing their lives, causing her immense pain. "Don''t bother with her," Mu Huanqing said. "I want to help you get revenge," Fang Ren dered. Mu Huanqing immediately stood up upon hearing this, frowning, "No." "Why not? She almost got you killed on the battlefield. Doesn''t she deserve to pay with her life?" Fang Ren argued. "There is no evidence for that, even if a part of people are clear in their hearts, there''s no way to convict her," Mu Huanqing continued, "To say she should pay with her life, I myself could kill her ten thousand times, but I cannot kill a nswoman. It would cause division among our ranks, especially now that the Void Hole is bing more and more peculiar. If humanity begins to fight within while facing this, the consequences would be unimaginable." Fang Ren''s expression turned serious as well, and he said, "It''s precisely because you care too much about the big picture and cannot bring yourself to act that she should be killed by me." "But if you kill her, you will be convicted, and every human will see you as a cancer that must be eliminated," Mu Huanqing immediately grasped his hand, anxious, "Please don''t do this, okay? Our child isn''t even born yet; don''t do such dangerous things... " Fang Ren pulled her into his arms, stroked her hair softly, and whispered, "I haven''t said how exactly she needs to pay with her life. Don''t worry; I will just ensure all the debts she owes will be repaid, based on ensuring my own safety." "But I''m so worried... Don''t go..." Mu Huanqing suddenly realized how vulnerable she felt. This matter involved too many things, and she was about to be a mother. The father of her child was about to do something dangerous, which threw her mind into chaos. "Well then... I guess I just won''t do it," Fang Ren said. Not do it? Impossible. It was just aforting lie. If the world would not refrain from anything against him, why would he treat the world with any courtesy! Chapter 176: Chapter 174: Clarifying Relationships_1 ``` "Ah Ran, please listen to me on this and don''t go through with it. Even if you want vengeance, you should wait until the Void Hole stabilizes. I''ll handle it myself," Uncle Han insisted. Mu Huanqing saw the sudden yful smile on his face, which had just been exceedingly serious, and knew he hadn''t abandoned his previous idea. Fang Ren pretended to be in a dilemma for a moment, then spoke, "Alright then, I won''t do it." Although he appeared to be in anguish and then seemed to have given up, it was still just a way to make Mu Huanqing feel a bit more at ease. The stability of the Void Hole? Who knew how many generations of struggle it would take to aplish that, and by now, the conflict between the Central Area and the Nightfall Organization was already signaling the beginning of humanity''s division. Keeping the bigger picture in mind? Fang Ren wouldn''t consider such a thing because he knew too much. It was impossible to unite humanity as long as the methods in the Central Area remained unchanged. Mu Huanqing was somewhat reassured by his seeminglypliant attitude but still worried, "Ah Ran, I don''t even know what realm you''re in now, but Xia Fu Lan is in the early stages of the Yingyue Realm. How could you possibly defeat her? Not to mention this talk of revenge." Upon hearing her, Fang Ren suddenly remembered he hadn''t yet shared the good news about his breakthrough to the Chongshan Realm. He quickly said, "What do you think, with my talent, how long should it take for me to catch up to Xia Fu Lan?" After some thought, Mu Huanqing replied, "Thest time I saw you, Ah Ran, you had reached the middle period of the Yuanxin Realm. By now, you''ve probably broken through to the peak of the Yuanxin Realm or the early stage of the Ruoshui Realm. Your cultivation talent is much higher than mine. If you can maintain this cultivation speed, and her cultivation speed doesn''t change, I estimate you could surpass her within twelve years." After hearing her answer, Fang Ren allowed his True Qi to slowly spread out and asked, "How long do you think I need now?" Because he had taken a pill that concealed his aura in the past, Mu Huanqing couldn''t determine his realm unless he released his True Qi. As the gray vital energy emanated from Fang Ren, the worried expression on Mu Huanqing''s face was swiftly overtaken by shock. "Chongshan Realm... middle period?" Mu Huanqing waspletely stunned. If thest time she returned, seeing Fang Ren quickly advance to the Yuanxin Realm felt surprising, then this time, she was utterly terrified! "ording to what your Grandpa Bai said, I''ve already reached the two-year goal he set for me. Now, he must secure another five years for me, so just wait for me toe and marry you," Fang Ren said with a smile. "No... Ah Ran, the point is, how did you make this breakthrough?" None of what her grandpa had said in the past mattered to Mu Huanqing right now; all she wanted to know was how on Earth Fang Ren had reached this realm. Was she dreaming? In just over a month''s time, how could Fang Ren have leaped from a mortal without a Spiritual Root to the mid-period of the Chongshan Realm? She felt it was something she couldn''tprehend, something so unbelievable that mentioning it to anyone would make them think the speaker was insane. Fang Ren exined, "Actually, I''m not sure myself why I''ve suddenly reached this realm. All I do every day is eat, sleep, and cultivate, pouring all my spare time into it." Of course, he couldn''t tell her about entering the Asura path, undergoing non-human torments, and using the Sickle she had given him to ughter more than ten thousand members of the Tianjiang Investigation Group to increase his cultivation speed. His advancement came after killing tens of thousands of people. "Just daily cultivation? Nothing else?" Mu Huanqing looked at him incredulously, "When I used to cultivate, I would sleep and eat once every three days, yet I never progressed as quickly as you." "Maybe the heavens just want to see true lovers unite," Fang Ren suggested. "That''s not the issue here. It hasn''t even been two months, and you''ve already had fourteen breakthroughs!" Mu Huanqing''s expression was nowpletely at odds with her temperament as she spoke to Fang Ren. "Now, estimate for me, how long would it take for me to catch up to that Xia Fu Lan?" "If you continue to break through at this rate... a conservative estimate would be that eight years would be more than enough. But the further you advance in cultivation, the harder it gets. Ah Ran, you''ve been advancing so quickly that you might encounter many difficult bottleneckster on," Mu Huanqing cautioned. "I progressed too swiftly in my own cultivation in the past, which led to ack of emotional maturity and severe difficulties with each subsequent breakthrough, risking my life to achieve my current level of power." Fang Ren nodded. As someone from Earth, he was well aware of the difficulties of the cultivation path. Originally just an ordinary mortal, he had never thought about engaging in cultivation, let alone revealing his identity as ''Qing''an'' to the world, and he certainly hadn''t contemted shing with the Central Area. Uncle Han had been educating him since he was young to stay low-profile, to live an ordinary life, and not to strive for superiority. But given the current situation, keeping a low profile was no longer possible, and he had long been detached from ordinariness since bing ''Qing''an''. With people determined to ruin his happiness,petition and striving were forced upon him. The two continued to stroll and chat in the park for about ten minutes. Fang Ren felt it was about time to return. ``` Mu Huanqing saw he was about to return to the restaurant, so she voiced thest minor question in her heart, "Why did you say I was your sister when you came out with me just now?" Fang Ren looked at her and smiled, "What''s on your mind?" Mu Huanqing blinked and said, "I wasn''t thinking anything. I just feel there was no need for you to lie to her about that. You could''ve just told her the truth. Besides, Grandpa Bai must know about us, Xiao Qi, being his granddaughter, should also know, right?" When Fang Ren heard Mu Huanqing refer to Bai Chaojin as Grandpa Bai, his heart filled with resignation. She had no idea what kind of figure Bai Chaojin was in the Central Area, and even less so that the moment she wished to be with him, Bai Chaojin could instantly be her enemy. Perhaps in the past, when she was with the Bai Family and Bai Qi, Bai Chaojin indeed seemed to be a kind grandfather, but that was only when she wasn''t known as "Xuan Nv." The moment she possessed enough strength to be included in the "Cultivators'' marriage" system of the Central Area, Bai Chaojin wouldpletely stop treating her as a junior but rather as a "traitor" who had the power to act but chose not to. It was outrageous to think that even Xiao Qi, Bai Chaojin''s own granddaughter, was treated by him as a mere experimental subject. "Xiao Qi still doesn''t know about our rtionship. Maybe no one from the Bai Family has told her," said Fang Ren. "If her family hasn''t told her, why didn''t you tell her earlier?" asked Mu Huanqing, looking at him with a rather serious gaze after listening to him. Fang Ren, catching the beautiful eyes of Mu Huanqing trained on him, felt embarrassed instead of appreciative. The look in her eyes as a mother... always felt a bit off. Fang Ren felt that her gaze carried a bit of misunderstanding, so he quickly exined the concept of fidelity in this "fiancee" rtionship to her in detail. After hearing his exnation, Mu Huanqing thought there was nothing strange about it. Bai Qi, having been influenced by her family''s ideology from a young age, would believe that if one of the two engaged persons became too intimate with another of the opposite sex before the engagement was dissolved, it would constitute a betrayal. Furthermore, both were public figures of Tianjiang, and if they were to establish another romantic rtionship with someone else while still bound by an engagement, it would certainly reflect poorly on the other person. Mu Huanqing found it not difficult to understand Bai Qi''s perspective on this matter. "So when do you n to tell her about us?" Mu Huanqing asked. "I''ll exin it to her during the alchemypetition," Fang Ren said. "Song Mobei is also going to the finals, right? She wants to meet him. This way, I can properly guide her and help her let go of that concept." "What does Song Mobei going to the finals have to do with Xiao Qi?" Mu Huanqing failed to understand. "Don''t you know she likes Song Mobei?" Fang Ren asked. "Not really clear on that, but thest time she met me, she hadn''t even seen Song Mobei. Besides, it seems she went to the Tiandao Sword Sect for cultivationst year and studied Sword Dao there for three months. I guess that''s when it happened," said Mu Huanqing. "She told me this in person." "Well, since she likes Song Mobei, just take her to see him. But when she sees Song Mobei, make sure no one else sees, otherwise if others see her in an intimate rtionship with Song Mobei before your engagement is dissolved, they will definitely talk behind your back," Mu Huanqing said. "However, Xiao Qi probably has her own judgment on this; she wouldn''t want you to lose face because of her." "She''s clear on that," Fang Ren said. As they talked, the two walked back in the direction of the original restaurant. "Speaking of, when we''re at the finals, with both you and Song Mobei there, a lot of people will probably say you two are a perfect match, right?" Fang Ren said. "What, are you jealous?" Mu Huanqingughed as she hugged his arm. "How could I not be jealous? You are my wife," he replied somewhat seriously. Although saying it made him seem petty, since there really was no romantic connection between Mu Huanqing and Song Mobei, when ites to love, who can truly be magnanimous? Anyway, Fang Ren would certainly not take it well hearing others im his wife and another man were a match made in heaven. Moreover, at that time, he wouldn''t dare to publicly acknowledge his rtionship with Mu Huanqing. Other people would speak without restraint, leaving him feeling awkward, angry, and powerless. Mu Huanqing was well aware of these things. When the time came and remarks flew among the crowd, without any way for Fang Ren to silence the thousands, he would be in distress. Her beautiful eyes gazed at him intently, "How could I bear to see you wronged? Trust me, as long as I''m here, no one can hurt you, not even with words." Chapter 177: Chapter 175: Bai Qis Interrogation_1 Fang Ren suddenly reached out and stroked her silver hair as she spoke so seriously all of a sudden, and said with augh, "Silly girl, I was just getting jealous for no reason. Why are you taking it so seriously all of a sudden?" "No, I''m serious." Mu Huanqing said, "I heard from your conversation earlier that a lot of people were picking on you. Anyway, I can''t stand my man being bullied." "We still can''t go public with our rtionship," Fang Ren thought warmly. If their rtionship were to be public, it wouldn''t be long before the Central Area would take action, probably first trying to split them up through legitimate means. If those methods failed to separate him and Mu Huanqing, then maybe in two or three years, the Central Area might resort to force. Mu Huanqing nuzzled her head against his neck, her face brimming with happiness. She didn''t respond directly to the matter. "Oh, by the way, did you notice an old man secretly protecting Bai Qi when you came?" Fang Ren asked. Chen Cheng from the Bai Family had always been secretly protecting Bai Qi. Fang Ren wondered if the old man knew about his rtionship with Mu Huanqing. They had just been passionately kissing in the little park; had they been seen? Considering this, Fang Ren felt he was being paranoid. Chen Cheng was just a mid-term master of the Yingyue Realm; if he were to monitor Mu Huanqing, she would instantly detect it. "Are you talking about Grandpa Chen?" Mu Huanqing said. "Yes, that''s him. He didn''t see youing here, did he?" Fang Ren asked. "Nope." Mu Huanqing smiled and said, "When I saw him floating in the sky, I quietly knocked him out." "Huh?" Fang Ren was taken aback, "You just knocked him out?" He had considered that Mu Huanqing might do something to avoid Chen Cheng, but he didn''t expect her to use such a simple and straightforward method. "I had no choice. If he kept protecting Xiao Xi secretly, how could I go to Ah Ran? And just now, both of us in the park, we couldn''t let him watch us," Mu Huanqing said. "That''s my wife for you..." ------ ------ After leaving the park, Mu Huanqing temporarily parted ways with Fang Ren. After all, it wouldn''t be good if she was recognized while Fang Ren was going to see Bai Qi. When Fang Ren returned to the restaurant, he found that Bai Qi, the youngdy, was indeed still sitting at the table waiting for him. However, the scene was a bit amiss. Bai Qi was puffing her cheeks, tightly clutching a pair of chopsticks in both hands. She had already cleaned up all the dishes on the table. Her beautiful face was filled with an expression of anger... At first nce, it gave off the illusion that a resentful aura was burning around her. Seeing Bai Qi looking so peculiar, Fang Ren approached withrge beads of sweat on his face, looked at the empty tes on the table, and asked, "Is it ... that you haven''t had enough to eat?" When Bai Qi saw him return and blurt out without a second word, looking at the table and asking if she hadn''t had enough to eat, This remark was like a sharp needle, piercing straight into her heart, which was on the verge of exploding in anger, setting off the bomb that was already igniting in her chest. "Eat! All you know how to do is take me out to eat!" Smack¡ª Bai Qi''s chopstick snapped in hand, and he gritted his teeth, "Fools like you will never be able to chase after a girl!" "What?" Fang Ren was baffled; he genuinely didn''t understand how this princess''s brain worked, able to jump from eating to chasing girls. "Who was that woman just now? Give me a clear exnation!" Bai Qi demanded angrily, mming the broken chopstick onto the table. Her sudden outburst drew the attention of everyone in the restaurant, who then looked at Fang Ren with faces full of disdain, whispering and gossiping quietly among themselves. As for what they were whispering, it was nothing more thanbeling Fang Ren a heartbreaker and beginning to sympathize with Bai Qi''s ordeal. If it were before, when Fang Ren was unable to cultivate, that would have been that, but now, he could clearly hear every word spoken. "Haven''t I told you? She is a sister from my family n," Fang Ren said, his face covered in sweat. "Uncle Fang only has one son, which is you, and only one daughter beneath you; where did this sister spring from!" Bai Qi eximed furiously. "She''s my cousin, cousin," Fang Ren hurriedly corrected. "Cousin, huh," Bai Qi nodded, her expression suddenly serious, "Alright, tell me her name. I''m going to call someone and have them inquire at your Fang Family right now." "This... she is a distant cousin," Fang Ren said as he sensed the looming threat of exposure and quickly switched to Oscar Actor Mode, "You know, I''ve never had any affection for the Fang Family since I was young, even disliking any contact with them. If it weren''t for the fact that this cousin and I are distantly rted, I wouldn''t want to have anything to do with her at all." "Say her name, even if she''s a distant rtive, I want to check," Bai Qi insisted. Fang Ren waspletely dumbfounded, wondering just how devout the princess''s concept of "fianc¨¦ and fianc¨¦e" was. Why did he have to be investigated for merely speaking with another woman? Now, his rtionship with Bai Qi wasn''t that of a spouse, nor did they like each other, yet this girl was already policing her future husband so frequently. What would happen when they got married? He truly pitied the husband this girl would end up with... Fang Ren silentlymented in his heart. Though preupied with other thoughts, Fang Ren didn''t halt his verbal defense, "My cousin, her name is Yang Wenwen. It''s going to be difficult to investigate because the rtionship is so distant. If it weren''t for Uncle Han telling me about this distant cousin, I wouldn''t have known at all." "Yang Wenwen, is it?" Bai Qi opened her phone, typed three characters in her notepad, thenposed and sent a text message to a number. Finally, she lifted her head and red at Fang Ren, still angry, "I just don''t believe it. If she''s a distant cousin, then why didn''t she sit down and have a meal with us just now? And what do you need to talk about that can''t be said here and requires going outside?" Fang Ren was truly helpless, pping his forehead, "My princess, why do you have to meddle so much..." "I''m meddling?" Bai Qi retorted furiously, "Don''t forget you''re my fianc¨¦! What kind of behavior is it to flirt with other women outside? Do you even care about me at all?" "I''ve already said, she''s just a distant cousin..." "No, I don''t believe it!" "What''s the matter, is there no trust even between fianc¨¦s?" Fang Ren, seeing that she liked to bring up their betrothal, decided to tackle the issue from this angle. Chapter 178: Chapter 176: Half-Step Leisure Cloud Realm_1 "Trust is of course necessary, but you can''t give a clear reason, which is highly suspicious!" Bai Qi said earnestly. "Then let''s investigate, although it will probably take about ten days or so. Before we have a definite answer, you still have to trust me," Fang Ren said. "Ten days? It doesn''t take that long for the Bai Family to investigate someone, at most three or four days. If grandfather speaks on my behalf, we could even get the results today," Bai Qi said. "Three or four days, huh..." Fang Ren nodded, feeling that this timeline was quite good. By the time three or four days had passed, the finals would be taking ce, and there would be no need for secrecy. "What''s the matter, are you feeling guilty?" Bai Qi frowned and asked. Fang Ren replied with a slight smile on his face, "Of course not. Speaking of which, are you full yet? If not, we could order some more." "Hmph! I''m so full of anger I could burst!" As she said this, Bai Qi stood up, and the sight that had been blocked by the dining table now came into Fang Ren''s view. Bai Qi''s slender waist was overshadowed by her belly, which was bulging as if she were three or four months pregnant. "This... you''re okay after eating so much?" Fang Ren looked at her swollen belly and was utterly embarrassed. "This isn''t from eating; it''s from frustration!" Bai Qi immediately corrected him. "Alright, alright, whatever you say, you''re the boss..." After a smallmotion, Fang Ren hurriedly went to pay the bill and then quickly left the ce with Bai Qi, not understanding what had gotten into the girl as she seemed to pay no heed to her public image, with people around them staring continuously. It was only when Fang Ren saw the baseball cap firmly on her head that he had an epiphany. It was all because of the courage that the hat gave her; otherwise, given her personality, she would normally be very concerned with maintaining the "Bai Family Princess" image. After leaving the restaurant, Bai Qi was in no mood for shopping, mainly because her stomach was so full. She couldn''t use her True Qi right now, so she felt bloated and ufortable, not even wanting to walk. Eventually, Fang Ren found a hotel not too far from the Alchemist Guild and rented two rooms for a temporary stay. Bai Qi was so full she could barely move, flopping down onto the bed in her room without an ounce of energy to spare. Seeing her like this, Fang Ren thought about retrieving a pill from his Space Ring that could strengthen internal organs to give to her, but then he thought better of it, realizing she would just start interrogating him the moment she regained some energy, so he decided against it. After closing the door to Bai Qi''s room, Fang Ren returned to his own room to prepare for a breakthrough in his Realm. However, due to concerns that the shockwave from the breakthrough could damage the hotel, he summoned Xiao Yuan to help contain the shock. He had been holding back from breaking through his Realm for many days, feeling like a cannon loaded with gunpowder, just short of the spark needed to ignite. Sure enough, less than five minutes into his cultivation with his eyes fixed, the atmosphere around his body suddenly became turbulent. After a brief surge, all the energy rushed back into his body as if converging to a focal point where it was intenselypressed before exploding outward. The gray True Qi stormed around the room like a fierce wind while Xiao Yuan''s halo above its head projected the same gray aura, enveloping the walls and furniture of the room. Momentster, the True Qi inside Fang Ren settled down, gently hovering around his body, every bit firmly under his control. "This sensation... it doesn''t feel like the Peak of the Chongshan Realm," he muttered. Fang Ren opened his eyes, feeling the changes within his body, and couldn''t help but talk to himself. "Heiha Heiha!" Qianye retracted the aura around her and hopped to Fang Ren''s side, frantically gesturing with her hands and feet to convey her message. Watching her dance about, Fang Ren didn''t find it hard to guess what she was trying to say. After all, as his realm continued to rise, the spiritual connection he had established with Qianye was getting stronger. Sometimes, she just had to act cute and he would get the gist of it. "Half-step Leisure Cloud Realm?" Fang Ren nkly said, "You mean to say that I''m no longer within the Chongshan Realm, and with a bit more cultivation, I can step into the Xianyun Realm?" "Heiha Heiha!" Qianye nodded her head. "Once you start killing on the path of the Asura, the speed of cultivation is indeed fast," Fang Ren couldn''t help but let a slight smile curve his lips as he spoke to himself. "Heiha Heiha!" Seeing him smile, Qianye immediately tugged at his fingers and vigorously shook her head. "I''m not being arrogant; I''m just happy for a moment," Fang Ren exined after seeing her reaction. Qianye''s small round face still bore a look of concern as she then extended two branches from her head, and on one branch, she carved a long line of characters. Fang Ren leaned in to read them and soon felt a bit disheartened. "Aren''t you hitting me a bit too hard..." The message on the characters that Qianye carved conveyed that his cultivation speed was indeed very fast on Earth, but in other worlds, it wasn''t considered too fast¡ªjust average. Fang Ren learned about the existence of other worlds some time after Qianye took him on the path of the Asura. Qianye hadn''t described much about the outside worlds to him, so he didn''t have a clear concept of the cultivation speeds of beings from those worlds. But he knew that there were True Immortals, demons, monsters... many powerful things out there. However, to tout his cultivation speed, which he was very confident in, as only average in other worlds, was somewhat a blow to him. But he quickly adjusted his mindset and smiled, saying, "Never mind, never mind. Anyway, I don''t have any grand aspirations. I just want to live a simple life with Qing''er, as long as no onees to disturb us, that''s good enough." "Heiha..." After hearing his words, Qianye stared at him with a dazed expression, as if deep in thought about something. Thump thump¡ª At that moment, there came a sudden knock on the door. Fang Ren immediately gathered his True Qi and stepped off the bed, opening the door of the hotel room. As he opened the door, just as he expected stood Mu Huanqing, wearing a straw hat. She was dressed in a clean white gown, her hands gently held in front of her, and her lips curved into a faint smile. No matter how one looked at her, she didn''t seem like a General raging on the battlefield but rather like an elegantdy who had been nurtured in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting since childhood. Chapter 179: Chapter 177: The Colorful Little Guy_1 Mu Hui saw him open the door and directly pushed Fang Ren on the chest with her palm to enter, while her other hand closed the door behind her and locked it. "What''s wrong with you?" Fang Ren asked with a smile as he looked at her hand on his chest. "I feel that Ah Ran has just made another breakthrough." As Mu Huanqing spoke, she withdrew her palm from his chest and took off the straw hat on top of her head. Her white hair cascaded down,plementing her stunningly beautiful face, exuding an indescribable allure. "I only broke through less than three minutes ago. Have you been standing outside this whole time?" Fang Ren said. "Yeah, after Xiao Xi went back to his room to sleep, I wanted toe into your room, but you just closed your eyes and started to cultivate. And I could sense that your Realm was very unstable, showing signs of a breakthrough at any moment, so I didn''t disturb you," Mu Huanqing exined. "You could''vee in anyway; the little guy recognizes you," Fang Ren said as he pulled Qianye over to his side, pinching its little face with a smile. As soon as Mu Huanqing saw the adorable Qianye, she couldn''t help but pat its head with her palm andughingly said, "Does it always protect you like this during your breakthroughs?" "Hee ha hee ha!" Qianye nuzzled her hand with its face, showing off a silly grin. It seemed that ever since Mu Huanqing became pregnant, Qianye began to grow fond of her. She remembered that the first time they met, Qianye only liked to climb all over Fang Ren. "Yes, otherwise the walls around us might have been blown away during the breakthrough," Fang Ren said. "Speaking of which, right after I sensed your breakthrough, I felt an up-and-down fluctuation. It seemed like you were about to break through again," Mu Huanqing observed as she looked at him. Fang Renughed, "This little guy says I''m now at the Half-step Leisure Cloud Realm, so that''s probably why there''s a sense of fluctuation." "Half-step Leisure Cloud Realm?" Mu Huanqing was astonished again, "You''ve just broken through and you''re breaking through again, and to achieve two consecutive breakthroughs at this Realm?" "Can''t help it. Perhaps it''s just heaven''s pity for lovers in this world, wanting me to be with you," Fang Ren said. "It''s clearly your own exceptional talent, yet you won''t admit it," Mu Huanqing retorted with a nce. While they were talking, Qianye had already crawled onto Mu Huanqing''s abdomen, gleefully ''hee-ha-ing'' non-stop towards it. "What''s going on with it?" Mu Huanqing watched, dumbfounded, as Qianye crawled on her belly. After listening to the little guy for a while, Fang Ren spoke with a smile, "It''s talking to our child." "Really?" Mu Huanqingughed, holding Qianye tenderly in her palms. Its cuteness hadpletely won her over. "Hee ha hee ha?" Held by Mu Huanqing, Qianye kept gazing at her belly, still uttering iprehensible words. "It really is talking to the child." Mu Huanqing looked at such a spirited little creature and her fondness only grew. Hum¡ª Just then, a faint and colorful light emerged from Mu Huanqing''s belly, unraveling gently like a ribbon. Both were stunned by the sight; the aura was neither Mu Huanqing''s nor Fang Ren''s, but originated from a third life. Yet it was just a fetus of over a month old, and ording to the human fetal form, at this stage, the fetus might still just be a clump of blood. Although it already bore life, it had not truly shaped up, so how could it emit energy? As the two of them stood in amazement, the weak colorful light converged into a bean-sized orb of light in Mu Huanqing''s palm. "This is..." "Hee ha hee ha!" Qianye hurriedly sat down beside the colorful bean, wearing a na?ve smile as it observed the tiny orb. Whoosh¡ª Suddenly, the five-colored light on the bean dispersed, and something smaller than a bean was lying in Mu Huanqing''s palm. Upon closer inspection, they discovered that the little creature was remarkably simr to Qianye. It had a bodyprising six spherical parts: one for the head, four representing limbs, and thest one being the torso. However, unlike Little Qianye, this little fellow was not gray but multicolored, and its size was extremely, extremely small. Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing just stared nkly, without any movement for the moment. "Wowya... The multicolored little one made a very faint and adorable sound, as tiny as a mosquito''s buzz. "Heiha heiha!" Little Qianye gently picked up the multicolored little one with its two round spherical arms, and a gray aura burst from the gray halo atop its head into the multicolored little one''s body. "Wowya!" All of a sudden, the multicolored little one seemed to be filled with vitality, its very, very small face sporting a smile sillier than Little Qianye''s. Hum¡ª Subsequently, a silver halo began to gather above the head of the multicolored little one, just like the gray halo above Little Qianye''s head, not connected to the scalp but hovering in midair. "Nine Heavens Immortal Qi!" As soon as Mu Huanqing saw the halo above the little one''s head, she waspletely stunned; this multicolored little one actually bore the scent of her Spiritual Root. "Spirit Form? What... What''s going on?" Fang Ren was even more bewildered. The fetus wasn''t even properly formed yet, so how did it suddenly possess a Spirit Form? "Heiha heiha!" Little Qianye held the multicolored little one with its two round spherical arms and carried it closer to Fang Ren''s face, its mouth continuously making happy chirping noises. "This¡­" Fang Ren looked puzzled and cautiously extended his hand to catch the bean-sized multicolored little one, afraid that it might fall and get hurt. The moment he touched the multicolored little one, he felt a very strong sense of closeness in his heart, as if it were a part that had separated from his own body, a feeling almost identical to the one he had for Little Qianye. "Wowya..." This multicolored little one, like Little Qianye, enjoyed shouting, its face wearing a silly smile as it continuously rubbed Fang Ren''s palm with its head, looking incredibly endearing. "What''s going on here..." Fang Ren became more and more bewildered. "Heiha heiha heiha!" At that moment, Little Qianye extended two branches from the top of its head, and on one branch, it carved a line of characters. Both Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing were stunned after looking at the characters. The meaning conveyed in Little Qianye''s characters was exactly the same as what they had just guessed: this multicolored little bean was, unbelievably, the Spirit Form within Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing''s child! "But the child has not even taken human form yet..." Mu Huanqing said, dumbfounded. "Heiha heiha!" Little Qianye carved another line of characters on a piece of paper, suggesting that a powerful Spirit Form would be born at the moment of life''s inception, emerging with its master to ensure their safety. The two looked at the characters carved by Little Qianye, then at the multicolored little one in Fang Ren''s palm, their hearts filled withplete awe. If what Little Qianye said was true, then this multicolored little one was far stronger than the Spirit Forms of both Mu Huanqing and Fang Ren. After all, when Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing were born, they did not have Spirit Forms, and it was only after growing slowly that their Spirit Forms gradually emerged and awakened. However, at this time, the awe in Fang Ren''s heart was definitely much greater than that in Mu Huanqing''s. After all, he knew well the wonders of Little Qianye. If this multicolored little one was even stronger than Little Qianye, then what abilities might it possess? Treesden with fruit? Ready for the master to pluck at will? That would be a bit too miraculous, wouldn''t it? Such things shouldn''t be possible... right? Chapter 180: Chapter 178: Feeling Guilty?_1 "Wow..." While the two were in a daze, the tiny, colorful creature perched in Fang Ren''s palm, norger than a grain, called out again and slowly crawled toward Mu Huanqing. Mu Huanqing carefully reached out to pick it up and found it was affectionately rubbing its cheek against her. Fang Ren lifted little Qianye again, looking puzzled as he said, "Why did you call it out so early?" "Hee-haw, hee-haw!" With a flurry of dancing and waving, little Qianye wrote its message on its own branch, leaving Fang Ren perplexed once he read it. The message from little Qianye was that it saw Fang Ren seemed eager to meet the child sooner, so it had drawn out the Spirit Form. As long as the Spirit Form matured early, the little master would grow faster, and the child could be born in just a few months. "Growing faster... won''t this affect Qing''er and the child?" Fang Ren couldn''t help but express his concern. "Hee-haw, hee-haw!" Little Qianye shook its head, then wrote many words on its arm, which assured Fang Ren after he read them. After a while, little Qianye transferred some energy to the colorful little creature. Eventually, the little one managed to stand up unsteadily, like a child just learning to walk. Mu Huanqing''s face blossomed into a smile as she saw the blue little creature stand, as if she was watching her future child learn to walk. Whoosh¡ª The colorful little creature didn''t sustain itself for long, seeming tired, it yawned in Mu Huanqing''s palm and then transformed into a bundle of colorful light that flew into Mu Huanqing''s lower abdomen. Watching the colorful little creature disappear, Fang Ren''s face held a reminiscent smile as he said, "Just now, I felt like I saw our child." "I had the same feeling," Mu Huanqing nodded, then lifted her head and smiled, "By the way, what should we name our child?" "This... it''s not even born yet, we''re not sure if it''s a boy or girl, let''s discuss it slowly after it''s born." "No, I want to choose a name now." "You''re in such a hurry." ... The two bickered for a while, and little Qianye suddenly felt superfluous, muttering a "hee-haw" inint, then dissolved into a gray light and returned inside Fang Ren. In a beautiful world for two, time always flies fast. Saying sweet nothings, teasing each other, discussing the future... unconsciously it was evening. Bang bang bang¡ª Mu Huanqing was nestled in Fang Ren''s embrace when a sudden knock on the door came, and her smiling face instantly turned somewhat helpless. Without a doubt, they both guessed it must be Bai Qi, that girl. "Fang Ren! I''m hungry!" Just as they thought of her, they heard her voiceing from outside their room. Upon hearing the girl''s shout, Fang Ren was utterly embarrassed; didn''t she consider how much she ate at noon, having eaten until she looked pregnant, yet she was still hungry? "Wait for me a moment." Fang Ren let go of Mu Huanqing and walked to the door. He didn''t open it but spoke through the crack, "Bai Qi, well, I''m not very hungry right now, why don''t you eat something by yourself?" No sooner had his words fallen than Bai Qi''s indignant voice came through the door. "Ah? You''re telling me to eat by myself!" "What... what''s the matter?" Fang Ren was rather puzzled by her sudden anger. "Aren''t you worried I might get tricked by someone with just two lollipops? Plus, my Cultivation Level is sealed now; what if I encounter a thug on the street? Do you not care about your fianc¨¦e''s chastity at all!" Bai Qi shouted. Fang Ren had a headache listening to her; even though she was outside, her voice was too loud, and he figured the whole hotel corridor must be under her dominion by now. "It''s okay, isn''t Chen Cheng still by your side to protect you?" Fang Ren said. "I just called him, and he ignored me," Bai Qi replied. "Also, do you have to talk to me through a door?" Fang Ren was stunned, turned to look back at Mu Huanqing, and realized that Chen Cheng had not woken up since he had been knocked out earlier. Mu Huanqing saw him looking back and smiled awkwardly, then whispered, "I''ve suppressed his Divine Sense with True Qi; he probably won''t wake up until tomorrow morning." "This..." Fang Ren grimaced, about to have his sleep with his wife interrupted. "You go with her; I''ll wait for you here," said Mu Huanqing. "Fang Ren! What are you doing in there? Open the door already!" Bai Qi''s voice began to ring out again from outside: "Do you have another woman out there! Open the door for me!" Mu Huanqingughed after hearing this, turned into a silver light, and flew out of the window. Fang Ren watched her leave, his face flush with embarrassment; she was the rightful mistress, yet why did she have to sneak around? No, he would definitely have to hint to Bai Qi at dinner tonight that he genuinely didn''t like her and that the one he loved was already carrying his child. Turning around, Fang Ren opened the door only to see Bai Qi standing outside, wearing a peaked cap and looking up at him with an angry face. "Step aside!" Bai Qi, seeing the door open, didn''t utter another word and walked straight in, her face adorned with a vignt expression of catching a cheater, and she started searching every corner of the room. "What are you looking for?" Fang Ren said with an expression of helplessness on his face. Bai Qi ignored her, searching the entire room until even under the bed had been nced at, then he looked at Fang Ren seriously, "Tell me, who was the woman you were with just now, here in this room?" "What woman?" Fang Ren said as she sat on the bed, her face still wearing that helpless expression. Bai Qi pointed at the messy bed sheets and pillows and said, "The bed is such a mess, I don''t believe you did this alone." "That''s because my Realm had a breakthrough just now, my body was in pain, so I rolled around on the bed a few times," Fang Ren said. After hearing this, Bai Qi immediately picked up a pillow and sniffed it, his expression growing more serious, "Lies! There''s clearly another woman''s fragrance on the pillow!" "Ah? Her perfume scent is on me?" Fang Ren continued to y dumb, "No, that''s a crimemitted by your nose; you''ve made a mistake." "Still ying dumb, are you!" Angered, Bai Qi directly threw the pillow in his hand, his expression bing more and more enraged, "Why didn''t you tell me!" "Tell you what?" "About the other woman you have outside!" "There''s no one, the fragrance is just the hotel''s own, perhaps the staff waszy and thought this room wasn''t dirty, so they didn''t change the bed linen and pillows." Fang Ren said this out loud, but in his heart, he was again justifying to himself. Although there''s no woman outside, there is a wife at home. "Believe it or not, I''m going to ask to see the surveince right now," Bai Qi said with a serious look. "Huh?" Fang Ren was stunned, he had forgotten about that move. Mu Huanqing''s entrance just now would surely have been captured by the corridor''s surveince camera, and an investigation would blow his cover. "What huh? You''re already feeling guilty!" "No, it''s just... can you trust me a little more? Do I look like the kind of person who messes around before the marriage contract is dissolved?" "You''re still being obstinate!" The expression on Bai Qi''s face shifted from anger to a look of grievance as he turned his face away, refusing to look at him. Fang Ren, seeing that she wasn''t going to go out to check the surveince, probably meant to spare him some face. But Fang Ren couldn''t admit to it now. What he did wasn''t a betrayal. He and Mu Huanqing were together back when he had no idea about his fianc¨¦e. The word "betrayal" cannot be associated with him, and if he were to tell Bai Qi about his affair with Mu Huanqing now, who knows what the girl would do? If the old man from the Bai Family learns that his rtionship with Bai Qi has shattered and they can''t continue together, he fears that they would fasten him and Bai Qi together. Suddenly, Fang Ren was about to enter Oscar Actor Mode, about to y out a melodramatic scene. However, before he could speak, he heard Bai Qi, who was turned away from him, making a noise again. This time her voice was very aggrieved, filled with sorrow, with no trace of anger. "Why did you have to lie to me..." her voice was full of heartache. "I truly didn''t lie to you," Fang Ren said with a look of distress, "If you really want to check the surveince, let''s do it now, but this is a matter of trust. When you mentioned checking the surveince earlier, the reason I was taken aback was that I never expected you to distrust me so much." "Then how do you exin the scent in the room?" Bai Qi turned his head to look at him. Fang Ren pretended to be troubled and shook his head, "That I really don''t know." After hearing his words, Bai Qi looked sad and turned her eyes away from his face without saying another word. Seeing this, Fang Ren quickly intensified his acting. His expression suddenly became angry, and with a trace of annoyance in his voice, he said, "Aren''t you meddling too much?" Listening to his tone while speaking to her, Bai Qi was stunned, her gaze returning to Fang Ren''s face, only to see his furious expression. "We had an agreement that we couldn''t betray each other before the dissolution of the marriage contract!" Bai Qi said seriously. Fang Ren began, "First of all, besides you, no other woman has set foot in this room." But the wife did... Fang Ren paused for a moment and seriously continued, "Also, even if another woman did enter this room, why should you bother about it? I haven''t been with this woman publically, and no one knows about my rtionship with her." "We agreed before that: no cheating with someone of the opposite sex before the contract is dissolved, this rule exists for the face of both parties, in case one cheats during the marriage contract period, so the other won''t lose face and be the talk of everyone in Tianjiang," Fang Ren said, "You don''t even like me, so why care so much? I can be with whomever I want, as long as it isn''t seen, as long as it doesn''t make you lose face, then it adheres to our original agreement." "..." Listenting, Bai Qi was stunned, her mind seemingly nk, feeling as though she was pricked by something. Fang Ren didn''t stop speaking, he added one more sentence, "Of course, all the above are just assumptions; no other woman hase into this room." The wife doesn''t count! Seeing the dazed expression on Bai Qi''s face, Fang Ren felt his n to guide her thoughts was still feasible. His words had already switched the concept they''d initially agreed on regarding the contract. He reced the loyalty to the "marriage contract" with the so-called "public face." As long as Bai Qi epts his viewpoint, the next time she meets with Song Mobei, she''ll have many opportunities to pursue Song Mobei. In his view, the situation was perfect. Firstly, he didn''t admit that a woman had been in his room, and secondly, by using hypotheticals, he indirectly suggested that Bai Qi and Song Mobei could get emotionally closer without regard for the marriage contract. Chapter 181: Chapter 179: Unwilling to Admit_1 As Fang R''s words fell, Bai Qi''s gaze lingered on the g for a long time. The room was terrifyingly quiet, with time ticking away second by second. Fang R suddly felt a bit awkward, wondering if the girl had suddly be sane. If so, his indirect probing n would be ruined. The silcested so long that Fang R couldn''t help but want to break it, but just as he was about to speak, Bai Qi suddly turned a with her head lowered. "Let''s go eat¡­" she said softly. "..." Fang R looked at her shift from being angry to suddly falling silt and felt a bit unsettled, still unable to fathom what the imaginative girl was thinking. "Alright," Fang R nodded in agreemt. Bai Qi quickly left the room, and Fang R followed, taking out his room card to lock the door behind him. Walking behind Bai Qi, he couldn''t shake the feeling that she was too silt,pletely out of character. He wanted to ask her something but thought it would be better to wait until they were at the dining table. ... They arrived at another small restaurant where the dishes were already served. Bai Qi held her chopsticks but did not reach for any dish. Her whole face was covered by the visor of her cap, prevting Fang R from seeing ev the slightest glimpse of her expression. "What''s¡­ what''s wrong with you?" Fang R evtually couldn''t hold back and asked. "Nothing¡­" Bai Qi whispered faintly and th started to pick up food with her chopsticks and eat. Fang R felt baffled. This wasn''t the effect he had hoped for. Wasn''t it supposed to make Bai Qi suddly understand some things, and th redefine the terms of their marital agreemt with him? Why had the atmosphere be so heavy? ... Underneath the cap, Bai Qi''s face bore a vacant expression as she moved her chopsticks slowly and seemed lethargic while eating. Earlier at the hotel, Fang R''s sudd remarks made her realize a lot of things. "If you don''t like me, why bother so much?" This particr stce had struck her deeply. Right, she suddly realized she had be meddling too much. Why was she meddling in these matters? Wer''t these things of her concern? Was it out of loyalty to their marriage vow? But now, Fang R liked her, yet she didn''t reciprocate his feelings. She clearly didn''t like him, so why was she still interfering in his affairs? He wasn''t oply together with another woman, there was no loss of face for her. Speaking of marital loyalty, but her heart was elsewhere, while Fang R''s heart was with her. Though there were no actual deeds, anytime fidelity was mtioned, it was her mtal unfaithfulness that stood out. And because of Fang R''s words, she suddly realized ev more. For instance, during lunch today, wh a woman came looking for Fang R, she felt her reaction had be a bit too extreme. She had someone she liked and wanted to be with that person, but she only allowed herself to pursue a rtionship with the one she liked after her gagemt was annulled. Simrly, Fang R liked her, so he could also like someone else, right? All he had to do was not develop a rtionship with that woman before the annulmt, and he could like whoever he wanted. But her behavior at noon today was no longer just about restricting him from being involved with other wom; she had directly limited Fang R from liking other people. It was only at this momt that she suddly realized the problem and therefore wt over the evts of the lunch in detail, discovering many of her own actions that ev she couldn''t understand. For example, wh Fang R "acted out" in anger with her today, such behavior should only ur betwe two people who have feelings for each other, not betwe her and Fang R. Moreover, wh Fang R was acting out in anger, why did she go out of her way to coax him? To apany him shopping to rx? This was no longer about Fang R being aggrieved because of her arrival here, for which she wanted topsate. This matter was solely about the argumt betwe them, without any feelings of indebtedness mixed in. If Fang R''s feelings for her were unrequited, th she should have decisively rified their rtionship at lunch today; that would have be truly in Fang R''s best interest. So why did she choose not to speak out? Out of consideration for his feelings? Bai Qi thought back and realized that clearly wasn''t the reason. And wh that woman in the dress came in, why did she feel angry? What was wrong with Fang R going out to talk to another woman? Wasn''t that perfectly normal? In the d, wh Fang R left the restaurant, she ate a big meal by herself in a fit of sulk, ev overeating to the point of pain. Why did she do that? Was it because Fang R was unfaithful to their marriage, so she had to hurt herself? No, that wasn''t necessary. She didn''t like him, so she shouldn''t hurt herself over these things... It wasn''t until Fang R said that stce in the hotel that she suddly realized there was something subtle in her heart that she was unwilling to acknowledge. But undiably, she had developed a sse of possessivess toward Fang R. She wondered if she might be falling for this man, but th thought it impossible, as she clearly liked Brother Song. Yet, that would make all of her actions at lunch today inexplicable. If she didn''t like him, why did she coax him just because they had argued in anger, harm her own stomach because he wt out with another woman, or start angrily questioning upon smelling a trace of perfume in his room... Whether this was love or not, Bai Qi didn''t know, and she didn''t want to admit it. If it was love, th did she fall for two people at the same time? Was she a fickle woman? After much thought, Bai Qi had no appetite to eat again; she wanted to give up thinking about the problem, yet there was an unyielding feeling inside her that kept drawing her toward the issue, leaving no room to think about anything else. "I was just making an analogy earlier, and I might have spok in a bad tone because you made too much of a fuss, so I..." Seeing that she was silt the whole time, Fang R thought he had said something wrong at the hotel and quickly rattled off a few words to excuse himself. He rambled on for quite a bit, but Bai Qi on the opposite side still gave no response. The meal was eat in utter silce. After paying for the meal, Bai Qi didn''t say a word to him and wt straight back to her room and shut the door. Fang R was bewildered, unable to understand what the imaginative girl was thinking. "The ancits do not deceive me, a woman''s heart is like a needle in the ocean! Not a bit of a lie!" Muttering to himself, Fang R also returned to his room and closed the door. Meanwhile, inside the room, Mu Huanqing had already be sitting by the bed for some time. Chapter 182: Chapter 180: Over and Over Again!_1 In the room, Fang R and Mu Huanqing had be intimate for a very long time, cherishing the little time they had together. Seeing that Mu Huanqing''s rest time was about to d, Fang R felt an immse reluctance in his heart. The time they spt together was just too short. For a couple in the heat of a romance, such brief counters were almost a luxury. Although they had met more times in the past few months than some long-distance couples, the point was, once separated, they couldn''t just sd a daily greeting or talk over the phone like ordinary lovers. Once apart, they would be in a state of nomunication. Before leaving, Mu Huanqing spoke, "Ah Ran, I heard from the gerals in the war zone that a major attack urred in the city where you study. All the investigators st by the Tianjiang died. You must be very careful and not y the hero wh countering danger. Protecting yourself is most important." Fang R nodded seriously on the surface, but inside he felt no ripples; after all, one-third of the people in that investigation group had be killed by him during the incidt at Linglong Bay. "Of course, I know that. If something like that happs again, I definitely won''t recklessly rush in to save people," said Fang R. "After all, I have to think about you and our child." Mu Huanqing saw his serious promise and hugged him with a smile, "It''s really good that you think this way. Although I, as a human geral, should see saving others'' lives as my duty, I do not wish for you to do the same. Your cultivation talt is high, but you ar''t that strong yet. I''m afraid something might happ to you." "Alright, don''t worry. I''m quite selfish, and there''s no way I would sacrifice myself for others," Fang R said with augh. "Just keep kidding yourself. Don''t I know you?" Mu Huanqing gave him a look, "With your personality, if someone calls out to you for help, you will definitely run to the rescue." "That... depds on the situation. I definitely won''t just go in and get myself killed," Fang R said awkwardly. "Also, there''s something else: you must never reveal your cultivation level," Mu Huanqing said seriously. "This attack was initiated by the Nightfall Organization. Their goal was to turn some cultivators into monsters that could serve their organization through experimts. But theyck some of the technical expertise for the experimts, so they chose to hijack the talts from a Tianjiangb to help them perfect the experimts, leading to that attack. Just remember, if you stay at school as a mortal, the Nightfall Organization won''t capture you, and it will be rtively safer." The seriousness on Mu Huanqing''s face made Fang R''s heart grow heavy. Turning ck into ! But it wasn''t Mu Huanqing''s fault; it was Ctral Area that twisted the facts. Ever since Ctral Area released the news, everyone on the outside believed it without doubt, let alone Mu Huanqing, a geral from Ctral Area. Naturally, she would choose to trust the information released by Ctral Area. However, from Mu Huanqing''s words, Fang R could confirm that not ev gerals like Mu Huanqing were aware of the existce of Indra Sky, aside from certain big shots and the Tianjiang Investigation Group. It seemed that some people in Ctral Area were very afraid of exposing the true nature of Indra Sky to the public, giv their inhumane methods. With countless gerals and warriors below, there were definitely many who opposed them. Thus, as long as the true appearance of Indra Sky was revealed to some of the great gerals, the hearts of Ctral Area''s people would naturally divide. Th, the Nightfall Organization would find it much easier to deal with some of the rulers. Although he had many thoughts in his heart, Fang R still kept a smile on his face, "You know I''ve always liked to keep a low profile. I only reveal my cultivation level in front of people I know well." "Ah Ran is discreet, indeed, but sometimes too kind," Mu Huanqing said. "Don''t worry." After a final bout of affection, Mu Huanqing once again sured herself with a silver aura, which transformed into her battle armor. The Silver Wheel behind her continuously emitted a holy light, floating and spinning in mid-air. Watching her don the sacred battle armor again, Fang R couldn''t help feeling down, "I suddly feel so powerless." "What''s wrong?" Mu Huanqing saw the sudd sadness on his face, stopped her steps to leave, and hugged him again, "Ah Ran, you have much more talt than I do, how can you speak of being powerless?" Fang R shook his head, his voice very low, "Other m''s wives spd their pregnancy at home, resting and joying their best days, with their husbands'' wholehearted care, but you have to rush to the battlefield, fighting against those powerful monsters... and I, now I don''t ev have the ability to marry you and bring you home, let alone give you a peaceful vironmt for the pregnancy, to live peaceful days." Mu Huanqing listed to his words, and her beautiful eyes trembled slightly. Following that, some emotions inside her heart suddly became agitated. She held Fang R''s hands ev tighter, and her facial expression also became veryplex. As this emotional surge welled up, she didn''t know what words to use to express herself. "Ah Ran..." She buried her face in Fang R''s neck, softly calling out to him. "Hmm," he replied, his mood low. "Thank you for everything in the past, they led me to you," Mu Huanqing whispered. "What''s wrong?" Fang R touched her head. "I suddly feel that not having missed you is my greatest fortune in three lifetimes." "But I hav''t done well, I can''t ev make you happy in some trivial matters..." "Meeting you is already my greatest happiness," Mu Huanqing shook her head and continued in a soft voice, her face buried in his neck, "The little happiness that I don''t have, I don''t care about, but I didn''t expect that this little happiness, in your eyes, you care so much about it, ev to the point that you feel so sad because I hav''t got it." "This is what you should have..." Fang R said. "It''s okay, as long as I can be with you, as long as I can safely give birth to our little one, ev if it means going to the Void Hole, I would be willing to exterminate all the Void beasts," Mu Huanqing said seriously, word by word. Fang R suddly clched his teeth, theplexity and intsity of his emotions reaching a peak. All she wanted was to be with him, to safely have a child with him, to lead an ordinary life. It was that simple! Why wouldn''t the world allow it! Damn it! It was because his cultivation level was progressing too slowly, too slowly! And because of that, she had to go to the battlefield ev while pregnant! At this momt, a towering wave of murderous aura spread from his heart, likeyers of ckness traveling through his body, and began to corrupt his heart, from the outside to the inside, turning itpletely ck. Time and again, these situations made him realize his own weakness. Time and again, wh he was satisfied with his cultivation talt, simr situations happed again and again, making him set ev higher standards for himself, higher and higher. He had to be ev faster, ev faster! Sev years? No, that won''t do. Now, he wanted to give his woman a quiet ce to rest well in the few months before childbirth, not to fight on the battlefield. Chapter 183: Chapter 181: The Pill Competition Begins (Transition, Selective Viewing)_1 Time trickled by, and there were less than twty minutes until Mu Huanqing''s rest period ded. During this time, the two of them had be siltly embracing each other, standing there. Fang R suddly spoke very little, while Mu Huanqing said many words tofort him. "Once the alchemypetition is over, I will leave school," Fang R said. "Why do you suddly want to drop out?" Mu Huanqing was startled. "To focus on cultivation, I will not dy a single day in marrying you if I can do it ev one day earlier," Fang R said. "Don''t put so much pressure on yourself, I have already said that I will handle this matter. Ah Ran, don''t overthink it," Mu Huanqing said with a smile. "If they disagree with us being together wh the timees, I can abandon my cultivation level and we can live a life together raising childr." "..." Fang R really wanted to tell her that this matter was far moreplicated than she imagined, but ultimately, he didn''t speak. It wasn''t her burd to bear, but his to overturn. As time grew increasingly urgt, their farewells were brief. Mu Huanqing transformed into a streak of silver light and disappeared from the room, and Fang R oped the window of the inn, looking into the distant sky, his eyes bing lifeless. That night, he suffered from insomnia and cultivated through the tire night. The next morning, the aura a Fang R had undergone subtle changes. He had used just one night to advance his realm from the Half-step Leisure Cloud Realm to the initial stages of the Leisure Cloud Realm. Since Qianye said that his cultivation speed would only be considered average in other worlds, that meant he had a huge pottial for growth. His pace of cultivation could still be faster, fast ough to rival the talts of certain worlds. After finishing his cultivation, Fang R checked the time. It was time to get ready for the alchemypetition¡ªthere was half an hour left before thepetition vue would close. He washed up quickly and th wt to knock on Bai Qi''s room. Knock, knock, knock¡ª A few knockster, about t seconds passed before Bai Qi, still wearing the same clothes as yesterday and that duckbill cap, oped the door and walked out. She kept her head down from the momt she stepped out the door. The long bill of the cap concealed her tire face, and Fang R couldn''t tell what her mood was, but he ssed from the familiarity betwe them that Bai Qi''s spirits were very low, simr to how she was the previous night at dinner. "What''s wrong with you?" Fang R, seeing her continuous downcast demeanor and theck of her usual vivacity, couldn''t help but ask. "It''s nothing, let''s head to thepetition vue," Bai Qi said as she pulled out her room key, locked the door, and walked past Fang R toward the inn''s elevator. Fang R watched her do this and immediately followed. Since the girl didn''t want to talk about it, th he would try not to press the issue. Ev now, he still felt that the words he had spok in the roomst night were not wrong. ... After leaving the inn, the two grabbed something to eat on the street before heading to the Alchemist Guild vue in Lan Bamboo. The day''s alchemypetition was a sectional match, which meant there were no limits on the number of people who could ter the vue. In other words, whether one understood alchemy or not, everyone was eligible to watch thepetition. ``` Fang R had just arrived at the trance of the Alchemist Guild with Bai Qi wh he saw a crowd of elderly m and wom, along with many unrted personnel, taking photos with their phones from a distance. "Please, all studts, gather in front of your respective school''s banner! Please, all studts..." No sooner had they tered the vue than they heard the voice of the Sevth Elder echoing throughout the Alchemist Guild. At that time, studts from several other aristocrat schools had already arrived early, shedding their spldid school uniforms for robes of various colors, which, at first nce, looked somewhat like a doctor''s coat. But here, these garmts symbolized professionalism, etiquette, and seriousness... Aside from changing clothes, the noble studts also carried various tools for alchemy. Although it was possible to take the exam without bringing anything, most of the studts brought their personal Pill Furnaces. To studts, familiarity with their own Pill Furnace was critical; switching to an unfamiliar one could pottially impact the final oue of their alchemy. Fang R and Bai Qi hadn''t prepared any of these things at all. They were still wearing their school uniforms, and they hadn''t brought any equipmt, just as all the otherpetitors had brought their own Pill Furnaces. "That guy must be here forughs, right? Attding the alchemypetition without ev preparing his own Pill Furnace, is he really here for alchemy?" "I think he''s just giv up on himself. He''ll probably forfeit right away, or else he''ll shamelessly try to perform alchemy, but that will only invite ev more severe humiliation." "Oh my, the attdant beside him is the real highlight, isn''t she? You could forget everything else, but you must carry an attdant to show off, that''s really hrious." "That woman wears a duckbill cap every day, acting like she''s afraid to show her face. Just how ugly must she be?" ... As Fang R and Bai Qi took their ces in front of the school''s banner, the whispers a them began to circte once more. However, Fang R didn''t care about that. He just wanted to get the alchemypetition over with and return to continue his cultivation. Besides cultivation and Mu Huanqing, he didn''t want to think about anything else. He aimed to create a tranquil ce for Mu Huanqing to give birth to their child before it was born. Bai Qi was unusually quiet that day. Ev hearing Fang R being mocked, she didn''t react excessively, such as almost throwing her hat or using her status to teach these so-called nobles a lesson. She just stood there siltly, not saying a word. Fang R didn''t have the mind to try to understand the thoughts of this imaginative girl. He had really tried before, but no matter how hard he thought, he could never grasp ev the tip of the iceberg of the script in the girl''s mind. "You low-quality studts, shut up!" Before the two of them had said anything, the Sevth Elder, standing in the middle of the field, erupted in anger. He roared into the microphone in his hand, "I''ve already stated yesterday that talt is important, but effort is ev more so, and character quality is crucial! A studt without character quality will surely not contribute much to society in the future! During theing exam, if I hear anyone speak out of turn, I will immediately disqualify them! I have that right!" Listing to the Sevth Elder''s sudd outburst of rage, a group of nobles was stunned. What''s with the Sevth Elder? Was he having a sudd fit again? Yesterday he only talked about the importance of effort; he didn''t say anything about character quality problems. Howe today, any issue with character quality could lead to disqualification from thepetition? Isn''t that a bit too severe? ``` Chapter 184: Chapter 182: The Young Master of My House is Just Low-key_1 The Sevth Elder, standing in the cter of the ara, appeared asposed as an old dog on the surface, but inside, he was in a panic. These aristocratic studts simply had no regard for their lives, oply saying to her face that the princess was ugly¡ªhow suicidal could they get? Seeing that the tire sce suddly quieted down, the Sevth Elder nced side-eyed towards Bai Qi''s direction, noticing that the princess did not make any moves, which somewhat settled his heart before he proceeded to deliver a lgthy discourse on the issue of manners. Fang R stood still in his original spot and did not say anything to Bai Qi; after all, ev if he did speak, the girl would most likely ignore him, so he simply closed his eyes and siltly resumed cultivating his soul force with his mind''s eye. However, just as he oped his mind''s eye, he noticed amongst the crowd of onlookers not far away, a shining soul, whose brilliance was much weaker than Bai Qi''s, but who was presumably of the Yingyue Realm, also a very top-level powerhouse. And next to this person of the Yingyue Realm stood another soul he was very familiar with, whose realm resided in the Azure Sky Realm. Ssing this, Fang R oped his eyes and looked towards the crowd of onlookers nearby, only to see an elderly man in a robe standing on the spectator''s tform¡ªit was other than Lin Bozhong. The elixirpetition was not like a high school examination that required strict seclusion of the vue; here, spectators were allowed, of course, but they also must respect the order and rules of the examination area. Most who came here were either headmasters or the parts of some aristocratic studts, as well as influtial local figures. Upon seeing Lin Bozhong, Fang R noticed he wasughing and talking with an older man in brown attire next to him¡ªthe soul force of the Yingyue Realm he had just ssed was obviously emanating from this older man in brown. In this ce, able to converse with Lin Bozhong in such a manner and with such a high realm, Fang R casually guessed the idtity of the old man¡ªit was evidtly the Bai Family''s Ch Chg. Though Lin Bozhong was all smiles on one side, Ch Chg had a troubled frown on his face; he was probably puzzled about being knocked unconscious the day before. ... "Young Brother Lin, are you sure no suspicious characters appeared a the princess after I was knocked unconscious yesterday?" Ch Chg asked with a baffled expression. "Brother Ch, are you really not joking with me?" Lin Bozhong asked with a helpless smile and shook his head: "At your level, who could knock you out without you noticing?" "Of course it''s true!" Ch Chg''s frown deeped: "I''m baffled too. I don''t know what happed. I just suddly fell, and wh I woke up, it was already the early hours." "This..." Lin Bozhong''s face also became a bit more serious as he said, "But someone who could knock you out without your awaress must be at least of the Xuanyang Realm, right? What would someone of the Xuanyang Realm gain by knocking you out? You didn''t lose anything, and both the princess and Young Master Fang are safe and sound." "That''s why I''m ev more puzzled! That''s why I came to ask you if there were any suspicious characters a them yesterday," Ch Chg said. "Ah, there really wer''t any." Lin Bozhongughed and said, "Brother Ch, could it be that you''ve had some fluctuations in your cultivationtely, perhaps approaching a breakthrough? Maybe no one knocked you out, but your realm''s instability affected your spirit." Lin Bozhong''s face bore a smile, but inwardly... he was smiling too. The person responsible for incapacitating Ch Chg yesterday¡ªhe was very clear about it. To knock him out without his knowledge and without causing harm would require strgth of at least the mid-phase of the Xuanyang Realm, if not higher. However, for someone like Mu Huanqing, who was at the peak of the Xuanyang Realm, such a feat would be child''s y. Of course, Lin Bozhong wouldn''t tell him that Madame Xuan had visited yesterday and had spt at least nine hours in a hotel room with his family''s young master. Looking at the elder butler of the Bai Family before him, a powerful figure in his own right, with an expression of doubt about life, Lin Bozhong couldn''t help wanting tough. "That''s impossible, my realm has be very stabletely..." Ch Chg supported his chin with one hand, his face full of bewildermt. "Th this matter is unexinable. Surely it''s not possible that some supreme powerhouse suddly took a malicious pleasure in knocking you out for fun," Lin Bozhong said. "This is going to be the death of me," Ch Chg continued to doubt his life while Lin Bozhong nced at Fang R standing inside the ara, his heart filled with slight helplessness. One wonders how long Madame Xuan and Young Master Fang''s ndestine affair can dure, giv that Princess Bai Xi and Young Master Fang are only two years away from graduation, and marriage will surely embark upon its journey. On the other hand, with Madame Xuan being three years older than Young Master Fang, the urgcy is bound to be ev greater. Just as their conversation hade to a close, many of the aristocratic studts'' parts voiced their dissatisfaction with the Sevth Elder, who had be speaking on stage. "What''s wrong with the Sevth Elder of the Orchid Bamboo Guild today? He''s be droning on and on, just going on about quality, quality. Is it necessary to mtion those two from Mediocre University like that?" In the spectator stands, a middle-aged man, garbed in spldid attire, expressed his displeasure. "Exactly, our childr are here topete, not to list to him preach about the grand principles of life. Isn''t he just a proctor? Do our childr need his guidance?" scoffed a fashionably dressed woman with a look of disgust. "It was already shameful ough for those two inadequate studts from low-ranking universities toe here and lose face. In this day and age, they have no sse, nor do they consider who they''re up against before daring to show up. They''re simply bringing humiliation upon themselves! What''s wrong with calling them out?" ... Above in the spectator stands, some disruptive noises erupted from the parts of the aristocratic youths. Of course, many aristocrats remained silt. In their view, only those who have weathered experice are suited to their status. If the Earth''s aristocrats were all like those few causing a ruckus, the Earth would have no future. The discordant voices a him evidtly tered Ch Chg''s ears without missing a beat. He hadn''t erupted in anger previously wh the noble youths insulted Bai Qi because the Sevth Elder had verbally scolded and educated them. Moreover, the Princess did not wish to expose her idtity, which is why he had refrained from anger. But now, this group of aristocrats in the spectator seats had directly raged him. Did they think they had the right to insult the Princess? "This bunch of social trash! How did they ev ascd to the upper echelons of society!" Ch Chg, seething with anger, was about to mobilize his True Qi to haul an aristocrat onto the stage to make an example. Next to him, Lin Bozhong quickly grabbed his arm, saying, "Brother Ch, with your status, why stoop to their level?" "The Princess has be insulted! How can I tolerate this!" Ch Chg frowned. "I can''t understand how you remain so calm, Young Master Fang, wh you''re the one being insulted. Why stop me?" Lin Bozhong replied, "Brother, if the Princess and Young Master Fang truly couldn''t bear it, they would have already revealed their idtities and pped these people''s faces. There must be a reason why they''re not gaging with these people. If you act now and expose their idtities abruptly, it won''t be good." "So what''s the differce if I act now or after the alchemypetition concludes, wh Young Master Fang fails to produce a potion and they both get ridiculed by this mob?" Ch Chg said. Upon hearing his words, Lin Bozhong showed a faint smile and said, "Just watch, Brother Ch. Young Master Fang will use his own way to p these people''s faces." Ch Chg furrowed his brow again, "I really don''t understand what you''re thinking." Having said that, he refrained from taking action, after all, the Princess had indeede out to dure hardships this time. If Fang R could protect her in the d, it would actually hance the rtionship betwe the two. That was what Ch Chg most hoped to see. "Our Young Master Fang is good at everything, it''s just sometimes he''s excessively low-profile," Lin Bozhong said with a smile. "Low-profile?" Ch Chg was puzzled. "Young Master Fang''s achievemts in alchemy don''t seem to be very promising..." "It''s normal to be modest." "Are you suggesting... that Young Master Fang''s alchemy talt far surpasses what I''ve se?" "Ah, Brother Ch, you''ve got it wrong. It''s not just far surpassing," said Lin Bozhong with a knowing smile. "It''s going to be a revolution!" Lin Bozhong wouldn''t dare to be certain about other things, but wh it came to Young Master Fang''s alchemy talt, he would bet his life on it. Young Master Fang definitely had the level of a Zone One Alchemist! Chapter 185: 183 Chapter: Will Our Relationship Change_1 "Subversion?" Ch Chg was stunned. The weight behind these two words was immse¡ªcould his understanding of alchemy be so easily subverted by a junior? Yet, on the other hand, Lin Bozhong was not one to make gless ims. If he was unsure, he would never say such things¡ªthat was impossible. Regarding this, Ch Chg maintained an attitude of half-belief, half-doubt. ... As the aristocratic scions and their parts in the stands began to chatter incessantly, some of the studts below, who considered themselves of no lesser status, also started to show their disdain. "Ha, for an elder of a first-ss Alchemy Guild to talk about elemtary-level topics at such an evt, how childish!" "How is society these days? Everyone knows it. Instead of spding so much effort stressing about all that superficial stuff, it would be better to think how to make people speak of my household''s contributions, a distinguished name for thousands of years." "If I believed what he said, th I might as well have lived all these years in vain. What''s the use of high quality if it''s not about strgth being supreme? A Xuanyang Realm master could say anything distasteful, and you have no right to resist¡ªdo you talk about quality with such a person?" ... Sevth Elder''s face grew more and more livid as he listed to some of the aristocrats'' words. The reason he had said all that was for their own good. If they truly angered the princess of the Bai Family or Young Master Fang of the Fang Family, any of the families could wreak havoc on them all. Fine, since they wished to court death themselves, he certainly couldn''t stop them. He did what he had to do. As for the princess and Young Master Fang, he had already maxed out their goodwill towards him. In any case, he had nothing to lose. "Elder, thepetition time has arrived; distribute the medicinal ingredits," said Ah Si, who was also standing in the cter of the ara. Seeing the Sevth Elder being rebuffed by a group of aristocrats, he felt secretly pleased, but on the surface, he ran over earnestly and reminded the Sevth Elder to watch the time. The Sevth Elder nced at Ah Si with some disdain. This fellow, although talted in Alchemy, was petty-minded and overestimated his abilities¡ªhis achievemts in life would not be very high. Ignoring Ah Si, the Sevth Elder continued, "Due to the withdrawal of arge number of studts from two universities, we will reduce the original five s ofpetition to four. The first three s will determine some superiorpetitors to participate in the fourth , evtually selecting five to ter the finals¡­" "As for other matters, I have already spok yesterday. Today, I will not repeat them here. I hope everyone is clear on that," emphasized the Sevth Elder, th added, "Thepetitors for the first three s will be determined by drawing lots. There is no restriction on the range of elixirs and methods of refinemt. Whoever can produce the highest quality elixir in the shortest time will be the victor. Of course, any form of cheating by thepetitors in the ara is strictly prohibited." The reason he specifically mtioned petitors" wh referring to cheating was that he felt the princess and Young Master Fang were merely there to observe, thus not included among thepetitors. After briefly mtioning other matters, the Sevth Elder waved his hand grandly, "Now, each school''s studts called by name, go to your campus''s signpost to draw lots and write the names of the required medicinal ingredits on the back of your lot." As the Sevth Elder''s voice fell, the invigtors in front of each school began to call names. At Yangming University, there was only Fang R, so the invigtor didn''t ev call out. He just ced a box for drawing lots in front of him and th immediately left. Watching the invigtor''s dismissive departure, Fang R didn''t bother with it and instead stepped forward, reaching into the box to randomly grab a piece of paper. ncing at the number on the paper, he was in the first . He th quickly took the lot and a p nearby, swiftly writing down the names of eight medicinal ingredits. Just as he was about to ce the paper with ingredits writt on it onto the table, Bai Qi suddly came over and grabbed his hand. "What''s the matter with you?" Fang R asked, looking at her. Bai Qi shook her head slightly, "Let''s withdraw." Fang R was tak aback, thughed, "What are you talking about? We''vee this far." After speaking, he put the paper on the table and walked towards where he had be standing before. Bai Qi stayed by the table, looking down at the ingredits he had writt. Th her brow furrowed and she turned, running after him. "What exactly are you trying to do?" Bai Qi asked in an utterly bewildered tone, "The ingredits you listed are all for making a Fourth-order elixir. Surely you''re not so tant about cheating, right?" Fang R froze; the girl had be silt before, he wondered why she suddly became like this. "No need¡­" Bai Qi shook her head again, her voice low, "I won''t go, I don''t want to anymore, let''s go back, okay?" Fang R sounded somewhat helpless, "I''ve told you, I''m not going to cheat. Can you believe me a little?" Bai Qi shook her head, "No, I''d rather just go back with you and attd school properly. I don''t want to face Brother Song." "Why all of a sudd you don''t want to see him?" Fang R really couldn''t understand her, and quickly said, "Don''t think too much. The main reason I took part is not purely to help you; I have my own things I want to do." Bai Qi lowered her head in silce for a while before speaking as if after much consideration, "You said, if wee back from the finals, our rtionship won''t ever be as good as it is now, will it¡­" Fang R didn''t expect her to switch to this topic so suddly. After being silt for a bit, he wanted to say yes, but just at that momt, an invigtor had already tak his lot and was approaching from the signpost area. Bai Qi, with her back to the signpost, couldn''t see the approaching invigtor, only the silt Fang R. His expression,nding in her eyes, was the aftermath of the turmoil following a conversation they had the night before. "What are you messing a with!" The invigtor walked over furiously, holding the piece of paper and shouted, "If you don''t want to participate, just withdraw! Don''t cause trouble here!" Bai Qi, already in a bad mood, heard someone yelling behind her and turned a to retort angrily, "Don''t interrupt me!" The invigtor was stunned. A studt from Mediocre University dared to speak to him like that? The invigtor immediately replied with anger, "Believe it or not, I will disqualify you right now¡­" He hadn''t finished his stce wh the Sevth Elder suddly appeared in front of him, grabbed him, and said with a furrowed brow, "Give me the lot, step back." "Sevth Elder, these two studts are clearly just here to cause trouble!" the invigtor protested with a frown. "I told you to step back!" The Sevth Elder snatched the lot from his hand, his voice growing increasingly displeased. Seeing this, the invigtor couldn''t understand what the Sevth Elder was trying to do, but since the Sevth Elder had spok, he could only shut up and step down. Chapter 186: Chapter 184: Where Can the Fang Family Save Their Face_1 The examination hall was suddly thrown into a stir, naturally attracting everyone''s atttion. "Who knows what mischief that low-ability studt from Mediocre University is up to this time, as if it wasn''t embarrassing ough already?" "Probably just scribbled down a bunch of herb names, doesn''t ev have a clue about the most basic ingredits." "I don''t ev feel like mocking this kind of person. Annoying, trying to attract atttion without the skills?" ... The proctor who had just be scolded by the Sevth Elder to leave returned to the cter of the ara, and Ah Si immediately sidled up to him. "What happed?" Ah Si asked, lookingpletely unbothered by themotion. "That brat from Mediocre University actually wrote down the ingredits for a Fourth-Order Sev-Star Pill, utterly ignorant of his ce!" The proctor said disdainfully. Upon hearing this, Ah Si nced at the Sevth Elder not far away, seemingly surmising something, and a sneer appeared on his face, but he said nothing. The Sevth Elder, who wasn''t far away, looked at the line of herbs writt on the drawing paper; his brows furrowed involuntarily, th he looked helplessly at Fang R. This twty-something-year-old creating a fourth-order elixir, who would believe that? Ev giuses gifted with alchemy talt can only manage to refine high-order elixirs by the age of forty, and ev though he''s over sevty himself, he can only barely manage to refine third-order high-level elixirs. If Fang R were to refine a fourth-order elixir in such a public setting, nobody would need to think twice¡ªit would definitely be cheating! "Young Master Fang, is this... not a bit too obvious?" The Sevth Elder''s face soured ev more. If you''re going to cheat, why not do it more subtly? Why make it so tantly obvious? "Hm?" Fang R blinked, was refining a fourth-order elixir considered making a big fuss? He ev nned to save his fifth-order elixir for the finals as the finale; if he didn''t use a fourth-order now, was he supposed to save it for the New Year? "Sevth Elder, we forfeit." Before Fang R could speak, Princess Bai Xi immediately said. "This..." Theplexion of the Sevth Elder soured further. He had heard from the cter of the field that there had be a minor tiff betwe Fang R and Princess Bai Xi, with the princess insisting on forfeiting while Young Master Fang disagreed. "The decision is mine to make, as it is I who ampeting." Fang R nced at her and said, "Get the herbs based on my list." "But Young Master Fang, this really puts me in a difficult position," the Sevth Elder said with a troubled frown. "I''ll take all the responsibility wh the timees," Fang R dered. "What are you thinking!" Upon hearing that he intded to take all the responsibility onto himself, Princess Bai Xi felt ev more anger surging within her. Will this stubborn man ever understand that she, too, was terribly worried about him? "I''m just participating in the contest, what else could I do?" Fang R said, growing somewhat annoyed with her constant nagging. "Are you sick in the head!" Bai Xi eximed in frustration. She would never admit how worried she was about him, yet he couldn''t understand what she was feeling. She was furious; a maelstrom of emotions collided, resulting in her coarse outburst. Fang R could only shrug helplessly at her and th looked at the Sevth Elder once more, saying, "I am the one who ispeting, and I have already made my point clear. As a proctor, it is your job to report my chos herbs." After hearing this, the Sevth Elder had no choice but to nod his head, taking Fang R''s drawing slip and walking away. "Are you ev listing to me?" Princess Bai Xi frowned and asked. "Yes, but I''ve said my piece too, you just didn''t list," Fang R retorted, "I''ve already said I won''t cheat, so stop making wild guesses." After hearing this, Bai Qi was so angry that her chest heaved, "Suffer for all I care! I''m not dealing with you anymore!" Having said that, Bai Qi headed straight towards the audice stands outside. The several proctors in the cter of the ara didn''t stop her, since she had tered as an attdant; it was not her ce to be involved in thepetition. If she wished to help she could, if she didn''t want to, she had every right to step down. "Oh my, how embarrassing to make such a sce here, a young couple quarreling in front of a crowd. Are they trying to show off their love? Disgusting!" "After that woman took off her hat, nobody knows what she looks like, probably scary ough to keep you from eating for three days!" "Speaking of which, what''s with the Sevth Elder getting involved in a lovers'' quarrel?" ... Several aristocratic studts still uttered their snidemts. Up in the stands, Ch Chg and Lin Bozhong had yet to make a move, still absorbed in the exchange betwe Fang R and Bai Qi. What had they just said? Cheating? Fourth-order elixir? Ch Chg was confused and turned to Lin Bozhong, "Brother, is this the upheaval you told me about? Cheating to make a fourth-order elixir?" Lin Bozhong was also baffled. That didn''t make sse; Young Master Fang didn''t need to cheat to make a fifth-order elixir, so why would he need to cheat in such a minorpetition? "Brother Ch, there must be some misunderstanding," Lin Bozhong said with a frown, "Ev if it were possible to cheat, you still couldn''t produce a fourth-order elixir that way. It would definitely require a fourth-order elixir to swap with. Besides, every contestant was searched before tering, so how could cheating ur?" "Little brother, are you sure you''re not deceiving me?" "Brother! Honestly! Just wait until Young Master Fang starts the alchemy, and you''ll see, the cheating must be a misunderstanding." "Th why did the princess suddly start arguing with him?" Ch Chg asked, "Wasn''t it only a matter of Young Master Fang yielding the match and he didn''t? Can such a trivial thing really lead to a quarrel?" Ch Chg was very concerned about the young couple''s rtionship issues; his mission foring here was to foster the feelings betwe the princess and Young Master Fang and, if possible, for them to have a child before graduation. This sudd argumt was thest thing Ch Chg wanted to see. Upon hearing this topic, Lin Bozhong felt anxious. In his view, they certainly couldn''t fall out over such a petty matter. The most logical exnation would be that the princess had found out about Young Master Fang''s nned meeting with Madame Xuan in the finals, forcing him to withdraw, leading to the dispute! However, there was a question that puzzled Lin Bozhong; he just couldn''t recall wh Bai Qi found out about Young Master Fang''s affairs with Madame Xuan... If the princess got wind of that, wouldn''t it be catastrophic? It would be a miracle if they didn''te to blows. Wait? At this thought, Lin Bozhong realized another major issue. If Princess Bai Xi quarreled with Young Master Fang because he was going to meet Madame Xuan, wouldn''t that imply that the princess had fall for Young Master Fang? Oh my goodness! This fight has to happ! Suddly, Lin Bozhong felt his old heart couldn''t take it. If the two wom, the strongest in cultivation level and the most talted, fought, th Young Master Fang would undoubtedly be the world''s biggest scumbag! Where th would the Fang Family put their face? Chapter 187: Chapter 185: Giving Up and Letting Go?_1 Before long, all the studts on site had finished drawing lots, and the names of the required medicinal herbs had be writt on the back of the lot-drawing papers. Following an invigtor''s report at the guild hall on the various herbs, a group of alchemists from the guild began to emerge, carrying the herbs wrapped in red paper and delivering them to the various school contingts. "Studts of Drawing and 3 may temporarily withdraw from the site, and those in Drawing , prepare your alchemy equipmt. The examination willmce in 5 minutes." As the voice of an elderly proctor faded, two-thirds of the studts left the site with their herbs and lot-drawing papers and proceeded to the front of the spectator stands. Fang R spread the red paper on the g after receiving his herbs and started examining them. "How stingy." Upon seeing the herbs inside, Fang R couldn''t help but smack his lips in dissatisfaction. The variety of herbs had no issues; every type of herb he needed was prest, but the quality of the herbs themselves was wed. They were all of inferior quality, and some had be stored for too long and not preserved properly. As a rule, all herbs for the alchemypetition should have be provided by the Ctral Area, where every type of herb is guaranteed to be of middle to upper quality. The inferior herbs in Fang R''s hands were clearly not from the batch st by the Ctral Area. They were swapped by someone in the guild, who kept the better-quality herbs from the Ctral Area stock and gave him their stockpiled inferior goods. But there was nothing to be done. These herbs were too expsive, and it was inevitable that some people in the Alchemist Guild might be greedy. One thing to note is that the Ctral Area does not provide fourth-order elixir materials for the university studt alchemypetition, as the talts who can concoct second-order upper-level pills at the university studts'' age are extremely rare. Providing fourth-order materials is unnecessary, as no one would be capable of concocting them. The highest material that the Ctral Area can provide is for a three-level pill, just in case some out-of-nowhere gius is able to concoct a three-level pill. The reason why there were materials for fourth-order elixirs here was that the herbs Fang R had chos were some of the most expsive ones used in several three-level pills, and these herbs together were just ough for the concoction of a fourth-order elixir. In fact, some people from the Orchid Bamboo Guild were overjoyed as soon as he had reported these herbs. That''s because any herbs provided by the Ctral Area that the studts don''t use must be returned to the Ctral Area, and cannot be left with the guild. And since Fang R chose so many expsive herbs, the Orchid Bamboo Alchemist Guild had the perfect opportunity to cut corners. In their eyes, a studt wouldn''t be able to concoct a fourth-order elixir anyway, so providing them with low-quality herbs as a ruse was sufficit, and it served as a perfect excuse to keep the high-quality herbs provided by the Ctral Area for themselves. Not far away, the Sevth Elder could naturally hear what he said, and his face couldn''t help but show a few momts of embarrassmt, with his heart feeling a mix of annoyance and rage. The princess and Young Master Fang had specificallye to inspect, and yet some rascals within the guild had still gaged in these underhanded tricks. Wasn''t this setting their tire guild up for public disgrace? The other aristocratic studts who remained on site saw the herbsid out on the g by Fang R and immediately stirred into excitemt. At first, their faces showed surprise, and disbelief, but in the d, they all shared the same look of mockery. "That low-ability studt actually chose all the most precious herbs from the three-level pills, this is hriously foolish!" "From what I see, those herbs put together are just what''s needed to concoct a fourth-order elixir, the Entry into Void Pill. This low-ability studt isn''tpletely ignorant, at least he knows a bit about herb pairing. But this is merely an act of puffing oneself up at one''s own cost, trying to show off, and ev aiming to unt extravagantly." "Ridiculous! Wait until he ruins all these precious ingredits and let''s see how he''s going to wrap this up!" "Every year thepetition has its oddities, but I''ve never se someone quite like this. To pull off such a stunt will probably cost him ts of millions. How is he going topsate for that!" ... In the audice stands, some parts who were dissatisfied because their childr had just be lectured by the Sevth Elder now eagerly spewed out their pt-up displeasure. "Who is the one with the low quality here? That low-ability studt is tantly destroying thepetition''s property! Was my child wrong in calling him out?" "Exactly! The one in need of moral education is that trash studt from Mediocre University, not our childr!" "If you can''tpete, don''t embarrass yourself! At this point, still trying to put on a brave face, looking for dignity? Ha, low-d schools really just produce a bunch of societal trash!" ... Of course, the majority of aristocrats in the stands remained silt. They came to watch thepetition, not a farce. At that momt, on the very edge of the audice seating, Bai Qi sat on the stairs with a face full of anger. She just couldn''t understand why Fang R, this idiot, had to be so stubborn at this momt? She had made herself very clear that if he had only said the word, she would not hesitate to drop the matter of meeting Brother Song... Behind her, stood several elders exuding an extraordinary aura, their facial expressions subtly reflecting their thoughts about everything happing in the ara. "This studt from Yangming University, having the courage toe here ismdable, yet it is not a wise move," said one of the elders in a Zhongshan suit. "Furthermore, being provoked by ridicule to the point of rage and acting recklessly shows ack of inner strgth. This experice may well shatter his confidce for good." "A studt like him probably represts those from schools that most of society doesn''t pay atttion to ¡ª someone with some talt who made it this far on passion alone. Once they collide with the world''s top talted studts, they''re bound to be crushed. This is the currt tragedy of human society," another elder in a gray robemted. "Back wh I was practicing my craft, I too faced much ridicule and had to push through it. Now, seeing this sce, I still can''t help but feel a bit sorrowful," sighed an elder dressed in casual clothes. Bai Qi, listing to the elders behind her speaking in a tone quite differt from the rest, found herself drawn to their conversation. This was what she understood aristocrats to be like ¡ª reflective upon witnessing social disputes, contemtive upon seeing human discord, rather than joining the masses in mocking their less talted brethr. Bai Qi slightly tilted her visor cap and looked back at the three elders behind her, her anxiety spiking wh she recognized them as acquaintances from the Tianjiang. She quickly turned back a and pressed her cap down over her face. It seemed that her conversation with Fang R from the beginning until now had be overheard by these people. If they were to discover that she, a princess, in collusion with her fianc¨¦, was attempting to cheat in such a major evt, how embarrassing would that be? Absolutely must not be discovered! Chapter 188: Chapter 186: Three Elderly Grandfathers_1 "Why are all these grandfather-aged people here?" Bai Qi''s face was filled with panic, and she dared not look back again. The three elders who had just spok were all from the Tianjiang n, a group of siors. Although their family''s strgth wasn''t on par with the Bai or Fang Families, it wasn''t much less. Among the aristocratic families, the Bai Family took the lead, with the Fang Family following. All other families were ranked behind them. And the three elders behind Bai Qi were the chief stewards of the Liu, Wang, and Cao Families respectively. Bai Qi nced at the group of noble studts in the field but didn''t recognize any familiar faces. Logically, she should have se the younger gerations from these three families, but in her memory, those young members of these families were at Tianjiang University, while of thepeting universities here were from Tianjiang University. "The champion of this regionalpetition seems certain to be West Peak, under Old Brother Liu''s hand," joked the elder from the Wang''s family as the three chatted. "Ah, I don''t know about that; I think the little gius from Wang''s family who has yet to show his face has a better chance of taking the first ce" replied Old Master Liu with a smile. ... Bai Qi, listing to the three elders'' conversation, realized they were not there for some direct descdants of their families, but rather for some younger members with rtively lower status. That''s wh she understood why there was not a single face she recognized in the field. From the conversation of the three elders, Bai Qi discovered they never mtioned the issue of the Sevth Elder referring to Fang R as "Young Master Fang." She didn''t know if they hadn''t heard it, or if they were chatting themselves wh the Sevth Elder and Fang R were talking, or if the Sevth Elder used some method to confine the sound of the conversation to a small area. While Bai Qi was listing to the elders, the Sevth Elder had already rushed to Fang R''s side, speaking with a worried expression, "Young Master Fang, I will change the medicinal ingredits for you now. After the exam, I will definitely punish those scoundrels severely." Fang R looked at the Sevth Elder, whose face was filled with panic andplexity, and waved it off, saying, "It''s fine, these ingredits will do." The Sevth Elder was conflicted for a momt. To him, Fang R''s words meant that since cheating was inevitable, it didn''t really matter whether the medicinal ingredits were of good or poor quality. "Very well th, Young Master Fang, I assure you that these ingredits will be returned to the Ctral Area intact," the Sevth Elder said. Fang R nced at him and th looked at the audice in the distance before speaking, "Calling me Young Master Fang outright like this, ar''t you afraid that others will see through my idtity?" "No, elder has used a special method to iste our voices," assured the Sevth Elder. Upon hearing this, Fang R felt relieved and said, "Th, those ingredits, don''t bother returning them to the Ctral Areater, just give them to me." He chuckled to himself. He was utterly at odds with the Ctral Area! Return the ingredits? Impossible. "But... Young Master Fang, what do you need them for?" asked the Sevth Elder, startled. "Later, I''ll give you an ''Entering Void Elixir''; give me the ingredits," said Fang R. "An... Entering Void Elixir?" the Sevth Elder''s eyes bulged. One such elixir was far more valuable than those ingredits. After all, ev if all the ingredits were put into the Pill Furnace, the chance of a sessful concoction was still very slim, but obtaining an Entering Void Elixir directly could buy twice the amount of ingredits. "If you remain silt, I''ll take it as your agreemt," said Fang R. "Alright, fetch me a Pill Furnace; I didn''t bring one with me." "Certainly, elder will fetch it for you right away." The Sevth Elder nodded repeatedly and turned to return to the cter of the field, requesting an examiner to sd a Pill Furnace to Fang R, and th nced at the time. The onlookers were confounded by his actions, and they all probably had some spections: How could a useless studt from Yangming University get the Sevth Elder to bow and nod repeatedly? It simply wasn''t possible, his idtity must be far from ordinary. After this sce unfolded, the jeers directed at Fang R slowly subsided. If the Sevth Elder had sought out Fang R for an issue earlier, th what did this bowing and nodding signify now? Although they were all somewhat astonished by the studt from Mediocre University, the idea of that guy attempting to concoct a fourth-order elixir was still considered an absurd joke in their eyes. "Time''s up! The exam officially begins!" As the Sevth Elder''s voice fell, the tire exam vue burst into activity, with every candidate''s face turning tse and serious. After all, the results of the alchemy exam were tied to time¡ªthe faster, the better. No one wanted to waste a second on trifles, perhaps affecting the grade of the elixir. As soon as Fang R obtained the Pill Furnace, he didn''t say a word, just filled it up with water. Th he threw a Cold Fire underneath the Pill Furnace and finally rolled various medicinal herbs into a ball with his hands, stuffing them into the Pill Furnace. In an instant, only a red paper was left on the g from the eight precious herbs in front of him. This sequce of actions took less than thirty seconds, but it baffled everyone prest. What kind of operation is this? Is this alchemy or cooking rice? Ev cooking rice wouldn''t be done like this; using Cold Fire to cook rice, it wouldn''t be done until next year. "Do you know how to do alchemy? Filling the Pill Furnace directly with water, wouldn''t the herbs be boiled into soup? And using Cold Fire, ev soup can''t be cooked! Simply clueless about alchemy!" "This guy is clearly fuming with embarrassmt, just wanting to spoil the herbs and pretd to be more than he is," "But I don''t understand, if this guy is clueless about alchemy, why did the Sevth Elder treat him so specially?" "Were we wrong before? The Sevth Elder never meant to be polite to this guy?" ... While a group of studts were discussing, the three elders behind Bai Qi also began to discuss the matter. "It seems I was wrong before, this guy from Yangming University is nothing like I was wh I was young, he can''t take a bit of hardship," the elder from the Cao Family said with a frown, looking at Fang R in the field: "He''s just needlessly destroying valuable resources!" "Such a waste of public resources, to call him petty isn''t too much," the elder from Wang''s family also frowned and said, "But I can''t understand why the Sevth Elder from the Orchid Bamboo Guild was so polite to a studt just now? And why were their conversations isted by True Qi?" Old Master Liu frowned and cast his gaze onto Bai Qi, who was sitting not far in front of him, and said, "If I remember correctly, that studt from Yangming mtioned something about cheating as soon as he tered the vue, could it be rted to the Sevth Elder of Orchid Bamboo?" Following Old Master Liu''s words, the elders from both the Cao and Wang families also turned their gaze toward Bai Qi. This girl was the attdant of that young man, and it was just the two of them who had discussed the cheating issue earlier, which inevitably led the three of them to think of some disgraceful tricks. If the young man really dared to cheat on this asion, and the Sevth Elder of Orchid Bamboo dared to shield him, the three of them would stand up for all the studts prest and sure justice. "Youngdy,e here for a momt," Old Master Liu took a step forward and spoke to Bai Qi. Bai Qi was tak aback, not expecting Old Master Liu to speak to her at this momt. Meanwhile, not far away, Lin Bozhong and Ch Chg saw Bai Qi sitting alone in the stands and, fearing she might feel lonely, began to walk towards her. Chapter 189: Chapter 187: The Young Masters Hobby_1 "Ah?" Bai Qi, holding the brim of his hat with one hand, turned stiffly and didn''t dare to lift his head. "That... Old sir, do you need something?" "Youngdy, tell me the truth, were you and that studt prest nning to cheat?" Old Master Liu spoke, his tone carrying a scolding note. Upon hearing this, Bai Qi couldn''t help feeling panicked. If she had known these three grandfathers wereing, she wouldn''t have dared to discuss cheating with Fang R th and there. "No, it''s not like that. As a model studt of the new ctury, how could I possibly cheat in such a seriouspetition?" Bai Qi said somewhat dazedly, the words spilling out without thinking. Old Master Liu frowned slightly. "A principle that a primary school studt should understand is that making mistakes isn''t terrifying; what''s terrifying is not having the courage to admit and correct them after you make them. You''re not young anymore; you should understand that if you continue this way, there would be consequces waiting for him in the d." Bai Qi didn''t know how to respond for a momt. She had always known that Old Master Liu from the Liu Family liked to lecture the younger geration. "He said he wouldn''t cheat..." Bai Qi murmured quietly. "Do you think his currt behavior,pared to cheating, is any less despicable?" Old Master Liu said. "It''s utterly ipett to vt one''s frustrations on the medicinal ingredits because one can''t withstand the vitriol of the crowd." Listing to Grandfather Liu speak so of Fang R th, Bai Qi felt ev more regret. Perhaps to everyone else, it looked like Fang R th just couldn''t hold his temper and took all his anger out on the ingredits, like a petnt child smashing a cracked pot. But in Bai Qi''s view, Fang R th acted this way because he was angry with her. He didn''t want to cheat, nor did he want to leave thepetition, so instead, he took his anger out on the ingredits. Although these were both actions of vting anger, she believed that Fang R th was doing it because of her, not because he couldn''t stand the ridicule from others. "Go on stage now. While the ingredits hav''t melted in the Pill Furnace yet, make him give up thepetition and th bring him to me," ordered Old Master Liu. "..." Bai Qi didn''t know how to respond. If she wt on stage to pull Fang R th away now, wouldn''t it just make him angrier? She had just urged Fang R th to forfeit, but he had already seemed agitated just talking to her. If she wt to pull him down now, it definitely wouldn''t work. Old Master Wang also came over and said to Old Master Liu, "Brother Liu, don''t tell me you''re nning to bring that Yangming studt over for a lecture." Old Master Liu nodded. "For a lower-ss studt like him, expericing this kind of thing must have umted a lot of restmt towards society. If not guided properly, he will be corrupted in the future." "Brother Liu is always so dedicated to education," chuckled Old Master Cao. "I cannot simply watch a studt go astray. If a person can truly rept from the heart after making a serious mistake, th they can definitely be someone who can bring warmth to society." Old Master Liu looked at Fang R th, who still sat motionless in front of the Pill Furnace, and said, "Our lower-ss societycks warmth, which is one of the reasons why so many lower-ss studts abandon hope and settle for mediocrity. Nearly two schools worth of studts forfeited in thispetition due to the absce of courage-inspiring warmth." Old Master Wang shook his head and smiled. "Brother Liu''s realm in this respect really doesmand my admiration." Fang R th on stage still appeared at ease. If he had heard what these old m were saying, he would probably be furious. I''m just refining a pill; how did it turn into a discourse on social education? "Youngdy, ar''t you going to call your ssmate down?" said Old Master Cao, ncing at Bai Qi. "This..." Bai Qi''s face showed her turmoil. The rect minor conflict with Fang R th was precisely because she asked him to forfeit. If she wt over to pull him off the stage now, that would be tantamount to fueling the conflict. She had never se Fang R th lose his temper with her, but today wh she suggested he forfeit, his face showed clear impatice. Obviously, he wouldn''t allow anyone to interfere in this matter. "Old sir, this is hispetition; I can''t go," Bai Qi finally said. Old Master Cao frowned. "You girl, can''t you see the pros and cons of this situation? If you let your ssmate continue thepetition, he will face a very severe punishmt in the d, and his so-called pride will only be more severely crushed. But if you call him down now, at least some of the medicinal properties can be preserved, which means not losing too much money. Moreover, this is the Steward of Tianjiang from the Liu Family. He sees your ssmate giving up due to being wronged, so he wants to educate him. But you''re not grateful?" Hearing the words from Grandfather Cao, Bai Qi felt utterly helpless. What did he mean by ungrateful? This was clearly a conflict betwe her and Fang R th; how did it evolve into an educational issue? And ev if Fang R th messed up the alchemy, couldn''t the Fang Family afford to lose a Fourth-order elixir? Looking at Grandfather Cao''s slightly angry demeanor, Bai Qi suddly felt the urge to take off her hat and see what expression this old man, who was annoyed with her, would make. Just wh Bai Qi couldn''t find the words to respond, Lin Bozhong and Ch Chg had already walked over. "Uncle..." As soon as Ch Chg arrived, he wanted to ask Bai Qi what the conflict was with Young Master Fang. It was just an elixirpetition, so it shouldn''t be tak so seriously. However, just as he oped his mouth to speak, he saw the three old m standing in front of Bai Qi, and the words that were about toe out were abruptly swallowed back. "Hey, isn''t that Brother Ch?" The butler of Wang''s family nced at Ch Chg and Lin Bozhong and was momtarily startled, "And Brother Lin is here too." Upon hearing this, the Liu and Cao Family represtatives swiftly turned their heads, indeed finding Ch Chg and Lin Bozhong standing there, who were also looking at them. For a momt, t eyes met. Ch Chg and Lin Bozhong slowly stopped in the distance and exchanged nces, as if they weremunicating some message through their eyes. "Have they discovered the princess''s idtity?" Ch Chg squinted at Lin Bozhong. "What does it matter if they have?" Lin Bozhong raised his eyebrow at Ch Chg. "If the princess doesn''t want to reveal herself, th I''ll certainly help her." "Th what''s there to say, let''s put on a show for them!" ... After a of secretmunication, Ch Chg immediately turned his gaze towards Bai Qi, and upon seeing the duckbill cap still properly seated on Bai Qi''s head, he breathed a sigh of relief and nced at Lin Bozhong. Lin Bozhong immediately caught on and quickly put on a smile, th walked over to the three elder gtlem, joyfully saying, "What brings all of you gtlem here today?" "Ar''t Brother Lin and Brother Ch here as well?" the elder from Wang''s family said with a weing smile. "We three came because the younger gerations of our families are participating in thepetition," said the Butler of Liu Family. "But what brings Brother Ch and Brother Lin here?" Ch Chg and Lin Bozhong looked at each other and th revealed very synchronized smiles. "Oh~" Lin Bo spoke, "What a coincidce, I am also here to watch the young ones from the Fang Familypete." Ch Chg said somewhat awkwardly, "I came along with Brother Lin to watch the younger ones from the Fang Familypete." "Oh?" The Steward of the Cao Family slightly furrowed his brows and said, "But Brother Lin, I''m curious, which descdant of the Fang Family specializes in Alchemy? I don''t seem to have heard of such a descdant before." The butlers from the Liu and Wang families were also slightly puzzled, as of the younger members of the Fang Family who were currtly in university specialized in Alchemy¡ªthey all focused on Cultivation. "You''ll know wh you see," Lin Bozhong said with a big smile. The Butler of Liu Familyughed and said, "Could it be that hidd Young Master Fang that Brother Lin is referring to?" Upon hearing this, Ch Chg immediately spoke up, "Hey, how could th..." "Exactly!" Lin Bozhong interjected. Ch Chg was instantly dumbfounded, his eyes staring nkly at Lin Bozhong. Once Young Master Fang''s idtity was revealed, wouldn''t that mean the princess''s idtity would be exposed as well? After all this trouble, he was the one Brother Lin intded to y! Bai Qi, sitting not far from the group of elders, was also stunned after hearing Lin Bozhong''s words. In Bai Qi''s view, Fang R''s currt behavior was simply acting in a fit of pique, using fourth-order elixir ingredits for y. It was impossible for Fang R to produce a fourth-order elixir, and with Lin Bozhong naming Fang R at this momt, wouldn''t that directly expose Fang R''s ability to these people? What would happ if Fang R th failed to produce the elixir? What on earth was Uncle Lin up to? "Young Master Fang specializes in Alchemy?" the butler of Wang Family frowned slightly. In the Tianjiang''s noble families, it was known that the hidd Young Master Fang from the Fang Family was just an ordinary person unable to cultivate. The reason for hiding him in the first ce was probably that the Fang Family found it embarrassing. If Young Master Fang had high talt in Alchemy, th the Fang Family wouldn''t have hidd him in the first ce. But this raised new questions for them, as Young Master Fang''s talt in Alchemy wasn''t considered high, so logically he shouldn''t be able to participate in thispetition, where all the studts were Alchemy giuses from various universities. "No, no, no." Lin Bozhong said with a smile, "For Young Master Fang, Alchemy is just a hobby." Having stayed with Fang R for two months, Lin Bozhong certainly understood the currt eagerness Fang R had to show off. As the butler of the Fang Family, of course, he had to fan the mes and ld Young Master Fang a helping hand at this momt. A hobby? The three elders nearby, upon hearing this key word, still furrowed their brows. If Alchemy was merely a hobby, th how did he qualify topete on this stage of giuses? It didn''t make sse. Chapter 190: Chapter 188: Within 15 Minutes_1 "Brother Lin, may I ask, which one is the Fang Family''s Young Master Fang that we have not yet met?" the Butler of Liu Family inquired. "Let''s just wait and see," Lin Bozhong replied with a smile, choosing not to point out who it was to the crowd. Bai Qi, standing to the side, waspletely dumbfounded by Lin Bo''s words. Was this Elder Lin really nning to dig a grave for his own Young Master? After Fang Ren had selected materials for a fourth-order elixir, Lin Bo even lured out his identity for these aristocratic families'' stewards to see. How much face would Fang Ren lose then? As Bai Qi pondered, he silently made up his mind: if Lin Bozhong continued to set traps for Fang Ren, he would take on any loss of face himself, iming any embarrassment as his own. However, Lin Bozhong shouldn''t have any reason to trap Fang Ren¡­ right? Although Chen Cheng maintained a smile, confusion swirled in his mind. He grabbed Lin Bozhong by the arm, turned his back to the three elders, and started gesturing wildly with his eyebrows and eyes tomunicate secretively. "Aren''t you risking revealing the princess'' identity by doing this?" he meant. Lin Bozhong just smiled and briefly isted the sound with True Qi: "Brother Chen, rest assured. They only know the Young Master''s identity, not that the princess is present. Plus, today''spetition doesn''t involve any roll call, so who would know the princess is here?" Chen Cheng''s frown deepened: "Will that work? Once they figure out Young Master Fang''s identity, they''ll definitely guess who the girl constantly at his side is." "Just adamantly deny knowing her," Lin Bozhong advised. Having said that, Lin Bozhong immediately dispelled the sound istion True Qi and turned back to continue chatting with the three old men. The three of them, seeing him disengage the sound barrier, didn''t overthink it, because everyone knew about Tianjiang by now. It was understandable for stewards of the Bai and Fang families to have some secret conversations, especially with the families soon to be inws. ... On the field, other aristocratic students all watched their Pill Furnaces with nervous expressions, asionally adding more ingredients. However, Fang Ren, situated by Yangming University, simply sat there, propping up his chin with his hand and staring vacantly at the mes below. As time ticked by, the jeers directed at Fang Ren gradually ceased, for even mockery bes tiring when repeated, and they had lost interest in taunting an "idiot." Instead of watching an idiot practice Alchemy, it made sense to pay more attention to the geniuses. "It seems Liu Xifeng from Liu Family is quite confident; he''s chosen the Sonic Pill, the most challenging second-order elixir to create. It looks like Liu Family will soon have another Grandmaster Alchemist," noted the Steward of the Cao Family, eyeing a male student in Brilliant Academy''s uniform within thepetition area. "My respects, but Wang Ye from your family is the true standout of this generation," the Butler of Liu Family remarked with a smile: "The Alchemy Method used by Wang Yees from the unique creation of Master Han Sheng from Zone Three. Judging by the fluidity of his execution, the elixir could very well be of high-grade among the second-order ones." The Butler of Wang Family shook his head slightly, "Ah, but how could Cao Wendong of the Cao Family be any less? Look at how he controls the temperature of the fire, he already possesses some of the style of a college instructor. With such proficiency, the elixir he creates will at least be of a medium grade, with a strong possibility of being top-grade." After mutually praising their respective families'' Alchemy geniuses, Chen Cheng also nodded in agreement, offering his own critiques of the Liu, Cao, and Wang families'' younger generations. Lin Bozhong simply smiled along,vishlyplimenting the three families'' Alchemy geniuses, yet internally, he was calm and greatly amused by the sight of Young Master Fang in the field. He had seen Fang Ren use this particr Alchemy Method once before, seemingly to help heal Madame Xuan''s injuries. This method was incredibly fast, and not only did it have a high sess rate, but the quality of the resulting elixir was also unquestionably excellent. Therefore, Lin Bozhong had a deep impression of Fang Ren''s method of Alchemy¡ªeven using Cold Fire full-water method left an indelible mark on him. "Brother Lin, by the way, at which university is Young Master Fang studying?" asked the Steward of the Cao Family. "Even if you don''t tell us who he is now, at least give us a rough idea so we can make some guesses." "Yes, I am quite curious about Young Master Fang," added the Butler of Wang Family. Lin Bozhong smiled and replied, "The first to turn off the fire and stand up, that''ll be Young Master Fang." "Oh?" the Butler of Liu Family expressed his surprise: "Since Brother Lin has said so, it seems that Young Master Fang''s talent in Alchemy is not merely a matter of ''interest.''" "Let''s just watch," Lin Bozhong said with a smile. "Brother Lin, why do you enjoy keeping us in suspense like this?" the Butler of Wang Familyughed: "The more you do so, the more we look forward to Young Master Fang''s performance." Lin Bozhong smiled and said no more, calcting the time; he felt Fang Ren should be making a move soon, because ording to Fang Ren''s Alchemy Method, this moment should be the purification stage. Indeed, just seconds after Lin Bozhong had this thought, Fang Ren finally made his move in thepetition area. He directly poured out half of the water from the Pill Furnace, which already had taken on some of the colors of the ingredients. When the crowd saw what he was doing, they couldn''t even be bothered to mock him anymore. The ingredients had been soaking in the water for so long, and now he was pouring out half of the infused water; this meant that at least one-fifth of the efficacy had been discarded, making it highly unlikely for any elixir to form. The elder from Liu Family saw this and shook his head, sighing: "If one cane decently, why not leave just as decently? Why waste all these ingredients?" The Butler of Wang Family spoke up: "Elder Liu, though I genuinely admire your teaching philosophy, I think you should tailor your approach to the student. Some students are simply beyond guidance." "Let''s just focus more on the other students," suggested the Steward of the Cao Family. Lin Bozhong, hearing how these three elders spoke, secretly snickered even more. A bunch of folks who hadn''t seen the scope of the world were probably going to drop their jaws when they witnessed the Young Master''s capability. Seeing this, Chen Cheng quickly pulled Lin Bozhong aside again and effortlessly created a Qi barrier to shield their conversation, speaking with furrowed brows: "Brother Lin, what exactly is Young Master Fang doing? Are you sure you haven''t deceived me?" "Of course I haven''t deceived you," Lin Bozhong said earnestly. "Brother, just wait another 15 minutes. If Young Master Fang hasn''t produced an elixir within that time, I''ll pay for all the drinks you have this year." Chen Cheng was taken aback; his fondness for drinking was well-known in Tianjiang''s major family circles, and he had a pte for expensive liquors. Lin Bozhong''s assurance indicated his confidence. "Brother Lin, since you''ve stated your case so confidently, I won''t argue. I''ll just sit back and await the result," Chen Cheng said. Chapter 191: Chapter 189: Dont Understand the Basics of Alchemy?_1 In thispetition area, Liu Xifeng from the Liu Family, Wang Ye from the Wang''s family, and Cao Wendong from the Cao Family were undoubtedly the three most eye-catching figures. In fact, just after thepetition areas were divided, the top three contenders in this area had already been decided in the hearts of the spectators. After all, the younger generations from these three major families had such strong talents in alchemy, that only a bunch of monsters from Tianjiang University couldpete with them ¡ª and in thispetition area, other than their rivalry with one another, they essentially had no other opponents. Although Liu Xifeng, Wang Ye, and Cao Wendong were not the direct descendants of the three major families and couldn''t be called young masters, as coteral members of theserge families, their status was still held in high regard by other aristocrats. "In my opinion, we can pretty much confirm the oues of thepetition after the first round," one said. "Indeed, the three most talented younger members in alchemy from the Liu, Wang, and Cao families are all in the first round. After this round ends, the remaining two rounds won''t be as interesting to watch." ... The noise of the crowd had diminished significantlypared to the start of the event and hardly affected the concentrating students at the venue. Fang Ren had already ced his Pill Furnace, which was half-spilled with water, back over the mes, except this time he had switched from the Blue me to a normal me. And as he adjusted this me, Students from the noble schools who hadn''t been drawn for the first round couldn''t help but mock again upon seeing this scene. "These alchemy ingredients are basically ruined already, and this idiot is still pretending to continue the process. It''s utterly ridiculous." "Hey, that''s where you''re short-sighted. This alchemy technique is a long-lost Alchemy Method from the Jianghu," another teased. "What? Are you serious?" "If I had to guess, this must be the ''Blind-Bullshit'' Alchemy Method which has been lost for 200 years!" "Hahahaha..." ... As seconds ticked by, the otherpetitors were nervously calcting time, adding their prepared ingredients to the Pill Furnace at almost the exact right moment. As the temperature inside the furnaces reached certain levels, they began to reduce, stop, or switch to the Cold Fire. Fang Ren, on the other hand, just sat there barely moving. Whenever he adjusted the mes, it was mostly with a casual flick of the hand, devoid of any significant movement. He appeared extremely nonchnt and unconcerned, as if he was just casually cooking a meal. "Young Master Fang, ah, Young Master Fang, can you not keep ying the fool¡­" The Seventh Elder, standing in the center of the field, saw Fang Ren fiddling with the mes so dismissively, without any appearance of alchemy practice. He held his forehead, disying a look of both pain and helplessness. He couldn''t understand why, whenever he was in charge of overseeing the Alchemypetition area, he encountered such peculiar incidents, and moreover, it was the Princess and her betrothed who were behind it. "Bang!" Just at that moment, there was a sudden explosion in the Pill Furnace before Fang Ren. Although the crowd in the spectator stands had been discussing quietly, the sound of the exploding Pill Furnace perfectly reached everyone''s ears, attracting all of their attention. "Did the furnace just explode?" "This guy is bluffing without any preparation. Any student who has even a little bit of knowledge in alchemy wouldn''t make such a basic mistake. I think this idiot is absolutely at an introductory level!" "I originally thought that even the students from those lower-tier schools could at least concoct first-grade inferior pills, but now I see I was wrong. An idiot remains an idiot, not even understanding some basic techniques! It''s nothing but a waste of ingredients! Such low standards!" ... Following an explosion from the Pill Furnace, Fang Ren waved his hand to disperse the smoke above it. Despite the explosion inside, the Pill Furnace was still intact. After blowing away the smoke, Fang Ren directly took off the lid of the Pill Furnace and looked down to see that the ingredients inside had condensed into a very small clump of grass as he had expected, but they had not yet formed a pill. Having confirmed the result of the grass clump, Fang Ren immediately added a lot of water to the Pill Furnace, reced the lid, extinguished the me within, and started up Cold Fire, intending to condense the final clump of grass into a pill. "This guy fails at concoction and still continues to pretend. Are all the examiners in the venue blind? To continue letting this person take the exam is an insult to this Alchemy Competition!" "In the process of concocting, he has vited many fundamental principles! The lid of the Pill Furnace must not be opened for more than five seconds; you must not continue to add water for concoction after the ingredients have condensed; and in thetter half of the concoction process, you absolutely must not use Cold Fire! This guy doesn''t even understand the most basic knowledge, just get lost already!" "Exactly! Are all of you examiners on the field blind? Why aren''t you getting rid of this guy immediately?" ... As Fang Ren made his move, the stands filled with aristocratic parents immediately erupted with dissatisfaction. They believed that letting such an idiotpete in the same district as their children was an insult to their children''s abilities! In the middle of the venue, the invigtor named Ah Si saw this scene and revealed a cold smile, walking towards Fang Ren. The idiot had made a fool of him yesterday, and now he was certainly going to use the crowd''s anger to make this fellow pay back a hundredfold! "Get lost!" Ah Si approached Fang Ren with an angry look on his face, and after uttering a phrase that many others desperately wanted to say, he immediately raised his foot to kick the Pill Furnace in front of Fang Ren. Buzz¡ª Suddenly, a blur swept through the examination arena, and the Seventh Elder had already arrived in front of Fang Ren, angrily staring at Ah Si and stamping down on the foot Ah Si had raised in the air. "Ah!" Ah Si screamed in pain from the Seventh Elder''s stamp, bending over and kneeling to the ground, clutching his foot and grinding his teeth: "Seventh Elder! Why..." The Seventh Elder looked at him coldly: "As the chief invigtor of the examination arena, I suspect you of abusing your authority to hinder the contestants. This kick is your punishment!" "Are the seven elders of the Orchid Bamboo Guild sick in the head? Can''t you see that this student is just wasting ingredients? Blind!" "Bullshit! This student deserves to take the exam alongside our children? Don''t make meugh! Get him out of here right now!" "I suspect the seven elders of Orchid Bamboo Guild of abusing their authority to protect the student!" ... Instantly, a portion of the aristocratic parents in the stands shouted out loud, no longer whispering among themselves. Meanwhile, Fang Ren continued to concoct with a calm demeanor, sitting in the same spot. Chapter 192: Chapter 190: After 14 minutes, he moved. _1 "Boom!" The Seventh Elder stepped on Ah Si''s foot, only half a meter away from Fang Ren, yet Fang Ren sat where he was, calm andposed, his gaze still fixed on the Cold Fire at the bottom of the Pill Furnace, as if he hadn''t noticed any of this at all. In fact, as soon as Ah Si had approached, Fang Ren had sensed the Seventh Elder''s impending action through the changes in soul force, so he hadn''t taken Ah Si seriously. Moreover, even without the Seventh Elder''s intervention, Ah Siing over to cause trouble would have been aplete exercise in futility; Fang Ren could have simply intimidated Ah Si into wetting himself with a single nce, or subdued him on the spot with soul force until he fainted. There was no need to exert any True Qi or for him to physically intervene because apart from being an Alchemist, Ah Si was nothing more than an ordinary human, and any slight malevolence from Fang Ren was enough to crush an ordinary person''s psychological defenses. At this moment, some aristocratic parents in the spectator stands were still cursing loudly, their voices already affecting some of the candidates. Most of the Aristocrats chose to remain silent, however, their gazes focused mainly on a few people on the field who were most likely to qualify. "Quiet!" With an angry expression, the Seventh Elder addressed the crowd, "All invigtors take note! If anyone else disrupts the candidates, throw them out immediately! The rules set by the Central Area will not tolerate any such disturbances!" The Seventh Elder''s words, imbued with the power of True Qi, caused a tremor in the hearts of those with lower Cultivation Levels, and subsequently, the atmosphere at thepetition venue became much quieter. "This is clearly an abuse of power! Allowing an ipetent to waste medicinal ingredients in such a solemnpetition and not even allowing others to speak out?" At that moment, a nobleman continued to shout,pletely disregarding the feelings of other students on the examination field. Buzz¡ª Suddenly, the Butler of Liu Family turned into a blur of motion, grabbing the still shouting nobleman and unleashing a burst of True Qi that knocked him unconscious. With the sudden action of Liu Family''s butler, the spectator stands fell utterly silent, and everyone''s gaze shifted from Fang Ren to the Butler of Liu Family. After a while, the crowd in the stands started murmuring faintly, discussing among themselves. "Isn''t that¡­ Liu Qingfeng from the Tianjiang''s Liu Family? Could it be that he is the one escorting Liu Xifeng this time?" "If the Liu Family''s Xifeng is under his protection, then could the two Alchemy geniuses from the Wang family and Cao family also be escorted by the butlers of those families?" "Does that mean the butlers from all three major families havee today?" ... Liu Qingfeng threw the previously shouting nobleman aside and spoke with a serious tone, "The examination field is a ce of importance, silence is required. Anyone who vites this will be used as an example!" The people, hearing his words, also felt that the nobleman was too arrogant; after all, this was the Elixirpetition venue of the Central Area, and the students selected here were the future of humanity. Here, nothing was more important than ensuring the safepletion of the examinations for the candidates. Even if there were cheating incidents on the field, there were invigtors to punish or expel the offenders, not for the spectators to make idlements. Because one student''s actions could affect all the students, such behavior here could be considered a grave mistake. The voices from the spectator stands were much lower, much more thoughtful than they had been when they first entered the arena; this was within the eptable range for thepetition, as such sounds would not affect the candidates'' condition. Bai Qi''s heart skipped one beat after another upon witnessing these continuous scenes. Previously, when Ah Si moved to kick Fang Ren, her entire being filled with rage, and she nearly threw off her duckbill cap, prepared to disregard the rules and order of the elixirpetition venue and demand that the alchemist named Ah Si apologize to Fang Ren using her status. But all of that was stopped by the Seventh Elder, and the group in the audience stands were also managed by the grandfather of the Liu Family, which finally calmed her furious emotions. "Seventh Elder! As humans act, Heaven watches!" Ah Si, kneeling on the ground with the Seventh Elder''s foot on him, red at the Seventh Elder and said fiercely, "From the very beginning, you have been deliberately protecting this student! These subtle details are seen by everyone! What exactly are your intentions?" "Shut up!" The Seventh Elder kicked Ah Si back to the center of the venue without a word. "Cough cough cough..." The intense pain in his belly made Ah Si sprawl on the ground, continuously coughing, unable to utter a word. Seeing this, the audience on the stands were also astonished, not expecting the Seventh Elder from the Orchid Bamboo Guild to show such a furious demeanor. Could it be that everything Ah Si said was true? After all, the behavior of the Seventh Elder from the start of thepetition until now indeed baffled many, always seeming to protect that student from Yangming University. "What is the Seventh Elder''s intention? It is his own actions that cause confusion and yet he does not allow others to question him?" whispered an aristocrat in the audience stands. "Exactly, there''s something off about the Seventh Elder. It was clearly that idiot who was wasting the elixir, yet now his actions are purely protective again!" "I simply can''t understand it. Could it be that the Seventh Elder has been bought off or threatened?" ... Chen Cheng saw this scene and felt very upset, considering that Fang Ren was the princess''s fianc¨¦. Should he endure being treated like this by a mere alchemist? However, speaking of which, the reason Fang Ren was being treated this way by a mere alchemist was because Fang Ren had deliberately concealed his identity to participate in thispetition. Chen Cheng couldn''t understand what Young Master Fang and Her Highness the Princess were trying to achieve. With a deep frown, Chen Cheng turned to Lin Bozhong beside him, "Brother, what exactly is going on here?" The smile remained on Lin Bozhong''s face, as he was not at all worried about his family''s Young Mastering to any harm. No alchemist present could truly understand Young Master Fang, and even if someone did, he could handle that person immediately. Moreover, the most important thing now was that Young Master Fang''s alchemy time had finally ended! Your true talent will soon be shown to all, allowing the uing events to teach those in the audience stands an unforgettable lesson. "Brother Chen, fourteen minutes have passed," Lin Bozhong said. As Lin Bozhong''s voice faded, Fang Ren immediately extinguished the Cold Fire beneath the Pill Furnace, patted off the dust on his body, and stood up from the ground. In thepetition venue, standing up signifies the end of an alchemy session. Chapter 193: Chapter 191: Gold Pill_1 As Fang Ren stood up from the field, parents and students in the audience, as well as the invigtors on the field, all showed various expressions on their faces, contempt, disgust, sarcasm, dismissiveness¡­ "This guy finally can''t keep up the act anymore, he''s leaving thepetition. It''s just a pity for the tens of millions worth of medicinal herbs." "Hurry up and get out of thepetition area. It''s bad enough you''re humiliating yourself, but you''re making us all feel sick too." "Oh, those tens of millions in herbs can''t be considered a total waste, after all. It''s not easy for this shameless fellow to finally recognize his own worth." ... Standing less than half a meter away from the deeply submerged Fang Ren, the Seventh Elder was somewhat at a loss when he saw Fang Ren stand up. He had no idea how to proceed with assisting the young master in the investigation n involving the princess. After a two-second pause, the Seventh Elder straightened up, maintaining his demeanor as an invigtor, and looked at Fang Ren with a significantly more official tone, "Are you giving up?" Fang Ren was stunned. He had clearly finished his alchemy. Why did the old man think he was forfeiting? Could it be the Seventh Elder couldn''t discern the aura of the pills? ncing at his Pill Furnace, Fang Ren suddenly realized the reason. The Blue me he had previously ced inside the Pill Furnace had damaged the entire furnace, preventing the scent of the pills from escaping, which was why the Seventh Elder thought his alchemy was a failure. Fang Ren''s gaze turned back towards the Seventh Elder and he spoke, "It''s not a forfeit, my alchemy isplete. Please, invigtor, evaluate my results." With that, Fang Ren stepped back two paces from the Pill Furnace on the ground. These two steps were a matter of etiquette after announcing thepletion of alchemy, allowing staff to inspect the results, and they also assured that thepetitors had not touched the Pill Furnace again, eliminating any opportunity for cheating. "Alchemy¡­plete?" The Seventh Elder was dumbfounded after hearing this. He simply could notprehend such a thing, how could alchemy be done this quickly? And this was a Fourth-order elixir. Even a Grandmaster Alchemist from district one would need at least two hours to ensure a sessful refinement. And Fang Ren was merely a 20-something college student. His alchemy skill was notparable to that of the more seasoned and experienced alchemists. Even the most talented alchemists of today, when refining a Second-order pill, would need at least half an hour toplete it. When ites to the capabilities of the students in the currentpetition, Liu Family''s Liu Xifeng was among the most talented representatives. It took him around two and a half hours just to produce a Second-order elixir! Fang Ren imed his alchemy was finished, yet there was no scent of pills from the furnace. No matter what, the Seventh Elder couldn''t help him cheat. "I take back what I said just now. I thought tens of millions in herbs could make an idiot realize his limits, but it turns out this guy is stubborn to the end, sticking to his act despite being a joke!" "He brings misfortune upon himself and deserves to be looked down upon here. No, he should be disdained everywhere," a nobleman, who had been silent until now, couldn''t help but speak. "Living is a waste of air; even his misdeeds squander public resources. Shameful!" ... Chen Cheng was stunned by this scene and pulled Lin Bozhong over, then sheltered their conversation with True Qi before speaking, "Little brother, what drama is Young Master Fang pulling off this time? It''s not sounding too good. The Gold Pill obviously hasn''t been refined sessfully, so why is Young Master Fang still insisting on faking it?" Lin Bozhong was also dazed at the moment, his aged eyes staring at the Pill Furnace where Fang Ren was, unable to utter a word. When Fang Ren had sessfully refined pills before, he could feel a potent aura from dozens of meters away. Howe there was no aura this time? "This¡­ even the greatest Alchemist can have an off day¡­" Lin Bozhong''s face turned dark, thinking about how he had hyped his young master so much before. He now felt like finding a hole to crawl into and escape. Chen Cheng''s expression stiffened, then he could only muster a smile, "Well, alright. After all, it can''t be helped." In his view, Fang Ren refining a Fourth-order elixir was impossible from the start. Now that it hadn''t seeded, it seemed all the more inevitable. However, seeing the fianc¨¦ of Her Highness the Princess lose face so greatly in such a scenario, he, as the old butler of the Bai Family, couldn''t help but feel a sense of helpless sigh within. ... Mockery from the audience had intensified from the moment Fang Ren got up, and Bai Qi''s entire heart was filled with an extremelyplex mix of emotions. There was guilt, anger, and sorrow. She felt guilty because Fang Ren hade here only because of a word she said and had endured all the sarcasm and unfair treatment so far. She was angry that for her own selfish desires, she had made such a nice guy as Fang Ren face such an unbearable scenario, and she was also angry at the relentless mockery from the audience. The sorrow was because seeing Fang Ren being scolded seemed a hundred times more painful than being scolded herself; her own scolding would have just led to a moment of anger and sadness, but Fang Ren being insulted like this turned her sorrow into an extreme heartache. "Enough!" Finally, she stood up from the spectator stands and shouted at the people around her. Although the entire venue was filled with the sounds of discussion, those voices weren''t very loud, and certainly, no one had shouted out like she did. In an instant, all eyes focused on Bai Qi. Not far behind her, Chen Cheng and Lin Bozhong, who had been whispering with heads close together, were startled by her action, their faces frozen as they stared at her. The butlers of the other three great families frowned at the scene. This female student was reallycking in manners; how could she shout so loudly while others were taking an exam? The students participating in the exam were also displeased. How could they focus on alchemy now? Their internal countdowns had been disrupted. But the most splendid expression belonged to the Seventh Elder standing in the middle of the field. The whole situation was a mess for him. Young Master Fang''s issue had not yet been resolved, and now the princess had created a disturbance. How had he gotten caught up in this examination hall? Fang Ren saw that she had stood up and shouted, and was about to take off the hat from his head when he raised his hand towards her from the center of the field. Bai Qi saw his sudden gesture, and her expression became even moreplicated. After suffering so much, he still thought of taking her to meet Brother Song. Why was he so stubborn! This time, Bai Qi didn''t want to listen to him. She continued trying to take off the hat on her head, intending to use her identity to return all the sarcasms he had suffered back to the audience. But when she saw the unreadable smile on Fang Ren''s face, she suddenly paused. As Bai Qi''s voice echoed throughout the venue, the audience, who had been holding back their disgust and anger, were about to erupt. They were determined to expel these two low-ability and ill-mannered lower-ss students from this sacred assembly. Seeing this, Fang Ren turned his gaze toward the Seventh Elder: "It''s time to check the results." "Oh, oh, oh." The Seventh Elder didn''t know what to do and immediately nodded, repeating "oh" three times before crouching down and lifting the lid off Fang Ren''s Pill Furnace. As the Seventh Elder''s aged hands lifted the lid, the voices poised to attack Bai Qi, the noisemaker, were abruptly stifled back into everyone''s throats. Whoosh¡ª A golden glow burst forth from the Pill Furnace, illuminating the old, damaged, and inferior furnace covered with cracks. For a moment, an item akin to rubbish, the Pill Furnace, was visually transformed into a "Precious Relic" by this golden light. Chapter 194: Chapter 192: The Questioned Prodigy_1 As the golden light erupted from within the Alchemy Furnace, an aura filled with unique and mystical qualities began to permeate the senses of everyone present. In an instant, the entire examination hall fell into dead silence, with only the feeble crackling sound of the mes burning beneath the hundreds of Alchemy Furnaces. ng¡ª Secondster, the Pill Furnace lid in the hands of the shock-stricken Seventh Elder dropped to the ground, jolting everyone back to reality from their astonishment. "Golden light... This is a Fourth-order elixir!" "Impossible! There was still so much water in his Alchemy Furnace; how could the elixir have possibly formed!" "Quiet! Quiet!" ... Chaos erupted throughout the examination hall in no time, as many invigtors took swift action to maintain order. Despite the staggering and shocking scene before them, the other students were still practicing alchemy; they had to ensure their protection. The Seventh Elder looked dumbfoundedly at Fang Ren, then at the water halfway filling the Alchemy Furnace, an incredulous expression stering his aged face. "How... How is this possible?" The Seventh Elder felt entirely dumbfounded. At this moment, his worldview had been greatly shaken. From the start to now, he had been watching Fang Ren most intently because from the very beginning, his gaze had scarcely left Fang Ren. He had been thinking that once Fang Ren started to cheat, he would act to assist the deception. But from start to finish, up until now, he hadn''t seen Fang Ren engage in any behavior that could be considered cheating. He was certain that Fang Ren wasn''t carrying any other elixirs, as the invigtors responsible for checking were very strict at the entrance, and he had also touched Fang Ren, his Divine Sense probing around on Fang Ren and finding nothing suspicious. So, he was absolutely sure that Fang Ren had not cheated, for Fang Ren simply had no opportunity to do so. While pondering this, the Seventh Elder quickly suppressed the intense shock in his heart and, without another word, took out the Gold Pill that was soaked in the water inside the Alchemy Furnace. As he removed the Gold Pill from the Alchemy Furnace, the spectator stands exploded even further, with an uproar that the surrounding invigtors couldn''t silence. "This is impossible! There''s clearly still half a furnace full of water; the elixir couldn''t possibly have formed!" "Exactly! This idiot must be cheating!" "How did you invigtors inspect them! This idiot managed to bring in a Fourth-order elixir to cheat and you didn''t notice! Are you blind!" "Throw him out! Expel him from school! And deprive him of his Alchemist qualifications for life! Let him know that because of one person, the whole school is tarnished!" ... At this moment, the multitude on the spectator stands disregarded the group of students still engaging in alchemy below; even some students who were alchemizing stood up, echoing the same sentiment as those above, abandoning their alchemy outright. Anyway, thispetition is already nearly ruined because of a cheater. It must be restarted. §Ö%??&§à!§å-§à§Ú$-- Standing in the spectator stand, Bai Qi looked nkly at the fourth-order elixir in the Seventh Elder''s hand,pletely at a loss for what expression to make. She could bepletely certain that Fang Ren had not engaged in any cheating behavior. From the beginning to the end, he had almost been sitting in his original spot, unmoving. The few times he reached out was merely to casually adjust the mes, and when adding water, his hands were empty, without any opportunity to slip in a fourth-order elixir. Behind her, Lin Bozhongughed, while Chen Cheng''s eyes were wide with shock, his aged jaw almost dropping to the ground. Chen Cheng was also extremely clear in his mind that Fang Ren had not cheated at all, because he had watched his every move from beginning to end. He, a mid-stage practitioner of the Yingyue Realm, could not possibly have seen it wrong. The only exnation for the current situation was that Fang Ren had the talent to refine a fourth-order elixir within 15 minutes! A talent that was against the natural order, shattering all their past understanding! The expressions on the faces of the three old men from the Liu, Wang, and Cao Families were no better than Chen Cheng''s. They remembered very clearly that Lin Bozhong had told them around three minutes into the start that Young Master Fang would get up within 15 minutes. And up until now, there was only one boy from a lower-tier school standing in the middle of the field. Who else could that widely rumored Young Master Fang, whose name stirred up such a buzz, be? The crowd all around shouted usations of cheating, but as the young master of the Fang Family, did he really need to cheat in such an event? Unless he was out of his mind! And, to put it bluntly, even if Young Master Fang cheated in such an event, what could anyone do to him? "Silence!" The Seventh Elder suddenly unleashed a powerful surge of True Qi, enveloping the entire area, and subdued all the noise from the crowd. He held up the gold-colored fourth-order elixir in his hand, looking very serious as he announced loudly to the spectators, "Examinee: Fang Ren! Fourteen minutes and thirty-six seconds! One Upper Level Pill! Record the score!" As his words fell, there was still no sound from the crowd, but the invigtor responsible for the scoring did not lift a hand to record the score. Because even until now, he simply could not believe that a university student in his early twenties could refine an Upper Level Pill! This was an Upper Level Pill of the fourth order! Infinitely close to the unique and unmatched fifth-order elixir! Even among the Grandmasters of District One, who could dare to im they could refine a fourth-order Upper Level Pill within 15 minutes!? Even guaranteeing a third-order lower level pill was a stretch! "Seventh Elder! This is collusion in cheating!" While everyone was stunned into silence, Ah Si, who had been sent flying earlier, suddenly got up from the ground and shouted loudly. The Seventh Elder''s excitement had yet to subside when he heard this discordant voice. His gaze immediately turned toward Ah Si behind him, "You will pay the price for your words!" Ah Si wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and limping on his legs, he strode forward, his face wearing a vicious sneer, "Seventh Elder! The one who will pay the price today is you! You''ve been assisting this guy right from the start! Every one of your actions has shown how much you value him! I believe everyone here already has the answer in their hearts¡ªthis guy must be one of your very important rtives! To think you would resort to such means to craft his false glory!" While saying this, Ah Si pointed at Fang Ren''s Alchemy Furnace and yelled, "If I''m not mistaken, the reason you personally collected his elixir is that there was no pill in his furnace to begin with! That pill was put there by you! And in his furnace, those fourth-order medicinal materials have not been refined at all, they''re lying there intact!" Chapter 195: Chapter 193: Pill Furnace Shattered_1 Whoosh¡ª As Ah Si''s words fell, the hall erupted intomotion once again. More examinees began to give up on thispetition, as the exam had been disrupted beyond continuation. Their gazes collectively turned to the Seventh Elder. As the chief invigtor who allegedly assisted in cheating, he faced being stripped of all his alchemy privileges for life! "We demand the pill furnace be broken open on the spot! Expose the truth to all!" A parent from Guizhou yelled from the audience stand. "Exactly! To think a public figure would break thew, how severely would this corrupt the morals of society? The pill furnace must be broken open on the spot! Give all the examinees an equal chance!" Some of the audience members, however, retained theirposure and frowned slightly, "The alchemypetition takes a very harsh stance on cheating. How could the Seventh Eldermit such a foolish act at this time?" "But if it''s as you say, how then would you exin this fourth-order elixir?" "We can''t let the Seventh Elder smash the pill furnace. If he continues to collude in cheating and secretly takes the ingredients from the furnace, who would know? The pill furnace must be smashed by an impartial invigtor!" ... Hearing the crowd repeatedly using him of cheating, the Seventh Elder''s gaze towards Ah Si turned even colder¡ªhe had treated Ah Si quite well in everyday life. Moreover, when Ah Si had previously wanted to attack Fang Ren, the reason he intervened and injured Ah Si was to save Ah Si''s life. Unexpectedly, not only did Ah Si fail to understand his intentions, but Ah Si had also chosen this moment to stab him in the back, truly a chilling revtion. "Hehehe!" Ah Si, seeing the Seventh Elder''s icy gaze, let out a coldugh, "Seventh Elder, are you perhaps afraid? Do you wish to kill me to relieve your anger? s, I''m sorry, but from now on, you''ll never have that chance!" After hearing this, the Seventh Elder''s expression turned deeply disappointed. Would he kill Ah Si over this? Ah Si''s perspective on him was truly despicable. Hum¡ª Just at that moment, a blur shot past from the audience stands andnded not far from Fang Ren. Everyone looked closely to see an elderly man in a Zhongshan suit. But the old man''s visage made some people in the crowd feel it was vaguely familiar. "Since all of you have doubts about this student''s achievements, and the actions of the chief invigtor, I shall personally smash this pill furnace. How about that?" The old man addressed the audience, his voice amplified by the True Qi, and once again quieted the whole spectator stand. "Butler Liu..." The Seventh Elder looked at the elderly man who suddenly appeared, his expression faltering slightly. He hadn''t expected that for Liu Xifeng''s appearance here, he would be escorted by the old butler. It seemed the Liu Family indeed ced great importance on Liu Xifeng. As the voice of Butler Liu fell, the majority of people on the audience stand looked at each other in confusion, unaware of the old man''s origins. A few from the aristocratic ss recognized Butler Liu''s identity. "Since Butler Liu is stepping up to ensure fairness, we naturally have no objections," a noble from the audience stands loudly stated. "That''s right! We trust Butler Liu!" ¦Å§ç??¦Ô?¦É¡Ì¦Å-%§ä§à$-& ... Following the few voices from the audience stands, the crowd started buzzing again with discussion, and as the words spread, everyone came to understand the identity of the old man¡ªhe was the Liu Family''s Butler Liu from Tianjiang! Ah Si, seeing Butler Liu ascend the stage, smiled even more heartily and quickly limped towards him, saying, "Butler Liu! You must uphold justice! Some in the Orchid Bamboo Guild may not be straight, but the subordinates are definitely not crooked! No one who harms the fair rights of the examinees should be spared!" Butler Liu looked at Ah Si with disdain, thinking this little invigtor to be so articte in hisments against their guild''s elder¡ªtruly the behavior of a petty person. Had it not been for Brother Lin''s confession to him about Fang Ren''s identity before he stepped up on the stage, Butler Liu might have thought Ah Si''s words had merit. Understanding Fang Ren''s identity, Butler Liu also understood why the Seventh Elder had struck the invigtor. It was evident that the Seventh Elder was protecting Ah Si''s life, yet Ah Si was not only ungrateful but even willing to stab him in the back¡ªa cold-hearted act most despised by the world. Butler Liu withdrew his gaze and took three steps towards Fang Ren, stopping half a meter away, leaning slightly forward, his voice polite as he asked, "Young Master Fang, shall I break open the pill furnace for all to see?" As his not-so-loud voice fell, those in the spectator stands with higher Cultivation Level heard it loud and clear. "Did... Butler Liu just call him... Young Master Fang?" "Did I hear that right? Young Master Fang? Could it be... the same one who was the talk of Tianjiang some time ago?" "No way! Wasn''t it rumored that Young Master Fang, who had no talent in both cultivation and alchemy, was in hiding because the Fang Family felt he would bring them shame? This casually produced fourth-order elixir... Is it an illusion, or does he actually possess real talent?" "What a mess! Today''s events are just too chaotic. At such a young age, it would clearly be impossible to concoct a fourth-order elixir, but as the eldest young master of the Fang Family... Does he really need to cheat in this manner?" ... Fang Ren, hearing Butler Liu''s words, couldn''t help but nce at Lin Bozhong''s position, noticing among those he knew, Chen Cheng and Bai Qi, were two extraordinary elders. It seemed that Butler Liu''s presence to verify his pill furnace was likely at Lin Bozhong''s behest. After all, as the head butler of the Fang Family, and with Fang Ren being the young master of the Fang Family, having Lin Bozhong inspect it would surely appear as collusion. Having another family''s butler intervene eliminated any suspicions. No one else would have grounds to question him further. "Please, go ahead," Fang Ren nodded. At that, Butler Liu activated a stream of red True Qi in his hand, like a fine needle, and sent it flying towards the pill furnace. Crack¡ª In an instant, the old pill furnace shattered, a stream of clear water pouring out, revealing an interior devoid of anything but water, not even leaving behind any ashes from the concocting process on the inner walls of the furnace. The crisp sound of the furnace breaking was like thunder striking upon the hearts of the crowd. There were no ingredients inside! Only clear water! Chapter 196: Chapter 194: The Person Who Killed the "Lion" Leaves Indifferently_1 The final verification method had already been employed on the spot, and it was the Liu Family''s butler himself who opened the Pill Furnace. Throughout the process, he did not touch it with his hands, using only a tiny stream of True Qi. There was no possibility of recing the medicinal materials or turning them to ashes. Dead silence! The entire examination hall was enveloped in dead silence. The scene unfolding before everyone''s eyes was undeniable proof that Fang Ren had sessfully refined an Upper Level fourth-order elixir in 14 minutes and 36 seconds. When Butler Liu witnessed this scene, he too gasped in shock. To tell the truth, when he stepped on the stage earlier, he had never imagined that Fang Ren could actually refine a fourth-order elixir. He had thought that Brother Lin had asked him to help with the inspection on stage because he wanted him to prepare a good excuse for Young Master Fang in case cheating was detected, to find a reason that would make people feel there was an understandable and forgivable cause for Young Master Fang''s cheating on the spot. But now, it was clear that this was not what he had imagined at all. It was aplete overturn of his entire life''s understandings! A fourth-order elixir! And an advanced one at that! What''s most important was that it was refined within fifteen minutes! And the most, most, most important thing was that this Young Master Fang was only 22 years old this year! Any two of these three conditionsbined would already be enough to shake the entire Human world, yet Fang Ren held all three to himself! Is this talent? No, this must be the reincarnation of a Pill God! Butler Liu looked dazedly at the Pill Furnace shards that held nothing but water, then at the golden pill in the hands of the Seventh Elder,pletely stupefied. The audience in the stands wore expressions of disbelief, some even feeling as if they were dreaming. The examinees on the field were even more breathless at this moment, as this event had overturned all their previous understandings of elixirs. And Bai Qi, standing there, watched Fang Ren with a dazed expression, involuntary recalling the words Fang Ren had said to her after stepping on stage. He said he wouldn''t cheat... she thought it was just a lie to deceive her, but it turned out to be true. "Big... big bro..." Chen Cheng''s arm, which was draped over Lin Bozhong''s shoulder, started to tremble, and the smile on his face shifted from stupefied to crazy, as he blurted out an expletive, "You damn did not lie to me!" This time, he even forgot to activate his True Qi to block the sound, and his crude words spread throughout the entire venue. The expressions on the butlers'' faces from the Wang family and Cao family were not much better than that of the crowd. This was nothing like the script they had in mind. Wasn''t Young Master Fang a discarded piece with no talent at all? If it wasn''t for the marriage arrangement with the princess, he might have never been known by the people of Tianjiang! How did he suddenly be an extraordinary genius of the Elixir Field?! ¡­ After a pause of about 5 or 6 seconds, Butler Liu slowly recovered from the shock, swallowed hard, and announced, "Examinee: Fang Ren, upon verification, did not cheat! The Upper Level fourth-order elixir shall be duly recorded in the score!" Wow¡ª¡ª The entire audience was astonished. "My god! How is this possible... How could such talent be discarded by the Fang Family?!" "I feel like I''m dreaming! How could Young Master Fang of the Fang Family possibly be a student from a low-ranking school? Even the chairman of the Orchid Bamboo Guild wouldn''t be confident in sessfully refining an Upper Level Fourth-order elixir!" "Madness! Could it be that today I have witnessed the rise of an unprecedented genius?" ¡­ "This is impossible!" Just as the scene became noisy, Ah Si, not too far away, contorted his face into a vicious snarl, tore at his throat, and pointed at Fang Ren, bellowing, "How could he possibly refine a Fourth-order elixir! This is impossible! Since the dawn of the Cultivation Era, any genius who could refine a Fourth-order elixir had to be at least 60 years old! He must be cheating! Definitely!" The Seventh Elder immediately unleashed a strand of True Qi, pressing Ah Sipletely to the ground, "Audacity! Are you questioning the verification results of Butler Liu?" Ah Si was utterly disheveled, pushed to madness. His bloodshot eyes shifted from the Seventh Elder to Butler Liu and finally settled on Fang Ren. The look of resentment on his face gave way to a twisted smile. "I get it!" Ah Si''s smile was cruel, "I get it! It''s because he is Young Master Fang of the Fang Family, isn''t it? So all of you are covering up his cheating! It must be so!" His savage howls spread throughout the venue, and the gazes that many people cast at him were filled with contempt. At this point, couldn''t they see whether there was any cheating? Fang Ren had no chance to cheat, nor did anyone have the opportunity to help him cheat. And even if, hypothetically speaking, as Young Master Fang he were to cheat here, wouldn''t that mean his brain had been filled with seawater? Even if he seeded in cheating here, what would he do in the final round of thepetition? Members of the Tiandao Sword Sect were present, figures from the leading Tianjiang families were also around, and even Madame Xuan would arrive there with the Nine Heavens Corps. Should Young Master Fangck genuine strength and still cheat, the consequences thereafter would mean shaming the entire Fang Family before the entire world! "What more do I need to do to prove my results?" Fang Ren looked at the Seventh Elder as he spoke. The Seventh Elder hastily replied, "Young Master Fang''s results are legitimate! You need not prove anything further!" As he said this, the Seventh Elder turned to the proctor responsible for scoring, "Why haven''t you recorded the results yet?" "Yes!" The proctor immediately snapped back to reality and picked up a pen to write a series of characters on the paper. content-hosted-on-MVLeMpYr Seeing the proctor record his results, Fang Ren turned to Bai Qi in the audience and said, "Let''s go." With that, he turned and walked out of the examination area, facing the gaze of everyone, at a steady pace. His walk was neither fast nor slow, his facial expression indifferent, neither troubling himself with the ridicule of the crowd nor seeking to punish Ah Si for ndering him. In the vast grasnd, they were like a swarm of disgusting flies buzzing behind the mosquito, but though he had the means to eliminate them, he didn''t care to do so. He hade not to swat at flies for afortable sleep but to conquer the grasnd lions and im the throne, a rakshasa on a hunt. Nor had hee to flex or p faces; he was simply taking a test, earning his ticket to see the person he cherished most. This was not his stage for showing off. The final round, filled with monsters and freaks, was where he would make his mark. ¡­ Bai Qi watched him leave so indifferently, a fleeting sense of bewilderment crossed her heart. He''s just leaving like that? Does he not care about the people who jeer and curse at him? In her brief moments of distraction, she seemed to see a figure, the one she initially aspired to be¡­ Chapter 197: Chapter 195: Too Deep Into the Role_1 Once again pulling the brim of her hat down firmly, Bai Qi swiftly turned and ran in the direction Fang Ren had left. The elder butlers of the Wang family and Cao family standing behind her seemed to suddenly recall something. They had been so shocked by the Upper Level Pill from moments ago that they had momentarily overlooked the female student who hade with Young Master Fang. Thinking about the revtion of Fang Ren''s true identity and looking back at Lin Bozhong and Chen Cheng beside them, they recalled the rumors they heard while in Tianjiang¡ªa princess had transferred out of Tianjiang University... That meant, the girl they had just scolded... was the princess herself! Their faces turned ashen in an instant, and they stiffly turned their heads to look at Chen Cheng, who was stillughing with Lin Bozhong. As their eyes met, both butlers were filled with a bitter expression, unsure of what to do. Thinking back to when they had stood in the audience stand, criticizing Fang Ren and scolding Bai Qi, they were now filled with an overwhelming sense of unspeakable regret. ... With Fang Ren and Bai Qi having left the arena, everything that followed became much simpler¡ªno disputes, no noise. Every person''s heart was filled with various emotions, but most of all, there was that lingering shock and confusion over why Fang Ren did not lower himself to their level. Was Young Master Fang simply biding his time before taking action, or was he holding a grudge? Or perhaps he had not cared about their mockery at all, and they were mistaking others for being as petty as themselves? Butler Liu stood in the center of the arena, watching Fang Ren disappear outside the venue and muttered to himself, "It seems one truly cannot believe in hearsay; among his peers, perhaps only Song Mobei from the Tiandao Sword Sect can match Young Master Fang inposure." Seventh Elder clutched the golden pill in his hand, his heart filled with immense excitement. ording to the rules of the Alchemy Competition, any participant who could create a finished pill in the exam room was entitled to take it without paying a single coin. But Fang Ren did not take the Upper Level Pill with him; that meant he had truly gifted the pill to Seventh Elder, just as he had said before. After all, it was an Upper Level Pill! In the market, it would fetch enough to purchase three or four times the herbs Fang Ren had used, and they would be of excellent quality. ... In the end, this tumultuous exam continued with everyone, except for Fang Ren, retaking it. However, it was obvious that the candidates taking the exam again couldn''t proceed with the same calm andposure as before; their understanding of the pills they cherished had been utterly subverted by a seemingly nonchnt lower-level student within just 14 minutes. What had seemed unwavering self-confidence crumbled under the pressure, much like a group of world-ss boxers who suddenly witnessed a Cultivator effortlessly shattering mountains and rivers. ------ ------ Outside thepetition venue, on the streets. Fang Ren paused at a crossroads, waiting for Bai Qi who had just run out of the venue. As Bai Qi saw Fang Ren stopping at the intersection to wait for her, her rapid pace slowly decreased, and her shining eyes began to be obscured by the brim of her hat as she tilted her head slightly downwards. "I didn''t lie to you, did I?" Fang Ren said, smiling faintly as he watched her stop beside him. Bai Qi first shook her head without looking up at him, as her subconscious felt deceived. But after half a second, Bai Qi nodded her head, having thought through their past interactions; indeed, Fang Ren had not lied to her. "Why the shake of the head?" Fang Ren was still smiling. "Taking you to the finals is a sure thing now." After hearing his words, Bai Qi paused for a few seconds before slowly lifting her head, her beautiful eyes looking at him, "I originally thought you merely wanted to take me to the finals. Now it seems I was just ttering myself, like you said before¡ªI imagined too much." "It''s okay, a misunderstanding cleared up is good." Fang Ren shrugged nonchntly, turning to cross the street, "You can rest up for a couple of days now. I need to focus on my Cultivation." Bai Qi quickly caught up with him, a mixture of confusion and perplexity on her face, "If you weren''t just taking me to the finals, then what was it for?" "Didn''t I say? To meet Madame Xuan," Fang Ren replied, his tone joking but his words sincere. Bai Qi shook her head again slightly. Even now, she felt that Fang Ren''s statement was just a jest. "Perhaps you''re not as nonchnt as you appear," Bai Qi broke the silence after a while. "Since the previous event was just my conceit, then your sudden demonstration of exceptional Alchemy Talent must have been to prove yourself." Fang Renughed helplessly and then nodded; the girl was overthinking things again. She still didn''t believe that he was actually going to see Mu Huanqing. But Bai Qi''s words weren''t wrong either. There were many reasons Fang Ren went to the finals, and proving himself was indeed one of them. Crossing the street, Fang Ren headed straight towards the hotel, with Bai Qi silent beside him, seemingly deep in thought. After walking for three or four minutes, Bai Qi spoke with a twisted expression, "Did my appearance cause you embarrassment?" Fang Ren reluctantly nced at her and could only helplessly say, "You are overthinking it." Bai Qi shook her head, denying his im, and spoke with a hint of seriousness, "Your past performance has always been third from the bottom in the ss. You never tried to stand out. I suppose it''s probably because your life was originally nd and worry-free. But with my appearance, your identity was exposed, and your peaceful life was shattered. All over Tianjiang, people are talking about you. None of them hold you in high regard; they all think you are the discarded piece that the Fang Family didn''t want to lose face over. That''s why you want to prove yourself now..." After Fang Ren heard her say this, he began to understand why she would think that way. After all, considering everything that had happened to him from this girl''s subjective point of view, it was inevitable she would think like that. Bai Qi continued, "In the time I''ve been in contact with you, you seemed to me to be unremarkable. But now I''vee to realize that the unremarkability of the past must have been due to your non-confrontational nature. If not for my arrival, you certainly would not have chosen to take part in thispetition to prove yourself. Even people who are non-confrontational don''t like being constantly judged and nagged at. When pushed to the limit, the only thing to do is to take action to silence everyone." Fang Ren smiled and said, "You only got half right." His original life had indeed been nd and carefree, and his nature had truly been non-confrontational, leading to everything that had unfolded up to this point. His second uncle tried to assassinate him, the Central Area wanted to separate him from his lover, the Bai Family wanted him to forcefully have a child with Bai Qi... Any one of these issues indeed pushed him to the limit. Bai Qi was slightly stunned as she looked at him, "Which half?" "The part about being pushed to the limit," Fang Renughed. "Did I get your personality wrong then?" Bai Qi asked. "That''s not the case." "So I got it all right." "The circumstances are wrong," Fang Ren said. "I wasn''t driven to desperation because of you, nor because of thements from the people in Tianjiang." "Then why?" Bai Qi asked. Fang Ren paused for a moment, then smilingly said, "Instead of probing for answers, better to wait and see how things unfold." He still couldn''t reveal some things. Bai Qi looked at the slight smile at the corner of his mouth, her beautiful face shed with bewilderment for a moment, and the light in her eyes trembled slightly. "You and Brother Song are very simr... in character," Bai Qi murmured, looking at him with cherry-red lips. The smile on Fang Ren''s face stiffened, "Uh... I do hope there are more dissimrities between him and me, preferablypletely opposite." "..." Bai Qi fell silent after hearing his words. It was as if Fang Ren''s statement was a cryptic message that only she could understand¡ª "You like him, and I certainly hope I''m not like the person you like... I don''t wish for you to like me." But Bai Qi felt there might be something wrong with her interpretation of this statement. "Why?" she hurriedly asked. Fang Ren''s expression twisted slightly, he chuckled thoughtfully for a moment and said, "If you''re asking for the most direct reason, it''s because I don''t like him, and I actually detest him a lot." Bai Qi shook her head, somewhat unable to understand, and said, "You clearly have never met, and you haven''t even gotten to know him. He isn''t part of the Tianjiang group that looked down on you. How can you dislike someone so much without any reason?" Fang Ren nced at the sky and sighed, "It has to do with the person I like." Tap tap¡ª Bai Qi''s shoes moved twice on the ground, making a pronounced sound, and she gradually stopped in ce, while Fang Ren ahead continued walking forward. In Bai Qi''s eyes, within the circle of girls Fang Ren hade into contact with, only she had interacted with Song Mobei, and she was the only one who had told Fang Ren about her feelings for Song Mobei. He said that his dislike for Song Mobei was rted to the person he liked... Bai Qi stood there, watching Fang Ren''s retreating figure slowly moving forward, the pretty cheeks flushing with color, her normally bright eyes shimmering even more... So, when he said she overthought things, he wasn''t saying she overthought everything. At least, the fact that he liked her was not something she had conjured up in her mind. -Enjoy! "Could this... be considered a confession tinged with jealousy?" Bai Qi thought to herself. Chapter 198: Chapter 196: Are You Stupid Because of Me?_1 After returning to the hotel, Fang Ren once again began to cultivate, and little Qianye climbed atop his head from the Spiritual Root, circting True Qi to protect him while he cultivated. Perhaps the words he had spoken on the road earlier could cause Bai Qi to misunderstand, but even if it was a misunderstanding, it would be resolved in two days, and besides, that girl didn''t like him at all. Let her misunderstand if she will. Meanwhile, in the neighboring room which he was unaware of, Bai Qi was lying on the bed clutching a pillow, her arms buried within it, leaving only her bright, sparkling eyes staring nkly at the wall. "Liar... Even though I tell you everything, you still hid the Alchemy from me..." Bai Qi hit the pillow in her arms with her hand, her expression looking a bit wronged as she frowned and murmured to herself unceasingly. "Are you even my fianc¨¦ anymore? Such a scheming man... I''m so angry..." "And another thing, can''t confessions be straightforward? Why all this beating around the bush, making me go in circles until I finally understand... Hmph!" ... As Bai Qi grumbled on and on, the more she thought, the angrier she got. Yes, she felt it was all the fault of that guy in the next room¡ªhe had deceived her, and she, Bai Qi, waspletely right about everything! It was his fault for her wild fantasies; if he hadn''t said those words, would she havee up with such thoughts? After rambling to herself for a while, Bai Qi suddenly sat up on the bed, clutching the pillow and pouting, again beginning to think of everything she did towards Fang Ren yesterday. She didn''t understand what kind of feelings those were exactly. She refused to admit it was liking him, but if not that, then what? She immediately coaxed him when he was upset because of her; there was no need for her to care about him at all. It was unnecessary for her to take it seriously if he saw other women, like Fang Ren had said yesterday. If he met with other women, wasn''t that something she should be happy to see? That way, she could pursue Song Mobei with a clear conscience, couldn''t she? Why did she still get angry? Because he didn''t tell her? Because he deceived her? She had no reason to get upset over someone she didn''t care about... As these thoughts swirled in her head, she recalled the words her grandfather had once told her¡ª"The affection developed between two people is what truly counts. You like Song Mobei only because he is dazzling, but that''s just a favorable impression... It''s merely a superficial phenomenon and not the love you truly seek for happiness..." "Aaaaah! What on earth is this feeling?!" The more Bai Qi thought, the more confused she became, furiously pounding the pillow in her embrace. "Everyone likes to preach such grand principles! How would I know what love is! I''ve never been in a rtionship! Of course, if I have a good impression of someone, I''ll like them... What''s wrong with that..." ------ ------ Around noon, Fang Ren stopped his cultivation. This was not because it was mealtime, but because he had sessfully stabilized his Realm from the entrance of the Xianyun Realm to the early stages of the Xianyun Realm. Rising from the bed, he felt an entirely different strength within his body. Fang Ren couldn''t help but feel somewhat emotional inside. About two months prior, he was just an ordinary person without the qualifications for Cultivation, yet in the blink of an eye, he had be a Cultivator capable of surpassing some of the Aristocrat Cultivation students from Tianjiang. Thinking back on it was rather dreamlike. After finishing the cultivation session, little Qianye was feeling rather energetic and instead of returning to the Spiritual Root, he decided to burrow into Fang Ren''s pocket. Fang Ren checked the time and saw it was indeed mealtime, the right time to take the girl next door out for food. Knock knock knock¡ª Before he could open the door, he heard a knocking from outside. "How much longer are you nning to cultivate?" Bai Qi''s somewhat dissatisfied voice reached him through the door: "Students from other schools have already gone out to eat, and you haven''t taken me to eat." Fang Ren, ashamed and sweating, opened the door to find Bai Qi standing at the doorstep with a troubled look on her face, one hand resting on her belly, clearly hungry. "I just finished up and you''re already knocking on the door. Come on, I''ll take you to get some tasty food," Fang Ren quickly grabbed his room key and closed the door as he spoke. Bai Qi looked at him reproachfully and said, "It''s all your fault." "Huh? What''s wrong, why are you ming me all of a sudden?" Fang Ren was taken aback. "If you hadn''t left suddenly with that girl yesterday, I wouldn''t have overeaten and stretched my stomach. If my stomach hadn''t stretched, I wouldn''t have gotten hungry so soon, and I wouldn''t havee back to knock on your door. So, no matter how you look at it, it''s your fault," Bai Qi analyzed the situation with him earnestly. "Alright, alright," Fang Ren said, his head throbbing, fearing that this girl''s thought process was veering into abnormal territory again, he hurriedly appeased her: "What do you want to eat? Let''s go get it." "I don''t know, but I certainly don''t want to go back to that ce we ate yesterday. I''m sick of it." Fang Ren''s face was the picture of helplessness; it would be strange if she wasn''t sick of eating that much. Descending the elevator with Bai Qi, Fang Ren noticed the fragrance of her shampoo, realizing that she had just washed her hair not long ago. Then, Fang Ren took her to a snack bar to sit down. Initially, he wanted to take Bai Qi somewhere nicer to eat since in the few days she worked at school, she hadn''t had much to eat other than steamed buns. However, since all the students were dispersing after exams, the surrounding high-end restaurants were packed with aristocrats, and he did not want to show his face in front of these aristocratic students. After all, showing up would inevitably result in the same old pretentious act, so he brought Bai Qi to this snack bar, a ce beneath the notice of aristocrats. For the average aristocrat, ces like this street stall were considered junk food, but Bai Qi seemed to really like it, eating a lot of stir-fried cold noodles, gnawing on two pancake burritos, and a te of iron-grilled squid. Seeing her unpretentious way of eating, Fang Ren couldn''t help but remember the first time he took Mu Huanqing to the campus entrance to eat cold skin noodles. Madame Xuan, a person of high status, also liked to eat snacks like these. With this in mind, Fang Ren couldn''t help but wonder if the highest-ranking aristocrats had reached a "mountain is still a mountain" level of understanding when it came to food? "You''re eating so much. Doesn''t it make you feel overfull?" Fang Ren said, watching Bai Qi across from him, avidly munching on the pancake burrito, "Don''t forget that you can''t use True Qi to digest now." Bai Qi gave him a disdainful look and replied seriously: "Only when I''m full can I stop thinking about you¡ªthis pig!" Fang Ren gave a wry smile. It seemed that what he had said to this girl on the way after the Alchemy ended was still troubling her now. "Don''t overthink it," Fang Ren said. "I was just saying something offhand. It might not have anything to do with you." Bai Qi gave him another disdainful look and stopped talking to him. "Young Master!" Just then, at the doorway of the snack bar, five elders led by Lin Bozhong suddenly burst in. Fang Ren turned around, and his whole person froze; why did all these elders have such odd expressions on their faces? Bai Qi also turned around to look and immediately lowered her baseball cap over her head, whispering, "You quickly distract them! I can''t be exposed!" Fang Ren froze again, staring nkly at Bai Qi. The girl was truly naive at heart¡ªany of these elderly men could hear every single word spoken silently in a corner of the snack bar, and yet this girl... "Your Highness!" Before Bai Qi could leave the table, the elders called out all at once. Bai Qi was stunned, the pancake in her mouth forgotten; only then did she realize they could hear her voice. She stared nkly at Fang Ren: "Why didn''t you remind me..." "You''re the fool, yet you me me?" Fang Ren felt helpless. "It''s over, these old men will surelye over and give me an earful..." "And you''re still talking..." Chapter 199: Chapter 196: Rumors Are False_1 As the conversation between the two came to a close, the five old men who had just entered through the door were all stunned. Especially Butler Liu, Housekeeper Wang, and [the third steward], who after hearing that sentence, all felt a pang in their hearts. Old men... Was the princess reproaching them for the scolding they had given her before, or had she truly forgotten to use True Qi to soundproof the room? "Ahem." Seeing the awkward situation, Housekeeper Wang quickly coughed twice andughed, "Brother Chen, Brother Lin, have wee at a bad time?" Butler [Cao] too awkwardlyughed, "Indeed, a young couple is dining; for several old men like us to crowd around doesn''t seem quite appropriate." Butler Liu, feeling helpless, shook his head and walked over to Bai Qi and Fang Ren, slightly bowing as he said with a smile, "Princess, Young Master Fang, we old men truly had offended you earlier..." Seeing an eldering over to apologize, Fang Ren quickly got up to support him and said, "You''re too kind, sir. Indeed, my behavior during thepetition was quite strange; had I been in the audience, I''m sure I would have said the same things." At the time, during the alchemypetition, the whole venue was mocking him, but he remembered the words of these old stewards weren''t ill-intended, especially Butler Liu, who had even thought about calling him over to give a lecture and "lead him back onto the right path." Although Butler Liu''s understanding was mistaken, his heart in educating the younger generation was in the right ce. "Young Master Fang..." Butler Liu looked at the standing Fang Ren before him with a hint of surprise in his eyes. This Young Master Fang''s status in Tianjiang was indeed far more distinguished than any of the Liu Family''s sons and daughters. Even though he was an old predecessor of the Liu Family, who hade forward to bow and apologize, Young Master Fang of the Fang Family could havepletely ignored him, sitting at the dining table without paying much attention. After all, the difference between the Fang Family of Tianjiang and the Bai Family wasn''t that great. If the Bai Family was considered an imperial aristocratic family in Tianjiang, then the Fang Family was akin to that of a prince''s aristocratic family, and a powerful one at that. Even if people addressed Fang Ren as "Your Highness," it wouldn''t be entirely inappropriate; his status was not much lower than that of Bai Qi. Butler Liu, looking at Fang Ren before him, couldn''t help but think of the other two young masters of the Fang Family. Compared to those two, Fang Ren could be said to be "too approachable,"pletelycking any airs. Bai Qi, seeing Butler Liu walk over, immediatelyy down on the dining table, pulling her hat brim down low to cover her entire face, finding herself somewhat unable to face these elderly men. She had actually called them old men right to their faces... When she was younger, these grandfathers had doted on her like a granddaughter. Now that she had grown up, although she found their nagging quite annoying and had called them old men behind their backs, those times had always been in private. Moreover, she knew in her heart that they truly cared for her. "Princess?" Seeing Bai Qi lying down on the table without a word, Butler Liu thought she was behaving like her temperamental younger self again and quickly said, "If you feel ufortable expressing your love with Young Master Fang in our presence, we will leave right away." Upon hearing this, Housekeeper Wang immediately came over, tugged at Butler Liu''s arm, and hinted with a squint, "Brother Liu, young people are naturally shy about these things; how can you speak so bluntly?" Butler Liu was taken aback, "Isn''t this me apologizing for what happened earlier...?" At that moment, Butler [Cao] also came over and said, "Brother Liu is right; both of us should apologize to Young Master Fang and the Princess for what happened before." Upon hearing this, Housekeeper Wang''s expression became more serious as he looked at Fang Ren, "Young Master Fang, we three indeed had a narrow understanding before and never imagined that in this day and age, someone as exceptionally talented as you could emerge." "The gentlemen are exaggerating, it''s just a trivial matter of turning a new page. Why dwell on it?" Fang Ren said with a nonchnt expression, speaking politely. He wasn''t angry about the incident and was eager to turn the page. Bai Qi quickly stood up upon hearing this, his face bearing a somewhat awkward smile, and took the opportunity to gloss over at least the fact that he had called them old fogies, "That''s right, that''s right, he''s correct. It''s just a trivial matter, no need to keep bringing it up. Besides, each of you grandfathers is a senior, and whatever you say is for the benefit of the younger generation. There''s no need to talk about who should or shouldn''t apologize. Ha, hahaha..." At this moment, Lin Bozhong and Chen Cheng both came over, and all the old butlers of the major families were gathering together. "The princess is still the same as ever," Butler Liu remarked with augh upon seeing Bai Qi''s demeanor, "Not a trace of royal pretense." "Indeed, in this regard, she is quite a good match for Young Master Fang," said Chen Cheng without dy. "Speaking of which, the marriage arranged by Old Master Bai in the first ce is truly a good match," Housekeeper Cao also joined in, "Her Highness the princess is the most talented woman in cultivation nowadays, while Young Master Fang is a once-in-a-generation genius in alchemy. A perfect match indeed!" ... The elders praised the two as a perfect pair, each in turn, while only Lin Bozhong stood to the side, his face forcing a smile, feeling utterly helpless inside. You bunch of old geezers, if Madame Xuan hears these words, I''m afraid even you and the princess would get a beating! ... As for Fang Ren''s thoughts, he could only smile wryly to himself. Talking about how well-matched he and Bai Qi were, does that mean the currently most powerful Mu Huanqing isn''t a good match for him, the greatest Alchemist? It was all just due to the arrangements made by the Central Area. Seeing that the elders kept talking non-stop, Fang Ren directly turned his head and shouted to the front, "Owner, get us a bigger table." "Right away! Young Master Fang, I''ll arrange it for you immediately!" The owner had been standing by and was astounded by their conversation, and now, with the young man who was dining with Her Highness the princess, known as Young Master Fang, speaking up, he immediately became excited and did not dare to dawdle. When the other old butlers heard what Fang Ren meant, that he wanted to dine with them, all except for Lin Bozhong were momentarily stunned. "This... Young Master Fang, wouldn''t it be inappropriate for us to sit together?" Housekeeper Cao voiced his concern. No matter how you looked at it, the statuses were clear: Fang Ren was the head of the Fang Family, Bai Qi was the princess of Tianjiang, and for them, a few butlers, to sit at the same table as these two, it just didn''t seem proper in their eyes. "What''s inappropriate about it?" Fang Ren said. "Exactly, he''s right, there''s nothing inappropriate," Bai Qi immediately chimed in with a smile. She still hadn''t recovered from her earlier embarrassment. The old men looked at Bai Qi, taken aback. This... why does it feel like whatever Young Master Fang says goes, and Her Highness just goes along with everything? Was this what they called, a husband leads and the wife follows? Had their rtionship already developed to such a point? Now it seemed that the rtionship between the two was nothing like what was being rumored among the young people of Tianjiang. They were all saying things like the princess looked down upon Young Master Fang, that she fancied Song Mobei from the Tiandao Sword Sect; that her ulterior motive for turning around was actually to break off the engagement, that the head of the Fang Family was shamelessly persistent... and so on. Indeed, rumors are, after all, just rumors, and not to be believed. Chapter 200: Chapter 197: There Shouldnt Be Golden Scales in the Pond_1 However, in Lin Bozhong''s heart, it was as if he had pped himself across the face, his expression showing a desire to cry without tears: Young Master Fang, what kind of trouble have you caused? Aren''t you afraid that Madame Xuan will truly be pregnant and harm the princess... As the restaurant owner opened up anotherrge table, the five butlers also took their seats at the dining table and began to eat with some embarrassment. After all, no one had ever eaten at the same table with Her Highness the Princess, not even when she was a child. read-more-at-MvLeMpYr With this matter, only Lin Bozhong had no qualms about eating, joking. How could he possibly feel embarrassed? He was the old man who had often followed Young Master Fang and Madame Xuan for meals. Could he really be like these folks who hadn''t seen much of the world? During the meal, several butlers inevitably engaged in small talk, while Fang Ren remained mostly silent, his expression indifferent throughout and speaking only a few courteous words. "The Fang Family has truly produced three heroes in this generation," said Butler Liu with a smile. "Indeed, Young Master Fang was able to concoct a fourth-grade miraculous pill within 15 minutes at such a young age. Mr. Liqun and Mr. Li Zhong also possess exceptional talents in cultivation. The Fang Family''s generation is surely set to surpass the preceding one," Housekeeper Wang alsomented. "Speaking of which, to this day, my heart is still full of shock. A fourth-grade upper level pill from Young Master Fang has overturned my decades of understanding of pills," said Butler Cao. On the surface, Lin Bozhong replied with a smile, but in his heart, he didn''t have much liking for Fang Lizhong and Fang Liqun, the other two young masters of the Fang Family. In his eyes, no one in the Fang Family could outshine Young Master Fang. No, to put it more urately, Lin Bozhong believed there was not a single person among the younger generation on Earth who couldpare to Young Master Fang. In just two months, Young Master Fang advanced from zero cultivation level to the peak of the Chongshan Realm, and at twenty-two, he could casually concoct fifth-grade pills. What could other people do in two months? What were they doing at twenty-two? Even Madame Xuan had only reached the early stages of the Yuanxin Realm in two months, and even the world''s most talented Alchemist had to be over seventy years old to scarcely produce fifth-grade pills. If one were to talk solely about talent, Lin Bozhong felt that the strongest Practitioner and the strongest Alchemist in the worldbined could not even touch a hair on Young Master Fang. In his eyes, Young Master Fang was nothing less than a formidable genius who had defied the heavens. Yet, this heaven-defying genius preferred to keep a low profile, stay out of trivial matters, and not engage in petty squabbles. He did not seek glory in the presence of others and consistently ranked third from the bottom in his achievements... If it weren''t for Madame Xuan''s matter, it was likely that Young Master Fang would have never desired to showcase his talents. ... After the meal, Fang Ren and Bai Qi headed towards the hotel, while the few elderly gentlemen stood at the entrance of the restaurant, watching the two leave. "After this meal, Young Master Fang has truly overturned my perception of the younger generation," said Butler Liu as he watched Fang Ren''s unassuming silhouette, shaking his head with a sigh. Chen Chengughed and said, "It''s rare to see Brother Liu so appreciative of a junior. How do you think Young Master Fangpares to Song Mobei of the Tiandao Sword Sect?" Butler Liu frowned slightly and said, "I''ve never seen such an indifferent young person; even Song Mobei of the Tiandao Sword Sect, in this respect, likely can''t match Young Master Fang''s demeanor and mindset." "Brother Liu, don''t tter him too much. There''s still a big gap between Young Master Fang and Song Mobei," said Lin Bozhong with a smile. In truth, he very much agreed with the others, but he felt it was better not to elevate his Young Master Fang too highly. Butler Liu still shook his head and sighed, "Brother Lin, I genuinely admire Young Master Fang, truly, without a hint of ttery." "In this regard, I very much agree with Brother Liu," said the Butler of Wang Family, "At this morning''s alchemypetition, facing the ridicule of hundreds of people, he remained unfazed, focused on his alchemy. When the two invigtors started fighting just half a meter away, he remained calm. After the pill was made, at his moment of great sess, he was neither arrogant nor rash, overlooking the faults of petty people, not seeking instant verbal victory. Such mentality is truly rare among the young." Butler Cao chuckled and shook his head, "All the good words have been said by you two. However, seeing Brother Liu, who has deep cultivation in education, show such admiration for a junior is truly rare." ... The men casually chatted for a bit before heading toward the site of the alchemypetition, while Lin Bozhong and Chen Cheng were to return to the hotel to watch over the younger members of their families. As Lin Bozhong and Chen Cheng left, the conversation among the three old men of the families became more open. "They say that the Young Master Fang was once an abandoned castoff of the family. What do you two brothers think of this matter?" Housekeeper Wang asked. Butler Cao replied, "The affairs within the Fang Family areplex. Nobody knows what exactly happened within the Fang Family back then. Although the Fang Family is very strong now, it is severely divided internally. I''ve heard that this is rted to the incident when this Young Master Fang was sent away from the family." Butler Liu spoke with a hint of seriousness, "A golden scale is not amon thing in the pool. Perhaps even the Fang Family isn''t worthy to possess this young man. If I''m not mistaken, there''s more to Young Master Fang than what we''ve seen today." "Oh?" Both Wang and Cao looked surprised. "Brother Liu, what do you mean by that?" "I''ve heard many rumors about Young Master Fang, and one of them is his academic performance at school, which has consistently been the third fromst," Butler Liu pondered for a moment before speaking, "He seems to be someone unconcerned with the world, indifferent to how others view him. A person like this should never shine in life because no matter how you advise him, he won''t listen. Only if he himself possesses the desire for greatness will he act. But such a person, why would he participate in this kind ofpetition? I guess something or someone must have touched a line that he cannot withstand, and this line... is very likely rted to the internal strife and divisions of the Fang Family. If so, then his talent and abilities may not be a blessing for the Fang Family, and that is why I say perhaps the Fang Family is not deserving. Besides, do you think he seemed serious today? Nothing of note really happened at the examination site today to warrant such a usually indifferent person to be earnest." "Brother Liu, if your deduction is true, then troubles could greatly escte in the Fang Family. Moreover... Young Master Fang''s abilities will surely enable him to be a vast ocean that gathers hundreds of rivers. If he so wishes, he could undoubtedly be the leader of a faction..." Chapter 201: Chapter 198: Tiandao Sword Sect Soars Across_1 In these two days, Fang Ren had finally found some peace. There was no need for him to go to the alchemypetition field, since the first ce in this district was secured by him thanks to a mystical fourth-order elixir. There was no point in participating in the final district rankingpetition. During these two days, besides confining himself in his room to cultivate, Fang Ren was either dining out with Bai Qi, free from any other affairs. As thepetition was drawing to a close and about to dere the final results, Fang Ren still did not go to the finals venue to ept the glory that belonged to him, because he deemed all that as unnecessary. "I hear that today, esteemed disciples from the Tiandao Sword Sect will pass by here on their way to the finals venue!" "Those esteemed disciples of the Tiandao Sword Sect are a rare sight, usually cultivating in seclusion on Tiandao Mountain all year round. Their strength is more mysterious and unfathomable than some of the best in great families!" "Ah! The one I''m most eager to see is Brother Song Mobei from the Tiandao Sword Sect! He''s the one set to marry Madame Xuan in the future!" "Yes, yes! I came out just to catch a glimpse of Song Mobei! Rumor has it that he has already reached the early stage of the Xuanyang Realm at his young age! Moreover, his creation in Sword Dao has achieved a new peak for humanity! I''m really looking forward to seeing such a person guarding the students together with Madame Xuan in the finals venue!" ... The street outside the inn was bustling with noise, not only because the medicinal pillpetition was at its final stage but also because today, a group of special disciples from the Tiandao Sword Sect would pass by here on their way to the finals venue. Fang Ren was indifferent to themotion outside, as his current realm was stable enough to be undisturbed by any noise. However, Bai Qi in the next room seemed to have gone to the main street early to wait for her Brother Song. "Ding Dong!" Just as Fang Ren''s soul force cultivation came to a pause, suddenly his cellphone in his pocket rang. Ever since the news spread like wildfire online about his creation of the fourth-order elixir, his phone hadn''t stopped ringing. Most messages were from ssmates in his ss. There were also a few calls, specifically from two young aristocrats and Liu Qianqian. Fang Ren clearly remembered how ecstatic those two young aristocrats were during the call, chatting with him for over two hours; only ending the call because they had to attend a ss, otherwise who knows how long they might have continued. read-this-on-MVLeMpYr Among the pile of messages, there were also several lengthy messages from Teacher Huang congratting him; the change in attitudepared to before was an absolute 180-degree turn. Even the president and the dean of Baili University had sent their congrattions, and he had replied to each with a few words. However, to his surprise, the president of Yangming University, who never showed up, still hadn''t sent a single congrattory message at this time. He had, representing Yangming University, won over the six aristocratic universities and clinched the absolute first ce in his district, and in the finals, the first ce was almost certainly his as well. Such a high honor brought to a world-ranked bottom ten university would probably make other university presidents jump with joy, but the president of Yangming... Well, he might just be indifferent to fame and fortune. Picking up his phone, Fang Ren nced at the messages; he had received a lot yesterday and the day before, but today there had been hardly any because all the congrattions had arrived within two days. Who could it be this time? Jian Qi''er. Fang Ren, driven by curiosity, opened the message. Clearly, Jian Qi''er wouldn''t be sending him any congrattory messages, as the girl was quite aware of his strength, and besides, her focus was all on the organization. After ncing over the message, Fang Ren''s brows knit together involuntarily. What Jian Qi''er had sent in her message was shocking; the Nightfall Organization''stest investigation had uncovered a clue linking to the Tiandao Sword Sect. Today, they had seen people from the Tiandao Sword Sect making contact with the Indra Sky Organization. Moreover, the Void beast taken away from Linyang City by the Indra Sky Organization had also been handed over to the special disciples of the Tiandao Sword Sect and was being transported to the medicinal pillpetition finals venue. Their intentions were still unknown. "Howe the people who bear a grudge against me always end up in cahoots?" Fang Ren felt somewhat helpless and immediately texted Jian Qi''er back, asking if their organization nned any action and informed her of the situation here, hoping the Nightfall Organization would stand down for the better. Half a minuteter, he received a text from Jian Qi''er. She told him that the Nightfall Organization was currently only focusing on investigating the experimental base and didn''t have the capacity to handle more, thus wouldn''t conflict with the Tiandao Sword Sect. She also reminded Fang Ren to not reveal his rtionship with Madame Xuan at the finals and to keep a low profile. After reading the message, Fang Ren smiled, turned off his phone''s screen, and thought keeping a low profile was impossible. But of course, he didn''t want to expose his rtionship with Mu Huanqing just yet. If it really came down to the finals venue, whatever was to happen, and if those with ulterior motives decided to stir trouble, even if he wanted to hide his rtionship with Mu Huanqing, it would appear feeble. Like Fang Ren''s uncle, who probably wasn''t unaware of the rtionship between Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing. If he was intent on causing trouble at thepetition, then Fang Ren would have no choice but to brace for it. Connections and people: each step he''d take next would surely collide with great contradictions; he had to keep advancing despite them. Instead of continuing to stay in the hotel, Fang Ren soon went out onto the street to find Bai Qi, eager to meet this so-called "modest gentleman" and "Sword Dao prodigy", Song Mobei. Additionally, there was the Tiandao Sword Sect''s Little Princess, Xia Fu Lan. What did she look like? Was she tough? Fang Ren wanted to know. "Look quickly! Those are people from the Tiandao Sword Sect!" Before Fang Ren could find Bai Qi in the crowded street, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted. At the sound of that person''s voice, everyone on the street looked up, directing their gaze far off into the sky. Fang Ren followed the gaze of the crowd to the end, only to see a dozen figures flying on their swords among the clouds far in the sky, with silver Sword Qi creating whirlwinds that tore through the clouds, and a resounding hum vibrated in the air. Chapter 202: Chapter 199: You Can Choose Not to Meet_1 In the clouds above, twelve young people dressed in white-edged blue dao attire were circting their True Qi to propel the flying swords beneath their feet towards the city''s sky. "Big Brother, what''s the purpose of the task Master has given us this time?" a man standing on a flying sword asked through True Qi transmission, "And who were those people with the Void beast that came to see us earlier? They seem like a bunch of mortals engaging in scientific research." "I also find this matter quite iprehensible," said a purple-haired girl dressed in a blue dao robe with white trim, "Why would father want us to take this Void beast to the final stage of the Alchemypetition, and he even specially instructed that this Void beast will be a major strength for our side." The purple-haired girl who spoke was one of the two leading the group of twelve, with a beautiful appearance and an ethereal temperament. Beside her was the man known as the Big Brother. He was extremely handsome, his long hair tied back, and his face bore aforting smile. His temperament was subtly more etherealpared with the purple-haired girl next to him. This man was Song Mobei, a renowned Sword Dao prodigy known to everyone. "Our Master, an elder whose heart is with all the people under the heavens, always acts for the sake of freeing humanity from the suffering of the Void. Although it is the Great Cultivation Era, science is notpletely useless; they too are making contributions to human society," Song Mobei said, "Those scientists said that this Void beast may represent a significant leap in our understanding of the Void for humankind. The task Master has entrusted to us must not be taken lightly." "What Brother Mobei said makes a lot of sense," the purple-haired girl replied with a smile after listening to Song Mobei, "Although we practitioners are the strongest forces of the era, science indeed also contributes silently to our kind. Perhaps this Void beast really is as miraculous as they say." ... As their conversation continued, the swiftly moving flying swords had already brought them over the city where the Alchemypetition was drawing to a close. "Big Brother, there are so many people below, I am sure they all want to catch a glimpse of you," the purple-haired girl nced at the crowded streets below, then turned to Song Mobei with a smile. Looking at the throngs below, Song Mobei shook his head with a smile, "Just a glimpse, what''s the difference between seeing and not seeing me, let''s hurry on our way." "Wait a moment, Big Brother," the purple-haired girl interjected, "I remember this city is one of the Alchemypetition''s venues, and at this time it should already be at the end of the contest. Why don''t we go down and take a look?" Another male disciple from behind also spoke up, "Yes, Big Brother, junior Fn is here for thepetition. It just so happens that this venue is in the final stages; going down will also allow junior Fn to see her opponents for the finals." Song Mobei''s flying sword paused in mid-air, and he nced at the Orchid Bamboo Special Alchemist Guild below before responding, "Sounds good." With that, the group of Tiandao Sword Sect disciples began descending toward the city. ... "Ah! They areing down! They areing down!" "Quick! Towards the direction of the Orchid Bamboo Guild! We''ll see the princess of the Tiandao Sword Sect!" "Song Mobei! I want to see Song Mobei!" ... The crowd suddenly became noisy and restless, streaming towards the direction of the Orchid Bamboo Guild, with some practitioners directly circting their True Qi and flying over. The whole street began to be unbearably crowded. Fang Ren remained standing in his original spot, eyes fixed on the descending group of Tiandao Sword Sect disciples in the sky, especially on Song Mobei. Handsome and suave, his True Qi gentle and tranquil, he descended without the arrogance of the strong, his gaze indifferent to the morous crowd, his temperament like someone about to merge into nature... A few nces were enough to tell that Song Mobei was indeed a very different kind of young man. An early-stage powerhouse in the Xuanyang realm, one of the monstrous existences just behind Mu Huanqing; a Sword Dao prodigy, with talent in the Sword Dao that reached the pinnacle of this era; at twenty-seven, he achieved the strongest Cultivation Level among all men, considered by almost everyone to be the most eligible male for the Xuan Nv... Each condition, taken individually, was something others could not catch up with in several lifetimes. Okay, apart from Cultivation Level, there was no gap between Young Master Fang and Song Mobei, and in fact, he far surpassed Song Mobei in every aspect. Cultivation talent, Alchemy Talent, Sword Dao talent, tool refinement talent... and his rtionship with Mu Huanqing. Song Mobei didn''t have a single thing that couldpete with that darn guy, and the only condition currently crushing Fang Ren into dregs was the overwhelming pressure in Cultivation Level. His gaze lingered on Song Mobei for a few seconds before Fang Ren''s eyes moved to the purple-haired woman beside him. Clearly, this purple-haired woman was the princess of the Tiandao Sword Sect that everyone talked about, Xia Fu Lan. "Ah!" Just as Fang Ren withdrew his gaze and started to walk toward the Orchid Bamboo Guild, someone suddenly bumped into him. He turned his head and, lo and behold, it was the silly girl he had just stepped out to find. Bai Qi had changed into casual clothes, but she was still wearing a duckbill cap on her head. Even though she had changed her outfit, Fang Ren could still recognize her at a nce from her familiar aura. "I''m so sorry, so sorry." Bai Qi quickly apologized and turned to squeeze back into the crowded throng of people. source-at-MVLeMpYr Fang Ren blinked, was this girl really that silly? Was she in such a hurry to see Song Mobei? Well okay, Fang Ren thought for a moment that if Mu Huanqing were the onending in front, he would probably fly straight there with his True Qi fully unleashed, so he understood. "This way." Gray vital energy surged out of Fang Ren''s body, directly forming a tendril that wrapped around one of Bai Qi''s arms. Bai Qi felt a familiar sensation on her arm and immediately turned her head to look. Upon seeing Fang Ren, a brief panic surged in her heart, and she didn''t know how to express herself, her words bing somewhat incoherent, "I... well... I wasn''t in a big hurry to see Brother Song... I just got pushed there..." Watching Bai Qi''s confused speech, Fang Ren once again couldn''t figure out what was going on in her little head. If she wanted to see him, why was she here offering these false exnations to him? Seeing that Fang Ren had nothing to say, Bai Qi became even more confused. Fang Ren liked her so much, yet after seeing the person she liked, she recklessly squeezed through the crowd with others... What would Fang Ren think? She guessed it must feel pretty sour... that''s what she thought. For some reason, she was very concerned about Fang Ren''s feelings. If Fang Ren had been by her side just now, she definitely wouldn''t have chosen to rush through the crowd, and she might even have decided not to meet Song Mobei, just to avoid seeing Fang Ren''s heartache. At the moment, she cared so much about his feelings. She could choose not to meet Song Mobei, as long as Fang Ren wasn''t hurt by it. Chapter 203: Chapter 200: Take a Step Forward, The Relationship Becomes Distanter._1 "Talking nonsense, let''s go." Fang Ren said, and with that, he circted his True Qi and took Bai Qi up into the air, flying toward the Bamboo Alchemist Guild. "Hey!" Bai Qi saw that he didn''t even bother to ask a question before deciding to take her to see Brother Song, and she immediately felt uneasy. "What''s wrong?" Fang Ren was taken aback. All he was doing was using his True Qi to grab her arm; there was no other physical contact between them. Even if Song Mobei saw them, there would be no misunderstanding. He truly didn''t understand what this girl was thinking now. "Let''s, let''s go eat," Bai Qi stammered. "...What''s the fuss?" Fang Ren spoke with a bit more force. "Suddenly got a bit hungry," Bai Qi said. "Nonsense, we just ate less than two hours ago, and nobody ate more than you did." As he spoke, Fang Ren continued to carry her toward the direction of the Alchemist Guild. Seeing this, Bai Qi felt even more troubled. Her suggestion to go eat was just a temporary excuse to avoid seeing Song Mobei; she just didn''t want to see Fang Ren with a look of sour sadness. However, Fang Ren waspletely oblivious to the thoughts she had concocted in her head. powered-by-MvLeMpYr As they got closer to the Alchemist Guild, Bai Qi suddenly said, "Do you think... after I see Brother Song, our rtionship will change?" In her view, Fang Ren suddenly deciding to take her to see Song Mobei at this time meant he wanted to sever the rtionship between thempletely. After helping her, he would choose not to have any further contact with her. This feeling is known as... the act of letting go before breaking off ties. This behavior usually takes ce when a person decides to forget someone or cut off thoughts about someone. They might choose to help the other in onest instance, creating a deeper wound for themselves. It is a kind of self-harm in emotions, causing oneself pain, then fear, and finally dread at the prospect of further contact, achieving the purpose of cutting off thoughts about a person. After listening to Bai Qi, Fang Ren thought for a moment and said, "Maybe." Because in his eyes, after Bai Qi interacted with Song Mobei, she would certainly distance herself from him due to her consideration of the pursuit of Song Mobei. Although the two of them did not have any romantic rtionship now, in the eyes of others, they were still fianc¨¦s. If they were seen together too often, it would definitely make people think Bai Qi and he had a close rtionship. Therefore, Bai Qi would likely choose to significantly reduce her contact with him, considering Song Mobei''s feelings, and effectively distance their rtionship in silence. When Bai Qi heard Fang Ren speak, herplex feelings suddenly entwined like countless threads, forming a heavy stone in her heart. Indeed, his actions were exactly as she had guessed. This was the final break before letting go. After hearing his words, her mood suddenly turned sour, and the heavy stone weighing on her heart made her not even want to see Brother Song, whom she once admired. Now she wanted to understand the source of this stone and how to remove it from her heart. During this contemtion, one thing she had to admit was that she cared about Fang Ren''s feelings more than she wanted to see Brother Song. She truly did not want to admit that she liked her nominal fianc¨¦, because she couldn''t find a reason why she had fallen for him. Moreover, admitting it would seem to suggest that she was a fickle woman, wouldn''t it? No acknowledgment! However, in the blink of an eye, Fang Ren had alreadynded with Bai Qi at the entrance of the Bamboo Alchemist Guild. The guild was overcrowded, and if they flew directly inside, there would be no ce tond except the central area of the examination grounds, so they had no choice but tond at the entrance and squeeze in little by little. As Fang Ren dispersed his True Qi, Lin Bozhong and Chen Cheng, floating nearby in the sky, stared dumbfounded at Fang Ren. Disbelief was written all over their aged faces. "Brother... did I just see that right?" Chen Cheng''s old eyes were wide as he looked at Fang Ren on the ground, "He''s actually... at the Early Stage of Xianyun Realm!" "Damn..." Lin Bozhong''s head buzzed in confusion as he instinctively cursed. The young master had once again broken through in just over two months! This was the Xianyun Realm! Already among the more talented students of the Aristocrat Cultivation Academy! Just over two months and he''s caught up with the aristocratic students! If this continues, what then? Not to mention Song Mobei, even Madame Xuan would soon be surpassed! By then, would the Central Area still think that Song Mobei was the appropriate match for Madame Xuan? That would definitely not be the case. Even though the two elders in the sky were no less shocked by his Realm, Bai Qi, with her head full of emotional concerns, hadn''t noticed Fang Ren''s change in Realm at all. The crowd at the entrance of the Alchemist Guild was too dense, they couldn''t even find a spot tond near the wall. "Excuse me, please make way." Fang Ren patted the shoulder of the person in front, speaking in a voice that wasn''t very loud. "Who is it?" The person in front turned around impatiently. At a time like this, someone was still trying to cut in line¡ªabsolutely without any manners. He turned with the intention to punch the rude individual and let him know just how explosive a fan of Song Mobei could be. However, as the person turned around and saw Fang Ren wearing the Yangming University uniform, his expression turned to shock. He then immediately squeezed through the people next to him and shouted, "Make way! Make way for Young Master Fang!" Fang Ren was after all the main character at the end of today''s event, and with the award ceremony for the top fivepetitorsing up, he, the first-ce winner, rightfully belonged inside. Given his importance at today''s venue, all other spectators seemed rather secondary. Following the man''s shout, the crowd in front began to turn around. Spotting Fang Ren in his Yangming University uniform, they quickly pushed aside to make a narrow path one person could pass through. Bai Qi, wearing a hat, watched Fang Ren walk into the crowd but stood still, not following him inside. Fang Ren felt something amiss behind him, turned his head to look at her, and casually said, "What are you spacing out for, let''s go." "I..." Bai Qi lifted her head to look at him but still didn''t move forward. She felt that with each step further she took, she would be even more distant from Fang Ren in front of her. Once she and Song Mobei started talking, their rtionship would bepletely over. Seeing that she still didn''te over, Fang Ren nced at the clothes she had specially changed into today, then turned and headed inside. She had changed her clothes, probably afraid of exposing her identity. She didn''te over with him, probably not wanting Song Mobei to see her getting too close to another man... That''s what Fang Ren thought. But since he had already made a way for Bai Qi, if she didn''t want toe through, that was her own business. He still had to go in. Song Mobei, Xia Fu Lan, and the matter of the Void beast, these were all reasons he must enter the venue. Watching Fang Ren suddenly turn and walk toward the venue on his own, Bai Qi unexpectedly began to feel sad. Did he really want to cut ties with her that much? Seeing the path Fang Ren walked through was about to be closed off by the crowd, Bai Qi immediately followed in Fang Ren''s footsteps, grabbing his arm with one hand. As her hand clutched Fang Ren''s arm, he immediately froze in his tracks. What was wrong with this girl? Hadn''t she just been reluctant to walk with him? Why was she now grabbing his arm? Wasn''t she afraid of revealing her identity? Wasn''t she worried about being seen by Song Mobei and causing a misunderstanding? A series of questions jumbled in Fang Ren''s mind. "Is there something I haven''t made clear?" Bai Qi suddenly asked. "What are you talking about?" Fang Ren was puzzled. "I said I could avoid meeting him, I''ve said it many times." Bai Qi spoke with a serious tone, "Why do you still act like this? Do I really disgust you that much?" "What?" Fang Ren was even more baffled; he couldn''t understand the sudden remarking from her. But upon ncing at the expressions of the people around, it was clear they had guessed Bai Qi''s identity. Fang Ren didn''t bother to talk more with her and hurriedly brought her into the venue. However, as they continued toward the venue, Fang Ren gently pried Bai Qi''s hand off his arm and let it go. Bai Qi watched her hand being pried off and let go. For some reason, her heart suddenly filled with even more sadness. As Fang Ren kept moving toward the venue, the buzz of the surrounding people also grew louder. The conversation shifted from being 100% about Song Mobei to now 80% being about him. "Hey! It''s Young Master Fang! My heavens! He really came!" "Where? Where! I thought he had already left! To personally see the Unparalleled Alchemist, I hadn''t missed a single alchemypetition in the past few days!" "Damn! When I heard about Young Master Fang, I instantly switched allegiances! An unrivaled genius, neither arrogant nor haughty, he didn''t respond when so many mocked him that day! And he didn''t use his power to settle scores! Such demeanor! Suchposure! Truly badass!" "Coming here today was worth it! I heard about Young Master Fang suddenly emerging and came all the way from Tianjiang! I never expected to catch Song Mobei, and now Young Master Fang shows up too!" "Once in a century, a Cultivation Level against the heavens, a Sword Dao prodigy! Silent for twenty-two years, then overnight overturning the Elixir Field! These two men... are invincible." "Key point is, both of them are beyond reach when ites to their character." "Honestly, I came here just to see the Elixir Field''s prodigy, seeing Song Mobei was an unexpected delight. But speaking of character, Song Mobei is undeniably virtuous and uncorrupted, truly admirable. However, I prefer Young Master Fang even more. You can look up his past performance in school, and you''ll know just how low-key and formidable the once abandoned Young Master had been." "Right, twenty-two years of hidden sharpness! How terrifying must be his disposition?" "I''m not really into people from the Elixir Field, I still think Brother Song is awesome!" Chapter 204: Chapter 201: Youre Still Pretending_1 "Ah, I even heard that after Young Master Fang created a fourth-tier Upper Level Pill, Master Long Ming, who was originally at Battlefield One, wanted to fly over immediately and take Young Master Fang as his disciple. But do you know why Master Long Ming didn''te?" "Really? Master Long Ming is one of the top three Unparalleled Alchemists in the world today! Hasn''t he stopped taking disciples a long time ago?" "This is absolutely true! As for why Master Long Ming didn''te, it''s because he felt that Young Master Fang''s abilities might far exceed his expectations! So, he decided to observe in the finals and thene to a conclusion." "Ah? Are you saying Master Long Ming didn''te over because he''s afraid that Young Master Fang''s abilities might be too strong for him to teach?" "Exactly! My family is from Tianjiang, and this is a hundred percent guaranteed!" ... Listening to the people around him, about 80% of the conversations were about Fang Ren. Fang Ren just didn''t understand, how did he suddenly gain a bunch of fans? And Master Long Ming wanted to take him as a disciple? As for the fans, that was fine, but regarding Master Long Ming, if Fang Ren remembered correctly, that old man was often sending private messages to his Qing''an ount online, asking him many difficult questions about alchemy. Every time he gave a few pointers, the old man would very politely say, "Thank you, Brother Qing''an." The old maning to take him as a disciple? Give me a break. If that old man found out that he, a 22-year-old young man, was the ''Brother'' he had been addressing for several years... Old people have weak hearts; what if he gets shocked? Hearing the discussions of the crowd, Fang Ren had already reached the spectator stand. The center of the arena was still hosting the alchemy finals for this division. source-at-MVLeMpYr And in the center of the arena, twelve disciples of the Tiandao Sword Sect dressed in Taoist robes had justnded beside several exam proctors, retracting their flying swords. Fang Ren went straight to the back of the spectator stand, with Bai Qi following closely behind. Nobles continuously came up to talk, but Fang Ren said a few words, and those people also politely left him alone. On the field, the Seventh Elder and the other exam proctors saw themnd and immediately went up to talk. "General Song, Princess Fn..." The Seventh Elder had just started speaking when Song Mobei gave him a smile and gestured him to stop talking. Everyone was startled, then Song Mobei turned around and a golden light flew out of his hand, covering the entire examination field and enveloping a group of students who were taking the exam. "Is this a soundproof barrier created by the power of the celestial array?" "Brother Song is really meticulous in everything he does, even worrying that his own conversations might disturb the examinees." "Brother Song always cares so much for others, his conduct is truly admirable!" ... As ayer of soundproof barrier appeared over the exam field, the spectators'' voices grew louder, and Song Mobei and the group of Tiandao Sword Sect disciples began to chat andugh with the Seventh Elder and other proctors. Fang Ren''s eyes swept over every person from the Tiandao Sword Sect but didn''t find anything like a Space Ring on them. This made Fang Ren quite curious. He hadn''t yet publicly disclosed the Space Ring, so without a Space Ring and any spatial item, where could the Void beast from the Indra Sky be hidden? This Void beast was a towering creature, dozens of meters tall; how exactly were these people transporting it? Pushing aside that question, Fang Ren''s gaze focused on Xia Fu Lan, a rather beautiful woman. Based solely on her appearance, one would never imagine she was the ruthless person who once harmed Xuan Nv. As for Song Mobei, Fang Ren only gave him a few nces before moving on. This person was just like most had said, his demeanor made people feel at ease, giving the impression of a man of noble character. ``` Of course, Fang Ren could only see some superficial things about him for now, and Xia Fu Lan was different. Her ruthlessness was something Fang Ren was well aware of. If it hadn''t been for her status as the daughter of the Sect Master of the Tiandao Sword Sect and being known as the Tiandao Princess, she would have been killed thousands of times over by the Nine Heavens Corps. But to tell the truth, Xia Fu Lan''s identity did indeed require a lot of consideration. The Tiandao Sword Sect was the strongest among all the Taoist Gates, located beyond thends of Tianjiang, and its strength wasparable to that of the Tianjiang Bai Family. Hence, Xia Fu Lan was also called a princess for a reason. "Aren''t you going to meet her?" After a while, Fang Ren withdrew his gaze and turned to Bai Qi beside him, only to see that she was still standing by his side, her eyes fixated on the center of the field, yet she made no move. "I..." Bai Qi nced at Fang Ren and then at Song Mobei in the field. At that moment, the feeling of entanglement that had been in her heart suddenly surged up again. She wanted to say a few words to Song Mobei, but was afraid that the distance between her and the person beside her was like a chasm. "Shall I take you there?" Fang Ren called her out like this and then spoke up. Upon hearing his words, Bai Qi''s entangled emotions turned into a tangle, and she bit her lip and said, "Can''t you stop being so considerate of me!" "What''s the matter?" Fang Ren was stunned, her voice was a bit too loud, and Fang Ren hurriedly raised a soundproof barrier with his True Qi, because the surrounding gazes were just too annoying. Actually, even if Bai Qi didn''t go over, he himself would have to goter, as he was nning to take the initiative to pick a fight with Xia Fu Lan. "I don''t want to see you get hurt like this again! Don''t you understand!" Bai Qi, seeing that he had raised the soundproof barrier, no longer suppressed her emotions and shouted out. "I''m not hurt though." Fang Ren was in a state of confusion. "Still pretending!" "You don''t think I''ve fallen for you again, do you?" "You do like me! Isn''t it just because you want to let go, because I have someone I like, that you dare not admit it?" Bai Qi said. Fang Ren pped his forehead in frustration, his face a mix of helplessness. It seemed that the words he had saidst time had a big impact on Bai Qi. "Wait until the finals tomorrow, then I will exin everything to you." Upon hearing this, Bai Qi became even more angry, "Exin what? You want to say you don''t want to see me anymore? That you would rather risk your life to annul our engagement? That our rtionship must bepletely severed? Is that it!" Fang Ren was baffled by her rapid-fire questions and said helplessly, "What in the world is going on in your mind..." "It''s all about you!" Bai Qi shouted. "Huh?" Fang Ren was even more bewildered. "I''ve never been so irritable for so many days in a row! Even when I get my period! I behave like a properdy outside the family! But with you here, I''m even more wilful, noisy and annoying than I am at home! It''s all your fault!" Bai Qi shouted, "Do you know I''m going crazy! I don''t even know what I want to do! I don''t know who I really like!" "..." Fang Ren waspletely lost for words. This girl... it seems it wasn''t because of her wild imagination, but because of the many misunderstandings he had caused her... ``` Chapter 205: Chapter 202: Tiandao Disciple Begins_1 ``` Fang Ren looked at her emotional outburst, his heart conflicted, and said, "Actually, you have no need to care about how I feel. Except when we were both crying at birth, meeting for the first time without any memory, the time we''ve spent together from when we met to now is less than a month. Our current rtionship is merely that of fianc¨¦s in name, without any real emotions invested. We''ve also said that we wouldn''t interfere with each other''s choice of whom to like. Since we''ve agreed on that, why would you still feel aggrieved and impose upon yourself these meaningless considerations?" Bai Qi immediately retorted, "First of all, I don''t think the rtionship between us is as simple as being unmarried fianc¨¦s only in name. Deep down in our hearts, we both have a strong sense of kinship towards each other. I have let go of all my guard against you just because of this familiar feeling! It is precisely because of this sensation that I never want to hurt you in a fog, without fully realizing it! That''s why I have been honest with you about everything, about what I want to do, my wilfulness, everything¡ªI''ve told you! Yet now, with you knowing everything, the truth is that you are the one who has felt aggrieved first!" Fang Ren turned away, avoiding her earnest eyes. The root of the issue was his certain actions, which had misled the girl into thinking he liked her. She kept saying she liked Song Mobei, but her actions constantly took into consideration his supposed "affectionate feelings" for her, Fang Ren thought, and perhaps it was because of that familiar feeling between them after all. That sense of affinity, as far as his own most genuine feelings were concerned, manifested in not being guarded against Bai Qi and having no ill-intentions towards her, feeling that it was natural to treat her better and make her happy. This was his "sense of affinity," but now, he suddenly realized a very important issue that he had never noticed before. That was whether Bai Qi''s "sense of affinity" towards him in her heart was stronger than his feelings? Could it be different from what he felt for her to the extent that it made her start to think more? She said that before the engagement was dissolved, she felt like seeing Song Mobei was a betrayal to him. Fang Ren did not share this sentiment; he thought that even without dissolving the engagement, it would be proper for him to share a bed with Mu Huanqing behind Bai Qi''s back. Suddenly aware of this, Fang Ren realized his previous thoughts might have been very wrong. Bai Qi... perhaps she wasn''t a girl fond of daydreams. Only that the feeling she harbored for him in her heart was very strong. To Fang Ren, being engaged was but a dispensable thing, carrying no realmitment. But perhaps for Bai Qi, coupled with that strong sentiment she felt towards him, it represented a moral bind, where any divergence would amount to betrayal. She was born into the great Bai Family, where her values should be upright. She shouldn''t have regarded a marriage without affection so seriously or have resorted to wishful thinking, ideally. ... All of this was because the feeling for him in Bai Qi''s heart might not be just fondness, but a veryplex form of loyalty that was intertwined with various personal emotions. A tangle of thoughts suddenly left Fang Ren feeling powerless, and at that moment, he really wanted to tell Bai Qi everything about himself. He wanted to say that a marriage between two people with no feelings was just a nk paper, that liking the person one should like during the existence of that paper wasn''t betrayal. He wanted to confess that he truly did not like her, and she did not need to concern herself with him¡ªhe and her Sister Hui Qing already had a child and even during the period when they had agreed not to betray each other, he had shared a bed with her Sister Hui Qing. Fang Ren held back what he wanted to say and softly began, "You''re mistaken." "Where am I mistaken?" Bai Qi looked at him, her beautiful eyes now showing a hint of redness in their whites. There was a grey Spiritual Root within her that had given rise to a multitude ofplex feelings towards Fang Ren, to the point where she could not discern what exactly she felt. find-more-stories-on-MVLeMpYr "You''re afraid that one day, in my state of confusion, I''ll be the one getting hurt. However, I have never considered your feelings," Fang Ren''s gaze returned to her, and he continued, "In reality, the person who will end up hurt in a confused state on ater day won''t be me." "Then who will it be?" "It''s you." Fang Ren had never told Bai Qi the truth, yet she had revealed all her matters to him. The definition of "the confused one" was originally mistaken, and the truth was quite the opposite. Bai Qi shook her head slowly, her mind in utter disarray, unable toprehend anything Fang Ren was saying. She sat down on the spectator stand''s floor, her bloodshot eyes gazing out into the field at Song Mobei, feeling as if she were embodying thements she had heard when she first walked in¡ªfrom being one hundred percent Song Mobei to eighty percent Fang Ren. The remaining twenty percent for Song Mobei, in the face of the multiplied Fang Ren, seemed to be overwhelmed by the tide, reduced to dust, carried away by the currents, its existence or nonexistence rendered irrelevant. Fang Ren sat beside her, watching Song Mobei and Xia Fu Lan in the field, and said, "Maybe all the feelings in your heart right now don''t belong to you, but insteade from the Spiritual Root that split from me to you. You don''t have to be entangled with me over these emotions because they were originally yours. You only need to like the person you want to like, and remain the way you were before we met. Those emotions are truly yours." Bai Qi pulled down the brim of her hat, speaking in a low voice, "You are also mistaken." "How so?" "After I was born, aside from my mother and the doctors in the delivery room, the first person I saw was you¡ªwe met right from the start," Bai Qi said. ``` "Neither of us has that memory," Fang Ren said. "But many others do." "...All right." "You also got something wrong," Bai Qi said. "This is something my mother told me that I could not ept when I first learned of your existence. She said that in front of you, I''m destined to be inferior, always inferior no matter what. My pride and surprise at the time did not allow me to ept this. But having seen you, up to now, I have no choice but to admit it." "Go on." "Bai Qi of the Bai Family, Bai Jinyun''s daughter, she originally didn''t have the capability to exist in this world. It was Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root that qualified her to exist. In other words, there was no Bai Qi before; it was because of Fang Ren that there was er." Bai Qi continued, "You say I should remain the person I was before I met you, but even that former version of me had your Spiritual Root within me, this emotion was inevitable. Just like what my mother said, I am destined to be inferior to you..." After hearing this, Fang Ren was silent for a long time, repeatedly looking helpless, finally scratching his forehead and frowning as he spoke: "You girl... it''s better if you stay naive. I can''t quite adapt when you''re this serious." "You were the one who got serious first. I haven''t understood a thing you said up to now," Bai Qi said. "Okay, let''s drop this topic for now. We can talk about it tomorrow or the day after," Fang Ren proposed. "What''s going to happen tomorrow or the day after?" Bai Qi asked. Fang Ren stood up and withdrew his soundproofing True Qi, "Who knows." Having said that, Fang Ren directly headed toward the spectator stands below, while Bai Qi remained seated, not intending to follow him down and meet that Brother Song. ... "Princess Fn must certainly be able to achieve an excellent result in the final," the Seventh Elder mentioned as he chatted with several Tiandao Sword Sect juniors, inevitably ttering the princess of the Tiandao Sword Sect. Upon hearing this, a Tiandao discipleughed and said, "Seventh Elder''s words are actually a bit inappropriate." "Oh?" the Seventh Elder looked puzzled, "Is it because..." That discipleughed and amplified his voice, "Just yesterday, junior Fn sessfully refined a Three-level pill! In this alchemypetition, junior Fn is bound to win the crown!" "Brother Sen Mo''s words are not right. That was but a fluke and shouldn''t be taken seriously and spread as truth," Xia Fn immediately said with a smile when she heard her senior brother''s words, "Besides, this alchemypetition has many hidden dragons and crouching tigers; my abilities are perhaps just mediocre." Although she said this, in her heart, she couldn''t help but want her senior brother to boast about her talent to others. The voice of the disciple who shouted was very loud, attracting not only thew enforcement officials in the center of the venue but also the spectators in the stands discussing among themselves. After hearing the disciple''s words, the ttery on the Seventh Elder''s face began to stiffen, and he couldn''t help but break out inrge beads of sweat on his forehead. Still, with a smile, he said, "I didn''t expect Princess Fn, at only 25 years old, to be able to refine a Three-level pill. Truly astonishing. Congrattions, Princess Fn." The expressions on the faces of the spectators, upon hearing the shouting disciple''s words, also became a bit stiff. Winning the crown? Where do you think you are, bragging like this? You probably don''t know what kind of monster has appeared in thispetition segment, do you? Three-level pill? What''s that? How long did it take to refine? Have you ever seen a Fourth-level advanced pill refined in fourteen minutes and thirty-six seconds? ... While the people in the stands had variousments they wanted to criticize with, the Tiandao Sword Sect members had ears too. Even if they whispered in the venue, they would be overheard. "Er... Princess Fn really is extraordinarily fortunate in the field of alchemy," one of the aristocrats managed to say with a forced smile, suppressing the awkwardness. "Yes, yes, being able to refine a Three-level pill at only 25 years old, her talent is just too great!" "This talent has already surpassed the achievements of that distinguished person from the past!" ... The crowd continued their astonished chatter, with no choice but to y along with her bragging given her status and her theatrics. Chapter 206: Chapter 203: Admiring a Genius_1 Fang Ren walked toward the audience stands, listening to the sycophantic words spoken by the people around him. As he passed, a hush fell over the crowd. It wasn''t that Xia Fu Lan''s talent wasn''t astonishing; it was just that in front of a freak of nature who genuinely overturned conventional thinking, Xia Fu Lan truly didn''t amount to much. The disciple from the Tiandao Sword Sect, observing the expressions on the faces around him, and hearing their words, felt that the scene somewhat contradicted his expectations. Xia Fu Lan couldn''t help feeling slightly ufortable. Although everyone present was praising her, the words used always seemed somewhat half-hearted and failed to reach the anticipated effect she had imagined. Shouldn''t they be saying that she is the most gifted alchemy genius in human history since the beginning of the Cultivation Era? Shouldn''t they be saying that the Tiandao Sword Sect has two great geniuses, with Song Mobei representing the sword, and Xia Fu Lan representing medicine? Why just mention her amazing talent and surpassing the record set by that great being of the past? They should be saying her talent is unparalleled, that she is one of a kind in this world. Hearing the voices of the people, Song Mobei said with a smile on his face, "There is always someone better out there, and heavens beyond the heavens. Who knows what geniuses will emerge in this Alchemypetition? It''s always good for junior Fn to prefer keeping a low profile." Upon hearing Song Mobei speak, the Seventh Elder chimed in with a smile, "Princess Fn''s talent rightfully deserves everyone''s amazement." A disciple from the Tiandao Sword Sect also piped up with augh, "Big Brother always prefers to keep things low-key in whatever he does, but in the case of junior Fn, I think the Seventh Elder is right; she deserves the praise." "Indeed," another female disciple from the Tiandao Sword Sect joined in, "Junior Fn winning the Alchemy contest is a certainty. Brother Song, you can stop teaching us to be low-key all the time. After all, it''s about being humble in demeanor but bold in action." Song Mobei simply smiled and shook his head, remaining silent as he continued to observe the students who were practicing alchemy on the field. "What does Young Master Fang intend to do? Is he going to take the stage?" "He probably wants to say a few words. With Young Master Fang''s personality, he''ll definitely get along very well with Brother Song and the others." Apanied by murmurs from the crowd, Fang Ren had already reached the edge of the examination area and stepped up onto the stage. Upon seeing this, the Seventh Elder immediately addressed several disciples from the Tiandao Sword Sect, "This old man will be leaving for a short while." read-on-MVLeMpYr With that, he turned and walked towards Fang Ren. This one was, after all, today''s main character. If it weren''t for him, Xia Fu Lan''s achievements announced today would surely have crushed all her peers. Bai Qi, sitting behind the audience stand, sprang up as soon as he saw Fang Ren boldly taking to the stage and began to move toward the audience stand as well. The Seventh Elder approached Fang Ren, bowed slightly with a smile, and said, "Young Master Fang, do you also wish to participate in this contest?" In his view, Fang Ren''s approach at this time might indicate a desire to speak with people from the Tiandao Sword Sect and possibly to take part in the final round of thepetition as well. After all, there were still twenty minutes left before the end of the final round, and Fang Ren''s arrival at this point could well mean participation in thisst contest and the subsequent award ceremony. Meanwhile, a few disciples from the Tiandao Sword Sect who were standing saw the Seventh Elder suddenly leave them and walk towards a student they had never seen before, addressing him as Young Master Fang. This caused a sense of discrepancy in their hearts and slight annoyance, for in the current venue, the Seventh Elder was the senior proctor, and they expected him, as members of the Tiandao Sword Sect, to be received with respect. But now, right in the middle of their presence and discussion, the Seventh Elder had turned and walked towards a student they had never encountered. What was this student''s identity? Upon hearing the Seventh Elder''s words, Fang Ren looked towards Xia Fu Lan and said, "No, I''ve juste to admire an alchemy genius." "Ah?" The Seventh Elder was taken aback and then therge beads of sweat hanging on his forehead grew evenrger. This was going to stir up trouble. It seemed that the recent promation from the Tiandao Sword Sect had irritated the Young Master Fang, and although one would reasonably expect Young Master Fang to be more magnanimous, the prickliness in his words came abruptly. Why? Though the Seventh Elder couldn''t make sense of it, this was beyond his control. On one side was thergest Sect outside of Tianjiang, the Tiandao Sword Sect, and on the other was the Tianjiang Fang Family, whose influence was second only to the Bai Family by a hair''s breadth. Offending either side wouldn''t be good. After Fang Ren spoke, he bypassed the Seventh Elder and continued walking towards Xia Fu Lan, not ncing at Song Mobei even once¡ªhe''d seen enough of the man earlier. As Fang Ren''s figure appeared on the field, the audience in the stands went silent, and the crowd that stretched to the door watched intently, fearful of missing anything. In the sky, Chen Cheng slightly furrowed his brows, erected a soundproof barrier, and spoke to Lin Bozhong next to him, "Brother Lin, could Young Master Fang be jealous and looking for trouble with Song Mobei?" "Ah?" Lin Bozhong''s heart skipped a beat. Could the old man know about Young Master Fang''s romance with Madame Xuan? Wasn''t that supposed to be known only to a few important individuals and the patriarch of the Bai Family? "When did Young Master Fang be aware of the princess''s fondness for Song Mobei?" Chen Cheng asked, frowning. "..." Lin Bozhong was stunned again, realizing the man was actually talking about Bai Qi. He breathed a sigh of relief and put on a smile, "The affairs of young people, well, who can truly understand? Ha, hahaha." ... Bai Qi paused at the bottom of the steps leading to the arena when she noticed Fang Ren didn''t head towards Song Mobei, but towards Xia Fu Lan instead. She didn''t understand what Fang Ren wanted with Xia Fu Lan; in her view, he should have approached Song Mobei. As Fang Ren continued to approach, even Song Mobei, who had been watching all the examinees perform alchemy, turned his attention to Fang Ren. Everyone noticed the atmosphere of the venue fell silent with Fang Ren''s entrance¡ªan extremely abnormal urrence. Fang Ren stopped two meters away from Xia Fu Lan, his expression indifferent, and said, "They say seeing is believing. Princess Fn, your beauty is matched only by your exceptional alchemy talent. It truly is astonishing." The disciples of the Tiandao Sword Sect remained silent, whereas Xia Fu Lan, after giving Fang Ren a few appraising nces, turned her attention to the approaching Seventh Elder with a smile, "Seventh Elder, who might this be¡­" "Princess Fn, this is the Young Master of the Tianjiang Fang Family, also a contestant in this Alchemypetition," the Seventh Elder quickly interjected. "The Young Master of the Tianjiang Fang Family?" Xia Fu Lan recalled the recent news she had heard about "Young Master Fang." Wasn''t he the one born without a Spiritual Root, discarded by the Fang Family for being unable to Cultivate, and then brought out after 22 years by the Fang Family only for a proposed marriage alliance with Bai Qi of the Bai Family? Otherwise, he would have remained a Mortal, unacknowledged by the Fang Family. With these thoughts, Xia Fu Lan looked at Fang Ren in front of her with a hint of disdain, yet her face still wore a smile. Chapter 207: Chapter 204: Young Master Fang Stirring Trouble _1 On the surface, the so-called Young Master Fang was in reality nothing but an abandoned waste. Yet such a man dared to assume an air of status and dignity in front of her, Princess Tiandao, even affecting an indifferentposure as he engaged her in conversation. This truly made Xia Fu Lan feel disgusted. In her view, without the identity of Young Master Fang to back him, the waste before her would not have had the courage to speak to her at all, and even if he did, he should have acted as if meeting her was the greatest honor of his life. After hearing the Seventh Elder''s introduction, a group of Tiandao Sword Sect disciples also couldn''t help but sneer inwardly. This discarded member of the Fang family dared to take the stage in such a manner and speak to the Tiandao Princess with that attitude. Does he not have the slightest awareness of his own status? Merely a castaway, if it were not for his engagement to Princess Bai Xi of the Bai Family, this guy would have lived at the bottom his whole life. Furthermore, considering theck of True Qi aura around this castaway, it seemed he really was just as the rumors stated: a good-for-nothing without a Spiritual Root. The atmosphere suddenly became even more silent, and even the proctors on the examination field stopped speaking to the Tiandao Sword Sect disciples, with all eyes focusing on the two individuals. Princess Fn smiled upon hearing what the man known as Young Master Fang said, and spoke up, "So it''s Young Master Fang. I''ve heard quite a lot about you these days. I didn''t expect that the Head of the Fang family would have such a son." Upon hearing this, the Seventh Elder had even more sweat pouring down his forehead. Saying the Head of the Fang family should have such a son clearly implied that Fang Ren should not be the young master of the Fang family. It was also a reminder for Fang Ren to recognize his own status before speaking to her again. The crowd, too, couldn''t understand why Xia Fu Lan suddenly bore such strong hostility towards Young Master Fang. After all, Xia Fu Lan was obviously unaware of Young Master Fang''s creation of an Upper Level Pill, and since she was uninformed of this event, she would not think that what Fang Ren had just said on stage was in any way a mockery of her. From everyone''s perspective, she indeed had no reason to suddenly speak so pointedly to Fang Ren. But only Xia Fu Lan knew in her heart that this Young Master Fang happened to be the fianc¨¦ of Princess Tianjiang, Bai Qi. the-ce-NovelFire To put it bluntly, Xia Fu Lan''s hostility was not entirely directed at Fang Ren; she actually wanted to make Bai Qi ufortable. Xia Fu Lan didn''t know whether Bai Qi was here or not, but she felt sure that the embarrassing incident involving Bai Qi''s fianc¨¦ here today would definitely reach Bai Qi''s ears. Between her and Bai Qi, there was an issue that just couldn''t be overlooked. After Xia Fu Lan''s words, Fang Ren showed no change in his facial expression, still responding indifferently, "Lord of the Tiandao Sect, you''ve lived a life of war, loved your people like your children, and held firm integrity. Princess Fn truly inherits the Sect Master''s virtues perfectly, which is indeed a blessing for the Tiandao." As he finished his remarks, the entire venue became even more deathly silent. Although there seemed to be nothing wrong with Fang Ren''s statement, everyone present knew that the jab in his words was no less sharp than Xia Fu Lan''s previous remark. Inherit the virtues of the Tiandao Sect Master? Although Xia Fu Lan did not seem to have any ws in the public''s eyes, when it came to virtues, apart from her beauty and illustrious background, she really had nothing noteworthy to say. To say she inherited the Sect Master''s virtues... that was simply too high of praise. The character of the Tiandao Sect Master was truly upright and unyielding, full of love for his people, but to ascribe these traits to Xia Fu Lan... well, none were evident at all. What was the reason for such deep animosity? The two started tearing into each other as soon as they met. Although the power of the Fang family didn''t fear the Tiandao Sword Sect, at a time when humans had amon enemy, privately creating enmity between two major powers was a grave sin, one that could lead to being arrested by the Central Area and thrown into prison. Suddenly, a tense atmosphere permeated the entire venue. Chen Cheng and Lin Bozhong in the sky also frowned deeply. No one could understand why the Young Master Fang, who had been so graceful in the face of ridicule just yesterday, now seemed to be stirring up trouble without any provocation at all. A group of Tiandao Sword Sect disciples, after hearing this, began to look displeased. The Tiandao disciple known as Sen Mo saw this and took two steps forward, saying bluntly, "Compared to you, Young Master Fang, your two younger brothers seem much more cultured and amiable in conversation. It''s hard to believe that such modest gentlemen could have a brother like you." Clearly, Sen Mo had no regard for Fang Ren''s status, and his words instantly made the usation more overt. Before Fang Ren could reply, another female Tiandao disciple stepped forward and added, "I always thought that students from different ranked academies across the world should all possess the same level of moral quality. But now, seeing Young Master Fang, I think I was wrong. Young Master Fang has taught me a lesson. It seems that no matter a person''s innate background, it cannot outshine the influence of their environment as they grow." Gulp¡ª The Seventh Elder swallowed hard. Princess Bai Xi was still watching from the spectator stands, and the elder housekeepers from the Bai, Fang, Liu, Wang, and Cao families were all present, with most of the aristocrats in the audience hailing from Tianjiang. The two disciples from the Tiandao Sword Sect had spoken more bluntly than Xia Fu Lan, who at least used insinuations. These two disciples were inly saying¡ªFang Ren was unworthy of the status of the Young Master Fang. Lin Bozhong and Chen Cheng heard this and were just about to take the stage to quickly control the situation, but at that moment, Bai Qi, who had been standing on the edge of the field, flung off the hat on top of her head, and walked straight toward Fang Ren. "Bai... Princess Bai Xi!?" "Oh my God! How did I not guess this crucial point! I had heard that Princess Bai Xi transferred schools! I never imagined she would go to Young Master Fang''s school!" "It should have been obvious! Young Master Fang''s identity was just revealed in Tianjiang. How could he possibly just casually find a girl as his attendant!" ... "Should we go up and help?" Butler Liu and the elderly from the Wang Family and Cao Family stood together, looking at the scene unfolding in the center of the field with sweat also hanging on their foreheads. "Forget it, let''s wait for those two brothers to speak," Housekeeper Wang nced at Chen Cheng and Lin Bozhong floating in the sky, and said. ... Facing the sarcasm of the two Tiandao disciples, Fang Ren''s expression remained as calm as yesterday, speaking, "It''s an unexpected pleasure that today has been rewarding for the two of you, and at the same time, I believe that in the near future, you''ll definitely attend many of the sses I teach." Whoosh¡ª The whole crowd was astonished. Why was Young Master Fang so different from yesterday? Such arrogant words were spoken so casually? But upon reflection, the statement didn''t seem too unreasonable. If it were about alchemy, Fang Ren waspletely qualified to be the teacher of their teachers. The group from the Tiandao Sword Sect had just noticed Princess Bai Xi''s sudden appearance in the center of the field, feeling somewhat surprised. Especially Xia Fu Lan, who upon seeing Bai Qi and hearing Fang Ren''s outrageous remarks, looked at Song Mobei next to her who had been smiling the whole time without saying a word, a surge of ruthlessness filled her heart. Heh, your fianc¨¦, is he? Today I will let you see how much face this worthless thing can make you lose! Let''s see if you still have the face to flirt with Brother Song after this! "Young Master Fang is really well-educated. Has nobody told you since childhood to be low-key?" Xia Fu Lan said with a smile to Fang Ren. The matter between her and Bai Qi was actually because of Song Mobei. She grew up with Song Mobei in the Tiandao Sword Sect and they were childhood sweethearts. Since childhood, she had her heart set on marrying no one but Song Mobei. However,st year, she found out about Bai Qi''s feelings for Brother Song and since then, she had been filled with animosity towards Bai Qi. "Ever since I was a child, Uncle Han taught me not to bepetitively arrogant with others, to be low-key, and to this very day, I have always remembered his teachings and abided by his education," continued Fang Ren. "However, I am curious, among the lessons Princess Fn received since childhood, have you not heard that among any group of three people, there must be one who can be my teacher? There may indeed be many areas on which I could enlighten you." Xia Fu Lan started to get angry, her face showing displeasure, "To offer to teach others the moment you open your mouth, is this the low-key attitude Young Master Fang was educated with since childhood? Your Uncle Han really has a way of teaching, he must be an esteemed teacher from Tianjiang, oh, but I forgot, Young Master Fang has probably never been to Tianjiang. But since you mentioned that among any three people, there is one who can be my teacher, I am curious to know which aspects of Young Master Fang are worthy of my study? I heard that Young Master Fang is also a contestant in this alchemypetition, in this area, on the contrary, I have much that Young Master Fang could learn from me." "I don''t recall saying that there was nothing on Princess Fn that was worth my study, this aura of ''arrogance'' is something you, Princess Fn, are imposing on me," Fang Ren continued. "However, as for alchemy, I don''t see anything, not a trace, on Princess Fn worth my study." "Hahaha..." The moment the words left Fang Ren''s mouth, all the Tiandao disciples except for Song Mobei burst outughing loudly. What a joke, in terms of alchemy, this trash expecting junior Fn to learn from him? Junior Fn has been the alchemist who overturned records since the beginning of the Cultivation Era! What is Fang Ren? Nothing but trash! Yet, as theirughter filled the venue, the expressions on the faces of all the audience members and the examiners froze, not a smile to be seen, dreadfully silent. After merely two or three seconds ofughter, the group of Tiandao disciples immediately stopped, looking at the silent crowd around them, utterly bewildered. Awkward, nothing but awkwardness. Were they the only elevenughing? Chapter 208: Chapter 205: "Arrogant" Young Master Fang_1 In the matter of alchemy, there''s truly not a hint worth learning from Princess Fn... Isn''t that statement just hrious? Then why isn''t anyone in the entire venueughing? Xia Fn also stoppedughing, quite puzzled as she looked around. Clearly, it was Young Master Fang who had jumped into the pit himself, so it wouldn''t be her fault for mocking his arrogance. But why was no one in the audience on her side? It was supposed to be the moment she made Bai Qi''s fianc¨¦ lose face, yet why were these onlookers so unhelpful? How could she even continue with her following remarks? "I presume Young Master Fang must be exceptionally talented in alchemy, perhaps junior Fn was a bit too presumptuous this time." Just as the Tiandao Sword Sect disciples felt awkward, Song Mobei, who was standing to the side, suddenly spoke up, his face bearing that refreshing smile as he looked at Fang Ren. "Brother Song, you..." one of the Tiandao Sword Sect disciples looked at Song Mobei, somewhat unable toprehend why he would want to defend someone from the outside. Fang Ren looked straight at Song Mobei with a nk expression on his face and said, "Compared to them, Brother Song''s words are much more refined and agreeable." Having said that, Fang Ren turned his gaze to the female disciple who had previously mocked him and said, "See, I''ve taught you another lesson now, that even disciples of the same rank might not possess the same moral quality." That was the exact same thing the woman had told him earlier, and now he was giving it right back to her. "You!" The female disciple bit her teeth in anger, her True Qi about to burst forth to embarrass Fang Ren on the spot, but before she could explode, Xia Fn stretched out her hand to stop her. By this time, Bai Qi had already approached. Her face showed a struggle as she nced at Song Mobei, who then nodded at her with a smile, and Bai Qi returned it with a smile of her own. However, after the brief smile, Bai Qi went straight to Fang Ren''s side, reaching out to grab his arm, and said with a smile to the gathering of Tiandao Sword Sect disciples, "I''m sorry, fellow brothers and sisters, his mood has been a little offtely, and he speaks like this to everyone. I hope the brothers and sisters won''t take it to heart." "Bai Xi junior..." Seeing Bai Xie forward to say this, all the Tiandao Sword Sect disciples also felt helpless. Just because they were in conflict with Fang Ren didn''t mean they had a bad rtionship with Bai Qi. On the contrary, Bai Qi had a very good rtionship with them during the months she had studied at Tiandao Sword Sect, not to mention she was also Princess Tianjiang, which demanded certain courtesies. They were well aware that Fang Ren was Bai Qi''s fianc¨¦ in name, but they also knew that the person Bai Qi really liked couldn''t be Fang Ren; instead, it was their Brother Song, that was the truth. Logically, Bai Xi should be quite disgusted with her fianc¨¦, so why would she appear at this time and apologize on behalf of her hated fianc¨¦? They couldn''t understand. Could it be that junior Bai Xi''s affections had changed? Of course, when they said they were on good terms, this didn''t include Xia Fn. "You are too kind, junior Bai Xi," As no one else spoke up, Song Mobei once again said, "Young Master Fang and the brothers simply had their first meeting, and a few teasing remarks between them are all there is to it, there''s surely no need for apologies." Listening to Song Mobei smooth things over for her, Bai Xi''s heart couldn''t help but appreciate once more just how nice Brother Song was as a person. "Brother Song is right, but most of his current mood might be because of me, so I still owe everyone an apology," Bai Xi said. "Please don''t say such things, junior Bai Xi," a female disciple of the Tiandao Sword Sect also came out, smiling as she spoke to Bai Xi, "We haven''t seen you for a long time, and all the brothers and sisters here have missed you greatly." "I''ve missed all the brothers and sisters too," Bai Xi said with a smile. Xia Fn, standing to the side, grew increasingly irritated, yet she kept her emotions in check on the surface, giving Fang Ren a look of disdain as she said, "Since junior Bai Xi has sincerely apologized, we should forgive Young Master Fang. Though I have to say, I really feel for junior Bai Xi, what a shame to be saddled with such a well-mannered man as a husband." Obviously, she had no intention of letting go of this opportunity to embarrass Bai Xi in front of Song Mobei. As Xia Fn''s words fell, the voices of the surrounding Tiandao Sword Sect disciples stopped abruptly as well; if there was to be any conflict between the two princesses, they truly dared not intervene. Bai Xi frowned, she had never had a great impression of Xia Fn. During her time at Tiandao Sword Sect, she preferred to avoid contact with her, always feeling as if this woman was constantly scheming against her in the shadows. "Sister Furong, I''ve already apologized for the incident, there''s no need for you to continue making sarcastic remarks," Bai Xi said with a frown. "No, junior Bai Xi, I''m only stating the truth, how could you think of me as so mean?" Xia Fn feigned a look of iprehension. The situation took a sudden turn, escting from a friction between Fang Ren and the others to a conflict between two princesses. Everyone watched in utter silence, not daring to utter another word. In the sky, Chen Cheng frowned as he looked down, ready to enter the scene at any moment to ease the conflict, while Lin Bozhong beside him was not at all focused on the discord between the princesses. His gaze was fixed on Bai Qi holding onto Fang Ren''s hand. Lin Bozhong pped himself on the cheek, his mind filled withplex thoughts. Oh no! It''s over! Princess Bai Xi actually took Young Master Fang''s hand in front of Song Mobei! It seems that Princess Bai Xi really fancies Young Master Fang, she wants to marry him! This is going to be a big deal! It seems that the war between Madame Xuan and Princess Bai Xi is just around the corner. ... After Bai Qi apologized and Xia Fu Lan persisted in her relentlessness, Fang Ren had already closed his eyes, activating his inner vision. He didn''t immediately pry Bai Qi''s hand off his, because doing so would indeed make Bai Qi lose all face, and Xia Fu Lan would be exceedingly smug. The purpose of activating his inner vision was not to see Xia Fu Lan''s soul or toprehend the cultivation levels of the Tiandao disciples, but to see how Song Mobei would react to such a situation. The reason he didn''t use his physical eyes was because a Xuanyang Realm powerhouse like Song Mobei would immediately be aware of it, which could lead to some intentional actions. During the process of activating his inner vision, it was precisely when Xia Fu Lan was delivering her barbedments. Song Mobei beside became silent again, his face shifting from a smile to resignation, and he shook his head as though he too was at a loss. Seeing this, Fang Ren stopped using his inner vision and opened his eyes. Indeed, one wouldn''t understand withouting into contact. Song Mobei yed his part well; if Fang Ren had just used his physical eyes, he certainly would not have detected the fleeting abnormality in Song Mobei''s expression. This man, known as a gentleman of modesty, had a momentary smile that was definitely not one of helplessness or politeness. Of course, Fang Ren didn''t take this as a key point in judging a person''s character, but Song Mobei had just spoken words of pacification and now, seeing Xia Fu Lan stir up trouble, he adopted an attitude of helpless silence. To say he was silent because he was considering the rtionships and didn''t dare to scold his fellow disciples? Impossible. A prominent Brother Song, respected by everyone in the Tiandao Sword Sect, would not be concerned about such rtionships at this moment; he should have continued ying the peacemaker, yet he did not. enjoy-on-NovelFire It was as if he was resigned to this being a minor scuffle and chose to turn a blind eye. In this matter, Fang Ren did not feel guilty of suspecting noble motives; whether or not Song Mobei was a nobleman, it didn''t matter much to him. To anyone who stood in the way of him and Mu Huanqing, even the Emperor of Heaven would be an enemy. What good was being a nobleman? Seeing that Fang Ren remained silent and Bai Qi found herself at a loss for words, Xia Fu Lan continued with augh, "Sister Bai Qi, it seems your rtionship with Young Master Fang is much better than we imagined, to hold hands even in front of so many people. I''m really curious, what exactly about Young Master Fang, who is so cultured and surpasses me in alchemy, has touched your heart?" "Sister Fn, Brother Song has already said, it was just..." Bai Qi furrowed her brows, trying to speak, when Fang Ren suddenly squeezed her hand, stopping her from continuing. "I think although Princess Fn has rarely listened since childhood, herst statement was rather good," Fang Ren said. "I indeed am not worthy of Bai Qi, and her future husband will certainly be a very outstanding man. As for me, there is truly nothing about me that would captivate Princess Bai Qi''s heart." As he spoke, Fang Ren released Bai Qi''s hand under her bewildered gaze and continued, "The reason Princess Bai Xi came on stage and took my hand is certainly not because she likes me so much, but because Princess Bai Xi has a kind heart and didn''t want me to lose face in front of so many people. She''s too kind-hearted, hence she can''t be as adept at verbal jousting like Princess Fn." In one sentence, he rified his rtionship with Bai Qi, attributed her disadvantage in the argument to kindness, and mocked Xia Fu Lan as well. Bai Qi looked at Fang Ren, bbergasted. She didn''t understand why he had publicly disclosed hisck of affection for her. Wouldn''t that be a reason for the people of Tianjiang to mock him? "Young Master Fang is quite amusing," Xia Fu Lanughed. "So frank, and quite self-aware too." "Yourment is not bad either," Fang Ren responded. "In terms of self-awareness, perhaps I''m doing a bit better than Princess Fn. After all, when I said there wasn''t the slightest thing in alchemy worth learning from you, that was also true." "As Sister Bai Qi said, you really do have an unusual mind," Xia Fu Lan continued, thinking that she had the upper hand in mocking him. Fang Ren said, "And precisely because of self-awareness, I now feel that, Princess Fn, in terms of the Sword Dao, there is also nothing worth my learning from you, not the slightest bit." Whoosh¡ª As soon as these words were spoken, the entire motionless assembly suddenly came to life. Arrogant! This was too arrogant! To speak such words to the daughter of the Leader of the Tiandao Sword Sect! If it were only about alchemy, everyone would feel that Fang Ren was spot on, but in terms of the Sword Dao, a mortal with no cultivation level at all dared to make such a statement, and to Xia Fu Lan no less, that was simply brazen to the point of being brainless! Chapter 209: Chapter 206: The Furious Xia Fu Lan_1 "Hahaha." Just as Fang Ren''s words fell, Xia Fu Lanughed. However, this time she didn''t burst into loudughter, since the awkwardness of the previous scene made her somewhat mindful. "Sister Bai Qi, I think your fiance might really be sick. It would be better for you to take him to the hospital sooner rather thanter, and don''t forget to choose the psychiatric department," Xia Fu Lan said to Bai Qi, her words saturated with extreme sarcasm. "Sister Furong, you are going too far!" Bai Qi couldn''t help but retort angrily. Xia Fu Lan snorted coldly, "Sister, you need to be clear about something: is it me who''s going too far, or is it Young Master Fang who''s insanely arrogant? Among my peers, I, Xia Fu Lan, may not im to possess exceptional talent in Sword Dao, but at least I am quite gifted. As the daughter of the Leader of the Tiandao Sword Sect, I have always diligently practiced Sword Dao. Now, a mortal who doesn''t even have a Spiritual Root is telling me that he has surpassed me in Sword Dao, my specialized field. Tell me, is there anything moreughable than this?" Seeing Xia Fu Lan appear so justified in her mockery, Bai Qi cast an iprehending nce at Fang Ren. Fang Ren''s talent in alchemy was indeed so formidable that it left people speechless, but when it came to Sword Dao, she couldn''t understand at all what Fang Ren was thinking. It seemedpletely unrted to him. And Xia Fu Lan has been raised in the world''s best Sword Sect from a young age. Even if her talent were poorer, her skill in Sword Dao would not be something that ordinary practitioners couldpare with. Seeing that the situation was beginning to spiral out of control and would inevitably escte into a more intense conflict, it was at this time that the Seventh Elder suddenly enhanced his voice with True Qi and shouted across the entire venue, "The examination time is up!" Song Mobei, who had been silently standing by, casually withdrew the soundproof barrier he had previously ced over the group of examinees'' heads. "All examinees stop what you''re doing! Wait for the invigtors to verify your work!" shouted the Seventh Elder. As the Seventh Elder''s voice fell, a group of examinees who were sitting on the ground began to stand up, and the quiet venue was filled with murmurs of discussion. When the twelve disciples of the Tiandao Sword Sect descended from the sky during the exam, it had already attracted their attention, but afterwards, the soundproof barrier set by Song Mobei had calmed them down. However, when Fang Ren stepped onto the stage, their attention and curiosity were once again piqued. Precisely because they couldn''t hear the outside sounds, they wanted to know even more what kind of conversation would ur between the Princess Fn, known for her mboyant style, and the rising genius of the Elixir Field. Now, with the sound barrier removed and their exam over, they looked at the crowd of Tiandao disciples, Fang Ren, and Bai Qi, realizing that the atmosphere was just as discordant as they had imagined. Upon seeing the exame to an end, Xia Fu Lan continued with a smile, "By the way, there''s something I''m quite curious about. Since Young Master Fang is also a contestant in thispetition and imed that he could teach me about pills, showing how high his talent is, then why didn''t Young Master Fang participate in this divisional final? With such high talent, Young Master Fang shouldn''t have been eliminated by such a trivialpetition." "I don''t remember saying I could be your teacher," Fang Ren said. He indeed had never said that; it was just something Xia Fu Lan twisted and fabricated to make him look more ridiculouster. However, he really couldn''t be Xia Fu Lan''s teacher; being her teacher''s teacher was more like it. Xia Fu Lanughed, "Young Master Fang really should see a psychiatrist, having forgotten the words he just said, hehehe." Fang Ren ignored herment; before the results were announced, Xia Fu Lan''s overconfidence was like that of a clown. The more he responded with the truth, the happier she would be. At this moment, Song Mobei with his full-faced spring breeze smile, spoke up again, "Alright, Sister, Young Master Fang, teasing has its limits, now let''s look at the results." Following Song Mobei''s words, the onlookers once again burst into discussion, mostly filled with ttery. "Brother Song has always been so gentle and mild-mannered. No matter how much conflict there is around him, he always minimizes big issues and resolves small ones without showing bias to either side." "Yes, indeed, but that''s just one of his admirable qualities. Mainly, it''s his character. Anyone who interacts with him can''t help but grow fond of him." "It''s about charisma, not just strength." ... the ce mvlempy _r Hearing the crowd''sments, Fang Ren was unmoved. He turned away and looked down at the group of examinees who had risen, waiting for the results to be announced. When his gaze swept over the group below, every examinee quickly averted their eyes upon contact, for they had all disparaged this prodigy just two days ago. During their conversation, the Seventh Elder had already received many results from the invigtors present, and after a brief sorting, he pulled out four scorecards. Song Mobei nced at Fang Ren, then looked at the scorecards in the Seventh Elder''s hand, and with a smile, shook his head before saying to Xia Fu Lan, "Sister, Young Master Fang''s prowess in alchemy might indeed surpass yours." Upon hearing this statement from Song Mobei, Xia Fu Lan''s smile stopped abruptly. Brother Song wasn''t one to make jokes. If he said something like this in this setting, it must be based on something substantial. But surpassing her in talent... How could that be possible? She was able to produce mid-level third-tier pills at the age of twenty-five, something unprecedented. And Fang Ren, how old was he? Twenty-two. Could he surpass her? That would mean he must have been able to produce an upper-level third-tier pill by the age of twenty-two! That was utterly impossible! Upon hearing those words, the group of Tiandao disciples also turned their attention toward the four remaining scorecards in the Seventh Elder''s hands, eyebrows involuntarily furrowing. "Brother Song is truly meticulous; he merely nced and knew the situation," a candidate whispered, "Of course he is! Brother Song is an unparalleled powerhouse at the early stage of the Xuanyang Realm. The way he sees things is definitely different from us," another candidate said. ... Fang Ren stood to the side without turning his head to see the expression on Xia Fu Lan''s face, yet his opinion of Song Mobei had some fluctuations. Since Song Mobei was able to observe every detail, then when he spoke to Bai Qi in the spectator stand and when he walked down from there, causing everyone around him to stop ttering Xia Fu Lan, he did not believe that Song Mobei hadn''t noticed those things. Actually, Song Mobei had known since before that his score was higher than Xia Fu Lan''s, but he had never spoken up. Instead, he waited until he and Xia Fu Lan exchanged sarcastic remarks, and when Bai Qi came over from the audience stand to argue with Xia Fu Lan, then he finally spoke, reducing everything to "light teasing". Initially, Fang Ren thought that Song Mobei had remained silent to help Xia Fu Lan, but now it seemed that Song Mobei was actually setting Xia Fu Lan up to be humiliated in public. Song Mobei''s facade was well crafted, convincing everyone that the entire incident was natural. Fang Ren couldn''t understand the man''s purpose, but at least he was clear that this man was not as easy-going and refined as he appeared on the surface. ... The Seventh Elder wiped the sweat from his forehead with one hand and then began to amplify his voice with True Qi, "The final results of this testing area have been decided. The following top five students, pleasee here to receive the prizes for the divisionpetition..." "Fifth ce: Zhu Lin, two hours fourteen minutes, one second-order intermediate-level pill!" "Fourth ce: Cao Wendong, two hours thirteen minutes. One second-order upper-level pill!" ... "Second ce: Liu Xifeng, one hour fifty-five minutes, one second-order upper-level pill!" After finishing reading the score sheet, the Seventh Elder felt his back starting to sweat, as the next announcement for the first ce was somewhat frightening, and it was under the condition of undermining the Tiandao Princess, making it difficult for him. As the Seventh Elder announced the previous four candidates, four figures immediately approached the stage from below, namely Zhu Lin and three scions from the Liu, Wang, and Cao families. The three of them went on stage, smiled and nodded to Fang Ren as soon as they saw him, and eventually stood on either side of him. As the Seventh Elder put down the paper in his hands, the entire viewing stand, as well as the crowd at the entrance to the Elixir Field, became dead silent. The next announcement was originally a sensational news of an elixir genius''s meteoric rise in the Elixir Field, but today, this announcement also meant that Fang Ren, without doing anything, had shattered the title "Unparalleled Elixir Genius of the Elixir Field" that had just been crowned on Xia Fu Lan. Although Fang Ren hadn''t done much, the face-pping was truly harsh! Xia Fu Lan, seeing the Seventh Elder put down the score sheet and look towards Fang Ren, clenched her teeth, her face an expression of extremeplexity. The Seventh Elder continued, "First ce in this division''s final: Fang Ren! Total Time: fourteen minutes thirty-six seconds!" No sooner had the Seventh Elder uttered these words than Xia Fu Lan''s face turned dark. What level of genius could produce an elixir in just fourteen minutes and thirty-six seconds? How is that possible! Could these people have made a mistake? "Upper-level fourth-order pill! One Inward Spirit Pill!" the Seventh Elder shouted. "What?!" Before the Seventh Elder could finish saying "Inward Spirit Pill", Xia Fu Lan had already made an outburst. Her face was aplex mix of disbelief, anger, and humiliation... all turning into denial of the scene before her. It was not just her; even Song Mobei, upon hearing this, had a flicker of unexpected emotion pass across his usually affable smile. "Is there some kind of mistake!" Xia Fu Lan yelled angrily, "An upper-level fourth-order pill, even the president of the Orchid Bamboo Superior Guild is not sure he can concoct such a thing! How could a twenty-two-year-old student do it?" "Uh... Princess Fn, this matter is indeed true," the Seventh Elder said with some helplessness. "You all need to go to the psychiatric department to have your heads checked!" Xia Fu Lan raged, "This is an Elixir Competition! You dare to make up such fraudulent tricks! Do you want to be stripped of your Orchid Bamboo Special Alchemist Guild''s title by the Central Area?" "Calm yourself, Princess Fn, this matter is indeed true," the Seventh Elder said. Just then, Chen Cheng and Lin Bozhong descended from the sky andnded next to Fang Ren. Chapter 210: Chapter 207: Discussing Swords in the Tianjiang Arena the Day After Tomorrow_1 ``` Princess Fn''s gaze turned towards the two elders fallen in the heart of the arena, her inner rage intensifying. Mixed within that fury was, in fact, the mortification that had pushed her past her threshold, sparking her wrathful embarrassment. Of course, she recognized the two old men before her; they were the respective stewards of the Bai Family and the Fang Family. To her astonishment, at the very moment she had been humiliated, these two stewards had confirmed the legitimacy of Fang Ren''s results. In her view, it was tantamount to them saying, "You deserved to be humiliated." Observing the expressions on the faces of everyone in the stands, as well as the turned away looks of thepeting students below. At that moment, Princess Fn finally understood why, when her senior brother had announced her own achievement of crafting a third-order intermediate-level pill, everyone''s words seemed tock conviction. She also now realized why, when Fang Ren imed he could teach them all about pills, her fellow Tiandao Sword Sect disciples hadughed uproariously, yet no one else in the crowd had shown the slightest perturbation. It turned out that since the moment her Alchemy Talent was revealed until now, everyone here had always beenughing at her! She had thought her barrage of remarks would leave Fang Ren utterly disgraced, yet she, like a clown, had been performing a ludicrous act before the crowd! She had once derided Fang Ren for being unworthy to participate in the regional finals, yet who would have thought that a genius capable of concocting an Upper Level Pill of the fourth order would need to bother with such preliminaries? Seeing this, a Tiandao disciple named Sen Mo immediately stepped forward, bowed respectfully to Chen Cheng and Lin Bozhong, and then said to the Seventh Elder, "Seventh Elder, is the pill Young Master Fang concocted during the examination still avable? I am very eager to see it. This is not because I doubt the elders'' words, but the Upper Level Pill of the fourth order truly takes me aback and I am somewhat incredulous." "Young Master Fang''s pill happens to be with me." The Seventh Elder said, and began to retrieve a small jade bottle from his chest, handing it over to the Tiandao Sword Sect Disciple named Sen Mo. Sen Mo took the jade bottle, untied the red ribbon, and a golden pill slipped from the bottle into his hand, continuously emitting a dazzling brilliance. "This aura... it is indeed of the Upper Level," Sen Mo frowned. Princess Fn also hurried over, gazing at the fourth-order pill in Sen Mo''s hand. Her hands clenched tightly into fists, and she bit down hard on her teeth. The presence included Tianjiang Aristocratic Students and family members, and even Chen Cheng of the Bai Family and Lin Bozhong of the Fang Family were there. Fang Ren had no need to falsify anything; any deception would be a disgrace to the entire Fang Family, and there was no question about that. The Tiandao Sword Sect disciples collectively fell silent. The impact of this revtion was so profound that the shock and disbelief in their hearts left them unable to react for a long time. A mere twenty-two years of age, and capable of crafting an Upper Level Pill within fifteen minutes! If he were to continue growing at this rate, it was entirely reasonable to believe that this person could create the first-ever sixth-order pill in history! This was noughing matter. Feeling everyone''s gaze upon her, a smile began to emerge from Princess Fn''s angry face. Her eyes, filled with hatred, looked at Fang Ren, "I never imagined Young Master Fang would have such a predilection for ying dumb to catch the wise. Fine, I''ll ept it. After all, Young Master Fang has the strength, and today he had the audacity to choose me as his stepping stone, so as to amplify his own glory. Truly bad luck. Previously, Young Master Fang even mentioned that he was taught to be unassuming from childhood. It seems that Uncle Han has taught this virtue incorrectly." With a twist of her words, Princess Fn turned Fang Ren into a schemer who, while possessing talent,cked the character, using others'' honors to elevate his own illustrious status. Fang Ren remained unaffected, looking at Princess Fn, who was now sardonically amused out of sheer frustration. He felt no joy; what he wanted was Princess Fn''s life, not these petty schemes. However, he was currently unable to kill Princess Fn; all he could do at this point was to make her lose face, shatter her pride, and leave her in agony. "Princess Fn, I mentioned before that I believe I have been quite modest so far," Fang Ren said. "If I were to be any more high-profile, it would be disrespectful to Princess Fn." "I''ve always held back some modesty towards Princess Fn," Fang Ren continued, after his uncle Han had taught him to hold a reserve. Princess Fn''s inner anger gnawed at her, but on the surface, she coldlyughed, "Young Master Fang has such strength, so whatever he says is arguably correct. However, it''s undeniable that today Young Master Fang''s goal was to trample me underfoot and stand on higher ground." Fang Ren said, "I do not recall having such an intention before stepping on stage. I simply wished to speak with the beautiful Princess Fn, but instead, I was assailed by her barbed words. I was merely defending myself." ``` No matter how the topic was spun, it seemed that Xia Fn was at a disadvantage. Seeing this, Lin Bozhong hurriedly stepped forward with a smile and said, "Princess Fn and Young Master Fang are both geniuses of the new age. In the future, they must make great contributions to humanity''s struggle against the Void. Therefore, today''s incident should only be considered a case of ''no discord, no concord.''" Upon hearing this, the Tiandao disciple named Sen Mo immediatelyughed and said, "Steward Lin speaks well. Today, junior Fn and Young Master Fang indeed came to know each other through conflict, but there''s one more point that needs to be turned over andid out in the open. Young Master Fang previously stated that he is modest and speaks the truth. Now, having seen this fourth-order elixir, I believe Young Master Fang''s words and am convinced. However, Young Master Fang also said that he is superior to Sister Fn in the Way of the Sword as well, and just as I believe Young Master Fang in his Alchemy, so do I believe in his Sword Dao." At this, another disciple of the Tiandao Sword Sect also hurriedly spoke up, "Indeed, I too believe that such a modest and honest person like Young Master Fang would not tell lies. Since he imed to be superior to Sister Fn in the Sword Dao, it must be that his Sword Dao is also as unique and genius as his Alchemy. I truly look forward to a spar in Realm between Young Master Fang and Sister Fn, and we all hope to witness another ''Sword Dao genius'' besides our senior brother." When Bai Qi heard these words, she felt extremely upset, "Senior brothers and sisters, are you really doing this too?" "Bai Qi, Young Master Fang''s words must have their reasons, and we simply believe in him," Sen Mo said. Everyone listening sighed to themselves, seeing that Young Master Fang had stirred the ire of the entire Tiandao Sword Sect by bullying Xia Fn. After all, she was the princess of the Tiandao Sword Sect, and having her face pped in front of so many people, how should the disciples of the Tiandao Sword Sect respond? It seemed that in the days toe, Young Master Fang would be in quite a bit of trouble. However, because of the support of the Fang Family, the Tiandao Sword Sect wouldn''t dare to take his life directly, but deliberate difficulties would certainly be inevitable. Hearing this, Xia Fn''s cold smile grew even thicker as she said, "Young Master Fang earlier imed to have given me five percent face concerning the matter of the pills. As for this Sword Dao matter, I quite like that Young Master Fang is not leaving me any face. I just wonder if Young Master Fang would be gracious enough to honor me with this? After all, Young Master Fang is very well-mannered." Fang Ren remained unperturbed. Today, he had definitely offended the Tiandao Sword Sect. Thinking about the persecution Mu Huanqing had faced and the impediment Song Mobei posed to his marriage with Mu Huanqing, as well as today''s close rtionship between the Tiandao Sword Sect and Indra Sky, Each of these was a sufficient reason for him. When Bai Qi saw them making it difficult for Fang Ren this way, she became anxious and immediately said, "Sister Furong, I already apologized on his behalf to you before the results were announced. Now you being so unrelenting¡­" But before she could finish, Fang Ren interrupted, "I too am quite eager to spar with Princess Fn in the Sword Dao. However, calling it a spar seems somewhat improper. Let''s call it a ss instead, as after all, sses are free on my side." Fang Ren''s words left Chen Cheng and Lin Bozhong, who were just about to speak up to prevent the situation from escting,pletely stunned. With Fang Ren himself putting it that way, what more could they say to resolve this? Bai Qi grew even more anxious. She couldn''t understand why Fang Ren was intentionally throwing himself into the line of fire. "Good!" Xia Fn said with a coldugh, "Since Young Master Fang has already spoken these words, a promise is a promise, hard to take back like a galloping horse. I will dly attend this free ss from Young Master Fang. Only, when the timees, who will be the teacher remains to be seen!" Fang Ren shook his head, "Princess Fn seems to be a strong cultivator of the Yingyue Realm, but right now, you seem quite eager to fight with me, a person devoid of True Qi and a mere mortal. It''s a bit beneath you, Princess Fn." "What do you mean? Could it be that Young Master Fang is scared now?" Xia Fn asked. "I have been without a Spiritual Root since I was young, and have no True Qi to cultivate, so my Sword Dao is only what this mortal can reach. If, during our spar, Princess Fn uses True Qi, I think we can skip the ss. Just let me lie down and admit defeat," Fang Ren said. "Therefore, we must set a condition for our duel: no use of True Qi is allowed." "Ha! Young Master Fang really is quite thorough in his concerns. Though it also seems to suggest that Young Master Fang is a bit cowardly," Xia Fn retorted. "I, Xia Fn, never said I''dpete with you on the level of Realm, only Sword Dao. Let''s do as you say and not use True Qi during our spar." "Then let this matter be settled," said Fang Ren. "Tomorrow, at the Tianjiang Pill Contest finals stage, I look forward to a spar with Princess Fn there." After hearing his words, Xia Fn nearly burst intoughter outright. This Fang Ren really didn''t know whether to live or die! Even without using True Qi, her cultivator''s physique as Xia Fn could easily crush him, a mere mortal. And as for the Sword Dao, she was naturally talented among her peers, with the exception of Song Mobei. In her hands, Fang Ren would be torn apart in the blink of an eye! Chapter 211: Chapter 208: Its Fine As Long As He Doesnt Leave_1 ``` "Alright, since Young Master Fang doesn''t have time today, then we shall meet on the battlefield of the final duel tomorrow!" Xia Fu Lan said. What Fang Ren had said was exactly to her liking. In anyone''s eyes, this battle was an assured victory for her, Xia Fu Lan. However, if she were to start the duel here and now, only the few people currently present at the venue would witness her defeat of Fang Ren, which was obviously not her desire. At tomorrow''s final duel, there would be more dignitaries attending, including the Fang Family''s Second Master. The thought of defeating Young Master Fang right in front of the Fang Family''s Second Master thrilled her. The humiliation she suffered today over the medicinal pills, she would most certainly return to Fang Ren in front of even more witnesses tomorrow! Bai Xi looked on at Fang Ren,pletely bewildered. She couldn''t understand why Fang Ren would put on a brave face at this moment, knowing full well that among the world of the Sword Dao, the number of people surpassing Xia Fu Lan was countable on one hand. Since her encounter with Fang Ren, she had never seen him wield a sword, and she vividly remembered that when they had met, Fang Ren was merely a small practitioner at the Peak of the Intense Concentration Realm! Even without using True Qi, Xia Fu Lan''s physical strength at the Yingyue Realm was not something he could match! Fang Ren paid no attention to Xia Fu Lan, and looking at the Seventh Elder, he said, "Elder, please receive the reward on my behalf. I have some matters to attend to and will leave first." With those words, Fang Ren walked down from the ranks of the top five, and the crowd began to make way for him. No proctors tried to stop him, nor did anyonement further. After all, the encouragement for first ce in the divisionpetition was nothing more than a third-tier advanced medicinal pill, which was of little consequence to Fang Ren. Watching Fang Ren leave, Bai Xi nced at her fellow sect disciples and felt very helpless. After all, those disciples would always be from the Tiandao Sword Sect, and they would support Xia Fu Lan no matter what. Without paying further attention to her fellow disciples, Bai Xi immediately went to Song Mobei, bowed respectfully, and said, "Brother Song, I feel there is no need to take the sword duel too seriously. I can sincerely apologize on behalf of Fang Ren. His emotions have been abnormal these past few days, and I hope you can also persuade Sister Furong to be lenient on this matter." As Bai Xi bowed and said these words, Fang Ren, who had just stepped down, suddenly paused. He turned his head back emotionlessly to look at Bai Xi. He knew her heart was in the right ce, but this girl simply didn''t understand his strength. All the spectators who saw Bai Xi speaking to Song Mobei were astonished too, with many unable toprehend why Princess Bai Xi would seek Song Mobei''s assistance over this matter. After all, wasn''t it public knowledge that Princess Bai Xi adored Song Mobei? Furthermore, earlier, Fang Ren had said himself that Bai Xi didn''t like him, and that her previous action of holding his hand on stage was merely to save his face. But if Princess Bai Xi truly liked Song Mobei, then why would she speak on behalf of Fang Ren at this moment? Wasn''t she afraid that Song Mobei would misunderstand and think that her feelings for Fang Ren were deep? Upon hearing this, Song Mobei smiled and nced at Fang Ren, who had stopped not far away, then looked at Bai Xi in front of him. Smiling, he said, "Sister Bai Xi, I think there might be a misunderstanding. It''s just a friendly match. How could we take it too seriously? Even if we determine the better swordsman tomorrow, in the end, it''s nothing more than a sparring session. We''ll stop when a point is made. Winning or losing really isn''t important¡ªyou''re worrying too much." After hearing these words, Bai Xi looked up at Song Mobei, surprise evident in her eyes. She had thought that Brother Song, who had always been upright, would mediate and perhaps even downy the tension. However, from what Song Mobei had just said, it was clear he had no intention of stopping the duel¡ªa contest Fang Ren was sure to lose. ``` Everyone listened to Song Mobei''s words and did not harbor any doubts about his character. After all, it was Fang Ren who had actively requested the sparring, and Song Mobei was merely following along with the two of them without interfering. "Brother Song..." Bai Qi sighed helplessly in her heart, and after sighing, her gaze turned to Fang Ren, who had stopped in the crowd and looked back at her. Fang Ren gave her a smile and then turned his head to continue leaving. "Sister Bai Xi, you and Young Master Fang really have a deep rtionship," Xia Fu Lan suddenly said with a sarcastic tone at this moment, "It seems like whatever Young Master Fang does, you always have to clean up after him." "This has nothing to do with Sister Furong." Bai Qi said and turned her head to walk towards the stands below. Before Bai Qi could descend the stairs, Xia Fu Lan immediately spoke again, "It seems that what Young Master Fang said earlier was very wrong, wasn''t it? He said Sister Bai Xi doesn''t like him, but it turns out to be all lies. Isn''t Sister Bai Xi deeply in love?" Bai Qi clenched her teeth internally, choosing not to entertain Xia Fu Lan. She was crystal clear in her heart that the reason Xia Fu Lan spoke these words in front of so many people was not merely to address the crowd but also to make them heard by Song Mobei, thus preventing her from having the opportunity to pursue Song Mobei and to have Song Mobei keep his distance voluntarily. Xia Fu Lan''s words directly turned Bai Xi''s pursuit of Song Mobei into an issue incredibly hard to exin, so much so that if Bai Qi wanted to continue pursuing Song Mobei, she would have to go through considerable effort to rify her rtionship with Fang Ren¡ªand she would inevitably encounter many troublesome matters and cold remarks from the people. If Bai Qi did not rify things quickly now, then she would almost have no chance to get close to Song Mobei in the future. Now, Bai Qi could have shattered Xia Fu Lan''s insinuations with just a few words. If she stopped in her tracks now and made clear her rtionship with Fang Ren in front of everyone, Song Mobei would not misunderstand, and she could continue to pursue Song Mobei without having to worry about the engagement either. However, at that moment, she chose not to stop and rify her rtionship with Fang Ren; instead, she opted for silence and continued to follow the direction in which Fang Ren had left. She missed the best opportunity to exin herself to Song Mobei and everyone else, and from then on, everyone would believe that the person she liked was Fang Ren, not Song Mobei. For some reason, at that moment, she would rather let everyone misinterpret her feelings for Fang Ren than rify her rtionship with him there. Even if Song Mobei also believed she liked Fang Ren, even if Song Mobei never interacted with her from now on... it didn''t matter. As long as Fang Ren didn''t leave her, that was enough... New releases from mvlempy _r. She didn''t even know what she was thinking at the moment, and she couldn''t understand her own feelings. Amid a whirlwind of confusion, all she could think about was catching up to Fang Ren. Chapter 212: Chapter 209: Interpreting Insincerity?_1 With Fang Ren and Bai Qi leaving the scene, the atmosphere of the entire venue no longer felt as heavy as before. Thepetition prizes were only distributed to four participants. The pill that Fang Ren had produced was ced in the custody of the Orchid Bamboo Guild. As for the Tiandao Sword Sect, after the conclusion of the regionalpetition, they said their farewells to the stewards of various families and departed. After leaving thepetition venue, Fang Ren immediately went back to his hotel, checked out, and purchased a ticket to Tianjiang online. The grand finals of the Alchemypetition were scheduled for tomorrow evening at around six o''clock. All participating students were required to be present on the eve of the opening. mvlemp yr content In fact, there was no rush for time, and there was a dedicated car to transport the top five winners of thepetition area to the final venue. The reason Fang Ren bought a ticket online was that by this time, Mu Huanqing should have already settled in at the finals venue in Tianjiang. He was very eager to see her and did not want to wait for the designated transport. "Why are you following me out here?" Here, Fang Ren had juste down from checking out of his hotel room when he found Bai Qi had already raced over from the guild. Seeing him looking somewhat surprised, as if to say you shouldn''t havee, Bai Qi started to feel a bit displeased and retorted, "What else could I do if I didn''te over?" "You came here to see Song Mobei, didn''t you? You''ve barely spoken a few words to him, and now you''re done talking?" Fang Ren said. "Look at you now, how could I continue talking to someone else?" Bai Qi poked a finger into his chest, expressing her grievances. "My fault?" Fang Ren was taken aback. "If not you, then whom? Me!" Bai Qi huffed, "Is it wrong that I care too much about your feelings?" "What feelings? The whole purpose of bringing you here was to let you meet the person you like and talk more with them," Fang Ren said. "Let''s not talk about this," Bai Qi red at him and said, "Anyway, you''re as oblivious as a pig; no matter how I exin my feelings, you''ll never understand." "..." Fang Ren couldn''t help but smile helplessly. In truth, he understood all these matters; it was Bai Qi who didn''t. She had shared everything with him, and he had responded with the truth, but Bai Qi didn''t believe him. "I booked a two o''clock ticket to Tianjiang. I initially thought you would choose to go to Tianjiang with Brother Song, so I only booked one ticket," Fang Ren said, taking out his smartphone, "Since you''ve decided not to go with him, I''ll book another one for you." "Hey! Fang Ren, you¡ª! I''ve already made myself clear, and you''re still trying to dump me!" Bai Qi was immediately angered at this. She had been so considerate of him, afraid that she might do something inappropriate at the venue that could embarrass him. She even refrained from talking much with Song Mobei, only speaking up when she thought it could help Fang Ren. And yet, this guy didn''t even bother to buy her a ticket to go with him to Tianjiang! "Isn''t it immediately rectified now?" Fang Ren said with a smile. "That''s not the same! Can it be the same!" Bai Qi fumed. "It''s a minor issue, don''t take it so seriously." "Is this a minor issue!" ... After some bickering for a while, Fang Ren checked the time and saw there was still half an hour before the departure. So he decided to take the fiery princess out for a meal to cool down. At the dinner table, Fang Ren was constantly checking his phone for news from the past few days, most of which were about "Young Master Fang." However, there were no photos of him at the Alchemypetition online; most images were taken from Yangming University''s campuswork. Opening those news articles, thement sections were all explosive, and among them, several topments came from Yangming University students. Most content revolved around their astonishment of having not recognized Young Master Fang''s identity for three years at the same school and the excited expletives of encouragement. There were also some news articles on the inte digging up his past school history, and most of these articles shaped his character and gave him invisible praise. Expressions like "not stirring then suddenly stunning," "Goldfish destined for the sea rather than a pond," and such were all used to describe him. However, what he wanted to look at now wasn''t these, but the updates about the Tianjiang finals arena, the personal arrival of Xuan Nv, and Fang Family''s Second Young Master''s reactions to this incident. After looking for a while, surely enough, Mu Huanqing had arrived in Tianjiang two hours ago, and the powerful Nine Heavens Corps had brought three hundred soldiers this time. As for that Second Uncle''s whereabouts, Fang Ren couldn''t find a single trace of him. "Can you stop looking at your phone?" Bai Qi stuffed a chicken leg in his mouth, looking displeased at the opposite Fang Ren, "With the way you are, how could you ever chase after the girl you like?" Seeing this, Fang Ren put away his phone, smiled, picked up his chopsticks, and began to pick up food, "I never thought about chasing her." Why chase when they already have a child? "Hmph!" Bai Qi turned his head and continued to gnaw on his chicken leg. This guy actually said he never thought about chasing her... Well, after thinking it over, Bai Qi felt that Fang Ren was telling the truth. After all, from beginning to end, Fang Ren had always been pushing her toward Song Mobei, never considering his own personal feelings. Bai Qi put down the chicken leg, nced awkwardly at the distance, and said somewhat unnaturally, "Actually... don''t imagine my feelings for Brother Song as too intense. After all... I''ve never been in love. Maybe it''s just as my grandfather said, my feelings for Brother Song might not be the happiness I''m looking for... And maybe Brother Song already has someone he''s fond of." "What?" Fang Ren waspletely dumbfounded after hearing this. What did she mean by that? She first exined her feelings for Song Mobei and then hypothesized that Song Mobei might already have someone he liked. It felt like she was trying to distance herself from Song Mobei. Pulling away from Song Mobei, and in front of him... Could it be because of the emotions rted to the Spiritual Root, leading her to aplex emotional shift, developing a kind of liking for him? Damn! That can''t be right! "Hey! What kind of reaction is that!" Seeing his reaction, Bai Qi instantly became annoyed again and said with a red face, "Don''t get the wrong idea. I didn''t mean that I like you, stop guessing wildly!" "Then why is your face red?" Fang Ren asked. "..." Bai Qi paused, "It wants to turn red, do you have to mind that too?" Fang Ren felt he was losing it; clearly, she was saying one thing and meaning another. It''s all over, totally over! She really had been affected by the Spiritual Root, resulting in a twist in her own emotions. Chapter 213: Chapter 210: Bai Qis Exquisite Heart_1 At that oment, Fang Ren''s mind was inexplicably flooded with many images from the past. When Bai Qi took the stage, she grabbed his hand, even in front of her beloved Song Mobei¡­ After getting on stage, Bai Qi didn''t initiate any conversation with Song Mobei, and every sentence she uttered included him¡­ When Bai Qi left, faced with Xia Fu Lan''s words that led Song Mobei to misunderstand, Bai Qi didn''t respond¡­ tter¡ª Fang Ren''s chopsticks suddenly fell onto the table as he forced a smile, "That is¡­ Bai Qi, you mustn''t act impulsively, the emotions you''re feeling right now definitely aren''t your own, stay steady, don''t let them influence you!" "Huh?" This time, it was Bai Qi''s turn to be stunned. The things she just said did have a bit of the meaning Fang Ren was thinking of, but her feelings were in chaos right now, and her main purpose for saying those words was tofort Fang Ren. After all, Fang Ren had said he hadn''t thought about pursuing her, yet he had done so much for her. She thought he should be feeling down, so how did he suddenly look as if he had been struck by something? Holding his forehead with one hand, Fang Ren spoke, "Just remember that the person you like is Song Mobei, and make sure not to mistake theseplex emotions in your heart as feelings for me." "You, why have you suddenly be so narcissistic?" Bai Qi''s face flushed as she frowned, "When did I ever say I liked you? And the idea that a Spiritual Root can influence emotions, that''s just not realistic. If you were a viin who had done many evil deeds, I''d rather ruin my own cultivation level than associate with you!" "But¡­" Fang Ren said with a troubled expression, "if the Spiritual Root isn''t influencing you, then why did you grab my hand as soon as you came on stage? And you didn''t exin to your Brother Song, if he misunderstands, how will you pursue him?" "This¡­" Bai Qi blinked nkly before immediately responding, "But you yourself said it, that was just to give me face." In truth, Bai Qi herself was unclear about why she had acted that way at the time. Somehow, when she saw Xia Fu Lan ridiculing Fang Ren as worthless and suggesting that she wouldn''t fancy Fang Ren, she had instinctively rushed up and grabbed Fang Ren''s hand. "But Song Mobei is bound to misunderstand, why didn''t you exin?" "I¡­" Bai Qi''s words got stuck for a moment before she said, "As I said, my feelings of affection for him are still under consideration. Maybe, just like the words my grandfather once told me, I am too naive, with no experience in love, not understanding the difference between like and love." "That''s the Spiritual Root''s influence!" Fang Ren hit his forehead with his palm, exasperated, "If you hadn''t met me, you definitely wouldn''t overthink like this. No, that''s wrong, it''s if you didn''t have my Spiritual Root within you, then you wouldn''t have these emotions." Bai Qi frowned, her eyes fixed on the table, her expression growing serious, "If I hadn''t met you, I indeed wouldn''t think so much. Because if I hadn''t met you, I wouldn''t be here today, I wouldn''t have had a conflict with Sister Furong, and I wouldn''t have asked Brother Song to help you reconcile with Sister Furong. But these have nothing to do with the Spiritual Root. Even if you hadn''t saved my life with the Spiritual Root, you would still be my fianc¨¦, and I''ve kept all the kindness you showed me when I had no cultivation in my heart. It''s because of these reasons that I am willing to do all these things for you today, unrted to the Spiritual Root." Resigned, Fang Ren said, "Alright, alright, whatever you say. Whether the Spiritual Root is influencing you or not, you shoulde to know gradually." "Of course, I know myself," Bai Qi continued, "And have I ever said I must pursue Brother Song? Anyway, I don''t remember such a thing." "This¡­ hurry up and eat," Fang Ren replied as he took another pair of chopsticks from a nearby table. Watching Bai Qi''s earnest face in front of him, he made a firm resolution in his heart. He resolved to find a way to remove the Spiritual Root from Bai Qi''s body. Even if he couldn''t remove the Spiritual Root, at least he had to eradicate the attached emotionspletely. "I''m full," Bai Qi said. Bai Qi casually ced the chicken leg in his hand aside and continued with that same serious expression, "Do you know why the words I''m saying to you now seem like I don''t like Brother Song that much?" "Clearly, it''s because of the Spiritual Root," Fang Ren said. "Don''t talk nonsense," Bai Qi continued. "Just before, when you and Xia Fu Lan set the appointment topete in Sword Dao tomorrow, I was afraid you would lose face, so I sought help from Brother Song, hoping he could make things right and downy the incident. But I didn''t expect him to refuse me with reasons that sounded so justifiable and yet left me at a loss for words. It was the first time I saw Brother Song refuse someone''s reasonable request. My request was very sensible, solely intended to preserve harmony. Yet, when he refused, it was as if it had been carefully considered, allowing this face-losingpetition to continue and gaining everyone''s acknowledgment of its validity." Fang Ren was stunned for a moment, realizing that this girl was not dumb at all, but rather clever. Bai Qi looked at the table and continued, "This incident made me understand that at the Orchid Bamboo Alchemist Meeting ce earlier, and in certain matters, he is ultimately the big brother of the Tiandao Sword Sect, while I am your fianc¨¦e, Fang Ren. The person I must help is you, and the person he must help is Xia Fu Lan. I have no doubts about Brother Song''s integrity; it''s just that our positions are different, and we should act ordingly. He believes Xia Fu Lan should find her way back from losing face on her own, and that''s not wrong. Even I think he''s right, after all, it was you who spoke of Sword Dao in the meeting, and they simply went with the flow." "And then what?" Fang Ren suddenly found that Bai Qi, when she talked without being foolish, was actually quite pleasant to listen to. "And then..." Bai Qi paused for a bit, "I still chose to help you, I still spoke up hoping he would assist you in canceling thepetition. It was your arrogance that caused this trouble when you imed superiority over Xia Fu Lan in Sword Dao, just like her arrogance in Alchemy at that time." "But that''s not the main point I want to talk about," Bai Qi pinched her fingers and continued. "The main point is, this incident made me acutely aware that Brother Song will not always support me. He doesn''t consider me as special as I had imagined. Back when I was in the Tiandao Sword Sect, he took great care of me, assisting me almost all the time, and I believed I held a special ce in his eyes, which is why he was so kind to me. That was when I began to develop feelings for him. But now I see that my behavior at that time could only be summed up in two words, the two words you often attribute to me: ''overthinking''." Join us at mp _yr now. "So, to put it all together, you''re admitting that you can''t differentiate between liking someone and being in love, which this incident made you realize might also be the case with your feelings for Song Mobei?" Fang Ren pondered for a moment and asked. "Yes," Bai Qi nodded. "I''m feeling very confused right now, and my words are all jumbled, but luckily you understand them." "But this issue has nothing to do with ''your mood being affected by the Spiritual Root''," Fang Ren said. "We were talking about whether the Spiritual Root was good or not." "It does rte," Bai Qi replied. "I think the fact that I''m able to distinguish my feelings for Brother Song at the moment also indirectly proves that I haven''t been influenced by the Spiritual Root. If I were influenced by it, then I would have no reason to feel like I like Brother Song, hence I should have liked you without reason as well." After hearing her words, Fang Ren fell silent, finding there was some sense in that. But if it wasn''t the influence of the Spiritual Root, it still didn''t exin why Bai Qi grabbed his hand on stage because, at that time, Bai Qi''s feelings towards Song Mobei hadn''t changed, and she hadn''t asked him for help yet. How should one interpret this hand-holding? In the absence of influence from the Spiritual Root, and even without any change in her feelings towards Song Mobei, she was holding his hand in front of thousands of people at the meeting ce... If that was really the case, there was only one exnation: Bai Qi didn''t like Song Mobei as much as she imed she did; she merely had a good impression of him. Furthermore, if her emotions were not influenced by the Spiritual Root... it meant that it was due to her own feelings for Fang Ren that she acted that way, not for any other reason. With this realization, Fang Ren was bewildered. If everything Bai Qi did at the meeting ce today was driven by her most genuine inner emotions, could it mean that... Bai Qi... her liking, or fondness for him, had surpassed that for Song Mobei?! Chapter 214: Chapter 211: Jiang Ling Comes to Tianjiang_1 ``` This is ipossible! Fang Ren simply couldn''t understand such a thing. Bai Qi had only recentlye into contact with him, right? It hadn''t even been a month. How could she suddenly like him more than Song Mobei? Confronted with this issue, Bai Qi imed that her feelings had not been influenced by the Spiritual Root, something Fang Ren steadfastly refused to believe. However, the argument she just made was not entirely unreasonable. If the impact of the Spiritual Root was really that significant, then she shouldn''t be able to analyze her feelings for Song Mobei so rationally; instead, she should be unreasonably extracting her emotions. But the two exnations were contradictory, and Fang Ren did not want to acknowledge either. "This matter... I think you still need to seriously explore your own heart. Perhaps there are some aspects you''ve neglected," Fang Ren said. Bai Qi nodded, did not continue speaking, and kept her eyes fixed on the table without raising her head again. She had said too much just now, and each sentence was so sensitive. She was well aware that by denying her feelings were influenced by the Spiritual Root, it also meant that she acknowledged the emotions she felt for Fang Ren possibly surpassed those she had for Song Mobei in some ways. Of course, the scope of her feelings'' definition was only on certain aspects. Like today''s incident, she would definitely stand by Fang Ren''s side, even if it led to a misunderstanding with Song Mobei. By the end of the meal, Fang Ren became weighed down with cares, asionally shaking his head and sighing, whereas Bai Qi seemed to have gained rity and did not babble much with Fang Ren. At two o''clock, the car departed the station bound for Tianjiang. As Fang Ren sat in the vehicle, looking at Bai Qi ying with her phone beside him, he had no inclination to close his eyes and cultivate. Three hourster, upon their arrival in Tianjiang, how should he exin his rtionship with Mu Huanqing to Bai Qi? The development of events waspletely different from what he had anticipated. He had assumed that once in Tianjiang, he would face the challenge head-on, and it wouldn''t matter to him if Bai Qi ended up disliking him. The whole situation made him feel like he had deceived someone who liked him, and in three hours, he was going to hurt her deeply... If Bai Qi had no feelings of affection towards him, then it would all be fine. But now, the problem waspletely different. "Sigh!" As Fang Ren pondered, he let out another deep sigh. No sooner had he sighed than Bai Qi, sitting beside him, rolled her eyes and looked over, "I really don''t get it. Why the heck are you sighing?" In her view, if Fang Ren liked her and now that she had made her feelings so clear, he should be feeling happy. "I don''t know," Fang Ren said, pping his forehead in exasperation. "Don''t try to brush it off. How many times have you sighed on this journey?" "I told you I really don''t like you. Why don''t you believe me?" "Hey, I''ve made myself crystal clear, and you''re still avoiding," Bai Qi protested. Fang Ren fell into utter despair, "Please, just leave me be, let me have some peace." "ying coy after getting your way," Bai Qi pouted, then turned her face away, refusing to look at him again. ... The three-hour drive felt so prolonged, an unprecedented sensation for Fang Ren. He had thought the journey would simply be passed with eyes closed, cultivating in tranquility, but now he realized that concentrating on cultivation was unrealistic. Experience tales on _emp _y,r. "Ding dong~" ``` Suddenly, the ringtone of the cell phone sounded, and Fang Ren hastily took it out from his pocket to check¡ª it was a message from Jian Qi''er. "Why did you get into a conflict with the Tiandao Sword Sect? You didn''t say anything that made them suspect your identity, did you?" Fang Ren was stunned for a moment, realizing that the girl thought he had gotten into conflict with the Tiandao Sword Sect over organizational issues. Without much thought, Fang Ren typed out a reply: "This has nothing to do with the organization; it''s a personal issue I need to deal with." Shortly after, another text arrived on his phone. "Alright then, although I''m not clear on what issues you have with Xia Fu Lan, I hope you can keep an eye on their movements during the finals of the pillpetition." "Sure thing." "Oh, one more thing¡ª the leader might go to Tianjiang to find you in the next couple of days." "Huh? Why is Leader Jiang Linging to find me?" "Recently, the leader has had very unstable conditions in her Realm, her meridians are somewhat like breaking through but it''s really strange. The Alchemists in the organization can''t figure out her situation either, so they want you to help out." "Alright, let me know when she arrives." Jian Qi''er didn''t send any more messages after that, and Fang Ren, staring at the phone screen, suddenly felt a bit of pressure. Jiang Ling wasing over, and for some reason, he had a bad premonition. Mu Huanqing was here too, and the Qi Concealing Pills he provided were not very effective for a Xuanyang Realm early-stage powerhouse like Jiang Ling. If she were to be exposed and the Nine Heavens Corps swarmed in, it would be the end. He could only hope she had some way to hide her identity. The journey ahead was long and he was focused on cultivating, so Fang Ren pulled out little Qianye to chat with him. But just as he had taken the little guy out, Bai Qi snatched him away from the side. In the end, Fang Ren could only check the news and chatted with messages from Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang for a while to pass the remaining time. "Hey, there''s something I forgot to ask you." Just as they were about to arrive at their destination, Bai Qi, who was toying with little Qianye, turned to Fang Ren. "What?" Fang Ren set down his almost dead cell phone. "When you took me flying before, it seemed like your Realm had broken through by a lot." Bai Qi spoke up. "You''re just noticing now?" "It''s mainly because things were too chaotic before, and I didn''t get the chance to ask you." Bai Qi patted little Qianye''s head, looking puzzled, and said, "Looking at you now, your Realm is at least at the Peak of the Chongshan Realm, right? I really don''t understand how strong your cultivation talent is. In less than a month, you''ve gone from the Peak of Intense Concentration Realm right to where you are now, basically averaging a breakthrough every three days." "Early Stage of Xianyun Realm." "..." Bai Qi was stunned, blinking hisrge eyes, "Are you sure you''re not exaggerating?" "Have I ever lied to you?" Fang Ren said. "..." After a while, Bai Qi looked away, muttering to himself, "I really don''t know what kind of monster you are. You''re a freak when ites to alchemy, and your cultivation is even scarier. If it weren''t for the incident when I was a kid, you might even be breaking through the legendary Realm by now." Chapter 215: Chapter 211: Isnt That Person...?_1 Fang Ren chuckled awkwardly, "After all, I am the one pursuing Madame Xuan." Bai Qi''s face showed signs of surprise, then she paused and said, "Hey, how much longer are you going to use that excuse to cover things up?" "I''m not covering anything up." "Then why, when I wanted to take you to dine with her, you didn''t agree, and you even said you like me?" "I never said that I like you." "..." Bai Qi fell silent again, as she went through all the events of the past days in her mind once more. "Stop thinking about it, we''re almost at our stop." Seeing that the vehicle had begun announcing the next station, Fang Ren interrupted her, then started to gather his luggage and stood up from his seat. Seeing this, Bai Qi ced the little Qianye on her shoulder, picked up her backpack as well, and stood up, then got off the vehicle after it came to aplete stop. Upon disembarking, the scenery was filled with skyscrapers, their grandeur almost obscuring the sky¡ªa vastness simply unbelievable. Amid these massive buildings, countless high-tech floating devices and cultivators flying through the skies created a somewhat dizzying spectacle. Fang Ren checked the time, quickly hailed a cab at the station, and hastened towards the finalpetition venue. Throughout the journey, Bai Qi, that girl, once againpsed into silence; Fang Ren didn''t interrupt her this time, as they would soon meet Mu Huanqing, and there were many things he needed to be upfront with her about. If not today, then tomorrow. The taxi wove through the bustling, crisscrossing city, reaching the Spirit Winter District of Tianjiang¡ªthe site of the grand finals. After getting out of the car again, what met their eyes was an enormouslyrge stone archway engraved with many antiquated characters, surrounded by floating high-tech crafts with electronic screens that boldly disyed "The 49th National Collegiate Elixir Competition" on them. Looking past the stone archway, a very extensive stone road stretched out, with many staff members on both sides already busy with preparations,rgely promoting alchemy culture, and numerous alchemists, d in guild garments, were setting up their stalls along the wide road. This cultural exchange, customary at every elixirpetition, also facilitates the trade of important herbs. Fang Ren, apanied by Bai Qi, walked towards the interior, unimpeded by the surrounding staff¡ªafter all, this was merely the outskirts of thepetition venue. The road was long, and it took Fang Ren more than 10 minutes to reach the end, where a massive open-air circr stone structure stood, capable of amodating not just 30,000 people, but easily 60,000. Just as Fang Ren and Bai Qi were about to enter therge gate of the circr building to examine thepetition area, some staff members started to approach from both sides. "There''s a meeting currently taking ce in thepetition area, and participating students are not allowed to enter. Special circumstances require the head of the school to lead the way in," stated a man dressed in a ck suit. Fang Ren nced inside from the gate and noticed a group of women in white armor sitting in the center of the venue, along with a variety of young men and women, while several middle-aged men and women stood on the stage, speaking with smiles on their faces. On the stands for the audience, many staff members were also busy with arrangements. The group of females wearing white armor was likely the so-called Nine Heavens Corps, as their number seemed to be roughly around 300, and the group of young men and women next to them must be members of the local Tianjiang noble families or core prodigies from the Alchemist Guild. Scanning therge crowd, Fang Ren''s gaze eventually settled on a woman in the front row wearing silver armor and silver hair. She wore a smile on her face while talking to the group of middle-aged men and women opposite her. She was indeed Mu Huanqing. "Then may I ask about when this meeting is likely to end?" Fang Ren asked a staff member beside him. "We don''t know the exact time just yet. If you don''t have an urgent matter and are only here to visit the venue, then you should leave ande back after 6 p.m.," the staff member replied. "Alright." Fang Ren nodded and didn''t continue walking inside, but his gaze still didn''t leave the crowd inside. He was quite curious; among those dozen or so middle-aged men, which one was the uncle who wanted his name? And among that group of young men and women, were his two younger brothers from his family also here? "Are you in such a rush to see the examination venue? It''s not even fully arranged yet." Bai Qi looked at Fang Ren, who seemed reluctant to leave the interior, and spoke up. "I''m not in too much of a hurry, but of course it would be best if I could go in now," Fang Ren replied. Bai Qi nced at the silver-haired woman inside and said, "Hey, if you regret it now, the offer I made the other day still stands." "What offer?" Fang Ren asked. "I''ll take you to have dinner with Sister Hui Qing." story at NovelFire,mp|y|r "This..." Fang Ren nced again at Mu Huanqing inside and after some thought, he asked, "Can I go in now?" "Just say whether you want to have dinner with her or not," Bai Qi said. "I do," Fang Ren nodded. He had alreadye all this way, and to see his own wife yet not be able to speak with her, what kind of situation was that? As for bringing along this girl Bai Qi to have dinner with Mu Huanqing, so be it; it simply meant that he wouldn''t be able to be intimate with Mu Huanqing just for the duration of a meal. As Fang Ren''s words fell, Bai Qi''s gaze suddenly grew dim. She hadn''t expected Fang Ren to change his mind at this moment. He had rejected her offer the other day to have dinner with Mu Huanqing, but here, he had changed. Combining this with the journey they had taken, and after organizing everything that had happened between Fang Ren and her these past days, she suddenly realized that Fang Ren''s repeated assertions that he didn''t like her might indeed be true. Maybe she had misunderstood everything. He said he didn''t like Song Mobei because it was rted to the person he liked. At that time, she hadn''t given it much thought and simply assumed that the person Fang Ren referred to was her. However, now she abruptly realized, what if the person Fang Ren was referring to wasn''t her, but Mu Huanqing? After all, Mu Huanqing and Song Mobei were also connected, and everyone wanted to pair them together. Upon this realization, Bai Qi''s mind felt as turbulent as a churning sea. Many things Fang Ren had said and done in the past shed like a carousel before her eyes. He said she was imagining things¡ªcould it be that she had fabricated everything? He said he didn''t like her¡ªwas it all just her own vanity? From beginning to end, the person he referred to, it wasn''t her, but Mu Huanqing? Chapter 216: Chapter 212: A Distant Smile_1 "Hey, what''s gotten into you all of a sudden?" Fang Ren saw Bai Qi''s silent demeanor and asked. Smack¡ª Suddenly, Bai Qi tossed her cap off the top of her head and stepped forward to speak to a staff member: "We must go in now for something important." "I told you, if there''s a problem it can wait untilter..." The staff member turned back with some impatience, but his words stopped short in his throat as soon as he saw her face: "Princess!?" "Can we go in?" Bai Qi''s voice was filled with indifference. She had never spoken to others with such an attitude outside, as her upbringing had taught her to always be kind and gentle to others, but her current mood didn''t allow her to care about those niceties. "Yes! Of course! Please go ahead!" The staff member immediately made a yielding gesture. Seeing this, Bai Qi didn''t say another word and headed straight for the interior of the venue. Fang Ren, frowning, followed behind her and said, "Hey, are you alright?" Bai Qi still didn''t say a word and walked on, head lowered. Fang Ren sighed in frustration and followed her into the venue, but upon seeing a meeting in progress, he caught up to Bai Qi within a few steps and said, "Don''t disrupt their meeting as soon as you get there." "I don''tck that much manners," Bai Qi replied coolly. The vast hall, though bustling with staff arranging medicinal materials and equipment, appeared extremely spacious, even with a meeting of several hundred people at its center, because it was just thatrge. From where Fang Ren stood, looking up at the audience seats made them seem as small as ants. Just the thought of students gathering from all over the world that evening sent a thrilling sensation through him. Fang Ren and Bai Qi found a spot not too far from the meeting to sit down, where they could just catch the sound of the meeting. "Furthermore, we should make some changes to the rewards for the first-ce winner this time, especially since thispetition''s first prize is indeed a bit... ahem." The two had just sat down when they heard a middle-aged man on stage awkwardly trail off in the middle of his topic. The first prize of thispetition was supposed to be taken as a closed-door disciple by the second elder of the Fang Family, but unexpectedly, along came Fang Ren, whose talent so exceeded the second elder''s expectations that he didn''t have the capability to ept him. This topic was a bit of an unintentional p in the face for the second elder of the Fang Family, Fang Ye, who was present at the meeting. And since Fang Ye himself was at the scene, it wouldn''t be appropriate to speak too bluntly about it. As the man''s words died down, another middle-aged man in a ck suit sitting beside himughed and said, "This is indeed a bit awkward to talk about. Initially, I wanted to take advantage of thispetition to take on a beloved pupil, but who would have thought the champion would be my never-before-met nephew, whose alchemy ability is beyond my ability to teach. Though as an uncle I might feel a bit reluctant, I must express joy as part of the Fang Family that we have produced such an alchemy genius." The first middle-aged man who spoke chuckled in response to these words: "The second elder is indeed magnanimous, but congrattions to the Fang Family for producing such a great talent, a fortune for the Fang Family and a blessing for the world!" "On this note, we need to contact the Central Area as soon as possible to finalize the new prize and ensure it can be awarded to the champion before the finals are over." ... Fang Ren listened to the few exchanges between the men and was surprised that just after sitting down he''d already heard matters concerning himself, and even managed to draw out his special "caring" uncle. Looking at the middle-aged man in the ck suit on the stage, Fang Ren couldn''t help but slightly raise the corners of his mouth. He never expected that his encounter with this uncle would be under the circumstance of him singing Fang Ren''s praises. "As a member of the Fang Family, I''m overjoyed to have an alchemy genius among us," he says, while holding a knife to people''s throats behind their backs ¡ª what disgusting pretense. Fortunately, the internal strife within the Fang Family was known only to a very few in Tianjiang; otherwise, if Fang Ye were to say this in public, people wouldn''t know how to respond. Fang Ren gave Fang Ye a look and then quickly moved his gaze away; this uncle appeared amiable, but his heart was filled with malice. Mu Huanqing, sitting on the stage, had a consistently icy expression on her face, which usually remained expressionless. But today, she truly harbored animosity towards the Second Master of the Fang Family; this man had once almost seeded in killing Fang Ren. The scene from that time was still vivid before her eyes. If Lin Bozhong hadn''t intervened, with her devoid of any cultivation level, she would have been powerless to save Fang Ren from the knife''s edge. If she weren''t a public figure, if she weren''t Xuan Nv representing humanity''s united front against the Void, she would not hesitate to cripple Fang Ye and bring him before Fang Ren. The meeting continued, and Mu Huanqing felt bored; she really wanted to leave, but she had to give an important speech here. In her boredom, she suddenly noticed a gaze from not too far away fixated on her. She turned her head, and as she did, the cold look on her face instantly transformed into a daze. The father of her child had actuallye. At this time, not far away, Fang Ren, upon receiving Mu Huanqing''s gaze, couldn''t help but smile involuntarily. Bai Qi, who was at his side, also noticed that Mu Huanqing had spotted them and subconsciously waved at her, then nced at Fang Ren again. With that look, she saw more than just the smile on Fang Ren''s face; she saw everything - past events, emotions, misunderstandings... all of it was confirmed at this moment. He really did like Sister Hui Qing. All those things he said in the past were misinterpreted by her own imagination. Bai Qi immediately turned her head to look at Sister Hui Qing on the stage, noticing that she too was smiling broadly at them. As expected, Sister Hui Qing must have missed her, her smile blossoming at her arrival. However, in the eyes of the two lovers, there was only each other at that moment. Seeing the mother of his child smile, Fang Ren''s smile grew even wider, and he thought to himself, "My wife is truly an immortal." But as Bai Qi saw Fang Ren''s smile intensify, a sudden sense of unpleasantness washed over her heart, mixed with dejection and a twinge of jealousy. Without saying another word, Bai Qi nudged Fang Ren with her elbow and frowned softly, "Look at you drooling! She''s not even smiling at you; she doesn''t even know you!" "What?" Fang Ren was startled. Was his smile really that lecherous? "What do you mean ''what''?" Bai Qi grew even more irritated as she looked at him, her voice inadvertently rising: "Do you need me to take a photo with my phone to show you how much you were drooling just now?" Hearing her suddenly raise her voice, Fang Ren looked at the group of people in the meeting and started to panic. Just before entering, this girl had dered how well-mannered she was, hadn''t she? "Who''s causing amotion here?" In an instant, hundreds of Cultivators in the ongoing meeting collectively turned their heads to look at Bai Qi, who was losing her temper at Fang Ren. Stay updated with NovelFire _emp _yr. Chapter 217: Chapter 223: Uncle and Nephew "Recognize Each Other"?_1 Feeling the gaze of hundreds of people simultaneously turning towards her, Princess Bai Xi''s facial expressionpletely stiffened. Just now, her emotions were indeed a bit agitated. For some reason, the moment she saw Fang Ren give Sister Hui Qing an infatuated look, anger surged within her uncontrobly, as if a volcano had erupted and couldn''t be contained. "Princess Bai Xi...?" The group of people, originally annoyed by the interruption of their meeting, suddenly became somewhat dumbfounded after seeing the two people not far away. Making such amotion at this kind of event was not in keeping with Princess Bai Xi''s style. She had always left the impression of being amiable and yet dignified and noble to the people of Tianjiang; why would shemit such an impolite act today? For a moment, Fang Ren and Bai Xi were staring at the group opposite them, both unsure of what to say to ease the awkward atmosphere. Princess Bai Xi immediately stood up from her seat, straightened her posture, and began, "Sorry, everyone..." Seeing this, Mu Huanqing quickly walked down from the tform, interrupting her with a smile, "Sister Bai Xi needn''t worry too much. This isn''t any important meeting, and moreover, there is no rule here against speaking a bit louder. When I came in earlier, I was speaking much louder than you were." As soon as Mu Huanqing said this, everyone immediately started to echo her sentiments. After all, in such a setting, it was necessary to give others a way to save face, especially for people who value their reputation. Then a middle-aged man also spoke up with a smile, "Madame Xuan is right, Your Highness the Princess needn''t fuss over such a small matter. This isn''t any formal conference; it was just a few impromptu remarks." "Your Highness, you are too serious with your apology; if anyone should be apologizing, it should be me for my poor manner of speaking earlier." ¡­ Seeing Mu Huanqing giving her an out, Bai Xi, without further ado, naturally smiled and said, "As long as I have not disturbed everyone, that is for the best. However, I ought to apologize; I''ve had a small matter that I did not handle well just now. I hope you will not take offense. Please, continue with the meeting." Upon hearing this, Mu Huanqing immediately turned to a middle-aged man and said, "Chairman Zhu, do we have any other important matters to announce? If not, I think we can end the meeting early." What''s the point of this tedious meeting when my husband is already here? The man known as Chairman Zhu, upon hearing this, smiled awkwardly and said, "This... it seems we don''t have any other important matters indeed. What does everyone else think?" The other middle-aged men and women exchanged nces and nodded in agreement. "Indeed, we''ve already covered most of the important matters earlier. Continuing further would mostly involve trivial issues, I think we can end the meeting early." "True, the only things left are coordinating with the Central Area and some of us weing the heads of the major guilds. There''s no need to continue any further." With their words, the decision to adjourn the meeting was settled. Aside from the three hundred female soldiers of the Nine Heavens Corps, the scions of the other major families seated here all smiled wryly. How could they dare notply when Madame Xuan suggested ending the meeting early? "Wait a moment." Just as everyone was getting ready to leave, Fang Ye, who had been sitting on the tform, stood up and looked at Fang Ren not far below, wearing a smile reminiscent of a monk. "Nephew Ren, can you guess who I am?" Fang Ye asked. "Nephew Ren?" "Second Young Master Fang''s nephew? Could it be the prodigy from this year''s Elixir Competition?" As soon as everyone heard what Fang Ye said, they were all surprised and stood up from their seats one after another, walking to a convenient spot to observe and cast their nces over. Including the three hundred female soldiers of the Nine Heavens Corps, they too, at this moment, directed their attention towards Fang Ren, with some who couldn''t see clearly using True Qi to hover in mid-air, watching this star who was overturning the Elixir Field. Their interest in Fang Ren was mostly not because of his Alchemy Talent but because in the past few days, Madame Xuan frequently mentioned to them about a very low-key and outstanding young Alchemist she met at Yangming University, and that young man was Fang Ren. Moreover, from Madame Xuan''s words, it wasn''t hard for them to sense her fondness for this talent; they were all extremely curious about what kind of youth could inspire such strong positive feelings in Madame Xuan, who remained unmoved even by gentlemen like Song Mobei. For a time, the whole scene was almost revolving around Fang Ren. Fang Ren looked at Fang Ye, who had stood up on stage, and put on a smile, saying, "I have a fresh memory of the lesson that Second Uncle taught me on the night of May 13th, how could I not know Second Uncle?" Upon hearing this, Fang Yeughed loudly, "Hahaha, my brother''s son is indeed outstanding! Talented yet modest, and right upon our first meeting, he tters his Second Uncle; it truly fills me with surprise and joy!" "Not at all, it was the ss Second Uncle taught that was brilliant, providing me with guidance that allowed me toe here today. Otherwise, I''m afraid I would still be an incapable student stuck in a small county town. I will remember Second Uncle''s ss for a lifetime!" Fang Ren said with a smiling face. A sharp pang hit Fang Ye''s heart; it was clear that this meant Fang Ren would harbor resentment towards him for a lifetime, and it indirectly implied that if it hadn''t been for his earlier attempt to kill Fang Ren, then Mu Huanqing would not have been forced to leave him, and he wouldn''t have reached this position today because of his marriage with Mu Huanqing. The cause of it all was because of his Void Beast! "My nephew has taken my teachings to heart; thisforts me greatly. Now that the meeting is over, I''ll take my nephew to have a meal together, so that we can get to know each other," Fang Ye said. "Some other day for Second Young Master Fang." No sooner had Fang Ye''s voice fallen than Mu Huanqing''s voice rang out in the venue. She walked gracefully to the side of Fang Ren and Bai Qi, saying, "Today, Sister Bai Xi, Young Master Fang, and I had already made prior arrangements. Although it''s a bit of a disturbance to you, I don''t like to change my ns." As Mu Huanqing''s words ended, the atmosphere of the entire venue suddenly turned colder, and everyone was puzzled as to why Madame Xuan would suddenly interject in what was clearly a proper uncle-nephew recognition. Fang Ren then spoke, "Thank you for the kind invitation, Second Uncle, butpared to chatting and catching up with Second Uncle, I''d prefer to go mooch a meal with Madame Xuan." Seeing this, another sharp pang hit Fang Ye''s heart; he was all too clear about the matter between Mu Huanqing and Fang Ren, but it had always been kept private and not made public. If these matters were suddenly made public and Mu Huanqing denied them, in the end, it would appear as if he were ndering Madame Xuan. "Seems like my nephew doesn''t want me as his Second Uncle?" Fang Ye said. "It''s not that I don''t want," Fang Ren smiled, "I just think that I didn''t bring any gifts today, so to recognize each other now would be somewhat hasty. Next time, I will be sure to bring a great gift that will delight you to tears, Second Uncle." now. "Is that right? Then I look forward to my nephew''s ''great gift''. But next time, I will also need to prepare a gift for my nephew," Fang Ye said, smiling. "Would Second Young Master Fang like to receive my great gift?" Mu Huanqing turned her head, her icy gaze sweeping over Fang Ye. A bone-chilling coldness relentlessly assailed Fang Ye''s heart, making his attempt at a smile appear somewhat forced, "Madame Xuan really has a way of joking." With that, Fang Ye turned to face everyone, saying, "Well, since Madame Xuan and my nephew had prior arrangements, I won''t impose any further." He intentionally only mentioned that Mu Huanqing and Fang Ren had an arrangement, without mentioning Bai Qi. Chapter 218: Chapter 224: After the Meeting_1 Chairman Zhu, seeing the atmosphere turning somewhat tense, quickly spoke up, "Let''s all disband for now, there must be many matters everyone still needs to tend to." Fang Ye was the first to leave the crowd, his face always carrying a smile, his gaze lingering on Fang Ren as he made his way straight toward the exit of the venue. Behind him, several men and women dressed in red followed suit. Fang Ren had seen their red attire on the inte; it belonged to the Tianjiang Red Dust Special-grade Alchemist Guild, and from what he understood so far, his Second Uncle seemed to be one of the elders of the said guild. Since these men and women were all members of the Alchemist Guild, this meant that his two younger brothers were not present today. "Xiao Xiu." Mu Huanqing turned and called out to a group ofdies in silver armor. "General, what is it?" A young, pink-haired female soldier sprinted out from the formation. "You take them to the arranged amodations to take a look, settle in and rest for a bit. You are free to roam, but make sure to gather at the entrance of the venue by eight o''clock tomorrow morning," instructed Mu Huanqing. "Understood, General." With that, the soldier named Xiao Xiu started leading the group of female soldiers in formation out of the venue''s main entrance. Stay tuned with m _v _lemp _yr. Mu Huanqing turned to look at Fang Ren and then let her gaze fall on Bai Qi, smiling as she said, "Sister Bai Xi, it''s been a long time. I really missed you." "Me too, Sister Hui Qing." Bai Qi replied with a smile. While she spoke, she also stealthily pinched Fang Ren''s waist, her meaning quite clear: See, she''s only looking at you because of me, so stop daydreaming! Fang Ren instantly gave Mu Huanqing a bitter smile, his expression seemingly exining that he truly had no romantic rtion with this youngdy. "Let''s head out." Mu Huanqing nced at Bai Qi''s hand on Fang Ren''s waist, her expression unchanged and merely wearing a smile. The three of them turned and left the massive venue with a group of female soldiers from the Nine Heavens Corps. The crowd standing in the center of the venue watched them leave, dumbfounded, and soon the whispers and gossip began, especially among the young members of the great families, who were huddling and murmuring amongst themselves. "Wasn''t it rumored that the princess loathes her fiance to no end? They even said she transferred schools just to get out of the engagement, but now it seems rumors are just rumors." "Yeah, it''s really unexpected. I thought the princess was truly enamored with Brother Song, but the moment she met Young Master Fang, they seem so close. It appears much of what was rumored about the princess before is mostly false." "Hey, did the princess just get jealous and angry because Young Master Fang paid a few extra nces at Madame Xuan?" ¡­ Not far from the finalpetition venue, Mu Huanqing, Bai Qi, and Fang Ren were walking towards the restaurant, with the ceaseless traffic and pedestrians around them stopping to take photos. After all, Madame Xuan was rarely seen, and this time she was with the princess, which made it even more rare. However, as for Fang Ren by their side, no one in the streets could guess what was going on, especially because just three hours prior, Bai Qi had just revealed her identity at the Orchid Bamboo Guild, and Fang Ren had also had a conflict with the Tiandao Sword Sect. Bai Qi felt very puzzled about some things that had happened at the venue earlier and asked Mu Huanqing, "Sister Hui Qing, how did you know I wanted to ask you out to eat?" Mu Huanqing smiled slightly, "I certainly can''t read minds. I was just getting a bit impatient listening to people talking at the venue, so when I saw youing over, I thought I''d take the opportunity to slip away. As for interrupting Second Young Master Fang''s invitation, it was because I saw that you two seemed to have a disagreement, and I thought that Young Master Fang and Second Young Master Fang going out to eat together would only deepen the conflict between you." Fang Ren immediately spoke up, "Madame Xuan has really considered everything." Upon hearing this, Bai Qi suddenly felt indignant. What did that mean? Sister Hui Qing thought things through thoroughly, but her thoughts weren''t thorough? Such a trivial matter, and in his eyes, it had be a reason she was iparable to Mu Huanqing. Bai Qi gave Fang Ren a re, then continued to joke with Mu Huanqing, "But Sister Hui Qing, what on earth happened to you at first? You disappeared for a while, and there were even rumors that you..." "My meridians werepletely severed, and there was no longer any possibility of cultivation," Mu Huanqing looked at Bai Qi. "My family, wanting me to live out the rest of my days peacefully, concocted a lie that I had died on the battlefield. As for why I have suddenly recovered now, it''s because I met an incredibly miraculous Alchemy genius back then. He used a type of pill to heal my meridians, and only then could I return to the battlefield. Otherwise, the world would have long forgotten the name of Mu Huanqing." "A miraculous Alchemy genius?" Bai Qi was surprised. "With meridianspletely severed, even the world''s top Alchemy Grandmasters wouldn''t be able to heal such an injury. Who could be that skilled?" Mu Huanqing smiled, "He prefers to stay anonymous and out of sight year-round, so it''s better I don''t disclose his information." After listening, Bai Qi nodded seriously, "Indeed, such a masterful figure preferring anonymity and seclusion isn''t strange..." As she spoke, Bai Qi suddenly turned her head towards Fang Ren and said, "Speaking of which, this guy here is also an incredible genius with pills, albeit a bit foolish in the head." Fang Ren smiled awkwardly, not sure how to converse with the two women. Couldn''t this girl leave him some dignity in front of his wife? Mu Huanqing looked back at Fang Ren, smiled, and said, "Young Master Fang''s performance in this divisionalpetition was indeed very impressive. I was quite excited when I heard the news and couldn''t help wanting to meet this Young Master Fang. After all, with such an outstanding Alchemy genius in Human''s future, I''m sure our struggle against the Void will be much easier." "Not at all, Madame Xuan is too kind," Fang Ren replied with a smile on his face but was already fantasizing about teasing her a bit when they were alone. Seeing Fang Ren answering with a smile, Bai Qi felt an inexplicable irritation rise within her. To Bai Qi, Fang Ren''s simple polite smile seemed like the eager drooling of a lovestruck fool fantasizing about Mu Huanqing. "Someone merelyplimented you, and look how pleased you are!" Bai Qi finally lost her patience and snapped at Fang Ren. "Huh?" Fang Ren was totally bewildered. He wasn''t that pleased at all. His expression and words were pretty normal, right? Why was this girl snapping at him? Chapter 219: Chapter 225: Second Young Master Fangs Plan_1 Bai Qi nced at Fang Ren and then turned her head back to Mu Huanqing, saying, "Sister Hui Qing, don''t mind him. His mind is a bit off; he acts like this whenever he sees a pretty girl." Mu Huanqing''s expression paused slightly. She really didn''t understand the meaning behind Bai Qi''s words, as Fang Ren seemedpletely normal in all his words and actions. With a smile, Mu Huanqing spoke up, "Speaking of which, Sister Bai Xi and Young Master Fang seem to have a very good rtionship." Fang Ren was making faces at Mu Huanqing behind her back, putting on a distressed expression to silently exin himself. "Me and him?" Bai Qi looked at Mu Huanqing in surprise, then, chuckling, waved her hand dismissively, "How could that be possible? I would never fall for someone with a screwed-up brain like him." "Sister Bai Xi wasn''t one to say something and mean another in the past," Mu Huanqing said, as if seeing right through her. Bai Qi''s expression stalled for a moment before she hurriedly shifted the subject, "Sister Hui Qing has changed a lot more. I remember seeing you on the battlefield before, always expressionless, but now you''ve be so cheerful." "That must be because it''s been such a long time since I''ve seen Sister Bai Xi." reading here on NovelFire _l _e _mpy _r ... Talking as they went, the three of them casually entered a restaurant on the street. Mu Huanqing didn''t like entering busy ces during her free time. Bai Qi knew this, so the restaurant she chose was small, yet it was a local specialty store. As soon as the three of them entered, the entire small restaurant exploded with excitement. No one had expected Madam Xuan and the princess to visit such an ordinary ce. People flocked to exchange a few words and snap some photos before being satisfied. Meanwhile, Fang Ren, sitting to the side, didn''t bask in their glory. Instead, the peopleing over for photos would asionally say to him, "Hey, buddy, if you''re not in the photo, could you move aside a little?" It left Fang Ren with a face full of helplessness. The meal was rather lively. When it came time to pay the bill, the owner insisted on waiving the charge and refused to take any money. In the end, Fang Ren casually left a small jade bottle on top of the bill. Inside was a third-order low-grade elixir, more than enough for the cost of several hundred meals for an ordinary person. ¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª At this moment, in a private room of arge hotel, Fang Ye sat at the table with a somber expression. Beside him sat a young man with a slight resemnce to him, and a few elegantly dressed men and women were around the dining table, creating a rather tense atmosphere. "Second Young Master Fang, it seems we may no longer be able to deal with Fang Ren," a man spoke up, "He''s now made an appearance as a fourth-order senior alchemist, and at just 22 years old, he''s already garnered worldwide attention. If we continue to take forceful actions against him, those families aware of the Fang Family''s internal division will likely pin the me on us without a second thought." ``` "But are all our years of effort going to be in vain?" a middle-aged woman said through clenched teeth. "For our n, how many of our brothers and sisters have died? Are we now, just because he has be an unparalleled genius, to let the lives of our past brothers and sisters be washed away like water flowing eastward?" The young man sitting beside Fang Ye finally could not hold back and spoke up, "Father, all of our preparations are already in ce, we''re just missing Bai Qi and Fang Ren dissolving their engagement! Moreover, great-grandfather has perfectly merged with the Void power that we developed! In the end, once we take down the Bai Family and gain control of the Indra Sky organization, our Fang Family dominating the world will be as easy as a flick of the wrist! We might even lead all Cultivators into the Void, allowing all of humanity to evolve once again! How can such a great cause be ruined by a single Fang Ren?" The young man who spoke was called Fang Liqun, the only son of Second Young Master Fang and therefore the second young master of the Fang Family. If anyone from any other Tianjiang n were here, they would be utterly baffled by Fang Liqun''s words. He mentioned great-grandfather, but the Fang Family''s great-grandfather had already died fifty years ago, so how could he suddenly resurrect and merge with some Void power? Fang Ye tapped his finger lightly on the desktop, his expression as unmoved as a mountain, and said, "There''s no need to rush this matter. To kill Fang Ren, we don''t need to lift a finger." "Second Young Master, you mean..." "Fang Ren''s little affair with Mu Huanqing is just the opportunity for us to use the hand of the Tiandao Sword Sect to ughter him," Fang Ye said. "Second Young Master, are you suggesting Song Mobei do the deed?" a man frowned. "How could that be possible? Song Mobei is the epitome of integrity; just because of something between Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing? Even if Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing got married, he wouldn''t kill Fang Ren over it." Fang Ye''s lips curved into a slight smile, "Do you think I hadn''t tried to make contact with Song Mobei when we started the n years ago? At that time, he was already acimed as a genius, and rumors about his character were also highly regarded. But in the time that I contacted him, I found out that this man is merely all show with no substance, much of his reputation is feigned." "So, Second Young Master, you''re suggesting we use Song Mobei''s sentimental issues to manipte the situation? But can Song Mobei''s feelings for Mu Huanqing... go to the extent of murder?" Fang Ye smiled coldly, "Whether he can kill or not, we still don''t know based on his current feelings for Mu Huanqing. But what if he thinks his woman has slept with another man? Tell me, would he kill then?" "So, Second Young Master means we need to find a way to make Song Mobei believe that Mu Huanqing is his woman and when his feelings for her have reached a certain point, we expose Fang Ren''s affair? To provoke him into a rage to kill?" a man said. "That way, who would suspect us of orchestrating this? Even if someone uncovers the truth, as people from the Fang Family, we can pin the me on Fang Ren, making the world believe that even the Fang Family won''t stand with Fang Ren. Then it will seem justified for Song Mobei to have killed him; Song Mobei won''t face any punishment, and it won''t spill over onto us," Fang Ye said with a smile. "When the timees, the engagement between Bai Qi and Fang Ren will dissolve on its own, and then my father can go to the old man of the Bai Family with a few words, shifting the engagement onto Liqun. Our dream world will then arrive as expected." "Excellent! Then let''s begin with Song Mobei!" ... After a long while, only Fang Ye remained in the private room. He walked over to the window, looked out at the vast expanse of Tianjiang, and then lifted his gaze to the hovering Void Hole in the sky. His expression suddenly became extremely excited, "What should be a great era of human evolution is met with resistance against the Void which bestows humans with Cultivation abilities, ha! Fools! This world needs to be purified! Survival of the fittest, only the strong deserve to live! This will be a baptism from the gods!" ``` Chapter 220: Chapter 226: Indra Skys Action_1 Central Area, this is arge ind on the Tianjiang Coast, with buildings all in white. At the top of a huge building in the center of the ind, there even stands a colorful g, symbolizing the world of humans. At this moment, within this massive white structure, Bai Chaojin, dressed in a white military uniform, walked along a heavily guarded white corridor, apanied by a middle-aged man. "So Fang Ren really has such talent?" Bai Chaojin asked with a subtle smile on his face, addressing the man beside him. "Commander! It is absolutely true. Just three hours ago, Old Chen the butler called and said that Fang Ren has now been confirmed to possess the strength of the Early Stage of Xianyun Realm!" reported the man with a grave expression. The smile on Bai Chaojin''s face grew richer, "To break through ten minor realms in such a short period, not even Mu Huanqing back in the day couldpare to him. However, I heard just a few days ago that he also shone brilliantly at the Alchemy Conference, refining a fourth-order upper level pill in fifteen minutes, which could indeed be considered an unparalleled genius." "Fang Ren, no one is more deserving of the word ''unparalleled'' than him!" the man eximed, "His cultivation level and alchemy talents are peerless in this world. Even if there is a future talent who surpasses him in one aspect, they would still fall short in another." Listening to the man''s sigh, the smile on Bai Chaojin''s face took on a peculiar vor, "I am quite curious. Since he has such an extraordinary talent in alchemy, what kind of reason made him hide himself for twenty-two years without showing the slightest hint during his youth? It must have a lot to do with the governor of Ninth District." "Are you referring to... Shang Han?" "Exactly, Shang Han was crazy enough to reach the heavens when he was young; I wouldn''t have expected him to raise Fang Ren to be a person sopletely opposite to himself. What could be his intentions?" Bai Chaojin''s gaze suddenly sharpened. Fang Ren is, after all, his Bai Family''s son-inw. It was one thing for Shang Han to allow his daughter to have contact with Fang Ren, but to hide all of his talents, what was he thinking? Could he be making the Bai Family think Fang Ren was inept and thus sever the marriage with him? Ridiculous! Even if Fang Ren were a useless person, he would still be the only one who could make Bai Qi, an extremely strong Furnace, and as long as he had the ability to procreate, she must pair with him. Could a mere governor of Ninth District prevent something like this? Bai Chaojin walked all the way to the elevator, which went down seven levels below ground. When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, what came into view was a row upon row of high-tech machines and busy personneling and going, resembling arge-scaleboratory. Next to these high-tech machines and workers, there was a whirling group of cold fog, obscuring the view and making it impossible to see the end of theboratory, with asional faint trembling sounds emanating from afar. Upon Bai Chaojin''s arrival, a scientist in a whiteb coat immediately approached, "Commander, we''ve encountered a bit of trouble with our research. The severed head ispletely out of our control, and recently, there have even been signs of revival." "Take me to see it," Bai Chaojin said. Following Bai Chaojin as he pushed through theyers of cold fog, he entered the deepest part of theboratory. There, a veryrge transparent ss pane came into view, and inside the ss, several scientists were recording something against a huge block of ice, and from the outside, it was not difficult to discern a monstrous head of several meters encapsted within it. ``` Its body was covered in golden scales, shaped like a snake''s head, its eyes were open as if filled with the breath of life. "The Nine-headed Golden Python that escaped from Battlefield One all those years ago? Is it about to reappear now?" Bai Chaojin frowned slightly. The researcher promptly said, "Commander, all members within our organization agree that the reappearance of the Nine-headed Golden Python may not necessarily be a bad thing. For our current research results, it could actually be a very significant breakthrough opportunity." "How so?" Bai Chaojin asked. "The reactions from this head are getting stronger and stronger, which most likely means that the Nine-headed Golden Python wille back to Earth once again. Moreover, based on the pattern of these reactions, it is destined to descend near Tianjiang. By then, we can deploy heavy troops in Tianjiang in advance, and now that Madame Xuan is also in Tianjiang, even if the Golden Python is a Level Nine Void Beast, we are bound to capture it alive!" the researcher stated. Upon hearing this, Bai Chaojin''s knit brows slowly rxed, "From what you''ve said, does it mean the organization has made new technical breakthroughs?" "Yes, the sess with the Fifth-order Void Beast in Linyang City hasid the foundation for many of our technologies. Currently, we can use the technology from that Fifth-order Void Beast to control this snake head. If we can capture the Nine-headed Golden Python alive, we will have great confidence in using this snake head to control a Level Nine Void Beast. However, before that, we still need the Tiandao Sword Sect to deliver that Fifth-order Void Beast here," the researcher continued. Speaking up to this point, the researcher suddenly furrowed his brow and sighed, "Actually, our n could have been advanced by about five days, but that sudden attack by the Nightfall Organization killed many of our core researchers in Linyang City, which is why we still have a slight difficulty that has not been ovee. However, ording to our predictions, everything will be ready before we capture that Level Nine Void Beast." "Excellent!" Bai Chaojin couldn''t helpughing upon hearing the news, "If the trial with the Level Nine Void Beast is sessful, does it mean there''s also a great chance of sess for Qi''er''s trial?" The researcher excitedly said, "Commander! As long as the experiment with the Level Nine Void Beast is sessful! I can guarantee there''s at least a 95% chance of sess for Princess Bai Xi''s trial!" Bai Chaojin suddenly turned around, flinging his military robe, his face breaking into uncontrobleughter, "Let''s go and arrange the troops now! We''ll capture the imminent Nine-headed Golden Python!" A middle-aged man next to him frowned, "But Commander, Princess Bai Xi and Young Master Fang are still at the finalpetition venue. When the Nine-headed Golden Python descends, it will definitely endanger their lives! Even if the military does its utmost to protect them, that is, after all, a Level Nine Void Beast! Its power is devastating! Once a great battle starts, there will be many things that we cannot predict!" Bai Chaojin said, "This matter is naturally within my considerations. On the day the Pill Competition starts, you go and give this to Qi''er, which can remove the dissipating spirit mark from her body." With that, Bai Chaojin took out a white jade and handed it to the middle-aged man. "Commander... But Her Highness is currently only at the peak strength of the Yingyue Realm. Even if she regains her strength, it might be difficult for her to emerge unscathed in the battle," he said. "Yingyue Realm?" Bai Chaojin''s sharp gaze carried a trace of a smile: "Do you know why I value Fang Ren so much?" "Your subordinate does not know." "The power he possesses can cause Qi''er''s Spiritual Root and meridians to evolve at an elerated rate. Qi''er has done nothing this past month but spend time with him, and in silence, she has broken through to the early stage of the Xuanyang Realm," Bai Chaojin stated, "Tell me, with such a pair defying the heavens, how could I not let them be together?" ``` Chapter 221: Chapter 227: The Feeling That You Can Be Snatched Away at Any Time_1 The night in Tianjiang was even more bustling than during the day, with countless skyscrapers twinkling with lights and floating screens drifting about, broadcasting various news and advertisements. After ten o''clock, Fang Ren and Bai Qi went to the hotel arranged for thepetition. As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the "hotel," Fang Ren waspletely dumbfounded. Looking at the dozens of towering buildings, he had a silent thought that he didn''t know how to express. "Is this... sure this is a hotel?" Fang Ren looked up at the skyscraper in front of him and couldn''t help but swallow. He had thought that such buildings in Tianjiang would all belong to some majorpanies or be some special architectures, but he had not expected a hotel to look like a super apartmentplex. Bai Qi red at him when she saw his stunned expression, "Why do you look like a country bumpkin entering the city for the first time?" Fang Ren nced at her and said, "I am indeed just a country bumpkin from a small town..." "A country bumpkin who casually carries a bank card with hundreds of millions in it?" As Bai Qi started walking inside, Fang Ren followed her, thinking that he couldn''t even find the front desk of such a massive hotel. ... "What? There''s only one room for the two of us?" Just as the two had found the hotel''s front desk, Bai Qi couldn''t help but exim loudly after hearing the staff''s words. The female receptionist smiled awkwardly and said, "I mean... Your Highness Princess and Young Master Fang, aren''t you fianc¨¦s?" "So what if we are." Bai Qi immediately shouted unhappily, "I don''t want to share a room with him! Open another room!" The receptionist, looking helpless, said with a smile, "But... all the rooms in the hotel are fully booked because of thepetition. Although many students from other ces haven''t arrived yet, their room cards have already been distributed by thepetition staff..." "So the two of us sharing one room is a regtion given by Central Area?" Bai Qi asked. "Actually, this matter... was arranged by your grandfather," the receptionist said. Bai Qi looked despairingly resigned, knowing that for such a major event, even if she was onlying over as an attendant, the event staff should have been considerate of the differences between her and Fang Ren and arranged two rooms. However, she had not expected that this was all arranged by her grandfather! Fang Ren walked up and said to the receptionist, "Then one room will have to do." Seeing this, the receptionist took out a room card from under the counter and said, "Since Young Master Fang arrived early, the Orchid Bamboo Guild notified us in advance, so the room card was not distributed from the shuttle bus." No sooner had Fang Ren taken the room card than Bai Qi was stunned. She stared nkly at Fang Ren, with countless thoughts flooding her mind in an instant. "What do you mean, one room will have to do?" Bai Qi immediately spoke up, "What are you concluding on your own for? I haven''t agreed to live with you; can''t you ask for my opinion? You''re being narcissistic!" Fang Ren looked at her and said, "You''re overthinking it. I mean, you stay in this room we got, and I''ll go and get another one for myself." Then, Fang Ren ced the room card in Bai Qi''s hand, turned around, and started walking towards the exit. Suddenly, Bai Qi turned her head and watched as Fang Ren left without another word; her beautiful eyes flickered with manyplex emotions. Thud¡ª The ss door swung open, and Fang Ren''s figure stepped out of the hotel lobby. In a matter of seconds, his silhouette disappeared into the darkness beyond the light of the doorway. Bai Qi stood still, her gaze fixed on the doorway, but her feet made no move. "Your Highness?" The female receptionist called out to her in a soft voice, "Do you need anything else?" "Ah? No, nothing." Suddenlying to her senses, Bai Qi smiled at the receptionist before starting to walk towards the stairs. As she made her way to the stairs, many of the service staff in the entire lobby were looking at her. She clearly noticed this and immediately covered up the expression on her face, reverting to a look of great displeasure, and muttered to herself, "How could I have such a fianc¨¦!" Clearly, thisment was meant for the group of servers who were watching her, as she had been showing a face full of disgust towards Fang Ren ever since she hade in, leaving everyone with the impression that she did not like him. If she now appeared silent or somewhat regretful because Fang Ren had left, wouldn''t these servers think that her previous behavior was just throwing a tantrum at him on purpose? Or that she was being haughty towards Fang Ren? How could that be! How could she, a princess, leave an impression of being haughty in the people''s hearts? Of course, that would be uneptable, so she had to carry through, in front of these servers, the image that she hated Fang Ren. Only then would it seem that she did not regret his departure at all, that she didn''t try to hold him back, that she was just that cool and consistent. Tap tap tap... Just as Bai Qi reached the corner leading to the stairs, she quietly looked back to ensure that no staff could see her, and after confirming that no one was around, she immediately quickened her pace and ran swiftly to the second floor. Tap tap tap! The displeased expression on her face vanished, reced by an urgency that stemmed from deep within her heart. After a burst of running, she arrived at a windowsill on the second floor''s corridor, flung open the window with force, leaned out, and with her eyes searched the bustling street for the man who had just left. But no matter how carefully she scanned the garments of passersby on the street, she still couldn''t catch sight of that familiar figure. "He really left..." Suddenly, Bai Qi felt something clogging her heart, her hands hung powerlessly at her sides, her cheeks slightly downturned, and her long hair cascading down. Since this afternoon, ever since Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing met, a feeling of anger had been festering in her heart, as if she couldn''t vent it no matter how she tried. She came to know that she was not the person Fang Ren liked, as he had imed; it turned out she had always been mistaking herself for Mu Huanqing. This realization filled her with an inexplicable sense of loss. Then there were the times when Fang Ren, Mu Huanqing, and she were together. Each time Fang Ren gave Mu Huanqing a few extra nces, Bai Qi felt a deep sense of dejection and defeat, and when Mu Huanqing actively spoke to Fang Ren, Bai Qi''s heart soured. It felt as though something that belonged to her could be snatched away by Sister Hui Qing at any moment. Chapter 222: Chapter 228: Getting Things Clear_Part 1 "Wasn''t there someone who said this afternoon that the Princess and Young Master Fang had a great rtionship? But now it seems like that''s not quite the case." "You shouldn''t listen to those nobles'' nonsense. I heard that today, the Princess and Young Master Fang had a falling-out right there at the venue." "Exactly, I heard about that too. However, I''m not quite clear on the details." ¡­ Bai Qi, standing on the second floor and spacing out, faintly heard some voices. It seemed like the staff on the first floor were gossiping about her and Fang Ren." She quietly stepped down a few stairs and leaned against the stairwell, listening to their whispered conversations. "What else could be the reason? The Princess has always fancied cultivation geniuses like Song Mobei, not Alchemy prodigies. Although Young Master Fang''s achievements in alchemy are unprecedented, the Princess just doesn''t like him," said a female receptionist in a low, frowning voice. "Yes, just think about it. As the world''s current top female with the highest cultivational talent, even with the potential to surpass Madame Xuan, how could such an exceptional person fall for a man with no cultivation level who can only do alchemy? Of course, I''m not trying to put down Young Master Fang¡ªit''s just that those two are simply mismatched..." "It looks like the Princess''s decision to transfer schools and break off the engagement must be true. I originally thought they were as in love as everyone said, but it turns out it was just one-sided affection from Young Master Fang, while the Princess has eyes only for Song Mobei." "No wonder the Princess was so angry just now. After all, if a man I didn''t like wanted to share a room with me while he did like me, I definitely wouldn''t agree to it either." "Sigh, even someone as outstanding as Young Master Fang can''t move the Princess''s heart; it just shows how deep her feelings for Song Mobei are." "Young Master Fang really does have a tough lot in life~" ¡­ Listeing to the waitstaff''s words, Bai Qi leaned against the wall and suddenly clenched her fists, her expressionplex. This was exactly what she had wanted to avoid¡ªher original intention was to protect Fang Ren from being belittled by the gossip of Tianjiang... Yet, the very thing she feared had happened. She med herself for acting impulsively just now. After a few seconds, she gradually unclenched her fists and let out a small sigh before going to her room. Lying on the bed, she stared nkly at the ceiling, unable to calm the turmoil in her heart. She resolved that in the Alchemypetition, she would definitely avoid further contact with Song Mobei, lest Fang Ren end up branded by Tianjiang''s rumors as "the man who can''t even keep his own fianc¨¦e." After all, in the Great Cultivation Era, power reigned supreme. In everyone''s eyes, he might be a talented alchemist, but it was concluded that he was not a match for her¡ªthe world''s number one in cultivational talent. Any hint of closeness with Song Mobei would spawn various narratives, each version portraying Fang Ren pining after her while she disdainfully snubbed him. "Has that guy gotten upset?" Bai Qi pondered as she picked up her phone and dialed Fang Ren''s number. "We''re sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off..." Bai Qi tossed aside his cellphone, and his mood began to grow even more mncholic andplex. Indeed, that guy was really angry, he actually turned off his phone the moment he left the house. ------ ------ In Tianjiang''srgest park, Fang Ren was lying on a lounge chair waiting for Mu Huanqing to arrive. He had turned off his phone, and he had done so intentionally. It was not because he was so angry that Bai Qi had asked him to leave, but because he really didn''t want that girl to disturb them during his alone time with Mu Huanqing. As hey waiting on the lounge chair, a woman wearing a white dress and a straw hat appeared in his line of sight, walking toward him. Just by the way the woman pulled down her straw hat to cover her face, Fang Ren could somewhat guess who she was. At this moment, there was no need for him to worry about Chen Cheng seeing him and Mu Huanqing, as this was Tianjiang, where there was basically no danger when traveling outside, and besides, Chen Cheng would have to stay with Bai Qi, so Fang Ren couldpletely rx and be with Mu Huanqing without any concerns. Even if Lin Bozhong was watching from above, he would surely know to leave after a while. In fact, ording to Fang Ren''s own spection, he believed that the Family Head of the Bai Family must be well aware that he and Mu Huanqing had been together in the past, and even Chen Cheng might know about it. But why keep avoiding Chen Cheng? That was because Fang Ren felt that Old Master Bai, at most, only knew about his past rtionship with Mu Huanqing and did not know that Mu Huanqing was already pregnant or that they had been meeting privately so frequently. None of this was known to Old Master Bai. Why did Old Master Bai know about his rtionship with Mu Huanqing, yet had not cooperated with the Central Area to take any coercive measures? Fang Ren thought that it probably had to do with Bai Qi. There must be something (perhaps rted to an experiment) that Bai Qi had toplete and for which the Central Area''s coercive measures would backfire, as the issue had to be dealt with voluntarily by Bai Qi. Therefore, Old Master Bai had refrained from forcibly separating him and Mu Huanqing; the goal was to allow him to willingly assist Bai Qi with certain matters. However, after this, the Central Area and Old Master Bai would unabashedly separate them, because Fang Ren''s obligation that couldn''t be forced would have beenpleted. By then, he would be a fish on the chopping board, at the mercy of others. However, regardless of the situation, the less people here knew about his meetings with Mu Huanqing, the better, especially the pregnancy, which absolutely could not be disclosed. Otherwise, there was no telling what sort of cruel methods the Central Area would use to separate them, and even the life of their child might be at risk. "Is Xiao Xi asleep?" Mu Huanqing arrived at Fang Ren''s side and asked softly. Fang Ren smiled: "I don''t know, they only gave us one room, and that girl kicked me out." "Isn''t that just perfect?" Mu Huanqing smiled. "Tonight you can keep mepany properly, and I don''t have to worry about being discovered by her." Fang Ren was startled: "The way you''re talking... it feels like we''re having an affair. Please, let''s be clear here, you are my wife, not some secret mistress, okay?" Mu Huanqing held onto his arm and gave him a sweet smile: "Frequent sneaking around to meet has made it a bit of a subconscious habit." Chapter 223: Chapter 229: Candid Talk with Mu Huanqing (Part 1)_1 After they met, Fang Ren immediately went to the street to buy a duckbill cap, as he was now a person of focus, with many eyes in the crowded Tianjiang. If he were to be seen by crowds on the street, he would definitely not be able to avoid being surrounded and gawked at, and even Mu Huanqing''s identity might be exposed. "Qing''er, why do I feel like your belly has grown again?" Walking towards the park, Fang Ren''s gaze kept drifting to Mu Huanqing''s abdomen from time to time; he felt it was much bigger thanst time. Mu Huanqing saw him noticing this andughed, "Actually, it''s much bigger than what you see." Fang Ren blinked, "What do you mean?" Mu Huanqing exined, "Last time, little Qianye did awaken the baby''s Spirit Form, and since then, the baby has been growing very rapidly and is also in great health. By now, it''s probably about five months old. I was afraid that my belly would be too obvious, so I used True Qi from my armor to partially conceal it, that''s why it doesn''t look so big." "Ah?" Fang Ren waspletely dumbfounded, "Five months old already!?" He remembered thatst time little Qianye did say that it wanted the little master to grow up quickly, but what kind of growth rate was this? It had only been three or five days apart! And now it had grown to the size of five months? Wouldn''t it just be born after another five or six days? Mu Huanqing frowned slightly, but still smiled, "Although I''m quite troubled at the moment, I am also very happy and relieved. After all, I am often active on battlefields and very worried that one day I might get injured, and the baby would be in danger because of me. If the baby is born earlier, it will reduce many idents, and no matter how you look at it, it''s a good thing." "But this is also..." Fang Ren felt a bit at a loss for a moment, and suddenly Mu Huanqing told him that he had only three or four days before he would be a father. His emotions were inplete disarray, not even having time to prepare in advance. "When I saw how quickly the child was growing, I felt the same as you do now," Mu Huanqing grasped Fang Ren''s hand and said, "But I believe it will be okay. I will give birth to him safely and provide a secure environment for him to grow up in. I won''t let him suffer, and neither will you. For this, I am willing to give my life." Fang Ren felt the warmth in the palm of his hand and looked at the smile on Mu Huanqing''s face; theplex sense of loss in his heart gradually faded away. She was currently the strongest Xuan Nv in the world, but even she had to avoid the gazes of others to provide a safe environment for the child. He was Qing''an, the world''s top Alchemist, but even with Mu Huanqing by his side, it was still difficult for them to be together openly. This feeling of powerlessness, he truly detested it, but only by overturning the Central Area''s policy on marriages for Cultivators would he be able to guarantee a hundred percent safety for the child''s growth environment. As long as the Central Area did not relent, even if the child stayed hidden, until when could they hide? Moreover, do their children deserve to be born into this world only to hide everywhere, without a legitimate identity? If Fang Ren had known that things woulde to this point, he would have definitely chosen to take precautions. But when everything came all at once, the child had already be a life. "Just wait for me a while longer, I''ll soone to protect you both. I absolutely cannot let our child grow up to be called an orphan with no parents." As Fang Ren spoke, his True Qi circted slightly, and the energy of the Early Stage of Xianyun Realm on him seemed to hold the immense power of the Peak Stage. Mu Huanqing, seeing him sessfully stabilize his Realm, showed a relieved expression on her face. He had never disappointed her, and each time he managed to bring her surprises for the future. "If Ah Ran continues to cultivate like this, he will definitely break through to the Xuanyang realm within three years," Mu Huanqing said, "If I am able to crush Song Mobei within three years, would they agree to let you and me be together?" Fang Ren then asked a question to which he already knew the answer. "They definitely will." Mu Huanqing held him and smiled, "I also believe that Ah Ran can do it." Listening to her voice, the face resting on her shoulder remained utterly unmoved, because he was well aware that even if he surpassed Song Mobei, the Bai Family would still not agree to his marriage with Mu Huanqing. Many cruel truths were unknown to Mu Huanqing. "Qing''er, I''m saying ''if,'' if I surpassed Song Mobei and became the strongest among human males, but the Central Area still doesn''t allow us two to be together, what should be done?" Fang Ren then said. "How could that be possible," Mu Huanqingughed, "Ah Ran is worrying too much." Fang Ren then fell silent for a long while before he spoke, "I have some important things I want to talk to you about." Mu Huanqing looked at him, suddenly serious, and somewhat puzzled, "What''s on your mind?" "Find a ce where no one will disturb us." ... A few minutester, the two appeared in a hotel. Hotels in Tianjiang all required an ID card, and Fang Ren then opened a room, while Mu Huanqing, as usual, came in through the window. Even though there were many surveince devices around, a cultivator of Mu Huanqing''s realm wouldn''t be captured by the surveince. "Qing''er, if I told you all my previous assumptions were true, what would you do?" Fang Ren then said as he sat on the edge of the bed. Mu Huanqing, seeing his somber demeanor, had her smile slowly fade away. She gently sat down next to him and spoke, "I don''t understand, when we both be the strongest, why would the Central Area still not allow us to be together?" Fang Ren then casually tossed out a stream of True Qi, creating a soundproof barrier around the two of them. "The current reality is, whether or not I can surpass Song Mobei in a short time, the Bai Family will never allow us to be together," Fang Ren then stated. "Is it because of the arranged marriage with Xiao Xi?" Mu Huanqing was even more puzzled and spoke out, "But why does the Bai Family cling to you? Shouldn''t they be keen to annul the marriage?" Fang Ren then looked at her slightly swollen belly, no longer nning to keep any secrets from her. He gritted his teeth and spoke, "It''s all because of the Family Head of the Bai Family; he never intended to annul Bai Qi''s engagement with me, and even if my family tried to call off the marriage, it wouldn''t work. He has gone mad with ambition, and for his own ambitions, he can do what is utterly inhumane." "Grandpa Bai?" "He has an organization called Indra Sky under hismand, which is performing experiments, experiment after experiment. The ultimate goal of these experiments is to evolve Bai Qi''s talents. And I am included in the calctions of this experiment. The experiment could make Bai Qi stronger, but they believe that I can make Bai Qi even stronger, and they might even want me to have children with Bai Qi... So, all their actions can be downright heinous." Chapter 224: Chapter 230: Candid Talk with Mu Huanqing (Part 2)_1 "Indra Sky?" Mu Huanqing''s expression slightly stalled. "Isn''t that the research group that was attacked by the Nightfall Organization a few days ago?" Fang Ren looked at her. "It seems that even you didn''t know about Indra Sky''s existence before the news reported it. It''s actually not as simple as the news makes it out to be. It is arge organization supported by the Central Area that spans globally, and the reason this organization hasn''t dared to make itself known to the world is that the things they are doing are not very honorable." "Isn''t it an organization that researches Void beasts, to better fight against the Void for Humanity?" "That''s just what the news reports. In fact, what they want to study more is how to make Cultivators stronger. Their important subjects of experiment are not Void beasts, but the Cultivators on Earth. Bai Qi is their final experimental subject. Their ideal is to make Bai Qi strong enough to shatter the Void by himself, giving Humanity a peacefulnd." Hearing what he said, Mu Huanqing frowned slightly, "Although it sounds incredible, isn''t that ideal a good thing? But why does Xiao Xi getting stronger require your involvement?" "Their ideal is indeed a good one, but the matter of shattering the Void is, to begin with, the ideal of all Humanity. But do you know what they have done for this ideal?" Fang Ren turned to her with a serious look and said, "Have you ever been curious where all those old, weak, sick, and disabled ordinary soldiers on the battlefield go after they retire?" "What does that have to do with these two things?" Mu Huanqing felt increasingly heavy-hearted as she listened to his words. "They are the living people that Indra Sky uses for experiments," Fang Ren said. "Then there are some Practitioners with higher Cultivation Levels who can''t make it to the battlefield. They should be living among the middleyers of society, but our society''s middleyer Practitioners are so few, and this part of the poption has also been used by Indra Sky as experimental subjects." "..." For a moment, Mu Huanqing was at a loss for words. As Xuan Nv of the Ninth Heaven, she always felt that as long as she and the warriors withstood the Void, people''s lives should be very beautiful. Now Fang Ren, this man who was about to be the father of her child, was telling her all this. "Where did you find out about these things?" Mu Huanqing asked. Fang Ren frowned, struggled for a while, and decided in his heart not to tell Mu Huanqing about the Nightfall Organization for the time being. After all, saying too much might make it harder for Mu Huanqing to digest all at once, and she might even think he was brainwashed by the Nightfall Organization. "Where I found out about these things... I''ll tell youter. Just remember that Indra Sky is not as simple as the news reports. What I''m telling you now might be hard for you to believe, but everything I''m saying is true," Fang Ren said. Mu Huanqing''s expression was twisted for a long time before she finally spoke, "Is their experiment... feasible?" "It''s not about whether it''s feasible or not, okay?" Upon hearing her words, Fang Ren''s voice suddenly rose, and he said earnestly, "Let''s not even talk about whether this method is feasible or not, or whether there is confidence in shattering the Void. Even if the method is feasible, it is utterly inhumane! Why don''t they put themselves in as test subjects? They just keep feeding others chicken soup! Telling others you''re the best, that your sacrifices are for the future of Humanity, that your deaths are worth it... They''re just farting! Why don''t they drink this bowl of chicken soup themselves? The ones who drink the soup deserve to give their lives to build a beautiful future for the creators of the soup to enjoy?" "But... Haven''t we Humans shed blood for so many years just to give a peaceful world to our descendants?" Mu Huanqing said, deeply conflicted. "So does it mean that sacrificing even more innocent people doesn''t matter?" Fang Ren asked. "Every day we sacrifice so many warriors on the battlefield, doesn''t that also not matter..." Mu Huanqing voiced somberly. Fang Ren stood up and heaved a heavy sigh, knowing that telling Mu Huanqing these things, she would definitely have different thoughts. After all, she is ultimately a person from the Central Area''s powers and thinks simrly to thosemanding officers on this matter. "Do you know who the people being used as experimental subjects are?" Fang Ren continued, "Most of them are those who wanted to join the battlefield but couldn''t, and got cheated into theboratory by Indra Sky''s chicken soup of contributing to world peace. You must feel that their deaths must have contributed something to the future, but that''s not what they wanted. What they wanted was to go to the battlefield, to fight and resist the Void, and even to die there didn''t matter to them. But they never thought to die at the hands of their own kind, without even seeing a glimpse of the battlefield or a glimmer of hope for Humanity''s future." Fang Ren spoke with some agitation, "Even if this method works, even if Bai Qi could shatter the Void by himself and bring peace to Earth, by that time, the number of Humans who have died at the hands of Indra Sky might be more than the total killed by the Void! Besides, the most important point is none of the Cultivators used as experimental subjects went voluntarily; they were either captured or tricked, and they didn''t long for Humanity''s future. They only longed for less suffering and a quick death." "None of them went voluntarily?" Mu Huanqing was surprised when she heard this. In her memory, the Central Area never forced Cultivators to go to war, and everyone considered it an honor to defend their country on the battlefield, so no coercion was needed. But why would such an experiment for the future of Humanity forcibly require the sacrifice of fellow countrymen? This went against her values and made her feel even more ufortable than the policy on arranged marriages for Cultivators. "With your status, if you want to get in touch with Indra Sky, it shouldn''t be too difficult, but they definitely won''t tell you the whole truth," Fang Ren said. "If possible, you could delve deeper into their internal workings to see if what I''m saying is true. "All I want to know now is where you heard all this," Mu Huanqing said. Her mind was in disarray. Even as Xuan Nv of the Ninth Heaven, she was unaware of these things, so why would Fang Ren, a regr student who had always stayed in a small town, know about them? "Let me keep that to myself for now... I''ll tell you everything after you''ve confirmed the true nature of the Indra Sky organization," Fang Ren said. "But I hope you understand, Hui Qing, that everything I do in the future will be for the future of us both." If Indra Sky is not eliminated, he would be forcibly used by the Central Area as a Furnace for Bai Qi''s cultivation. How could he then face Mu Huanqing? Chapter 231: Chapter 237: Really Two Different Things?_1 ``` In that instant, many images from the previous days flooded Bai Qi''s mind. One day, at a restaurant around noon, a woman in a white dress and straw hat suddenly struck up a conversation with Fang Ren, and he left her to walk away with the woman in white. She remembered that, in the past, Fang Ren had never left her to eat alone at a restaurant; even when he brought her meals back to the ssroom, he would sit with her until she finished eating. But ever since that day, the urrences of Fang Ren leaving her alone in the restaurant had be more and more frequent; it seemed as if he was deliberately hiding something from her. That included the present table andst night''s events at the hotel; he could have just stayed in the hotel next door, and if he didn''t care about what others thought of him, then it also wouldn''t make sense for him to turn off his phone out of anger. At the same time, the images flooding her mind also included when she was with Mu Huanqing yesterday, when she suddenly realized some details were not as simple as she had thought. She assumed that Mu Huanqing was just being polite in speaking a few sentences to Fang Ren, but she had never seen Mu Huanqing so smiley or talkative... It was strange, so many things were strange. It was like an invisible thread was linking all the details of her life from these past days together; she felt as if she had uncovered some secret, yet that secret was very vague and seemed as if it shouldn''t really exist. ... Suddenly, Bai Qi swiftly pocketed her phone and stood up, running out of the restaurant. She wasn''t chasing after Fang Ren, nor was she calling him; right now, she just wanted to find one person - Mu Huanqing. She desperately wanted to know if the person who had just deceived her was Sister Hui Qing. If it was Sister Hui Qing, what would the depth of their rtionship turn out to be? Because Mu Huanqing never used a mobile phone, and she was always very serious about her duties; if she could use her phone to text and chat with Fang Ren during this period of official duties, then... After a while, Bai Qi arrived at therge square outside the finalpetition venue, only to see a group of female warriors in silver armor standing in neat formation, with Mu Huanqing at the very front, speaking to them with a solemn expression. Seeing this scene, Bai Qi''s heart suddenly felt greatly soothed, and she calmed down in an instant. Standing at a distance in the square, Bai Qi suddenly felt as if her mind had gone awry, fancying so many things. Fang Ren and Sister Hui Qing, how could there be any profound rtionship between them? Once calmed down, she started to turn back since the opening ceremony was at 6 p.m., and this area was off-limits to unrted personnel at the moment. But after calming down, Bai Qi suddenly faced another baffling fact - why did she care so much about her feelings for Fang Ren? The slightestmotion by his side could send her into a frenzied run, causing such tremendous swings in her emotions. Was it the influence of the Spiritual Root? No, she was certain it wasn''t. It was all because of herself. "Do I like him..." This question that had troubled her mind these past days surged up again within Bai Qi''s heart. She carefully recalled the time she first met Brother Song at the Tiandao Sword Sect. There were many excellent female disciples around him, and he often helped those disciples. ``` But she had never felt panicked, nor had she felt the sensation of something belonging to her being taken by someone else. On the contrary, she thought it only natural that Brother Song should be surrounded by many girls who admired and adored him. Thinking back to Fang Ren, he was also outstanding, even surpassing any other person of his age in cultivation and alchemy. But aside from Liu Qianqian, there seemed to be no other exceptional girls around him. It was Liu Qianqian alone whom she really cared about, and she even had a thorough confrontation with him over Liu Qianqian to make sure he no longer liked her before she finally settled down. Then there was the woman in the white dress; her appearance gave rise to a feeling of panic in her, as if something of hers was about to be taken away. Because of this, she lost her temper with Fang Ren countless times,pletelycking the demeanor of a princess. She felt it was only natural for him to like her, as she was his fianc¨¦e, she was a princess, she was beautiful... In stark contrast to how she felt about Song Mobei, she felt that Fang Ren should not have deep rtionships with other women, because he was her fianc¨¦, he should like her, he could not like another woman and betray her... "When did I be so unreasonable and selfish?" Bai Qi sat on a park bench, hugging her knees, looking up at the sky. Theplicated feelings in her heart had gradually be clearer as she sorted through them. If all this selfishness stemmed from her arrogance, she thought that was nonsense. She had indeed been very arrogant, but that was all in the past, she had never been arrogant in front of Fang Ren. If so, if these selfish thoughts weren''t due to her arrogance, then was it vanity? Did she hope to have a man who was head over heels in love with her? Not that either. She could find tens of thousands of men in Tianjiang who were madly in love with her; she nevercked such vanity. As she ruled out eachyer, Bai Qi finally felt she was touching on the truth. That truth was, she didn''t know when she started to see Fang Ren, who she "must break off the engagement with," as merely "her fianc¨¦ in name," then as "her fianc¨¦ whom she couldn''t break the engagement with," and finally, just "her fianc¨¦." When exactly did she start to treat Fang Ren as her fianc¨¦? Was it when she cried from hunger, and he rescued her from the bad guys? Or was it when he heard she wanted to break off their engagement, yet he still invited her out for meals and tea, giving her money to go home? Or perhaps it was the day she was so tired she passed out, and he brought her buns and soy milk? Or was it that she couldn''t do without him for every meal? Just like this morning, making apologies could have been done with any excuse, why insist on having a meal together? And when exactly did her sense of security stoping from her own cultivation level, or her protective butler, and starting from the mere fact that he was by her side? "Like and love, really are two different things, just as grandfather said..." After much thought, Bai Qi had be indifferent to this morning''s news that the Tiandao Sword Sect would arrive in Tianjiang. She could still vividly recall the feeling she had when she wanted to meet Song Mobei, but now she realized that feeling was nothingpared to how she now felt about Fang Ren. All she wanted now was to find Fang Ren, to speak to him face to face and clear up some things, then to delve into the matter of her deceiving herself this morning. She was unreasonable and selfish towards Fang Ren, that''s just the way she was, she admitted it, she just couldn''t change it. Sitting in the park for over half an hour, the conclusion she hade to at the moment was that Fang Ren could only like her, other women were not eptable, otherwise she would quarrel with Fang Ren until he liked only her. Chapter 232: Chapter 338: The Status of Jiang Ling_1 Arge bamboo garden outside the corner city of Tianjiang. This is a newly expanded greening area in Tianjiang, with very few people around. Even if asionally two or three people passed by, they were merely driving on the almost deserted highway, and no one would stay for long. Of course, this did not exclude young couples who liked to seek thrills in the wilderness. "Cough cough cough¡­" Fang Ren arrived at the rendezvous five minutes early. Just as he had stepped deep into the bamboo forest, he heard a woman''s coughing. He began to walk towards the source of the sound. On the other side, a woman dressed in a red dress was walking towards him from within the bamboo forest, and the woman was the leader of the Nightfall Organization, Jiang Ling. Her face was pale, her lips dry, and her originally noble and elegant cheeks also showed a slight struggle. Around her body, a scorching aura continuously radiated, wilting the bamboo leaves wherever she passed. Fang Ren currently could not see colors and could only see her frail appearance. Fang Ren immediately went to meet her, nced at Jiang Ling''s condition, then frowned and said, "This doesn''t seem like a problem with your realm." Having spent so much time with Qianye, he had learned a lot about cultivation and could make a rough judgment about Jiang Ling''s current state. Leaning against a bamboo behind her, Jiang Ling slowly sat down on the ground and spoke with a weak voice, "Mr. Fang is truly exceptional in alchemy, able to make a rough diagnosis at a nce." "It feels like you are suffering from deviation due to practicing some cultivation technique." Fang Ren didn''t n to ask too much first, crouching down and saying, "Give me your hand." Jiang Ling lifted her hand, and Fang Ren caught it. At that moment, he felt a pain in his hands as if they were burned by fire. Then True Qi surged within Fang Ren''s body, protecting his palms, and he quickly examined Jiang Ling''s body with his Divine Sense. After probing, Fang Ren''s already furrowed forehead deepened further as he said, "You... how could you have Void beast energy inside your body?" In the process of his examination, he found that besides True Qi in Jiang Ling''s Dantian, there was another breath constantly colliding with her True Qi. This caused her True Qi to run amok and wildly flood her meridians. And this breath was very familiar to Fang Ren, identical to the one from the Void beast that had attacked the academy back then. Jiang Ling withdrew her hand from Fang Ren''s and said with a bitter smile, "Is there any hope for me?" "There is hope, but your realm might plummet," Fang Ren said. Jiang Ling bitterly smiled again, "I thought I could seize this opportunity to break through the peak of the Xuanyang realm, but it seems I was too impatient..." "What happened to you?" Fang Ren asked. "After the day we destroyed thergeboratory in Linglong Bay, although we didn''t get the secrets we wanted, we obtained a lot of useful information from theb. These documents were all about theoriesbining the power of the Void beasts with cultivators. If a cultivator could harness the energy of a Void beast, they would be exceptionally powerful. But clearly, the experiments in Indra Sky to achieve this integration had never been fully sessful. Since that day of the battle, I''ve be very anxious, because our organization has been exposed. The Central Area will soon send stronger practitioners to eradicate us, so I was only thinking about how to break through my realm faster." Jiang Ling continued, "But my realm is too high now, it''s as difficult as ascending to heaven with just one breakthrough. This only adds to my impatience, and I''ve started to set my sights on the materials from the Indra Sky organization. The fact proved that I was too arrogant. I thought their theories were indeed effective, and that my own realm was strong enough not to be too affected by the Void, so I decided to do a small experiment on myself. However, the result of that experiment is right before your eyes." After hearing this, Fang Ren couldn''t help but think she was being reckless. Although the Central Area was indeed likely to dispatch troops soon to eradicate Nightfall, a breakthrough in realm wasn''t something one could force in haste. Moreover, those research results from the Indra Sky had never been sessful even once, and Jiang Ling had actually dared to try it on herself. "So you''re saying that you used their special method to directly absorb the energy of a Void beast into your body?" asked Fang Ren. "Exactly, it was just the energy from a fifth-order Void beast. I thought it would be weak, but it turned out I was too naive. When I first absorbed the energy, I really did gain a lot, feeling my realm rise rapidly, and my body didn''t feel any difort. But just when I was on the verge of a breakthrough, the Void Energy that I had absorbed perfectly into my Dantian separated from my True Qi, causing me serious injury," said Jiang Ling. "You''re a leader, after all. What were you thinking?" Fang Ren sighed, took a small iron box out of his Space Ring, which contained his usual Silver Needles and medicinal materials, and continued, "The reason I said your realm might plummet is that I''m going to help you draw all your energy into a segment of your meridians, then you''ll have to personally destroy that segment, meaning the meridian will burst and disappear. From then on, the cirction of your True Qi will be obstructed, and it will take a long time to get used to it." "Destroy a segment of my meridians?" Jiang Ling frowned. "How much will my realm fall?" "I don''t know exactly, itrgely depends on your own capabilities, but at the very least, you''ll fall by one major realm," sighed Fang Ren. For Jiang Ling, a major fall in realm was a big deal since he was now part of Nightfall. A decline in Nightfall''sbat strength would significantly affect many things for him in the future. "That means...I''ll be a practitioner at the midterm phase of the Yingyue Realm?" Jiang Ling waspletely bewildered. As a leader of Nightfall, if her realm fell to the midterm phase of the Yingyue Realm, how could she protect the people in her organization? If the Central Area''s troops attacked, just about any general could wipe out their entire organization. Fang Ren was also helpless about this. If Qianye were awake, perhaps there would be a way, but now the only Spirit Form he could use was the Gray Giant Tree, and even the red aura on the tree used for recovery was gone. "Let me treat you," he offered. Fang Ren took out a Silver Needle from the box, and the gray aura on his body began to surge violently. As the aura gathered at the tip of the needle, Bai Qi had said that his True Qi could suppress all the True Qi currently possessed by humans. So, as long as he infused his own True Qi into Jiang Ling''s meridians, everything should be manageable. "Mr. Fang, maybe you shouldn''t treat me," suddenly spoke Jiang Ling. "What do you mean?" Fang Ren was taken aback. "I want to give it a shot myself to see if I can break through," Jiang Ling said. "After all, if I survive, I will still be killed by the Central Area; I might as well go all out. Maybe I can protect everyone in the organization." Fang Ren was stunned. "Hey, this is very dangerous. The Void Energy is already pushing out of your body. If you keep this up, your flesh will rot, and eventually, your meridians will shatter." "No matter." Saying this, Jiang Ling suddenly sat down cross-legged, her True Qi circting rapidly, the intense pain contorting her facial expression. "Stop, stop, stop." Fang Ren hurriedly called for a halt and said, "If you''re determined to break through, then wait until I stabilize the energy in your body. If you fail, at least I can still save your life." Chapter 233: Chapter 339: Jiang Lings Breakthrough_1 Jiang Ling stopped cultivating when she heard the words, as she still greatly trusted Fang Ren''s abilities. After all, she vividly remembered how back then on the battlefield, Fang Ren casually produced a Fifth Order High-Level Pill and used the Giant Tree Spirit Phase to instantly detoxify her. "Then I''ll have to trouble Mr. Fang," Jiang Ling said. The reason she addressed Fang Ren as Mr. Fang was, first, because he indeed had the ability to overturn the era, and second, because Fang Ren currently only had a mutually beneficial rtionship with the Nightfall Organization and had not joined it, so her address naturally contained a degree of politeness. "Um, could you expose your back a bit, so I can insert the needles?" Fang Ren asked somewhat awkwardly. Jiang Ling turned and gave him a look, saw that he had turned his face away, and with aplex smile said, "I''m already an old aunt in her forties, what''s there to be afraid of you seeing?" "This..." Fang Ren felt helpless inside. Although Jiang Ling was indeed much older than him and calling her ''auntie'' was not too much, if one were to ignore age and just look at her face, she didn''t look like she was in her forties at all, she seemed to be just over thirty at most. Seeing him still in the same awkward state, Jiang Ling didn''t say much more, after all, who hasn''t been young? She unbuttoned her upper garment without any shyness and said, "You are the doctor and I''m the patient now, there''s nothing to be embarrassed about." "Okay." Seeing this, Fang Ren didn''t say anything more, took up the Silver Needle filled with True Qi, and inserted it into the acupuncture points on her back. He concentrated on the points around her back and then inserted three more needles on the left side of her back, which was where the meridians that needed to be closed off were located. Humm¡ª After inserting the needles, Fang Ren immediately injected the True Qi from the Silver Needle into Jiang Ling''s Dantian, but he found that his True Qi couldn''t move an inch within her body. "Leader Jiang Ling, don''t resist too much, otherwise it will be very difficult to get in," Fang Ren said. Hearing these awkward words, Jiang Ling couldn''t help feeling helpless, and then she dispersed all the protective True Qi in her body, allowing Fang Ren''s True Qi to circte within her. As Jiang Ling dispelled her protective True Qi, Fang Ren immediately followed her meridians with his True Qi into her Dantian. It must be said, the True Qi of Xuan Yang Realm experts was truly formidable. Even Fang Ren''s Gray Vital Energy, which suppressed all attributes, struggled as it circted inside her. As Fang Ren''s True Qi reached the Dantian, the two shing energy masses inside suddenly paused, especially the Void Energy, which shrank into a corner, as if it had met its natural predator. Fang Ren quickly wrapped it with his True Qi. His True Qi couldn''t directly devour the Void Energy inside Jiang Ling because the severe impact of the merging of the two energies would cause Jiang Ling to explode and die, so he could only control it for the time being. Even if he could safely devour the energy masses inside Jiang Ling, the frenzied True Qi inside her would not stop because her meridians were about to burst from the expansion, and some of the Void Energy had already integrated into her meridians. Topletely devour or force out all the Void Energy, it would only be possible by destroying all of Jiang Ling''s meridians. That was clearly not an option. "Leader Jiang Ling, you can start trying to break through now," Fang Ren said. Hearing this, Jiang Ling immediately circted the True Qi within her body and began tounch another assault towards the Peak of the Xuan Yang Realm. The violent flow of True Qi within Jiang Ling made Fang Ren feel as if his own meridians were suffering from bacsh, a severe pain surging to his brain. But to him, this was a numbness, somethingpletely bearable. "Mr. Fang, are you sure you''ll be alright continuing like this?" Jiang Ling asked, feeling the changes in his body. "Don''t worry, Leader Jiang Ling, just keep on cultivating," Fang Ren replied. Actually, he allowed Jiang Ling to keep trying for a breakthrough because he felt that firstly he could save Jiang Ling''s life, and secondly, with various energies converging, perhaps Jiang Ling might manage to absorb the Void Energy. However, as for the consequences after the absorption, Fang Ren didn''t know what exactly would happen, but it was certainly harmless to Jiang Ling; the chances of it urring were so small they were almost negligible, unless Jiang Ling also had some special constitution. Upon hearing him speak in such a manner, Jiang Ling began to rest assured and continued with her breakthrough. As time gradually passed, the pressure on the meridians within Fang Ren''s body grew increasingly heavy; however, fortunately, he had consumed the Qi Extension Fruit given to him by Qianye, which thickened the True Qi within him and strengthened his meridians, preventing them from being destroyed by Jiang Ling''s aura. With time moving forward, the scorching aura around Jiang Ling''s body became stronger and stronger, and the arms Fang Ren used to protect himself with True Qi were already baked red by the aura, while the bamboo around them continuously turned into ashes. About two hourster, the zing aura around Jiang Ling''s body suddenly retracted into her, sinking into her Dantian and began to rush towards Fang Ren''s Gray vital energy and the Void Energy. Seeing this, Fang Ren frowned, "Stop, quickly!" Boom¡ª Yet, the zing energy, seemingly out of Jiang Ling''s control, directly collided with Fang Ren''s energy. In an instant, Fang Ren spurted a mouthful of fresh blood onto Jiang Ling''s pristine back, and his internal meridians began to crack. "Leader Jiang Ling?" Fang Ren called out, but Jiang Ling did not respond. Her True Qi was continuing to strike at the Realm, while the zing energy was still uncontrobly attacking Fang Ren. The Void Energy also erupted chaotically. It was as if Jiang Ling''s lower abdomen had be a massive battlefield, with various energies inplete disarray. "It''s over! Why has she entered into a state of self-forgetfulness at this time?" Seeing that she did not respond, Fang Ren realized that due to the numbness from the pain inside her, and the concentration on breaking through the Realm, she became oblivious to the changes in her physical body! "At this rate, I won''t be able to lead the Void Energy into the meridians. If anything goes wrong, all her cultivation could be wasted, and it''s even uncertain whether she''ll survive!" Fang Ren felt a wave of chaos in his heart; this sudden turn of events rendered all the lifesaving measures he had prepared for Jiang Ling in advance useless. He could only watch as Jiang Ling forcefully pushed against the Realm. If she could break through the Realm, it would still be manageable, but if she failed, she would likely fall today; and Fang Ren, too, would have his body explode from the bacsh. Although he was capable of regeneration, it was also uncertain whether it would blow his heart apart. However, if Fang Ren let go at this moment, she would certainly be gone for good, and if he didn''t let go, he might also face a life-threatening explosion. This is a mid-stage Xuan Yang Realm powerhouse; one could imagine the power of an internal energy explosion. "Forget it! I''ll stake it all with her!" Fang Ren''s heart sank, all the True Qi within him surged, tightly controlling the mass of Void Energy to prevent that scorching aura and the Void Energy Cluster from meeting. "Qianye!" Hum¡ª¡ª As Fang Ren''s voice fell, a gigantic gray tree, hundreds of meters tall, shot out from behind him. Although the younger Qianye was asleep, the elder Qianye was still there. Giggling¡ª¡ª Then, the base of the gray giant tree began to dematerialize, slowly enveloping both Fang Ren and Jiang Ling within its roots, finally solidifying around them as a riot of colorful energies flowed onto their bodies. In that moment, Fang Ren felt as if his consciousness had connected with Jiang Ling''s. He could even see Jiang Ling''s white Soul Body standing in front of a massive bronze door, continuously pounding at it with both hands. "Leader Jiangling!" Fang Ren''s consciousness transformed into a white Soul Body, rushing towards her, but just as he got close to Jiang Ling, suddenly, a of lightning descended from above, blocking the space between him and Jiang Ling. Within the of lightning, Jiang Ling seemed unable to hear his calls, relentlessly hammering at the door. Every punch she threw made the bronze door emit a deafening sound, yet it remained unyielding. Fang Ren, sensing the changes within her body and seeing her Soul Body reaching its limits, could find no way to help her and could only stand outside the of lightning, watching helplessly. Time marched on, and Jiang Ling had hammered at the bronze door countless times. Her Soul Body had be fragile and weak, and her fists were tired and feeble. Suddenly, she knelt before the bronze door, her hands resting powerlessly upon it, trying to push with the force from her knees, but it was a futile effort of a spent archer. Upon seeing this, Fang Ren ignored the lightning in front of him and charged straight into it. The moment his Soul Body touched the lightning, he was halted, unable to advance even half a step. "Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat! Martial Pinnacle! Open for me!" Hum¡ª¡ª In an instant, Fang Ren''s Soul Body turned red, pulling at the lightning as he charged towards Jiang Ling. The immense power from the singed parts of his Soul Body. "Bang!" Fang Ren kicked at the bronze door, but the massive door didn''t budge at all. As for Jiang Ling''s Soul Body next to him, itcked any strength left to move, as if dead. "Leader Jiangling! Get up!" Fang Ren, bearing the pull of the lightning, felt that he wouldn''tst much longer, and immediately reached out to grab Jiang Ling beside him. Electric energy from the clung to his hand, and the moment he touched Jiang Ling, her Soul Body flinched in pain and instantly looked up at him. Thank goodness, she had snapped out of her trance! "Push! Use all your strength!" Seeing her awake, Fang Ren kicked the bronze door again while Jiang Ling came to her senses, immediately standing up and pushing at the door with thest of her strength, her entire body trembling from the exertion. She seemed to be screaming at the top of her lungs, but since it was her Soul Body thatcked Soul Force, she couldn''t make a sound. "Qianye! Help me!" Hum¡ª¡ª In an instant, a surge of red energy erupted from Fang Ren, who exerted all his strength to push one side of the bronze door while Jiang Ling changed positions, cing her hands over his, pressing at the center of the door. "Creak¡ª¡ª" The bronze door moved, a sliver of a gap appeared, and light from within began to shine out. "Keep going!" Fang Ren kept yelling at Jiang Ling. Creak, creak, creak¡ª¡ª The gap in the bronze door grew ever wider, and Fang Ren felt his strength failing. The next moment, he was flung backward by the lightning, while Jiang Ling''s Soul Body squeezed through the crack and entered into the bronze door. Whoo¡ª¡ª When Fang Ren came to his senses again, he found himself deep within the giant tree, with Jiang Ling''s physical body still in front of him. But at that moment, the aura inside Jiang Ling''s body was no longer violent but rather calm. "Breakthrough... was it sessful?" Fang Ren stared nkly at the flow of True Qi within her body, which had suppressed the Void Energy Cluster and the scorching aura. "Hum¡ª¡ª" Suddenly, an intense aura exploded from Jiang Ling''s body, and Fang Ren felt light as a feather, crashing into the tree wall of the giant tree. Chapter 234: Chapter 340: Breakthrough Beyond Ones Level_1 ``` By the time Fang Ren regained his senses, the grey giant tree had already vanished, returning to the interior of his body. He only felt that some of his meridians had ruptured internally, and the flow of grey True Qi was difficult, eventually retracting back into his Spiritual Root. At the ruptured spots within his meridians, however, there was a ceaseless surge of scorching energy sweeping into his body, and after a few seconds, not only the scorching energy but also the Void Energy Cluster began to rush into him wildly. "What''s going on!" Fang Ren furrowed his brows deeply, not due to the agonizing pain caused by the ruptured meridians, but because these two types of energy should have been inside Jiang Ling''s body, so why had they suddenly transferred to him? Boom¡ª¡ª While Fang Ren was engulfed in confusion, a lightning pir tens of meters wide suddenly descended from the sky, striking the top of Jiang Ling''s head with unerring uracy. The power of the lightning pir was iparably mighty, its momentum like a stampede of myriad beasts. At the moment of its descent, Fang Ren, who was behind Jiang Ling, was directly blown away by the thunder and propelled into midair. "What is this situation!" Before he had time to expel the Void Energy and scorching breath from his body, Fang Ren only felt that the destructive aura of the lightning had started to flood into the severed parts of his meridians. In an instant, the scene within his Dantian was unfolding like the end of the world. The shock of various energies caused Fang Ren''s entire body to start fracturing like shards. He felt as if he was about to be blown apart by these energies! The energies were too wild and violent; he felt that his heart might also be destroyed at any moment, and if that happened, his body would not be able to regenerate, and he would die on the spot! "Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pills!" Fang Ren was in a panic, and had no time for anything else. As he was blown into the air, he directly took out a whole box of pills from his Space Ring. Seeing another bolt of lightning about to strike from the sky, he didn''t even have time to search for ammunition and swallowed all the Grade Four and Grade Five pills in the box in one gulp. Boom¡ª¡ª At that moment, another thunderbolt struck, mming Fang Ren fiercely into the ground. The entire vast bamboo forest was reduced to ashes under the onught of the lightning, and the ground within a radius of three miles was scorched! Before Fang Ren could react, several more bolts of lightning fell from the sky, blurring his consciousness. Just then, all the pills he had just swallowed were pulled away and absorbed by his Spiritual Root, which then released the refined essence of energy into his Dantian. Originally, there were three foreign breaths colliding in his Dantian along with his True Qi, amounting to a total of four types of energy. The sudden influx of pill energy made these energies even more chaotic. Meanwhile, Jiang Ling was still meditating with her eyes closed on the ground. The continuous lightning strikes above her failed to even singe a single hair on her head. Boom boom boom¡ª¡ª The unending sound of thunder finally ceased after ten minutes. Fang Reny on the ground, his body charred, his clothes long since turned to ash. He looked like a piece of charcoal burnt over, utterly hideous. At the lower abdomen area, various energies mingled together, still flickering with different lights, as if their struggle had not yet ceased. Crack crack crack¡ª¡ª Sounds of bones cracking began to emanate from Jiang Ling''s body; she had already opened her eyes, her aura vastly different from her peak period. Her aura bore no oppressiveness, nearly imperceptible, making her seem as if she had merged with nature itself. It felt off somehow, but the problem couldn''t be identified. Jiang Ling looked nkly at her hands. The scorching breath on her body had disappeared, and the Void Energy Cluster in her Dantian was also gone, leaving only her own True Qi. "Did I just¡­survive Heavenly Tribtion?" Jiang Ling''s eyes were filled with disbelief. Although in some novels, Cultivators need to ovee tribtion to break through, in the reality of the Great Cultivation Era, she had never heard of Cultivators undergoing Heavenly Tribtion. Not even Mu Huanqing, the peak of humankind, was said to have undergone such tribtion. "Mr. Fang... It seems I''ve made a breakthrough beyond my level..." ``` Jiang Ling''s hands trembled as she immediately turned her head to look for Fang Ren. She knew that the reason she was able to break through smoothly was that Fang Ren, within that treacherous environment, had borne the brunt of the lightning to open the gate for her. Without Fang Ren, she would have been nothing but a corpse by now. "Mr. Fang!" But when she turned around, she saw a body that had been struck and charred by lightning, covered in cracks, with a violent energy cluster tearing through his dantian and meridians in his abdomen. Jiang Ling immediately lifted Fang Ren from the ground, intending to use the powerful True Qi in her body to enter his body and help force out the other energies within him. However, just as she was about to circte True Qi, she discovered that Fang Ren''s meridians were shattered beyond recognition, and forcibly infusing True Qi at this time would only exacerbate the injuries inside Fang Ren''s body. "Void Energy Cluster..." Jiang Ling looked at the Void Energy in Fang Ren''s abdomen, and her heart sankpletely. She could never have imagined that Fang Ren, in order to help her break through safely, had not only entered her consciousness to withstand the thunder and push open the door, but also, outside of her consciousness, had attracted all of the energy from her body into his own, sparing her from a life-threatening danger. "We''ve only met once... Why go to such lengths to help me!" Jiang Ling''s heart was filled with grief. She still remembered that if it hadn''t been for this young man treating her body''s poison, she wouldn''t have survived until now, and the entire Nightfall Organization would have fallen at the hands of a first-quarter general. Now, this young man had sacrificed himself again to help her break through... "What can I do to help you..." Jiang Ling waspletely flustered. Although continuous breakthroughs were a great joy for her, seeing her life-saving benefactor suffer such a terrible fate was thest thing she wanted. Whoosh¡ª Just at that moment, a gray light flew out from Fang Ren''s lower abdomen andnded on his body. "Hee-ha¡­" A little creature covered in cracks stood feebly on Fang Ren''s body, its movements shaky and nearly strengthless. It removed the already faint halo above its head and ced it into Fang Ren''s lower abdomen. Whoosh¡ª Little Qianye turned into a gray light and re-entered Fang Ren''s body. "Is that¡­ a Spirit Form?" Jiang Ling was stunned; what else could it be that flew out from the Spiritual Root if not a Spirit Form? But wasn''t Mr. Fang''s Spirit Form a great tree? Could it be... a dual Spirit Form? And most importantly, this Spirit Form was alive! "Buzz!" The ethereal halo around Fang Ren suddenly merged into his flesh, heading straight for the dantian. It was like a massive vortex, and when it rushed into the dantian, it sucked in all the lightning, blistering heat, Void Energy, and the Impure Energy from medicines that were inside Fang Ren''s body. Finally, the halo expanded, firmly fixing the about-to-shatter dantian from the outside. Gray specks began to emanate from the halo, circting through his entire body through the meridians. In an instant, Fang Ren''s meridians, which had been shattered to pieces, began regenerating at high speed, and his pitch-ck flesh also began turning as hard as rock. After a while. Crack¡ª Theyer of ck rock covering Fang Ren''s body split open. Chapter 235: Chapter 341: Jiang Ling in His Early 20s_1 "Mr. Fang..." Crack, crack, crack¡ª Suddenly, the rockyyer on the surface of Fang Ren''s body began to crack frenziedly. It fell off his body continuously, revealing the new skin that had regenerated underneath through the fissures in the ck stone. "Re... reborn?" Jiangling waspletely shocked. Just a moment ago, she had distinctly felt the life force fade from Fang Ren, yet now, an immense surge of life energy was emanating from him. Hum¡ª A grey wave of light suddenly radiated from Fang Ren, shattering all the ck rocks on his body, ttening the ruins within several miles of the area. Jiangling''s realm was too high, so she remained unaffected by the light wave. "Is this! The peak of the Azure Sky!?" Jiangling was totally dumbfounded; she was absolutely certain that the aura Fang Ren was now emitting belonged to the peak of the Azure Sky Realm, nothing remotely close to the Early Stage of Xianyun Realm! "Fuck! That was close¡ªI almost got blown to death!" Fang Ren, drenched in cold sweat, opened his eyes and couldn''t help but curse, although his vision was filled with darkness. He just felt something soft beneath him, as if someone was holding him. Due to blindness, he had no choice but to open his "heart eye." Hum¡ª The scope of the heart eye expanded, but as it did, he waspletely dumbstruck. "Holy shit! Is this supposed to be a map!?" Fang Ren immediately let out a swear. At that moment, the range of his heart eye''s vision had expanded to a kilometer. The whole world seemed boundless! But what shocked him even more was not just that; colors filled his heart eye in this moment. The entire world was tinted¡ªjust like what the naked eye would see. "Mr. Fang?" Jiangling watched Fang Ren''s erratic shouting and became stunned¡ªhad his soul returned but his intelligence gone missing? "Huh?" Fang Ren heard Jiangling''s voice, finally realizing she must have sessfully made aplete breakthrough. He swiftly shifted his focus away from the shock of the heart eye, and reduced its visible range to the usual fifty-meter radius. But the moment he narrowed down the scope of his heart eye, something even more bbergasting happened... The lightning had just turned his skin to ash, but that wasn''t the most important part. What was crucial was that there was a gorgeous woman in her early twenties next to him, holding him in her arms! "Who are you?" Fang Ren immediately sprang up from Jiangling''s embrace, staring nkly at her. Jiangling blushed with embarrassment: *cough cough* "Mr. Fang, are you sure there''s nothing wrong with your memory?" "Mr. Fang?" Fang Ren frowned slightly upon hearing this title. After sensing Jiangling''s realm for a bit, he seemed to confirm a fact. The woman in her early twenties before him couldn''t be Jiangling, right? "Jiangling... Leader?" Fang Ren asked. "Of course. Are you sure your memory hasn''t taken any damage? How can you not recognize me?" Jiangling replied. "Huh?" Fang Ren looked at Jiangling,pletely baffled: "No, Leader Jiangling, you... you look more than just 10 years younger." "Younger?" Jiangling blinked, conjured her Spirit Form¡ªa ck long sword¡ªand looked at her reflection on the de''s surface. Then, she was taken aback as she saw what she looked like 20 years ago! Joy and shock in her heart, Jiangling put down the de and said, "Maybe it''s because of my breakthrough to a new realm, but I never expected to be so much younger... It''s incredible." Fang Ren, hearing her talk about her breakthrough, was also happy for her. After all, now they had been through two life-or-death situations together and wererades with the same goal. Then, Fang Ren activated his soul force, but he found that Jiangling''s soul appeared to be even brighter than Mu Huanqing''s luminance! Could it be... had Jiangling reached the legendary realm? "Your current realm must no longer be at the peak of the Sr Realm, right?" said Fang Ren. "Indeed, it''s not," Jiangling responded, after sensing her own realm. "But it feels like I haven''t departed too much from the Sr Realm, only faintly touched upon a higher ne." "Are you talking about the Xuanyang realm!?" asked Fang Ren. "Yes, it doesn''t feel like aplete transition into a new realm, just a slight touch." After hearing this, Fang Ren fell silent. Shit! The first person in human history to touch the Xuanyang realm, and it was under his help that she had seeded! Jiang Ling saw him standing there, dumbstruck, and straightened out his clothes before saying, "So... are you nning to just keep staring at me like this?" Fang Ren came back to his senses and noticed himself. His face turned red as he started looking around for something to cover up with, but before he could react, Jiang Ling suddenly rushed over and embraced him. Whoosh¡ª The mighty True Qi in Jiang Ling''s body started rotating, and he took off like lightning with Fang Ren toward the distance. "What! What''s happening all of a sudden?" Fang Ren was taken aback. Even though my wife isn''t as high in realm as you are now, her husband¡ªif I''m bullied by you¡ªwill definitely fight you to the death! "People from Tianjiang areing over; we need to move quickly to a different location." Jiang Ling spoke these words, but within a few seconds, he had already carried Fang Ren more than ten miles away from their original location! A few minutester, a group of Tianjiang Guard Team practitioners floated above the ruins, looking down at the destroyed bamboo forest and then gazing up at the void above their heads. "Could it be that a ninth-order Void Beast sneaked down here?" "Quick, report this to the Central Area!" ... At this time, in an alley of a small town hundreds of miles away, Fang Ren was putting on the clothes Jiang Ling had stolen for him. That''s right, she stole them, because she didn''t have a penny on her. "Where did you steal these from?" Fang Ren, looking at the clothes he was wearing, which still had the tags on, and then at Jiang Ling''s indifferent face opposite him, couldn''t help feeling a headacheing on. You just broke through to a new realm and used it to steal? You''re a big leader, after all, and now the strongest in the world, surpassing Mu Huanqing. How could you do such a thing? "From a mall in the city center. As for a men''s underwear store, I couldn''t find one, so I just stole a piece from a random store," Jiang Ling said nonchntly. Fang Ren pped his own face, having just realized something was amiss. It definitely didn''t feel like anything legit! "My great leader... take me there, no matter what, we have to pay them back," Fang Ren said helplessly. "Do you have money?" Jiang Ling asked him. She hadn''t touched money for almost 10 years because she simply couldn''t appear in front of people, naturally couldn''t work, and couldn''t go out to buy things herself. As for shopping, that was done by a few female group leaders in the organization for her. Fang Ren, seeing her expectant look as if he had no money, was annoyed. He immediately reached for his storage ring and said, "Are you kidding me? I''m a top Alchemist, and as for money, isn''t it just in and out of the bank card..." Blinking, Fang Ren suddenly remembered that when he went all out on eating elixirs, his bank card, phone, and many other things had fallen out and were sted by the thunder... "Ahem, not showing wealth is the basic principle of us Alchemists." Fang Ren awkwardly lowered his hand. Jiang Ling: "Put it inly." Fang Ren: "Card''s blown, need a recement." "Your identity card didn''t get blown up?" "Fortunately, I hid it in a more concealed spot." Fang Ren fished out his ID card from his storage ring. "Let''s go; I''ll go with you," Jiang Ling said as she turned and walked toward the alleyway exit. "Hey! Aren''t you afraid of being recognized?" Fang Ren quickly stopped her. Jiang Ling took out a small round mirror from her skirt pocket, looked at her young and beautiful face, and said with a smile, "In this look, unless I stand in front of those old geezers in the Central Area, they''ll be able to tell who I am." "Makes sense, ha, but did you steal that little mirror too?" "Stolen," Jiang Ling nodded. Fang Ren looked up at the sun; it was about three in the afternoon, with three more hours until the eve of the grand meeting, enough time for him to settle all his affairs. In the following hour, Fang Ren took Jiang Ling to reissue his bank and phone cards, and returned all the stolen items to the stores to pay for them. Even though the shopkeepers were baffled, Fang Ren felt that no matter what, he had to pay. In the end, Fang Ren bought a new phone, and he and Jiang Ling stepped into a restaurant, after all, there was a lot to talk about, regarding Indra Sky, Central Area, Nightfall, and the Void. "It''s been a long time since I''ve been out shopping like this; it''s nostalgic, and I suddenly feel like continuing," Jiang Ling said, sitting in the restaurant, her gaze fixed on the bustling street outside, her expression full of reminiscence. Fang Ren waspletely baffled. It looked like the big leader wasn''t just physically young; her mentality seemed to have rejuvenated quite a bit too. At that moment, a female waitress came over with a smile. "Sir, madam, congrattions, you are our store''s hundredth customer today. We''ve prepared a couple''s juice for you, free of charge." With that, the waitress ced a drink with couple''s straws onto the table and left. Fang Ren was stunned; when did he get a forty-year-old girlfriend? Seeing this, Jiang Ling''s smile widened: "It makes me all the more nostalgic for the past." Chapter 236: Chapter 342: Movements of the Fang Familys Right Wing_1 "Now that your realm can be said to crush the Central Area, what do you n to do next?" Fang Ren asked. Jiang Ling shook the couple''s fruit juice that had just been served by the waitress, smiled, and replied, "That question, Mr. Fang, seems like one you ought to be asking yourself first." "Me?" Fang Ren was momentarily stunned. A few secondster, he understood what Jiang Ling meant. He should consider Mu Huanqing''s situation next, especially since Jiang Ling was aware of his rtionship with her. If Jiang Ling and the Central Area went to war, then with Mu Huanqing as she was now, she would definitely have to be his enemy. Even with the strength of Half-step Mysterious Night Realm, Jiang Ling might not necessarily ovee Mu Huanqing and the rest of the powerful individuals in the Central Area. After all, Mu Huanqing''s strength was at the peak of the Half-step Sunlight Peak Realm, her cultivated "Immortal Qi" still overwhelmed Jiang Ling''s True Qi, not to mention that Anti-Void Array... The odds were still very much against Jiang Ling. However, setting aside the suppression of True Qi and the Anti-Void Array, considering the "Diagrams Supreme" that Mu Huanqing obtainedst night, if the two were to fight, and Mu Huanqing applied the Formation to Jiang Ling, even if Jiang Ling''s realm was stronger than hers, he would likely still be defeated. After all, that thing was a product of the Spiritual Root within Fang Ren''s body, and Fang Ren was fully aware of how powerful it could be, since he had relied on these fruits to kill someone across five minor realms. Moreover, among the fruits obtained by Mu Huanqing, there were many Formations capable of killing immortals! "I have recentlye clean about many things with her, but have not yet revealed the Nightfall Organization. I n to tell her everything shortly," said Fang Ren. "That''s good to hear. Having you, the husband of Xuan Nv, on our side, I truly do not wish to be her enemy," Jiang Ling said. "And to tell you the truth, I always feel that even if I overpower her in realm, I might not necessarily defeat her in a real fight. When she was sixteen, she had already challenged and defeated experts beyond her realm. I have no reason to believe she''s lost that capacity to fight above her level. Moreover, setting these reasons aside, if I were really to be antagonistic towards her, you would definitely choose her side, and I naturally don''t want to turn against my benefactor." Fang Ren said, "Actually, Hui Qing and I are already preparing to be enemies with the Central Area over the engagement issue. But to have herpletely trust the Nightfall in a short period of time is a bit difficult. Leader Jiangling, you''ll have to give me some time." Jiang Ling took a sip of the couple''s fruit juice and said, "With continuous breakthroughs in my realm, I naturally have plenty of time. I can''t rashly dere war against the Central Area. First, because of your rtionship with the Xuan Nv. Second, the Void is splitting, and if war breaks out heedlessly, the Void beasts might end up as the ultimate beneficiaries. Third, I haven''t forgotten my original intention. I hope that my tragedy will not be repeated in this world. The days when I was blinded by hatred are far behind me. What I want is not to kill numerous people to mourn my past, but to kill the masterminds and save others who are destined to follow in my footsteps." During the conversation, Jiang Ling''s gaze was filled with sorrow and pain for the past, yet it showed no signs of impulsiveness. Her eyes were like silent ck lilies, epting the despair of the past without words. Fang Ren had heard about Jiang Ling''s past from Jian Qi''er. She was threatened with her husband''s life by the Central Area, forced to conceive a child with a Cultivator they paired her with. However, after the child was born, she discovered that her husband had long been dead. In her despair, she chopped the matched Cultivator into mincemeat, and she also killed her newborn child. When she fell into the abyss, the whole world was deceiving her. During that time, she lost her humanity. The sins she bore were such that nothing could redeem her from the abyss, nor did she seek redemption. Fortunately, time is a miraculous thing, and she eventually found her humanity again. "So, is your n now to first deal with Indra Sky and rescue those Cultivators used for experiments?" Fang Ren asked. "For the time being, that''s the n. But once you have convinced Xuan Nv, I will immediately move to eliminate the sinful leaders of the Central Area. If she joins me, the two of us could sweep through the Central Area," Jiang Ling said. "But my only concern is, are the actual strengths of those leaders in the Central Area really as they''ve disclosed?" "You mean they might still have something hidden?" "It''s not entirely impossible." Fang Ren frowned upon hearing this, "For this matter, I''ll go to Bai Qi to inquire. Perhaps I can obtain some useful information from her." "You''re quite good at using that little fianc¨¦e of yours," Jiang Ling said with augh. "That''s not really using her..." Jiang Ling waved away thement and took another sip of juice, "Alright, alright. Additionally, I''vee here this time to discuss something with you. This matter is rted to your Fang Family." "Leader, please speak," Fang Ren encouraged. "Just yesterday afternoon, our organization discovered someone was following the Tiandao Sword Sect and we casually captured one of them. We found out they were people from the Fang Family, specifically the right faction of the Fang Family, that is, from your second uncle''s side." Fang Ren was surprised, "With Song Mobei''s powerful strength, if someone was following him, wouldn''t he have noticed?" "These people aren''t very strong, but their tracking methods are quite subtle. At every location where the Tiandao Sword Sect passed, they had different people on lookout, just like passersby. They would observe the Tiandao Sword Sect for a moment and then leave, using their phones tomunicate with the next person at the following location. Regardless of Song Mobei''s strength, he wouldn''t focus on a passerby on the street. After all, everywhere he goes, there are too many people watching him." "What does the right faction of the Fang Family want with following the Tiandao Sword Sect? Now, my second uncle is even willing to use murderous tactics on me; the conflict between the left and right factions must be very intense. At such a time, why would they care to do anything else?" Fang Ren said. Jiang Ling replied, "Their purpose is easy to guess, isn''t it to kill you? But now that you''re suddenly shining so brightly in the world, they wouldn''t dare to move against you. They surely want to find a way to have the Tiandao Sword Sect do it for them, especially since they should know about your rtionship with Mu Huanqing." Upon hearing this, Fang Ren couldn''t help but feel a surge of intense anger. He had just met with that so-called second uncle at three o''clock the previous day, and in the afternoon at some unknown hour, that second uncle had already conceived a strategy to kill him. Truly ruthless! How desperate was that guy to eliminate him! "Lastly, there''s one more thing I''d like to mention, I''m not sure if it''s just my perception," Jiang Ling said with a serious expression. "At the moment of my breakthrough, for an instant, I felt an incredibly strong presence within Tianjiang, as if it was searching for me." "A strong presence? How strong?" "Stronger than I am now." "Ah?" Fang Ren was taken aback, "Are you saying that within Tianjiang, there is a powerhouse who has already stepped into the Mysterious Night Realm?" "I''m not sure, that feeling was just momentary, and I am not certain. But if it''s true, then the master of that presence is definitely a few notches stronger than me," Jiang Ling said, "I hope it was just my mistaken perception." "I''ll pay more attention to the information around me." ... After the meal, Jiang Ling took Fang Ren and flew back to the outskirts of Tianjiang, as the eve of the Elixir Competition was about to begin soon. Chapter 238: Chapter 344: The Great-Grandfather of the Fang Family_1 Jiang Ling looked out of the car window at the city, his brows deeply furrowed. He had just be the strongest in the world and now, all of a sudden, was inexplicably surpassed by someone else, which made him feel quiteplicated. "Based on my personal spection, the two most likely candidates to have broken through to the Xuanyang realm within these 20 years are only two people. One is the family head of the Bai Family, Bai Chaojin, and the other is Xia Mo, the supreme authority of the Central Area. Both of them had already broken through to the mid-stage of the Xuanyang realm 20 years ago. Although they are of advanced age, it''s not impossible for them to break through two more realms in twenty years," said Jiang Ling. "Bai Chaojin..." Upon hearing this name, Fang Ren felt troubled. It was this old coot who had bound him and Bai Qi together, and now he even suspected that the original purpose of Bai Chaojin''s arranging the marriage was not due to any debt of gratitude, but was a long-nned scheme to involve Bai Qi in the experiment more effectively. "It doesn''t matter which one of them it is, for our organization it would be a disaster." Jiang Ling continued, "However, I do have another question. If they have a Xuanyang realm powerhouse, why did they only send a group of Array Masters and one mid-stage Xuanyang realm expert to this crucial Indra Sky experiment base? A Xuanyang realm powerhouse could easily wipe us out and ensure the experiment continues." "Is it because they can''t be spared from the Void war?" Fang Ren pondered then denied his own idea. "No, that''s not right. There has never been a Xuanyang realm expert on the battlefield, otherwise, Hui Qing would have definitely informed me of such matters." "So considering these points, if the Xuanyang realm powerhouse within Tianjiang is neither of them, who could it be..." The two were entangled and unable to guess any probable answer for a long time. "By the way, Leader Jiangling, since such a figure exists in Tianjiang, wouldn''t I be discovered if you go there with me?" Fang Ren asked. "It''s fine. Both times this presence probed me were when I used my True Qi. It seems that even if their realm is stronger than mine, they still can''t locate me when I''m not using my True Qi," Jiang Ling replied. "That''s a relief." ------ ------ Meanwhile, at the mountain peak behind the Tianjiang Fang Family''s estate, an old man dressed in a ck robe sat on a tombstone. His face was extraordinarily withered and gaunt, and the palms extending from his sleeves looked as if they were merely skin and bones. On his aged skin, there wereyers of grey-brown spots that resembled the mottled patterns of a corpse. Standing beside the old man was a middle-aged man, who was none other than Fang Ye, the Fang Family''s second elder. "Grandfather, are you sure there''s another Xuanyang realm expert in the world besides you?" Fang Ye''s face was filled with anxiousness, as not long ago, this skin-and-bones old man¡ªhis grandfather, the supposed long-deceased patriarch of the Fang Family¡ªtold him that he saw another Xuanyang realm expert appear on Earth. This was a Xuanyang realm expert! For 200 years, Earth had not seen any; there was only the single, resurrected member of their Fang Family. So howe another one popped up out of nowhere? "When Heavenly Tribtion descends, it surely signifies the emergence of a defiant being. There can be no mistake," the gaunt old man said, his withered eyes gazing into the distance without a hint of liveliness. Fang Ye furrowed his brows tightly. This suddenly emerging Xuanyang realm powerhouse could potentially affect his future ns! "Grandfather, do you know where this person is?" Fang Ye said, "Such a person, if a friend, would still be manageable, but in this vast Tianjiang, hardly anyone shares our aspirations. If we can determine his location, it''s best to eliminate him sooner rather thanter!" "This person is currently on his way to Tianjiang, but he has concealed his aura midway, and I can no longer trace him," the gaunt old man continued, "What''s certain is that there is a junior by his side who has just broken through to the Peak of Azure Sky. Keep an extra eye out; isn''t there a pillpetitioning up soon? It''s most likely that he''s here for that." "Understood, Grandfather. I will investigate as soon as possible. If this person is an enemy, you have toe out of retirement to kill him as soon as possible," Fang Ye said. "We must not rush this matter. Although this person is currently only half a step into the Xuanyang Realm, this body of mine is still too weak. It''s hard to imagine the consequences of a battle with him. You must mass-produce the Blood Heart Pill quickly, otherwise, the recovery of my body will be too slow," the gaunt elder spoke. Fang Ye frowned again, "Grandfather, this Blood Heart Pill¡­ it''s not because weck the technology, but because its ingredients are too difficult to obtain." "What kind of material can make our Fang Family admit difficulty?" the gaunt old man said with a sweep of his arm. "Grandfather, it''s not an issue of money or power, but the main ingredient of the Blood Heart Pill you need for recovery is the refined essence blood of our Fang Family''s descendants. Using someone else''s essence blood ispletely ineffective for you." "Essence blood?" the gaunt old man fiercely furrowed his brow, his aura suddenly surging, and he said coldly, "Are you telling me that the Blood Heart Pills are made from the lives of the Fang Family''s descendants?" Fang Ye was frightened into a cold sweat and quickly said, "Grandfather, please don''t get agitated. These are the distant rtives of our Fang Family, and although rted to you by blood, the connection is very slight. No matter what, I would never harm our own flesh and blood. Besides, the Blood Heart Pill is only temporary, once we have acquired the research results from the Indra Sky, we will be able to utilize the essence blood of the Void beasts for your recovery." The gaunt old man fell silent, but his deeply furrowed brows did not rx. After all, suddenly learning that the pills he had been consuming for a long time were refined from the blood of some of his descendants was something he could not ept at the moment. "Grandfather, regarding this matter, I hope you won''t have too many reservations in your heart. You should think more about how all of this is for the future of humanity, that their sacrifices are worth it. Moreover, we will soon obtain the research results from Indra Sky and perfect your body," Fang Ye said, wiping off his cold sweat. "Enough," the gaunt old man''s aura subsided, and he said, "As you previously mentioned, my body is now filled with the aura of the Void, and I must not appear before people, or they will join forces to exterminate me as a being of the Void species. Therefore, many affairs in Tianjiang, and the organization in Indra Sky, will have to be dealt with by you all." He had heard from Fang Ye that, in this era fifty yearster, there was ass named Mu Huanqing who had created a Large Formation to resist the Void. If the Formation were to operate at full strength, coupled with those old fogeys from the Central Area, there was a sixty percent chance they would annihte him if they considered him a being from the Void. However, all these spections were based on his body not being perfected yet. Once his body was perfected, all such talk would be nonsense. "Rest assured, Grandfather. You just focus on your cultivation here, and I will take care of everything outside. I guarantee that by the time you emerge, you will see the embryo of the world you envisioned," Fang Ye said. With that, Fang Ye left the mountain and exited through a corner of the Formation. This was the forbidden area of the Fang Family, previously essible only to the important members of the family. However, now the Large Formation had been altered by Fang Ye''s people, only he and the Patriarch of the Fang Family coulde and go as they pleased. Thankfully, none of this had been perceived by the others in the Fang Family, for that would have certainly led to a major incident. After all, the Patriarch of the Fang Family, Fang Yun Zhong, who had been dead for fifty years and suddenly revived, was likely to be considered a Void species by most, given that hecked the aura of a Human. Chapter 239: Chapter 345: Marriage Problems_1 It was already five-thirty in the afternoon, with only half an hour left until the eve of the pillpetition''s grand ceremony. By this time, the area outside the final venue was packed with a sea of people, so crowded that not a drop of water could leak through. There were thirty thousand students from around the world who had sessfully advanced, and apanying them were countless instructors, principals and students. Outside the venue, a row of Tianjiang Guards stood on the main road, maintaining order in their ck Western suits, looking very serious. In another row stood the Nine Heavens Corps led by Mu Huanqing, consisting entirely of maidens d in bright silver armor, whose graceful figures instantly became the most dazzling scenery outside the venue. Inside the venue, all the family heads of the major ns were present, including Tianjiang''s top administrative officials, as well as the presidents of the world''s top Alchemist Guilds, the captain of the Tianjiang Guard Team, and the leader of the Nine Heavens Corps, Mu Huanqing¡­ The scene was unprecedentedly magnificent. Originally, the heads of the major families had not nned to attend, but upon hearing that this year''s hidden heir of the Fang Family had revolutionized the Alchemy world after being concealed for over twenty years, they couldn''t resisting here. Their first objective was genuinely to witness the capabilities of this junior, while the second was to show support for the Fang family, as the heads of great families were people of good face, understanding and supporting each other. Even Bai Chaojin, known as the busiest among the Tianjiang, took time toe today. "Hahaha! Brother Fang! Your family truly produced a True Dragon Emperor! At the mere age of twenty-two, and in fourteen minutes and thirty-six seconds, he managed to refine a fourth-rank Upper Level Pill! Absolutely unprecedented!" "But Brother Fang, you really weren''t upright in this matter, concealing it from all of us, raising such a fine grandson, and when he was little you didn''t let us meet him or let him call us grandfather!" "Ah! You all pay attention to this, but I''m different, I rather admire Brother Bai''s foresight, he engaged Bai Qi and Ran''er twenty-two years ago! Today, as the True Dragon Emperor descends, it truly makes one envy!" "Correct! If I had Brother Bai''s foresight back then, I might already beughing to the skies!" ... In the center of the venue, the family heads of the various Tianjiang ns gathered together, with the topic revolving around Fang Ren. Head of the Fang family, Fang Yuanhao, had a face blooming with joy, but still humbly replied, "You brothers really tter me. Ran''er has been frail and sickly since childhood, without much aptitude for cultivation. I didn''t want him to get involved in too much worldly strife. Who knew Ran''er would have such an exceptional talent today? I''m happy for him too." Although he, Fang Yuanhao, had neverid eyes on his grandson, and had never treated a child named Fang Ren as his own, today, that child had proved everything with his own strength. He felt it was time to let Fang Ren acknowledge his ancestry and return to the family, for after all, the blood of the Fang Family flowed in his veins, and at the end of the day, he was still Fang Ren''s grandfather. Yet, what wasughable was that a grandfather who had never seen his grandson''s face was now referring to Fang Ren as "Ran''er." If Fang Ren were to hear this, he would surely hold even more disdain for the Fang Family. Bai Chaojin, however, was not too moved by the praises for Fang Ren; rather, he turned to Fang Yuanhao and suggested, "Brother Fang, congrattions on your grandson''s prodigious talent, a truly joyous asion for everyone. But I think we should make this joy even more intense, how aboutyering happiness upon happiness?" Upon hearing this, Fang Yuanhao inquired, "What do you mean, Brother Bai?" "How about, when Ran''er wins the championship, we immediately have Qi''er and Ran''er marry?" suggested Bai Chaojin with augh. "Hahaha! Who would have thought, Brother Bai, you''re really anxious!"ughed the Cao Family Patriarch. "Is it because you fear that at this venue, some other outstanding girls might snatch away that boy Ran''er?" "This wedding must be celebrated!" eximed the Wang Family Patriarch with augh: "I think Brother Fang is also quite eager about this matter, why not do as Brother Bai says and settle the two youngsters'' marriage as soon as possible? We all want to see, in our lifetime, just how exceptional the offspring of the two little ones will be." "Speaking of which, Jin Yun and Ah Zheng have also grown up together, and the marriage of their children would certainly make no one happier than the two of them." ... The crowd naturally wanted to add momentum to the wedding. Upon hearing this, Fang Yuanhao''s heart blossomed with joy. He had originally thought that Bai Chaojin''s proposal for a marriage alliance with the Fang Family was merely a token of gratitude, but it turned out that Bai had genuinely entertained the idea. "Brother Bai has taken the initiative to bring this up with me, how could I, as the younger brother, have any reason to refuse?" Fang Yuanhaoughed heartily, "After the alchemypetition is over, let''s arrange the marriage for the two children!" "Hahaha... then I won''t return to the battlefield these next few days, we''ll talk about whates after once we''ve drunk the wedding wine!" "Good! Drink the wedding wine!" ... While everyone was in high spirits, the Mu Family Patriarch, Mu Qing Mountain, couldn''t muster any joy. ncing at Mu Hui, sitting alone on a chair not far away, he was well aware how deeply his granddaughter harbored feelings for Fang Ren. When he had separated the two of them, Mu Hui had even threatened to sever her own meridians and cripple her legs. And now, all the major families of Tianjiang were discussing the marriage of the man she loved to another woman right in front of her, and Mu Qing Mountain also felt sorrow on her behalf. Moreover, Mu Qing Mountain had recently heard that Fang Ren''s cultivation had already reached the early stages of the Xianyun Realm, which far surpassed the two-year requirement in the Chongshan Realm that he had given Fang Ren. He could never have imagined that a child he had once viewed unfavorably would possess such peerless cultivation talent and world-shaking alchemy aptitude. If he had not pulled his granddaughter away from Fang Ren, what would the situation be now... After some thought, Mu Qing Mountain eventually shook his head helplessly. He felt that what he had done was the right thing, as if the two had continued being together, Fang Ren would now be facing confinement in the Central Prison, and Mu Hui would be devastated by it. "Sigh." Mu Qing Mountain heaved a deep sigh. He had not done a bad thing, it was just a necessary evil. Mu Hui, catching her grandfather''s gaze, smiled back at him, signifying that she didn''t me him for the way things had turned out. Even if he had not intervened, today''s scenario would have still urred, and as for the reason, Fang Ren had already exined it to her. Yet she could never have imagined that her respected elder from the Bai Family would so readily arrange Fang Ren''s marriage to Bai Qi. Listening to everyone discuss Fang Ren''s marriage right in front of her, her heart truly ached. Even though he was her husband, shecked the ability to openly acknowledge it, nor did she possess the power to interrupt the conversation of the Tianjiang Family Masters and dere, "I am the one Fang Ren is going to marry." However, she believed that this marriage could not take ce, for on the wedding day, she would bet everything to prevent it, and she would not hesitate to use the ughtering Immortals Formation against these revered elders she had respected since childhood. And even if she did nothing about it, how could Fang Ren agree to it? Though Fang Ren''s character was typically subdued and mild-mannered, on this sort of issue, he was much more impulsive than she was. Her understanding of Fang Ren told her that he might even resort to threatening to take his own life on the wedding day. Mu Hui wore aplex smile on her face as she touched her slightly swollen belly. The baby was about to be born, how could she let the child''s father marry another woman? Chapter 240: Chapter 336: Bai Qis Emotions Erupt Once Again (Part 1)_1 At this time, on the main road outside the venue, Fang Ren had already parted ways with Jiang Ling. After all, he couldn''t keep dragging this formidable Xuan Ye Realm expert all over the ce, especially since the area was filled with important figures from Tianjiang. If she were recognized, it would be a disaster. As for where Jiang Ling went, strictly speaking, it was none of Fang Ren''s business, but out of the blue, Jiang Ling came up with a bizarre idea to chase after her lost youth and managed to swindle him out of ten thousand yuan with a mix of cajoling and deceit. The reason she gave for needing the money was that he had taken advantage of her while she was breaking through. Fang Ren was in utter despair over this im, crap! It was he who had been taken advantage of by this forty-something-year-old auntie! Furthermore, he had spent several hours today helping her search for her lost youth! Regardless, even without this excuse, he would have given Jiang Ling money, because if Jiang Ling ended up stealing goods from all over Tianjiang''s shops, that would be a real tragedy. Walking back and forth outside the venue, Fang Ren looked for Bai Qi''s figure. Speaking of which, that girl had been unusually quiet this afternoon. He had been gone for so long and she hadn''t even called him. "She couldn''t have been lured away with a couple of lollipops, could she?" Finally, Fang Ren took out his newly bought cell phone and called Bai Qi''s number. Du... The call was connected immediately, Bai Qi''s voice came through the phone, "Are you back?" Fang Ren, listening to her voice, felt she didn''t sound very cheerful. She was speaking in a low tone, not at all like her usual self who would start yelling at him as soon as she answered the phone. "Where are you? I couldn''t find you outside of the venue," Fang Ren said. "I''m in the park next door. You''ll see me when youe in." No sooner had she finished speaking than Bai Qi hung up the phone. Fang Ren stared at the disconnected call disy on his phone and was taken aback. It seemed that the girl really had encountered something sad. A few minutester, Fang Ren arrived at the park next to the venue. He hadn''t walked more than a dozen meters before he saw Bai Qi. In the crowded park, Bai Qi was sitting alone on a stone bench, dressed in her school uniform. She had her arms wrapped around her knees, leaning against the stone bench, curled up with her head buried between her legs, her long ck hair scattered around her. Despite the many people around, her facial expression was one of extreme loneliness. Fang Ren nced at the vendor selling ice cream in the park, casually bought one, and then walked over to sit next to Bai Qi, plopping down beside her. "What happened, why are you so unhappy?" Fang Ren asked. Bai Qi did not lift her head and continued to hug her knees. Her voice was soft but a bit resentful, "You didn''t take me to lunch at noon." Fang Ren looked at her andughed. This girl really was something else... Wait, Fang Ren suddenly thought of something and his smile froze. His gaze fell on the curled-up figure of Bai Qi. "You... surely you didn''t skip lunch, did you?" Fang Ren asked again. "No," said Bai Qi. Fang Ren heard this and knew it was just as he had suspected. He said, "Don''t you already have money? Why didn''t you have lunch on your own?" "Didn''t feel like it," Bai Qi replied. "What, are you not used to it without me tagging along?" Fang Ren said with a smile. "Mhm." Bai Qi nodded firmly. She had been sitting here by herself the whole day. She had absolutely no desire to go anywhere else. She always felt as if something was missing from her side no matter where she went. That overwhelming sense of emptiness made her feel as if she was in a deste desert, even when surrounded by a bustling crowd. Seeing her nod, Fang Ren''s face stiffened. It didn''t seem like she was joking at all. Fang Ren quickly changed the topic, "Alright, no more joking around. I bought you an ice cream, so eat it up." Bai Qi slowly lifted her head and nced at him. She then looked at the ice cream in his hand but didn''t immediately take it, "Why do you still think I''m joking at this point?" "..." Fang Ren''s hand holding the ice cream stopped midair. He had a premonition that the girl was about to bring things that should have stayed hidden in her heart out into the open. "You should know very well what this emotional instability of mine is about. You just don''t want to say it," Bai Qi told him while looking at him. Fang Ren''s gaze shifted from her eyes to the ice cream. He was aware that ever since the day of thepetition when Bai Qi had yelled at him in what seemed like agony, he had understood. After he went on stage, he saw Bai Qi grab his hand and immediately rified to everyone that she didn''t like him, that it was just out of kindness so he wouldn''t lose face. His words weren''t intended only for the audience, nor were they solely meant as a sarcastic jab at Xia Fu Lan''s smirk; part of it was for Bai Qi too, to let her know that the person she should like was Song Mobei, and that she shouldn''t like him. Bai Qi''s gaze remained fixed on him, "Because you really don''t like me, you also didn''t say anything after finding out." Fang Ren hastened to smile and said, "I''ve already said I like Madame Xuan, and you also like Song Mobei. We both don''t like each other, that''s why we both want to dissolve the marriage..." "You''re still ying these clever tricks, continuing to misguide me, to let me ''realize'' that I like Song Mobei." Bai Qi looked at him, her gaze bing moreplex. "Aren''t you too cunning, Fang Ren? You clearly know I don''t understand these feelings at all, yet you still bully me like this... Is it fun?" "..." Fang Ren looked at the ice cream in his hand beginning to melt, his smile stiffened on his face. He had never thought of deceiving Bai Qi, but all his thoughts were on Mu Huanqing, and he had inadvertently ignored Bai Qi''s emotionspletely. He only thought of having a beautiful life with Mu Huanqing and also of getting rid of the marriage agreement with Bai Qi, without ever considering what would happen to Bai Qi afterward. Tears suddenly shone in Bai Qi''s eyes, "In your heart, do you find me disgusting? After all, you''ve told me seriously that you don''t like me, yet I still didn''t believe it. In your eyes, I must be an extremely narcissistic woman, right? You actually don''t want to deal with me, only tolerating me because I pester you every day. You want to dissolve our marriage, so you reluctantly put up with my pestering, right?" Fang Ren raised his head to look at her, his expressionplicated, "No." "How many of your words are lies?" Bai Qi''s eyes filled with tears, and she gently shook her head, "Or are you really treating me like a fool?" "You''re thinking too much," Fang Ren said. "No!" Bai Qi''s eyes still directly met his, "This ice cream is just like your lies. In your eyes, I''m nothing but a girl who can be cated with ice cream. You never took me seriously, not a single word." "Why do you think that way?" "Why shouldn''t I think that way? I can''t always be rejected and still naively think the other person likes me!" Bai Qi''s emotions suddenly red up again: "Since you don''t like me, why did you buy me buns and soy milk when I was working? Why did youfort me when I was sad? Why did you let me think I had really encountered the love that Grandpa spoke of!" Fang Ren immediately started to speak, "The things I did..." Bai Qi interrupted him, "I know! The things you did were all because it''s in your nature, because you''re just a nice guy. You are like this with everyone! It''s just that I thought too much! I''m foolishly infatuated and narcissistic beyond redemption! Isn''t that right?" "..." Fang Ren fell silent again. Strictly speaking, Bai Qi wasn''t wrong. If it had been a male friend with whom he got along well who fainted from exhaustion at work that day, he would have brought him soy milk and buns too. However, he didn''t consider himself a nice guy; it was just a matter of lending a hand to someone he got along well with. Most people would probably do the same. But these things seemed different in Bai Qi''s eyes. Tears slid down Bai Qi''s face, "You are just like Song Mobei¡­ nice to everyone around you, but you are much worse than him!" This time she didn''t call him Brother Song. Fang Ren sighed, "I don''t care how much worse I am than him." "Do you know where you are worse than him!" "I don''t want to know." "At least he never made me sad, but you directly made me cry..." "So looking at it this way, no matter what, he''s better. If you analyze it rationally, you should like him," Fang Ren said. "You''re talking to me like I''m a fool again." Tears kept falling from Bai Qi''s face, and her emotions were out of control. She didn''t notice that there was already a crowd of people watching them in the park. "You clearly know I like you, yet you still push me away. How much do you hate me? Or do you just want to casually throw me to some man, and then quickly use this as a reason to dissolve our marriage?" Bai Qi said. Fang Ren held the ice cream, his hand still in mid-air. He watched the ice cream continue to melt, speaking softly, "A lot of people are watching." Bai Qi wiped her tears, "I know, I know. I don''t want to make a scene with you like this, but... I just can''t help it." Seeing this, Fang Ren immediately activated his True Qi, enveloping Bai Qi as they flew out of the park andnded next to a secluded green space. He still hadn''t thrown away his ice cream. He knew that if he threw away this melting ice cream, it would be as if he were stepping hard on Bai Qi''s heart. He couldn''t find the words tofort her, because she now believed everything he said was a lie. As he crouched down, Fang Ren ced the melting ice cream in front of Bai Qi, "In Tianjiang, this costs eight yuan, which is more expensive than buns and soy milk." Bai Qi sat on the curbstone, looking at his faint smile and the ice cream in his hand. Her anger receded like the tide, only to be reced by a deep sense of grievance. Just as she said, she was hopelessly weak-willed when it came to this guy. A simple ice cream was all it took to soothe all her anger towards him. "Jerk..." Bai Qi immediately took the ice cream from his hand, wiping her tears while eating it. "There are many things I''m not lying to you about," Fang Ren also sat down next to her and spoke, "Like how I truly like Madame Xuan, and I also think you''d be better off not being with me. Because love is between two people, and if either of us doesn''t like the other, this rtionship shouldn''t exist." Chapter 241: Chapter 337: The Noise Upon Entry (Second Update)_1 Bai Qi nibbled on the ice cream and, wiping away her tears, said, "You like her, but she doesn''t like you, so you''re just pining away." Her voice was full of grievance, and she sounded like a sulking child. "You''ve always got to have a dream," Fang Ren said with a smile. "So marrying Sister Hui Qing is your dream?" "Yes, but that''s not all. I want to have a stable life after getting married," Fang Ren said. "Then it looks like I can fulfill half of your dream," Bai Qi said. Fang Ren smiled indifferently. Bai Qi had misunderstood him; he was talking about leading a stable life after marrying Mu Huanqing, not just anyone. "The ice cream you gave me isn''t sweet at all," Bai Qi said after finishing thest bit of her ice cream. "..." Fang Ren''s smile stiffened. "You won''t understand how I feel, unless one day Sister Hui Qing says to you what you said to me today," Bai Qi said. Fang Ren shook his head. That was an impossibility. He and Mu Huanqing had mutual feelings for each other, and they even had a child. However, Bai Qi said he couldn''t understand her feelings, which he agreed with; indeed, he couldn''t, because his rtionship with Mu Huanqing was going too smoothly. What was not smooth was the situation. His current mood was not good either. It felt just like the time Liu Qianqian cried while confessing to him in front of him. Liu Qianqian, like Bai Qi, was emotionally agitated, and even abandoned her upbringing to curse him, a scene he did not want to witness. In the past, his thoughts on Liu Qianqian may have beenplicated, but now his thinking was simpler¡ªhe just wanted to live a peaceful life with Mu Huanqing. He knew such emotions wereced with a bitterness and sense of grievance he could not understand, but he was powerless to soothe such emotions. To soothe them, the only way was to be with her. Fang Ren took out his cell phone to check the time. There were about eight minutes left before the eve of the Alchemypetition''s opening ceremony. He estimated that the students outside had already almost entered the venue. Suddenly, Fang Ren said, "What do you think we should do if your grandfather insists on not canceling our engagement?" Bai Qi nced at him. This matter had originally been her biggest worry, but now it had be what Fang Ren feared the most. "No way, he can''t just push me onto someone who doesn''t like me," Bai Qi said. "I''m talking about what if. What if he still insists on doing it?" "If...," Bai Qi said, "if there really is such an ''if,'' I would never agree. I don''t want to marry someone who doesn''t know how to cherish me, someone who only knows how to bully me." "Have you thought about any specific acts of rebellion?" Fang Ren asked again. "Running away from home, using death to coerce them¡ªaren''t those methods?" Bai Qi said. "Hey, hey, you''re a princess after all. Doing such things would make you the talk of the town for a lifetime," he said. "So what? I''d do anything rather than marry you," Bai Qi said with red-rimmed eyes, suddenly looking somewhat defiant. "You''re not my love; you''re just a crush. I can''t marry you." Fang Ren decided to end the topic. This girl was very emotional about such matters, and since she could say such things, she could surely do them. "Let''s go, it''s about to start," Fang Ren said. "Okay." Fang Ren activated his True Qi to envelop her and sped toward the entrance of the venue. The crowd outside was still very crowded, but most were just there to see the spectacle. "You''ve had a breakthrough in your realm again," she noted. No sooner had theynded than Bai Qi looked at Fang Ren and made thatment. Fang Ren gave a wry smile. He had deliberately not flown at full speed and had also suppressed his True Qi. Moreover, this girl had a Dissipation seal on her, yet she was still able to sense the fluctuations of his realm. "Yeah, I had a bit of a breakthrough today." "Are you sure it was just a bit?" Bai Qi nced at him, exasperated. She could clearly feel the aura emanating from Fang Ren as that of the Peak of Azure Sky, while just that morning Fang Ren was only at the Early Stage of Xianyun Realm, a span of five minor realms! It''s not just Mu Huanqing¡ªshe, who was hailed as the future surpasser of Mu Huanqing, had never experienced such rapid progression through the realms while she was in Azure Sky Realm. And this fellow, just out of sight for a few hours, had be this powerful, "Uh... Maybe the breakthrough was a little bigger than usual." As Fang Ren spoke, he began walking toward the entrance of the venue. The guards on either side saw him and didn''t ask for his ID, but instead bowed slightly in greeting. No sooner had they entered the venue than they saw a sea of people. Looking up, the tiers of the spectator stands rose fifty meters high, from the lowest row to the back, with the audience sitting in a circle, hardly a gap to be seen.Fang Ren and Bai Qi stood at the entrance, overlooking the venue from above, where they appeared as tiny as ants, their faces impossible to distinguish. In the center of the field surrounded by the audience stands, there was a row of specially arranged seats for the world''s top guild leaders and the important figures hosting thepetition. And at the very front of the venue, there was another set of special seats, reserved for some of the bigwigs from Tianjiang, such as the heads of great families or themander of the Tianjiang Security Team, and Mu Huanqing''s seat was also there. However, Mu Huanqing''s seat was empty; she must have been maintaining order somewhere else and had not yet arrived. In the middle of the field, there were also many scattered individual seats, which were for the referees. Although no one would dare to cheat in such a setting, the work that needed to be done still had to bepleted to at least make the event seem more serious. Gazing at the crowded stands, Fang Ren turned to a staff member and asked, "Could you tell me where Yangming Academy''s seats are?" The staff member turned around, nced at Fang Ren, and immediately smiled, "Young Master Fang, your academy''s seats are right in the front row next to the special seats. Because there are so few Students from Yangming University, the sign might have been blocked by other people. I''ll take you there." "Next to the special seats..." Fang Ren looked at the special seats in the center and then at the front row of the audience stands next to them, feeling that it was a bit too conspicuous. However, there was no helping it; he had to sit in the spot assigned by the event organizers. As the staff member led Fang Ren and Bai Qi through the bottom of the audience stands toward the center, almost everyone''s gaze began to focus on them. Even though they were walking around the periphery of the central field, at this time when everyone was already seated, any person wandering aimlessly would attract attention. "Look! That''s the uniform from Yangming University!" "Oh my, is that guy the Young Master of the Fang Family? And is the girl next to him the princess?" "Where? Where?" "Hey, hey, hey, don''t stand up, you''re blocking my view!" "Tsk, too far away to see the faces, but looking at the pictures online, that Young Master Fang is quite handsome." "I heard that not long ago, the Bai Family Head had already proposed marriage to the Fang Family, saying that as soon as thispetition ends, Princess Bai Xi and Young Master Fang would get married immediately." "They''re going to get married right here? That''s so romantic! I hope to get married here one day too." ... Hearing the relentless prattling of the crowd, Fang Ren suddenly felt confused, as among the noisy voices, he seemed to have heard the topic of marrying Bai Qi on the spot after thepetition. Is that a mistake? What kind of on-the-spot marriage? These people are real gossips. The old man from the Bai Family said the wedding would be after graduation. They probably wouldn''t move it up so precipitously. If it were suddenly moved up, and that rumor dide from the old man of the Bai Family, then it must be because the Indra Sky organization had already mastered enough technology to decide to let Bai Qi enter the trial. Otherwise, Bai Chaojin wouldn''t be in such a hurry. Thinking this way, Fang Ren suddenly felt a wave of worry. He broadened his perception and nced at the special seats, noting that Mu Huanqing was still not present in the seat with her name, and he wondered what she was doing. The staff member led him and Bai Qi to a seat in the front row of the audience stands, where a sign for Yangming Academy was ced, but the location seemed too inconspicuous. Fang Ren thought that even if he extended his perception fully, he would have to search carefully two or three times to notice it. While it was indeed a front row seat, it was still a spectator spot, hundreds of meters away from the special seats, although just about 10 meters forward from this spot would lead directly into thepetition area. Sitting here, with just half a meter behind them, was a dense crowd of candidates, tutors, and principals from various schools. Feeling the gaze of hundreds of pairs of eyes from behind, Fang Ren became ufortable. Usually, in any public setting, he would sit at the very back, drawing little attention or discussion about him. Bai Qi was ustomed to such scenes and remained absorbed in her own somber mood, seemingly indifferent to the surrounding chatter. As the opening ceremony was about to begin in a minute, Fang Ren''s attention was centered on Mu Huanqing. Where on earth was she, and why hadn''t she arrived yet? Whoosh¡ª Just then, a beam of light shone down from the sky above the venue. Everyone immediately looked up and saw the entire sky lit up with white light. Suddenly, all attention shifted from Fang Ren to the twenty or so figures slowly descending from the sky. "It''s Madame Xuan! And the elite disciples from the Tiandao Sword Sect!" "Ah! Today I will finally witness Madame Xuan''s grace in person!" "What do you mean ''in person''? I haven''t even seen Madame Xuan''s grandeur online!" "They''reing down!" ``` Chapter 242: Chapter 338: Mu Huanqings Words (Third Update)_1 Everyone looked up to see Mu Huanqing descending from the sky with eleven captains of the Nine Heavens Corps, while at her side, Song Mobei of the Tiandao Sword Sect was apanied by eleven disciples. It was a weing ceremony, and also a part of the previous night''s opening, arranged by Bai Chaojin. As for the reason behind the existence of this weing ceremony, on the surface, it was because the Tiandao Sword Sect represented all traditional sects outside of Tianjiang. The strongest of the young generationing personally from these traditional sects to participate in thepetition held in Tianjiang naturally warranted some official weing gestures. And of course, the people for this weing ceremony would not be the elders from the Tianjiang Great Family; Mu Huanqing, the strongest in Tianjiang, was the ideal candidate. Everything seemed reasonable and logical. However, to Bai Chaojin, these were just superficial gestures. He wanted all the excellent progeny of Tianjiang''s great families to see that Mu Huanqing and Song Mobei were a match made by fate, and that others should not interfere. Bai Chaojin''s undertone was mostly directed at Fang Ren, wanting to make it clear to him that there was no one in the world who would think he and Mu Huanqing were a suitable match. Of course, the others didn''t know Bai Chaojin''s ulterior motives; only Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing were fully aware. Yet knowing this, Mu Huanqing still had to perform her role in the weing ceremony well. It was not about personal feelings, but about focusing on etiquette. It was just a weing ceremony, and if she did not show herself, wouldn''t that be too embarrassing for the Tiandao Sword Sect? Besides, Bai Chaojin''s deeper intentions were, in Mu Huanqing''s view, neither here nor there. There were not many in the world who supported her being with Fang Ren anyway. She didn''t need their support; she just needed to use her absolute strength at a certain time to crush all prejudice against her marriage - no one would dare to oppose her. Fang Ren didn''t look up, but he could see the figures above. His own wife was still as beautiful and pure, while Song Mobei still looked like the paragon of a gentleman. What he was like, however, didn''t matter to Fang Ren. Liking my wife is futile; if you dare to pursue her, she can turn you into a pig on the spot. Although this thought seemed somewhat reliant on his wife''s power, what could he do? His wife was just that strong, and he felt quite helpless. If all else failed, he could also draw on his credit card to awaken a bit of his youth and have Jiang Ling beat Song Mobei into a pig - that was an option. Ahem, although this still relied on a woman, which of these two women didn''t be stronger because of him? Soft rice? How could the matters of a schr be called living off a woman... In the blink of an eye, twenty-two figures descended from the heavens, and the radiance emanating from Mu Huanqing still lingered in the sky, like streaks of luminescent rain, utterly mesmerizing. Bai Qi, sitting next to Fang Ren, looked at him and said, "Your beloved has arrived, why don''t you take a nce?" "I am looking," replied Fang Ren. "Your eyes... it seems there has been some change," Bai Qi observed his white eyes and sighed softly. He had too many secrets, and she didn''t wish to probe too much into them, for she had already experienced too many troubling enquiries into matters of the heart. She feared the more she asked, the more Fang Ren would grow to disdain her. As Mu Huanqing and a group of female soldiers from the Nine Heavens Corps, together with the disciples of the Tiandao Sword Sectnded, all the students in the audience stood up, and some even used their True Qi to keep themselves slightly aloft, to better observe the rarely seen grandeur of Madame Xuan. "Wow! The rumors are true! Madame Xuan is even more beautiful than what''s been told! She''s a true fairy!" a female student cried out excitedly. After all, Mu Huanqing, as a woman achieving the title of world''s strongest, inevitably drew extreme adoration from many women, bing their lifelong idol. "Absolutely stunning! Those online celebrities and influencers are nothing! Does she have some kind of natural tenfold beauty filter? It doesn''t even look like she has makeup on!" "Are you kidding me! Would Madame Xuan, a great general, wear those girly makeups?" "My heart... suddenly aches. Who in the future will be lucky enough to marry a fairy like Madame Xuan as his wife? Envy of everyone!" "Is there any need to ask? The one to marry Madame Xuan will certainly be Brother Song, without a doubt!" "Brother Song truly lives up to his name. Just standing there, he gives off a soothing aura, as if the term ''handsome and refined'' was made just for him alone." "Brother Song and Madame Xuan are recognized worldwide as a couple, no one could interfere with their future marriage." "A perfect match! Madame Xuan marrying Brother Song, I have absolutely no regrets. If it were anyone else, I would not ept it!" ... The scene was filled with buzzing chatter, and the family heads seated in the special area did not quiet the noise. They were old and seldom witnessed such lively events; watching the young people make noise was a nostalgic pastime. The presidents of the Alchemist Guild also smiled, most of them in their forties or fifties. Had they not also been young once? In their era, there was a beauty named Jiang Ling, hailed as a woman who could bring cities and nations to their knees, and they too adored her just the same. In the center of the venue, amidst the Tiandao Sword Sect faction, Xia Fu Lan''s heart burned with anger as she heard people say that Song Mobei and Mu Huanqing were a natural pair. These incessant talks had been grating on her ears for far too long. Her icy gaze asionally swept over Mu Huanqing. Why hadn''t that woman died on the battlefield! Curses! "They truly seem like a natural pair." Listening to the mor around her, Bai Qi looked at Sister Hui Qing, who appeared like a fairy in the center of the field, and at Brother Song, whom she once thought she had affections for, andmented with aplex expression on her face. ``` Fang Ren nced at her, smiling as he said, "Do you think so too?" Bai Qi looked into his white eyes and opened his mouth, "Haven''t you heard their voices? Although you possess an unparalleled cultivation talent, I''m afraid you''re doomed not to catch up with Sister Hui Qing. She''s twenty-five this year and should be getting married soon. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, it could happen at any time." "Her marriage is still a long way off," Fang Ren chuckled. He hadn''t yet crushed the critical thoughts of those people in the Central Area; how could he be at ease enough to marry Mu Huanqing? "What makes you so sure?" Bai Qi was stunned, feeling that Fang Ren was a bit overconfident in this regard. "Who knows," Fang Ren didn''t give a direct answer. Bai Qi turned her head back, once again looking at Mu Huanqing and Song Mobei in the center of the venue, leading their respective parties towards the specially arranged seats at a leisurely pace. Aplex multitude of emotions, like a massive boulder, weighed heavy on her heart. She still badly wanted to speak with Fang Ren, even at the risk of annoying him. "What I want to say is, look how good those two look together. Why can''t we be together properly and be a couple that others envy as naturally matched?" Bai Qi spoke again. Fang Ren blinked, saying, "Do you really like the appearance of a naturally matched couple?" Bai Qi: "Why do you say it''s just appearance?" Fang Ren didn''t say anything more, just hanging a subtle smile on his face. By now, the two groups in the center of the venue had reached the specially arranged seats and were preparing to sit down. But while everyone else sat, only Mu Huanqing remained standing. Suddenly, she casually released a wave of silver True Qi in front of her, a wave of True Qi attached to her voice to amplify it. "Ladies and gentlemen, please stop the wrongful matchmaking." Her voice, passing through the True Qi, expanded into a resounding volume that reverberated throughout the entire venue, crushing all the murmurs to dust beneath it. The bustling venue went silent the moment her voice faded. Bai Chaojin, sitting in the special seats, disyed a gradual shift from a warm smile to an indifferent demeanor, his eyes not turning towards Mu Huanqing. As for Song Mobei, he looked at her with a hint of surprise, but it was only for a moment before he regained hisposure, assuming a gentle and refined facade. He hadn''t expected that Mu Huanqing would directly speak out against the public''s wrongful matchmaking at such an event, wasn''t this implying that Song Mobei and Mu Huanqing were not suitable for each other? This caused some difort in Song Mobei. He was used to girls fawning over him from a young age. Any girl his age would feel immensely satisfied with just a casual smile from him. Yet Mu Huanqing, when others said she and he were a naturally matched pair, she actually refused. This made Song Mobei feel not only surprised but also intrigued. "During these uncertain times with the Void race invading, instead of focusing on personal emotions, we should concentrate more on how to fight the foreign invasion," Mu Huanqing continued, "Furthermore, cultivation level is a weapon to protect our own kin, not a criterion to judge the suitability of marriage. Even though my time to marry hase, I believe my marriage should be determined by myself. If one day, I fall in love with an ordinary person without cultivation, I will marry him regardless of what others say. The standards for judging suitable marriage should never be howpatible looks are, how well temperaments match, nor how simr cultivation levels are, but rather how much that person moves your heart and whether you can throw everything else aside for them. As the saying goes on the inte now, ''marry for love''." Upon these words, a silence fell upon the special seating area, contrasting with what everyone had in mind. Even Mu Qing Mountain had not expected his granddaughter to make such a defiant speech before over fifty thousand people at a major venue. Apparently, yesterday''s marriage discussions by the Bai Family and Fang Family had crossed her line. "Madame Xuan...Madame Xuan! So true! We should marry for love!" Suddenly, from below, a girl who greatly admired Mu Huanqing shouted out. "That''s right! We girls should marry for love! I''ve always thought that suitability, being together, and liking each other are three different things! I didn''t expect Madame Xuan''s view on love to match mine exactly!" "I want love too! I''m tired of my parents nagging me every day, telling me to marry any girl whoes along for a blind date!" "Oh my gosh! OMG! Madame Xuan said she might marry an ordinary person without cultivation in the future! Does that mean... Does that mean I have a chance too!" "Holy shit! Dude! You actually got into a top university!" "Madame Xuan spoke brilliantly!" ... At this moment, high above the venue, a hundred meters up in the corner, Jiang Ling held a cup of coconut juice, sitting beside and watching everything unfold below with the corners of his mouth revealing a slight smile. This Mu Huanqing, she truly was just like her younger self. Soon after, aplexity washed over Jiang Ling''s face, but then it solidified with determination, "I will not let this girl follow in my footsteps!" ``` Chapter 243: Chapter 339: Grand Opening (Four Updates)_1 Having spoken, Mu Hui Qing took her seat at the specially arranged seats, as Bai Chaojin''s face once again donned a smile, whereas Mu Qing Mountain looked utterly troubled, guessing that after thepetition ended, an uncontroble farce would ensue. After Mu Hui Qing''s brief speech, the entire venue once again became noisy. "How is this different from what the rumors suggested? Is the rtionship between Madame Xuan and Brother Song not as good as people say?" "What do you mean ''not good''? They are both heroes on the Human Battlefield; how could they be on bad terms? At most, Madame Xuan just didn''t have that kind of feeling for Brother Song." "I think so too. But isn''t it weird? Clearly, there''s no affection between the two, so why was it spread around as if it were true?" "Though what Madame Xuan said is indeed right, the Human Race is now facing an invasion from the Void race, and nurturing the next generation is crucial. If Madame Xuan really wants to marry an ordinary person, I''m afraid the entire Central Area would disagree." "Yes, we must prioritize the bigger picture." ¡­ Fang Ye, sitting in the specially arranged seats, couldn''t contain his glee upon hearing Mu Hui Qing''s speech, thinking that he wouldn''t need to take any action ¡ª Mu Hui Qing would stir up trouble on her own. All he had to do was add fuel to the fire for Song Mobei, get him to kill Fang Ren, and everything would fall into ce. However, he was still troubled by a lingering question in his mind; in the entire world, other than the Patriarch of the Fang family, Mu Hui Qing was the only other person most likely to break through to the Xuan Night Realm. But the True Qi Mu Hui Qing was using did not seem to be at the strength of the Xuan Night Realm, which vexed him greatly ¡ª who else in this world could break through to the Xuan Night Realm before Mu Hui Qing? At that moment, in the front row of another spectator stand, a group of core members of the Tianjiang Great Family sat together, their splendid clothes making them very conspicuous in the entire venue. "Hey, Tongtong, that''s your brother over there! He looks so refined!" A seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, holding the hand of a girl of the same age next to her, pointed in the direction of Fang Ren and excitedly spoke. Fang Tong, following the direction Wang Lin was pointing, looked over with a slight frown. Her feelings wereplicated; she never knew she had a brother, a fact her father had only disclosed to her two months ago. Today''s Elixir Competition was the reason she hade ¡ª to see her own brother, whom she had never met in her life. Truthfully, the first time she saw Fang Ren, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. He had some resemnce to their father, but she felt that Fang Ren''s face was more simr to their mother''s. From her very first sight of him and what she heard from those around her, the praise for her brother was plentiful;ments about his unparalleled alchemy talent and predictions of him taking the Human Elixir Field to new heights were tossed around him. However, Fang Tong couldn''t understand why just half a month ago, every piece of news she heard about this brother was that he was nothing more than a castoff of the family, secretly abandoned due to ack of Cultivational Talent. Yet, when the Elixir Competition district match came around, everything took a drastic turn. "Xiaolin, I feel so conflicted right now," Fang Tong said to the girl beside her. "What''s the matter, Tongtong? Having a brother like that is great. If you ever want elixirs, just ask him to make you some, and in a few days, you''ll be able to call the Princess Consort sister-inw!" Wang Lin said excitedly. "It''s not about that; I don''t know how to interact with him. He''s been outside for twenty-two years¡­ I feel like he won''t like our family much, nor will he like me," Fang Tong expressed. "Oh,e on, how could that be? Didn''t you hear what your grandfather said? The reason they sent him away from the family was to keep him away from worldly troubles and allow him to focus on Alchemy. It''s all for his own good," Wang Lin assured her. Fang Tong gave a slight smile and shook her head; that was just what her grandfather had said here, and she vividly remembered running to ask her grandfather when she first learned of her brother two months ago, only to be sternly chastised by him, iming that there was no such person as Fang Ren in the Fang family. Today, she saw her grandfather''s hypocrisy and seemed to glimpse all the hardship her blood brother endured outside across twenty-two years. At this time, a young man sitting among the Fang camp spoke to Fang Tong, "Ah Tong, don''t think too much about such things; just let nature take its course. The hardships he''s endured outside, grandfather willpensate him." Fang Tong turned her head, nodded, and said, "I understand, Brother Li Zhong." Compensation... how typical of a great family. Meanwhile, Fang Liqun, sitting next to Fang Lizhong, looked at Fang Ren in the arena with a look of aversion. This suddenly emerged elder brother had directly disrupted their father''s ns and was also betrothed to the woman he loved, fueling his hatred even more. The Fang family had three elders: the eldest, Fang Zheng, who had a daughter Fang Tong; the second, Fang Ye, who had a son Fang Liqun; and the third, Fang Jing, who had a son, Fang Lizhong. The Fang family''s left faction was under the eldest son, the right faction under the second, and the third son was rather mediocre, keeping his family out of these matters. Fang Tong didn''t have a good impression of her cousin Fang Liqun, due to their fathers'' animosity, and she felt Fang Lizhong was more like a brother to her. Despite his questionable behavior outside, he took good care of her at home. Also worth mentioning is that Liu Qianqian of the Liu family is the fianc¨¦e of Fang Lizhong, son of the third elder of the Fang family. ¡­ Bai Qi, looking at Mu Hui Qing sitting in the specially arranged seats, gradually became pensive, "It seems... you were right; it''s all just a fa?ade." Fang Ren didn''t respond; his gaze was fixed on Xia Fu Lan, who was also looking back at him from afar. Only Mu Hui Qing and Song Mobei were seated in the specially arranged seats, while the disciples of the Tiandao Sword Sect sat opposite Fang Ren, across more than three hundred seats at the front of the spectator stand. "What''s Xia Fu Lan''s current realm?" Fang Ren asked. Bai Qi nced at him, "Midterm phase of Yingyue Realm. Even though your cultivation level has skyrocketed like a monster, you''d have no chance in a sword duel with her, even if you were at the same cultivation level now." "Is that so?" Fang Ren said, "Actually, I would really like to spar with her while using True Qi." "Are you out of your mind?" Bai Qi gave him a disparaging look. Even if Fang Ren had monstrously freakish cultivational talent, how could he possibly contend with someone at the Peak of the Azure Sky Realm when he was only in the Midterm phase of the Yingyue Realm? She could knock him down with a single p. Bai Qi spoke again, "In a while, I''ll go and apologize with you. Forget about the sword duel, there are so many people here, aren''t you afraid of losing face?" Fang Ren smiled and said, "Have you ever seen me do something I''m not sure of?" Bai Qi paused, then thought about it, and indeed, this guy was full of unknowns. At first, she thought Fang Ren would not excel in cultivation, but then his cultivation level soared like he was riding a shooting star. Then she thought Fang Ren had no money, but it turned out he could whip out billions. Lastly, she believed Fang Ren was no good at alchemy, but then he surpassed the world masters... This time with the Sword Dao, she truly had no reason not to believe Fang Ren was confident. But she was still worried. After all, the other party was the daughter of the Leader of the Tiandao Sword Sect. Her swordsmanship was ranked among the top in the entire world, and Fang Ren had never even touched a sword. "If you are defeatedter, I will definitely help you regain your face," Bai Qi said earnestly. "We haven''t even started fighting yet, aren''t you thinking too far ahead?" Fang Ren said. Bai Qi frowned and said, "Am I not just worried you''ll embarrass yourself in front of the person you like? If you lose, how could Sister Hui Qing possibly like you? I''ll definitely have to find a way to make you look a bit better in her eyes." "Hey hey, when did you start nning to help me pursue her?" Fang Ren was taken aback. "Since you don''t like me, what can I do? Might as well kick you to the curb sooner rather thanter," Bai Qi said with a puffed-up face. "..." Fang Renughed awkwardly. This girl''s thought process was still as magical as ever. ... The time had almost passed, and the President of the Tianjiang Tianxing Alchemist Guild stood up and began the opening speech for this alchemypetition: a long-winded discourse that was to be expected. He talked about the hard experiences of alchemists from generations past and how many editions of the elixirpetition there had been up to now, its significance, and how, on the current battlefield, alchemists are crucial... "Ninth District Chief! How did you get here?" While the President was speaking, suddenly, a middle-aged man with a scarf around his head snuck in through the door and was immediately caught by a staff member there. Shang Han looked pained as he addressed the staff member, "Listen, buddy, there''s something wrong with your thinking! As the dignified Ninth District Chief, don''t I have the right to enter this ce?" The staff member panicked, "No, no, of course not! Ninth District Chief! I didn''t mean that at all, I just thought you''d be busy with your duties, and with the void race possibly descending at any moment, if something unexpected urred in the Ninth District while you''re here..." "You don''t know squat!" Shang Han covered half of his face with his scarf and looked furtively around, putting an arm around the shoulder of the staff member and said in a low voice, backing away from the presidential tform, "Let me tell you, we just killed an Eighth-order Void Beast in my district. ording to our estimates, norge Void Beasts will appear in the next three days. So what''s wrong with me, the Ninth District Chief taking a little time toe and see my daughter?" The staff member was stunned again, "An Eighth-order Void Beast appeared in the Ninth District?" The Ninth District was the outermost region of human resistance against the Void; logically, Void Beasts of no more than sixth order should appear there frequently. But Shang Han said they had annihted an Eighth-order Void Beast in his district... Anyone with half a brain could tell that he was spouting nonsense. Were Eighth-order Void Beasts that easy to deal with? Without an Anti-Void Array, Eighth-order Void Beasts were equivalent to mid-phase Xuanyang realm powerhouses! And Shang Han, he seemed to have only recently broken through to the early phase of the Xuanyang realm... Seeing the staffer doubting his words, Shang Han''s expression turned serious, "Of course! Otherwise, would I, as the dignified Ninth District Chief, be so irresponsible as to wander off?" "You... seem to have been wandering off for over twenty years already..." "Nonsense! You don''t know anything!" Shang Han smacked him on the head, "Anyway, I came here to see my daughter. Do you understand the feeling of yearning for one''s daughter? Do you have a daughter? If you don''t, then don''t go making false reports!" "I..." The staffer still wanted to stop him, but when he looked back, Shang Han had already run off towards the huge audience stand, covered up like a thief. The young staffer pped his face, feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness, "If you really had a longing for your daughter, the whole of Tianjiang wouldn''t be gossiping about your twenty-year disappearance, never caring for Madame Xuan..." Watching Shang Han disappear into the distance, the young staffer sighed in resignation. Perhaps it was better not to report this; the Ninth District Chief had been capricious for more than just a year or two. To think he could abandon his own daughter for over twenty years and not see her, even if this were reported to the higher-ups, it would be futile. At best, they would forcibly drag the Ninth District Chief back to his district. And whether the Ninth District Chief would hold a grudge was yet another uncertainty. Anyway, it was rumored that the soldiers of the Ninth District had once been gentlemen; but after Shang Han came, they all turned into ruffians. Chapter 244: Chapter 340: Fang Renrans Resentment and Gratitude (Part 5)_1 "Bullshit! Why is the camera focusing on some old dude? I want to see Ranzi!" At the entrance of the venue, Li Xingwang, who was holding a spicy chicken wing in his hand, watched the screen floating mid-air as it broadcasted the situation inside the venue and couldn''t help but curse outright. "Damn it, is Ranzi so insignificant? At least he''s a once-in-a-generation genius, right? Couldn''t they arrange a slot for him in the opening ceremony speech?" Jing Haichuan didn''t hesitate, taking a bite from the chicken wing in Li Xingwang''s hand, indignant. "Who''s the damn cameraman? Fire him now!" Li Xingwang continued. "Shit! Do they not want to use Jing''s condoms anymore?" ... Behind them, all the members of ss 3 of Yangming Medical College, wearing the same uniform as these two, were somewhat embarrassed. Because right under this live broadcast screen, only these two were holding a bucket of chicken wings, munching and cursing now and then, asionally clinking their cs for a toast and continuing to rant. "Think about the quality, quality," advised Teacher Huang next to them, sweating profusely; these two guys seemed like they owned the entire world as soon as they left the school gates. Soon enough... Two sisters from the Nine Heavens Corps responsible for maintaining order approached, grabbed the necks of the two without a word, and directly dragged them away. "Hey! Ladies! If you want some of my chicken wings, just say so! No need to grab the throat! That part''s not okay!" "Miss! Miss! I''ve preserved my purity for twenty years! You can''t do this to me! If it''s possible... please buy a Jing''s condom, help our family with the advertising..." Bang bang¡ª After a while, with dark circles under their eyes and their hair in disarray, the two rejoined the group watching the live broadcast, no more chicken wings to nibble on. ------ ------ Inside the venue, as the chairman''s speech drew to a close, fireworks lit up the entire sky above the venue, and in the center, a huge four-sided screen floated mid-air, beginning to disy the achievements of Alchemists through the ages. The opening ceremony still had many proceedings yet to happen, but Xia Fn couldn''t wait to have those put on hold. She hadn''te to this opening ceremony for fun; she came to reim all the face she lost that day, on Fang Renran, the genius of the Elixir Field. Listening to the discussions around, some of which included Bai Qi''s topics, Xia Fn listened carefully; to her surprise, it turned out that Fang Renran and Bai Qi were going to get married immediately after thispetition. "Hah! Married? Just a girl Brother Song looked down upon, and he''s treating her like treasure? Fine, if you''re getting married, then I, Xia Fn, will make sure you go through your wedding in a wheelchair!" Once Xia Fn confirmed the news, she could no longer suppress her rage within. She felt that if she waited any longer, everyone in the audience would have calluses on their ears from the speeches,cking the energy to witness the final showdown between her and Fang Renran. p¡ª While everyone was focused on the information about Alchemists ying on the big screen, Xia Fn suddenly rose from her seat and stared directly at Fang Renran across from her, taking a step forward. The group of people sitting beside her all turned their attention to her, their gazes naturally drawn to the chilling aura emanating from her. At almost the same time, Fang Renran, sitting about a hundred meters away from her, stood up too, not showing the slightest hint of True Qi. His seat and his identity already drew attention; his sudden synchronized action with Xia Fn caused the densely packed audience to grow curious. "Fang Renran!" Bai Qi, without a second word, went up to help him but then felt embarrassed, quickly dropping her arm and simply standing behind Fang Renran. Fang Renran turned to look at her, and although he didn''t need to turn to see the concern on Bai Qi''s face, looking back at her seemed tofort her a bit more. "If you can''t manage it, just admit defeat. It''s better that I take the embarrassment," Bai Qi said, standing in front of him with a veryplex expression on her face. Fang Renran looked at her and for some reason, suddenly thought of Liu Qianqian, who once looked at him with the same gaze as Bai Qi, as if she was willing to do anything as long as he wasn''t hurt. Both girls were equally foolish. Fang Renran chuckled, "It''s fine, you''re my fianc¨¦e after all. How could I let you take the embarrassment for me?" Having said that, Fang Renran turned back and continued to walk towards Xia Fn. "Hey! What''s going on all of a sudden? Why has Princess Fn suddenly stood up and walked to the center of the venue?" "Didn''t you see? Young Master Fang also suddenly stood up. The two of them didn''t seem to have nned it at all; it was just like they synchronized!" "Feels like... it''s not something good." "Just look at the aura emitting from Princess Fn. She clearly seems very angry!" "What kind of feud could Young Master Fang and Princess Fn possibly have? Young Master Fang has never stayed in Tianjiang, and since hecks Cultivation Ability, they probably haven''t even met," "That''s where you''re uninformed. Don''t you know about the Orchid Bamboo Guild regionalpetition? What Young Master Fang did, he basically made Princess Fn''s face swell up! And then the two of them set this sword Dao duel agreement!" "Crap! That''s explosive! But isn''t Young Master Fang unable to cultivate? A sword Dao duel... To speak frankly, isn''t that asking to be crushed?" ... The students, who had been quietly watching nostalgic films, suddenly erupted into a buzz of conversation. The core family members seated in the special area above watched Fang Ren and Xia Fn slowly walk towards each other on the field, listening to the students'' morous discussions, and felt somewhat bewildered for a moment. Swelled up her face? A sword Dao duel? What is all this? How could Fang Ren, a man born without the ability to cultivate, have managed to hit Xia Fn, who is in the Midterm phase of Yingyue Realm? Nonsense! Mu Huanqing''s brows furrowed slightly when she saw this scene. She remembered something Fang Ren had said to her before: he promised to make Xia Fn pay the price, that even if hecked power at the moment, he wouldn''t let her have an easy life. He''s going to have a sword Dao duel with Xia Fn? How did this happen? Mu Huanqing suddenly panicked, but remembering Fang Ren''s character, he wasn''t the type to act tougher than he was. Calming herself slightly, Mu Huanqing decided to wait and see how things would unfold. If Xia Fn dared hurt Fang Ren, she would p Xia Fn''s head down on the spot! Consequences be damned; she couldn''t stand watching her child''s father get hurt right before her eyes. The Cao Family Patriarch frowned and turned to Fang Yuanhao, asking, "Brother Fang, what''s going on here? Howe there''s talk of Ren having a sword Dao duel with that Fn girl?" "This..." Fang Yuanhao waspletely embarrassed and momentarily at a loss for words. He was all too aware that Fang Ren had never possessed a Spiritual Root since childhood and thus couldn''t cultivate. Having a sword Dao duel with the Sect Master''s own daughter, wouldn''t that be humiliating? Furthermore, as a grandfather who didn''t care much for Fang Ren, he only knew about Fang Ren achieving an Upper Level Pill in the regionalpetition in fourteen minutes and thirty-six seconds, but he had no idea that Fang Ren already possessed the strength of the Early Stage of Xianyun Realm at that time. Seeing this, Bai Chaojin immediatelyughed and said, "Brother Fang, there''s no need to be so modest anymore. Ren is obviously a natural Cultivation genius. Although hecks a Spiritual Root and couldn''t cultivate since childhood, at twenty-two he obtained the Spirit Form Root, and in just three short months, he crossed seventeen minor Realms, reaching the Early Stage of Xianyun Realm. He''s an unparalleled genius in both Alchemy and Cultivation. Brother Fang, why continue to hide his talents? Do you really want Ren to silently cultivate for another twenty-two years without saying anything?" "What? Crossed seventeen minor Realms in three months!?" The family heads of the major families were all shocked, even questioning their own hearing. Having a Spiritual Root at twenty-two was one thing¡ªafter all, the world is full of wonders¡ªbut crossing seventeen minor Realms in three months? What in the world? That''s a higher talent than Mu Hui and Bai Qibined! Fang Yuanhao was stupefied. He could understand that Brother Bai was finding reasons to defend him, but what kind of reason was this? Crossing seventeen minor Realms in three months? Even seven would be monstrous, but seventeen... How could it be possible? Mu Qing Mountain, on the other hand, sighed. He hadn''t expected that all this information was tightly controlled by that old fox, Bai Chaojin. It seemed he had nned the marriage contract with the Fang Family long ago, anticipating the day when Fang Ren would show his extraordinary talents! Mu Qing Mountain felt a deep regret. When he had tested Fang Ren''s True Qi strength, he should have foreseen all of this! When Fang Ren hadn''t even reached the first stage of Cultivation, and his True Qi was strong enough to injure Mu Qing Mountain''s hand, the boy was destined to be more than a Mortal. Yet he foolishly set a term of either two or five years! Looking back, he felt like pping himself in the face. "Brother Bai, you''re not joking, are you?" the Liu Family head blurted out, clearly shocked. "Yeah, don''t scare us, brothers. We''re old, and anything could trigger a heart condition. We can''t afford to y with that heart-racing feeling anymore," said an elder from the Wang''s family. "Hahaha..." Bai Chaojinughed heartily without responding further. His eyes rested on Fang Ren in the center of the field, moving unhurriedly, and he sighed internally. This kid was bound to defy him and Hui Qing, what a pity. Yet even so, Bai Chaojin felt that no matter what Fang Ren did, he must keep him alive at all costs. The principle behind founding the Indra Sky Test Organization, he had never forgotten it. In the very back of the spectator stands, Shang Han stood there, face covered without a seat, holding a cigarette and watching the center of the field. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, just got here and already stumbled upon a big event," murmured Shang Han as he toyed with the cigarette butt, squinting at Xia Fn opposite Fang Ren and muttering to himself, "Say, did this kid get water on the brain during the time he left me? He promised me he wouldn''t pretend to be something he''s not once he had real power, right?" Chapter 245: Chapter 341: Gossip-filled Tianjiang (Sixth Update)_1 In the midst of the tumultuous and suddenly escting atmosphere at the center of the venue, Fang Ren and Xia Fu Lan stood below therge screen. No one spoke up to interrupt, and the restless students in the entire venue kept letting out shrill screams and shouts, nearly bursting at seams with the volume, despite the size of the venue. At this moment, even the crowd outside watching the live broadcast on the floating screens could clearly hear the noise from inside the venue. "This... why aren''t they following the script? Shouldn''t Ranzi get on stage, give a little speech, and put on a show? Why have they started a literal Huashan Sword Meeting?" The teachers and students of ss Three from the Medical School were stunned as they watched the scene unfold on the big screen, not understanding why Fang Ren, a once-in-a-lifetime Alchemy genius, would engage in swordy with someone? What swordy? If you get shed, how can you continue to strut around? Only Liu Qianqian and Jian Qi''er were not surprised by this. Liu Qianqian knew everything about Fang Ren, including his identity as Master Qing''an, which had not been exposed until now. She hadplete confidence in Fang Ren. And Jian Qi''er knew all too well the grievances between Fang Ren and Xia Fu Lan, as well as Fang Ren''s terrifying Cultivation Talent. Though this battle seemed like a sure loss for Fang Ren, Jian Qi''er thought otherwise. Because yesterday, the leader in Jiang Ling told her that Fang Ren had safely helped her break through Realms and even advanced two levels, reaching that legendary Realm! What was even more terrifying was that Fang Ren himself had absorbed a Heavenly Tribtion and broken through five minor Realms in session! Jian Qi''er recalled the time at Linglong Bay, when Fang Ren, at the Peak of Yuanxin Realm, had bypassed the Ruoshui Realm and dominated someone at the Mid-Stage of Chongshan Realm. She had no reason not to believe that the current Fang Ren could put up a fight against Xia Fu Lan with the strength of Peak of Azure Sky. ------ ------ "There are a lot of people here today, Young Master Fang," Xia Fu Lan said with a cold smirk, her lips curled with confidence as she looked at Fang Ren. Fang Ren couldn''t be bothered to banter with her and instead turned his head slightly and gave a modest bow toward the VIP seating area. The Chairman, seeing this, immediately bolstered a sound amplifying array with True Qi and ced it in front of Fang Ren, so his voice could be heard louder. After all, there were rumors that Young Master Fang couldn''t practice Cultivation. Although the former Family Heads had been discussing Fang Ren''s sudden ability to cultivate, he still thought it unrealistic. "Thank you, Chairman," Fang Ren continued, "I''m sorry to disturb everyone during this grand opening ceremony. For personal reasons between Princess Fn and myself, we set this matter during the subdivisionpetition. Personally, I admire the Sword Dao of the Tiandao Sword Sect, so it''s either taking a lesson from Princess Fn or rather, I''m thinking of giving Princess Fn a free lesson." Whoosh¡ª The entire scene erupted in a buzz. "Holy cow! This is actually happening! Are these two really going to face off in a swordy duel right here?" "Damn! Young Master Fang must be crazy, challenging the daughter of the Sect Master of Tiandao to swordy? Oh no! He said he''s going to teach Princess Fn a lesson! Did I hear that right?" "Such arrogance from Young Master Fang! Indeed, the rumors the other day weren''t false! Young Master Fang is not as mild and low-key as he seems on the surface! This guy is extremely audacious!" "In my opinion, Young Master Fang must have been struck by an emotional blow, which is why he''s doing this!" "Oh? What do you mean by that?" "Don''t you know? Justst night, Young Master Fang and Princess Bai Xi went to a hotel, and Young Master Fang wanted to stay in the same room but got kicked out by Princess Bai Xi! Clearly, Princess Bai Xi still has feelings for Brother Song! The marriage with Fang Family might be due to the elders''mands that are hard to disobey, so she''s never broken off the engagement with Young Master Fang!" "Holy moly! Is that really what happened? That means Young Master Fang is jealous, which is why he provoked Tiandao Sword Sect during the subdivisionpetition? And it just so happens that Princess Fn was upstaged by Young Master Fang over an issue with a pill, so the two of them ended up shing?" "Definitely! But on another note, Young Master Fang is really... not that great. If she doesn''t like you, she doesn''t like you. A melon forced off its vine is never sweet, and now calling out the Tiandao Sword Sect for a duel? Isn''t that... a fool''s errand?" "Ah! Poor Princess Bai Xi, clearly not liking the other party but still having to marry them, and the wedding is set to be right after the Alchemypetition!" ... The spectator stands became another whirlwind of gossip. This time, many voices reached Bai Xi''s ears. She gritted her teeth in frustration over her attitude toward Fang Ren that night! And now she had to endure being talked about like this by these people! Bai Xi turned around, wanting to shout at the dense crowd to shut up, but with no Cultivation Level, even screaming herself hoarse wouldn''t be heard by many. Moreover, the most important thing was that she couldn''t embarrass the Bai Family here in front of her grandfather. How could a princess yell like this, unruly and unbefitting, especially if nobody even heard her? After listening for a while, Bai Xi seemed to catch more important information, her emotions trembling all over. After the Alchemypetition was over, she was going to marry Fang Ren? Was this also spoken personally by her grandfather today? Bai Xi looked back at Bai Chaojin in the VIP seating area with mixed feelings. She was not at all pleased with this marriage because Fang Ren truly didn''t like her. What would it be like to be with Fang Ren, then? She felt her grandfather had made the wrong decision on her behalf, that none of this should be the way it was. Fang Ren''s words had stunned everyone in the VIP seats, all heads of the great families included. Had the Alchemy prodigy of the Fang Family be too overconfident? Although they wanted to say this, with the Head of Fang family sitting beside them, it wouldn''t be appropriate to speak. "Tongtong! Your brother is going topete in swordsmanship with Princess Fn!" On the side where the family heirs were gathered, Wang Lin, caught up in the excitement, shouted as she grabbed Fang Tong''s hand, looking at the center of the arena. "This..." Fang Tong waspletely stunned, her brother didn''t seem as low-profile as the rumors suggested... "Heh! He''s asking for humiliation!" Fang Liqun scoffed as he saw this, a cold smile spreading across his face. What he wanted to see most was Fang Ren lying on the ground begging Xia Fu Lan for mercy; he didn''t believe Bai Qi would still want to be with such a disgraceful man after that. In the center of the arena, Xia Fu Lan, hearing all the gossip, felt a chill in her heart and immediately circted her True Qi to amplify her voice, "Young Master Fang really has a way with words, glossing over everything by saying it''s for ''personal reasons''. I don''t understand why Young Master Fang wouldn''t borate on what happened?" Fang Ren looked at Xia Fu Lan as if looking at an idiot, exin the process? Exin how I pped your face? Xia Fu Lan sneered, "Since Young Master Fang is unwilling to share, then let me tell you all. I''m sure everyone is dying to know what happened." As soon as Xia Fu Lan began speaking, the entire venue went silent in an instant. Xia Fu Lan nced intentionally at Bai Qi in the distance and said, "In fact, everyone''s guess is close to the truth. Our Young Master Fang has unrequited love for Sister Apprentice Bai Qi, but who in Tianjiang doesn''t know that My Sister Apprentice Bai Qi''s heart belongs to someone else? Sister Apprentice Bai Qi fancies the senior brother from Tiandao Sword Sect! So during the division tournament, Young Master Fang became irritated upon seeing our Sword Sect and subsequently stepped up to provoke us. First, he unted his high achievements in alchemy to teach me a lesson, then proimed he''d give me a lesson in Sword Dao as well." As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue erupted into chaos. "Holy shit! So this is the real story!" "Motherfucker! Of course, it''s gotta be this explosive to be interesting!" "Man, it seems that despite being praised to the skies, Young Master Fang''s approach to love is still no match for Brother Song. Getting jealous and causing all this fuss, doesn''t he know how to let go or reflect on his own issues?" "Now that you mention it, I suddenly have a lower opinion of Young Master Fang!" ... Fang Ren listened to Xia Fu Lan''s words, blinked, and thought this woman was really vicious with rumors, just snatching the audience''s narrative and pushing it along with the flow. Now, even if he tried to exin, everyone would be predisposed to believe Xia Fu Lan''s side of the story. However, Fang Ren had no intention of exining, because soon the matter with Mu Huanqing woulde to light, and all the rumors and nder would copse on their own. Xia Fu Lan would end up pping her own face. From a specially arranged seat, Mu Huanqing, after hearing Xia Fu Lan''s words, couldn''t help but feel indignant, rarely showing such an emotional reaction. But the idea of people using their thoughts to demean her husband was unbearable for her. Still, she remained seated because she could break Xia Fu Lan''s clownish rumors at any moment with just a word. Bai Qi, however, was panicked. She could not have anticipated Xia Fu Lan being so malicious, resorting to such tactics! She could not hold back any longer and stood up, ready to go on stage to tear apart this attack on Fang Ren''s reputation! But, just as she was about to move, a sovereign nce from the specially arranged seat swept over her, and as Bai Qi looked back, she realized it was her grandfather''s. He was forbidding her from going up to help Fang Ren. Bai Qi didn''t understand; since her grandfather had already said he would let Fang Ren marry her after the alchemypetition, Fang Ren losing face would also be a loss of face for her grandfather. So why wouldn''t he let her go up and settle it? Was her grandfather nning to help Fang Ren himself, or did he think Fang Ren was capable of resolving it on his own? After hesitating for a moment, Bai Qi eventually sat down again, filled withplex emotions. Meanwhile, outside the venue, the students of the Third Medical ss, especially Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang, were outright explosive with emotion. "Motherfucker! Saying our Ranzi has unrequited love? Pining for the princess? Bullshit! Who''s being insulted here? Our Ranzi changes eight girlfriends in a single night, and doesn''t even drink the same brand of Kiddneybao twice!" "This Xia Fu Lan must not know about the ordeals our ss leader has undergone at, uh, under Ranzi''s hands! We would scare her pissless with the tale, yet she speaks of unrequited love!" "Exactly! Our medical school''s top yboy harboring unrequited love? These rumors are brainless!" "Fuck! When our Ranzi was flirting with Xuan Nv... no, I mean, that white-haired beauty, even Princess Bai Xi didn''t dare to meddle!" ... Hearing the whole ss of boys shouting in an uproar, Liu Qianqian was so furious she was about to throw a punch! When had she ever had that kind of rtionship with Fang Ren!? Chapter 246: Chapter 342: Blade Storm! (Seven Updates)_1 "Xia Yuntian''s daughter? Hah, for a man so full of righteousness, how did he end up raising a daughter like this?" Sitting at the top of the conference hall, Jiang Ling couldn''t help but look down upon the scene, well aware that the true love between Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing, with Bai Qi being nothing but an ident. However, the fact that she twisted the truth to agitate the crowd against Fang Ren just goes to show how malicious Xia Fu Lan can be. Amidst the venue, Song Mobei watched the scene with his usual gentle smile, as if nothing concerned him whatsoever. As for Bai Qi''s feelings for him, he was of course aware; out of so many female disciples at the Tiandao Sword Sect, how many could im they didn''t fancy him? Upon hearing these words, Fang Liqun from the Fang Family camp burst into unbridledughter: "Hahaha! How could I have such a disgraceful older brother? This isughable! He can''t even win the affection of his fiancee, he might as well let go early! Pretending to be something he''s not, losing face for our Fang Family!" Fang Tong frowned upon hearing this. Regardless of what Fang Ren had done, it wasn''t outrageous or harmful. Was it necessary to mock him as a family member? Fang Lizhong shook his head and sighed, "Such a waste of talent. He''s only shown his face for a few days, seeking trouble for himself, clearly inexperienced with the world." Upon hearing this, Fang Tong suddenly couldn''t muster any good feelings for this Brother Li Zhong either. After all, didn''t the Fang Family abandon Fang Ren when he initially left the n? Now that he had made a name for himself, the Fang Family felt honored to ept him back. Yet now, just because of his unrequited love and frustration, they defame him and hastily disassociate themselves, as if he had always been an outcast disdained by the Fang Family people. These family members... they chilled her heart too much. Fang Tong couldn''t help but think, if her mother and father hadn''t been busy with missions and hade to the event today, what would they think upon seeing Fang Ren? ... At the center, Fang Ren didn''t offer any exnations and just kept an indifferent demeanor,ughing before speaking, "Princess Fn seems to love spreading rumors. However, I won''t be giving lessons on fixing that habit for free." "Hah, Young Master Fang, you might as well just admit it openly," snickered Xia Fu Lan. "Words are useless. I''m here today to teach Princess Fn a lesson. If the Princess wishes to fabricate a few more rumors, then continue; after you''re done, we can begin," said Fang Ren. Xia Fu Lan turned to the chairman and spoke, "I think we should rify the rules of our sparring to the chairman beforehand, to prevent it from seeming like an unfair victoryter on." Seeing that the duel was inevitable, the chairman immediately spoke, "Let''s pause the video yback for now. Since both parties have agreed in advance, let''s consider this duel a part of the opening ceremony. Princess Fn, if you have anything to add, please go ahead." Xia Fu Lan spoke, "Young Master Fang''s current realm is merely the early stages of the Cloud Interstice, and if I were to strike with full force, it could end in a single blow, barely having the essence of a spar. So for fairness''s sake, in this contest, neither Young Master Fang nor I will use True Qi, only our sword skills." Upon hearing this, Fang Ren suddenly decided to change his mind. He now needed to use True Qi; he wanted to thoroughly crush all of Xia Fu Lan''s confidence. After all, sooner orter, he would be an enemy she faced with full force, better sooner thanter. "Princess Fn, are you sure you won''t use True Qi?" Fang Ren asked. Xia Fu Lan sneered, "Me use True Qi? Aren''t you afraid I might identally put you in life-threatening danger, Young Master Fang?" "I just feel that not using True Qi would give the impression that I''m bullying Princess Fn," Fang Ren replied. "Hahaha!" Xia Fu Lan burst intoughter upon hearing this: "Young Master Fang, you really have a talent for telling cold jokes. Have you been scared into delirium? Can''t find a way down from your pedestal, so you start spouting nonsense?" "Whatever Princess Fn thinks, but this is your chance to use True Qi." Having said that, Fang Ren started walking in the opposite direction of the field, increasing the distance between him and Xia Fu Lan. "Opportunity? That''s the funniest joke I''ve heard!" Xia Fu Lan didn''t move from her spot; there was no need for her to increase the distance. In her eyes, a casual swing of her sword would be enough to mangle Fang Ren''s legs beyond recognition; what need was there for extraneous movements? Ching¡ª A strand of True Qi flew out from Xia Fu Lan''s body, turning into a silver longsword; it was her Spirit Form rather than a sword simply condensed from True Qi. "Does Young Master Fang even have a Spirit Form that can turn into a sword?" Xia Fu Lanughed. "If not, I can switch to using a real longsword to have a fair contest with Young Master Fang." "No need, let''s begin now," Fang Ren said. The moment his words fell, the entire venue fell silent, because he didn''t even have a sword in his hand to spar with. "Is Young Master Fang ying with me?" asked Xia Fu Lan, frowning. Fang Ren spoke, "Not at all. Princess Fn, have you not heard of a realm in swordsmanship called ''Swordless''?" As his words concluded, the hall erupted into noise once more. "Has Young Master Fang gone mad?" "Indeed, what is this ''Swordless'' nonsense? How can there be swordsmanship without a sword? It must be a joke!" "It seems Young Master Fang is indeed pretending to be more than he is, utterlycking in skill but still challenging others in that domain." "Either start quickly or just admit defeat. Why all this talk about ''Swordless'' or not? Could it be that the number one Tiandao Sword Sect doesn''t know as much as him, an Alchemist?" "Exactly, let''s get started!" ... Xia Fu Lan looked at Fang Ren as if he were a fool, andughed, "Young Master Fang, ying the fool like this actually makes me feel a bit sorry for you." Seeing her like this, clearly not believing his words, Fang Ren didn''t want to drag things out any longer. If not starting without a sword was the issue, then he would get a sword. "Well then, since a sword must be used, that will do," Fang Ren looked at the sword in Xia Fu Lan''s hand and said, "I suppose the Spirit Form is the Princess''s weapon of choice, so I wouldn''t want Princess Fn to switch weapons." Xia Fu Lan nced at her own sword and smiled, "My sword is called the Jade Water Linglong Sword. Generally, when I wield it, no disciple in the Sword Sect can defeat me, except for Brother Song. Using it against Young Master Fang, would that be too much?" Fang Ren smiled indifferently and turned to Mu Huanqing, "Madame Xuan, may I borrow a suitable weapon." Hum¡ª Before Fang Ren''s voice had even faded, a gigantic Silver Wheel, a hundred meters in diameter, appeared out of thin air above Mu Huanqing''s head, with countless silver weapons disyed on it, continuously emitting a sacred aura. Whoosh¡ª A beam of silver light shot out directly towards Fang Ren. With a casual wave of his hand, the longsword that flew out from Mu Huanqing''s Spirit Form fell obediently into his hands, as if recognizing its master. "Madame Xuan actually gave him a weapon!?" "This¡­ Madame Xuan probably wants to see a fair duel." "In my opinion, Madame Xuan might be trying to save some face for Young Master Fang. After all, he''s bound to be the winning Alchemist of this tournament. He can''t spoil his reputation at this time." "Thanks to Madame Xuan''s kindness, otherwise, he would have no weapon today." ¡­ Xia Fu Lan coldly watched the longsword that came flying out of Mu Huanqing''s Spirit Form. It seemed Mu Huanqing was openly opposing her. The Tianjiang Family Masters sighed and shook their heads as they saw Fang Ren using Mu Huanqing''s Spirit Form. Although they didn''t specialize in Sword Dao, they still had some understanding of it. For instance, the state of Person-Sword Unity which many swordsmen strive to achieve yet cannot attain, as well as the higher level of the Minute Realm, and Song Mobei''s state of Voidness Realm, the peak of the sword path¡ªall of these were somewhat understood by them. And now, Xia Fu Lan''s realm of Sword Dao was at the Minute Realm. On the other hand, Fang Ren was using Mu Huanqing''s Spirit Form¡ªsomeone else''s at that. No matter how he wielded it, he could not possibly achieve the state of Person-Sword Unity. If Fang Ren had significant expertise in Sword Dao and had chosen the weapon given by Mu Huanqing, that would mean he was voluntarily weakening his own power. From this perspective, Fang Ren didn''t even understand the state of Person-Sword Unity, so how could hepete with someone like Xia Fu Lan, who was in the Minute Realm of Sword Dao? "Shall we start?" Xia Fu Lan asked with a smile. "Anytime." Fang Ren gripped the longsword given by Mu Huanqing, his gaze not even resting on Xia Fu Lan; after all, he was blind and couldn''t see. Giving her a look to show respect would make sense, but not doing so would be considered disrespectful. "Today, you will learn what it means to bring humiliation upon yourself!" Xia Fu Lan was furious at Fang Ren for not even ncing at her, feeling this was a great humiliation. She unleashed her swordsmanship to its utmost limit without any reservation. Hum¡ª A Sword Qi burst forth from Xia Fu Lan''s longsword, sweeping towards Fang Ren''s legs like the wind. She was determined to make Fang Ren need a wheelchair for his wedding day! Sword Qi was the standard symbol of a swordsman in the Minute Realm, and Fang Ren, unable to even achieve Person-Sword Unity, could not possibly unleash Sword Qi! The crowd eximed, "This is it, Young Master Fang will probably lose a leg!" Fang Liqun remarked disdainfully, "Truly bringing disgrace upon himself!" The faces of the patriarchs of the great families were grave; Fang Yuanhao felt a surge of anger inside. This Fang Ren was about to embarrass him in such a setting! Bai Chaojin, however, still wore a slight smile. Shang Han flicked away his cigarette butt. Mu Huanqing was ready to rush forward at any moment. Outside the venue, the hearts of all the teachers and students of the Third ss of the Medical Academy were in their throats. Jiang Ling frowned deeply at the top of the venue. Bai Qi clenched her clothes tightly, her teeth biting down on her silver teeth. "This is what you asked for!" Xia Fu Lan shouted. At that moment, almost everyone believed the oue was decided. "Peak State of Countless Martial Techniques!" Just as the Sword Qi was halfway there, Fang Ren''s longsword suddenly burst into a beam of light¡ªnot a result of True Qi but pure Sword Intent! Boom¡ª The next moment, that Sword Intent instantly transformed into a de Storm several tens of meters wide! It rushed towards the Sword Qi that was flying at Xia Fu Lan with lightning speed! The de Storm, like thunder, was amazingly fast, the sound like the roar of a wild storm! It barreled through the arena unstoppable! In the blink of an eye, the de Storm overpowered Xia Fu Lan''s Sword Qi without the slightest pause and continued to bear down on Xia Fu Lan! Chapter 247: Chapter 343: Ten Thousand Swords Slaying Heaven Technique!_1 "What is this..." Xia Fu Lan stood petrified on the spot. The de Storm had surpassed her understanding of swordsmanship; even the strongest sword technique should only be able to emit Sword Qi and Sword Intent. How could something like this ur? This was absolutely some kind of Cultivation Technique, not a sword technique! Hum¡ª The ground was torn apart by the de Storm, stones turned to dust swirling with the des, the entire venue filled with the explosive sounds of cutting air. "Sky-high Sword Intent!" As the massive de Storm swept over, Xia Fu Lan immediately deployed Sword Intent beside her. Hum¡ª A sound of Sword Intent rang out; from Xia Fu Lan''s sword tip burst forth a silver aura. The silver aura drove the air, forming a powerful thrust that pushed her whole body outside the trajectory of the de Storm. Hum¡ª The de Storm brushed past Xia Fu Lan''s sword tip, and she felt a sensation on her skin as if it had been sliced by a de. The next moment, she pushed her Sword Intent to its limit, propelling herself more than 10 meters away from the vile storm, only then did the pain on her skin slightly subside. Boom¡ª As Xia Fu Lan escaped the attack radius of the de Storm, Fang Ren wielded his longsword, and the fierce de Storm instantly dissipated into threads of air. Within the venue, the roaring noises came to an abrupt halt, leaving a tens-of-meters-long trench between Fang Ren and Xia Fu Lan. The stones inside the trench were very evenly cut by the des. The crowd watched this scene in the middle of the field, unable to recover their senses for a long time. "Is this... swordsmanship?" "How could this be! The power is alreadyparable to Cultivation Techniques! And I have never heard of Sword Intent turning into a storm!" "But... Young Master Fang didn''t show any fluctuations of True Qi during this process, it couldn''t have been a Cultivation Technique." "Right, although Madame Xuan lent Young Master Fang a Spiritual Weapon, she did not infuse it with True Qi. Being so impartial, Madame Xuan would not affect the fairness of this duel." ... At this moment, seated in the special guest area, Song Mobei immediately spoke up, his tone light, "This transformation of Sword Intent shows that Young Master Fang''s mastery of the Sword Dao is something even I am inferior to." Upon hearing this, the Family Heads of the major ns in the special guest area turned their eyes towards Mu Huanqing, their looks filled with puzzlement. Song Mobei''s words were clearly a denial that any technique used by Fang Ren was due to his attainment in Sword Dao, because Song Mobei is recognized by humans as the peak of the sword path! How could Fang Ren possibly surpass him? Song Mobei''s words were a form of negation and simultaneously a satire towards Fang Ren. In other words, it''s impossible to reach such power using only sword technique without using True Qi, and even if it were possible, the Sword Intent should not be able to transform. Therefore, under the current situation, all of them were unanimously convinced that Mu Huanqing was secretly helping Fang Ren. Especially Bai Chaojin and Mu Qing Mountain, they were very clear about the rtionship between Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing. Although they knew that Fang Ren''s cultivation talent was terrifying, they didn''t believe Fang Ren''s Sword Dao could reach the level where Sword Intent could transform. Because even the Sect Master of the Tiandao Sword Sect couldn''t attain the level where Sword Intent can transform, which means whether or not Sword Intent can transform is still an unknown in the history of human cultivation. "Lady Xuan!" After Xia Fu Lan avoided Fang Ren''s de Storm, her face was filled with rage. If it hadn''t been for her timely evasion, she would have been hacked to mincemeat unless she used her True Qi to break the rules. Without breaking the rules, that was the fate she''d have faced! And the fact that Fang Ren could use such a technique made her one hundred percent certain that it was Mu Huanqing interfering! "You, the strongest cultivator among humans, dare to openly assist one side in a duel in front of so many people! Isn''t that shameful!" Xia Fu Lan turned around and yelled at Mu Huanqing. In her mind, the only reason Mu Huanqing would help Fang Ren must be due to the grudge from the past! Mu Huanqing wanted to use this duel to humiliate her, even to severely injure her! That is to say, she wasn''t just fighting Fang Ren, but Mu Huanqing was after her. "What? Is Lady Xuan secretly manipting the Spiritual Weapon?" "That can''t be, why would Lady Xuan intervene in this duel? It makes no sense." "Reason... Ah! I just thought of a possibility, I have long heard that Princess Fn has been smitten with Brother Song for a long time, could it be that Lady Xuan also likes Brother Song, so because of love..." "Are you a fool! If Lady Xuan likes Brother Song, why would she say that speech before the match started?" "Then... how do we exin the current situation?" ... The chairman responsible for fairness also turned back to look at Mu Huanqing, his expression full of confusion, as if waiting for an exnation from her. Seeing this, Mu Huanqing also felt relieved, because she hadn''t helped Fang Ren at all. The de Storm was a technique Fang Ren had created with his swordsmanship, meaning he had decisively crushed her in sword technique without needing her Spiritual Weapon. Mu Huanqing couldn''t be bothered with Xia Fu Lan, instead, she stood up and spoke to Fang Ren, "Young Master Fang, it might be better to spar with Princess Fn using a regr sword to avoid misunderstanding." Fang Ren was helpless, he had never expected that by merely using the sword given by Mu Huanqing, this group of fools coulde up with so many nonsensical ideas. But the fundamental reason boiled down to everyone believing it was impossible for him to defeat Xia Fu Lan. Fang Ren gave a helplessugh, casually tossed the silver longsword in his hand toward Mu Huanqing, where the sword flew like a stream of light andnded perfectly on top of the Hundred Martial Divine Weapon hovering above her head, merging with it seamlessly. He looked up with a pair of white eyes at Xia Fu Lan across from him and said, "Princess Fn, you truly know nothing about the Sword Dao. Of course, Tiandao''s Brother Song''s achievements in Sword Dao seem to be just this, unable to understand anything." Whoosh¡ª The whole ce exploded again. He actually said Brother Song''s achievements in Sword Dao were just this! And that Brother Song could not understand anything? Who was Song Mobei? He was the human pinnacle of the Sword Dao! His achievements in Sword Dao even surpassed the Sect Master of Tiandao Sword Sect! "Young Master Fang really must be insane! Utterly unreasonable!" "It seems all the rumors were false, iming that Young Master Fang had been keeping a low profile for twenty-two years, saying he would shock the world with one brilliant move¡ªit turns out this arrogant guy had other reasons for hiding his strength all along!" "How sad! To be so shamelessly jealous, how did he have such dumb luck to be engaged to Princess Bai Xi?!" "Such an impudent person! Even with high Alchemy talent, I fear he will achieve little in the future!" ... For a time, the scene was filled with nder and curses towards Fang Ren. Head of Fang family, Fang Yuanhao, was not feeling good at all. He even wanted to stand up and shout loudly that this Fang Ren was not their Fang family''s seed! Meanwhile, sitting in the audience, Fang Liqunughed heartily. This Fang Ren didn''t know how high the sky was; Bai Xi would definitely not like him. It seemed that they didn''t have to lift a finger, Bai Xi herself would break off the engagement with Fang Ren due to her disdain for him. When Xia Fu Lan saw Fang Ren return the longsword to Mu Huanqing, the atmosphere in her heart instantly turned into extreme excitement. Because not only could she cause Fang Ren to be utterly disgraced this time, but she could also drag Mu Huanqing down! For her, a being of Mysteria, to indulge personal feelings during someone else''s duel! That was enough to make Mu Huanqing''s life ufortable! This bout of Sword Dao sparring was worth it for Xia Fu Lan! "Heh! A furiously embarrassed thing! How dare you insult my brother!" Xia Fu Lan called her Spirit Form back into her body and shouted toward the Tiandao disciples in the distance, "Brothers and sisters, lend me two longswords! Today I will teach this insolent fool a lesson!" Having said that, Xia Fu Lan caught the two longswords thrown by the Tiandao disciples, tossed one to Fang Ren, and said with a face full of righteousness, "Fang Ren! You must pay the price for your actions today!" Crack¡ª Just as Xia Fu Lan''s words fell, the longsword she threw toward Fang Ren was sliced in half midair by an aura of Sword Intent. The clear sound of steel breaking spread throughout the venue, and the noisy scene suddenly fell into dead silence again. Because just now, they saw very clearly that the Sword Qi had been casually released by Fang Ren¡ªyes, with his hand. Launching Sword Intent with his hand? How was that possible, everyone began to doubt what they had just witnessed. Xia Fu Lan''s whole action froze. She looked at the expressionless Fang Ren standing opposite her. He was standing there very quietly, but she always felt that something inexplicable was gathering around Fang Ren. "Princess Fn, Brother Song, watch closely and learn well," Fang Ren said. In the silent arena, Fang Ren''s white pupils suddenly burst a silver light, his body devoid of any True Qi fluctuations. Boom¡ª Suddenly, the air around Fang Ren''s body exploded, starting to twist, to morph, coalescing into strands of Sword Intent¡ªdozens, then hundreds, and eventually tens of thousands! All the Sword Intent floated in mid-air, standing valiantly behind Fang Ren like a host of divine warriors. "Ten Thousand Swords ying Heaven Technique!" With a roar, thousands upon thousands of Sword Intent behind Fang Ren shot out like a torrential storm toward the dazed Xia Fu Lan across from him, ripping through the air, unstoppable as thunder! In an instant, Xia Fu Lan felt her life threatened, her brain unable to think calmly, and her instinctual fear made her use True Qi. "God Sword Shield!" Xia Fu Lan''s True Qi burst out, transforming into a giant sword descending from the sky, shielding her in front. Hum¡ªrumble rumble¡ª The frenzied storm of Sword Intent collided with the giant Sword Shield, sparking continuously upon impact. Countless Sword Qi were deflected by the Sword Shield, falling in the center of the arena and cutting trenches into the ground! The deafening sound, and then inside the venue, many Alchemists without Cultivation Ability covered their ears, staring dumbfounded at the explosion at the center of the field like petrified sculptures. This time there was no Lady Xuan''s Spiritual Weapon. How... how should they make sense of what they saw? Chapter 248: Chapter 344: Layers of Doubt_1 Boom¡ª As thest vestige of Sword Intent struck the Sword Shield before Xia Fu Lan, sparking dazzling fireworks, the entire scene fell silent in the wake of the final thunderous roar. The few hundred square meters of the central area were ravaged by the striking power of the Sword Intent, with a third decimated¡ªa spectacle that made the previous de Storm seem insignificant. In just a dozen seconds, the scene had the various Family Heads and chairmen on the special seats twitching at the corners of their eyes, far surpassing their expectations. After all, this was without the use of True Qi! It was merely a manifestation of the understanding of Sword Dao! Everyone couldn''t help but rise to a singr question in their hearts, that Young Master Fang''s mastery of Sword Dao was undeniable, which also meant that everything he had said before was true. Without a sword, could there indeed exist such a terrifying realm above Sword Dao? The crowded audience outside the venue, watching the scenes unfold on therge overhead screen, buzzed with constant noise and endless discussions. Only the students from Medical Academy ss Three were beyond excited. No one had expected Young Master Fang''s Sword Dao to be so formidable, even overwhelmingly pressuring the Tiandao Princess Xia Fu Lan! "This is impossible!" Fang Liqun from the Fang Family camp abruptly stood, ring intently at Young Master Fang on the field; the contrast to what he had envisioned was as wide as a chasm, an inconceivability he couldn''t ept in the moment. Fang Tong, still reeling in shock from Young Master Fang''s swordsmanship, heard Fang Liqun burst out in surprise,pounded by his previous ridicule of Young Master Fang, could no longer hold back. "Big Brother Liqun, can''t you just be happy to see someone from the same family doing well!" Fang Tong stood and turned back, shouting in anger. Fang Liqun didn''t even nce at Fang Tong. To them, the right faction of the family, Fang Tong was seen as nothing more than a young girl of no threat, not someone to be taken seriously. Seeing Fang Liqun ignore her, Fang Tong sat back down in exasperation. The more they belittled Young Master Fang, the more she anticipated him performing some shocking action to p their faces. Madame Xuan, sitting in the special seats, couldn''t help but smile at this turn of events. She had never thought that her husband, two years her junior, would also possess such an extraordinary talent for Sword Dao. The secrets and potential within this younger man couldn''t be judged by modern human cognition. "Despicable!" While most people in the venue were still struggling to react, Xia Fu Lan suddenly shouted with True Qi at the center of the field. Following her outcry, the Sword Shield before Xia Fu Lan vanished. With teeth clenched in anger, she stared at Young Master Fang surrounded by the continuous surge of True Qi, as if ready to unleash it and kill him at any moment. The Family Head, witnessing this, quickly set aside his shock, having no time to ponder where Young Master Fang''s technique had originated, and addressed the issue: "Princess Fn, no matter what, you have vited the rules by using True Qi. By the rules, this duel is Young Master Fang''s victory." Upon hearing this, Xia Fu Lan scoffed coldly, turning to look at the Family Head and said, "Family Head, do you not feel that it was he, Fang Ren, whomitted the first vition?" "Princess Fn, what do you mean by this?" the Family Head asked with a slight frown. The tens of thousands at the venue watched this scene unfold, once again bursting into discussion, shocked and incredulous at Young Master Fang''s Sword Dao, and unable toprehend Xia Fu Lan''s words. It was then that Song Mobei stood up from the special seats. His typically pleasant face now slightly serious, he looked at the Family Head and said, "In my humble opinion, based on my more than twenty years of experience in Sword Dao, the sword technique used by Young Master Fang was not entirely grounded in Sword Dao. Of course, it cannot be denied that it is also a kind of Sword Dao practice." Upon hearing his words, the crowd was instantly baffled. What exactly was Brother Song trying to convey? Xia Fu Lan, seeing that Song Mobei was speaking on her behalf, immediately called out, "That''s because although what he used was swordsmanship, such swordsmanship is in essence a Cultivation Technique! It is a technique that requires True Qi to activate! Sword Dao is based on Taoist principles, the foundation of all things, and on its own, it cannot wield such formidable power¡ªit must be augmented by True Qi to reach such lengths!" "What? Powered by True Qi? But Young Master Fang doesn''t show any signs of True Qi fluctuations at all!" "Right, if that sword technique was driven by the overall True Qi, even if we couldn''t sense it, wouldn''t the family heads on the stage be able to feel it?" "Exactly! The words of Princess Fn seem far too far-fetched!" "But Brother Song has said so; there must be some reason. Don''t forget, Brother Song is the peak of the Human Sword Dao!" ... Seeing this, Song Mobei continued, "Indeed, during the process of Young Master Fang using his sword technique, including myself, I believe no one present could sense any usage of True Qi from Young Master Fang. So I specte, does Young Master Fang have some special cultivation technique that can conceal the fluctuations of his True Qi? Or perhaps, this technique is unique and doesn''t let True Qi reveal itself when activated?" Upon hearing Song Mobei''s words, the crowd looked at each other with renewed intrigue, feeling like they were learning about something new. "Is there really a cultivation technique that can conceal the fluctuations of True Qi when it''s activated?" "Although it''s said that the world is full of wonders, I''ve never heard of such a special cultivation technique!" "I think Brother Song makes some sense. Young Master Fang is only twenty-two years old, yet his mastery over medicinal pills is almost mythical. I can''t believe that someone with such a high level of mastery in pills can also reach a level in the Sword Dao that even Brother Song can''t match!" "Exactly, I think so too. Brother Song''s talent in the Sword Dao is universally recognized as the peak, and he has beenprehending it for more than twenty years! How could Young Master Fang, a student of medicine, possibly surpass him?" "Exactly, it''s like some guy sweeping the streets suddenly ps a Ninth-order Void Beast to death in front of Madame Xuan! It''s unbelievable!" ... The discussion inside the venue grew more and more intense, and rather than believing that Fang Ren, a genius in pill concoction, could possess a greater Sword Dao mastery than Song Mobei, they were more inclined to believe that Fang Ren was cheating using some cultivation technique. For, it had long been universally epted that no one could surpass Song Mobei in the Sword Dao, and this belief had been held for far too long. Xia Fu Lan, listening to the voices of the crowd and Song Mobei, immediately added, "Moreover, there''s a big problem with Young Master Fang himself. Despite being a Cultivator, we cannot feel the presence of True Qi in him, which I''m sure many have noticed. All of us Cultivators, even when not using True Qi, cannot help but emit its pressure¡ªit''s uncontroble. But Young Master Fang can control it. I think this is also why we cannot observe any True Qi fluctuations when he activates his technique." Whirr¡ª As the words fell, themotion escted further. "Right! Howe I didn''t think of that?" "Indeed very suspicious! Being a Cultivator but somehow able to conceal his True Qi pressure to appear like an ordinary person!" "So you''re saying that his sword technique was indeed powered by True Qi-driven cultivation technique! Just as he hides his presence, that''s why we can''t see anything suspicious when he activates his technique?" "I knew it! How could anyone surpass Brother Song in the Sword Dao! He''s beenprehending it for twenty-two years since he was four years old! Who can just surpass that at will?" "If all of this is true, then Young Master Fang is far too insidious! He set the rules himself, yet he intends to win through plots and schemes!" "That''s despicable!" ... Misgivings mounted, just as Fang Ren had expected, which was why he had asked Xia Fu Lan right at the start whether she wanted to use True Qi. Because with so many voices questioning him, he would have to settle the matter with Xia Fu Lan using True Qi after all. However, this was good too. The more they doubted him, the more they believed in Xia Fu Lan. By the end, when everything became clear, Xia Fu Lan''s reputation would crumble as spectacrly as if it were a pig sent flying by the wind, only to fall harder. The Chairman saw this, and with a frown, turned to Fang Ren, "Young Master Fang, do you have any exnation for this matter?" Fang Ren''s eyes, the white light within them slowly receding, answered amidst the doubtful murmurs, "If I remember correctly, before we began, I had mentioned to Princess Fn whether we should change the rules and directly use True Qi. But Princess Fn confidently said no. I gave Princess Fn the opportunity. If we were to use True Qi, then all the issues you are questioning now wouldn''t exist." After speaking, red dots of light began to emerge around Fang Ren''s body, the aura of the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat. He continued, "Of course, I also said that Princess Fn had a chance to change her mind. Now, I am still willing to apany her in using True Qi for this duel." What he wanted now wasn''t just to embarrass Xia Fu Lan, for back then, without the strength, all he could do was make her ufortable. But now things were different. He wanted to inflict upon her all the suffering that Mu Huanqing had endured. Chapter 249: Chapter 345: The Showdown with Full Strength_1 ``` "Oh my God! Did I hear that right? Young Master Fang wants to directly engage in True Qi duel with Princess Fn!" "Isn''t he just an Alchemist? How did he suddenly start cultivating?" "You don''t know? During the preliminarypetition, Young Master Fang had already been exposed as an early-stage practitioner of Tianjiang Realm, which waspletely inconsistent with the rumors. They said he had no Spiritual Root, but all that was fake. He simply didn''t have exceptional cultivational talent!" "What? Early stage of Tianjiang Realm? Dueling with True Qi against Princess Fn, wouldn''t that be suicide? Princess Fn is in the midterm phase of Yingyue Realm!" ... Outside the venue, everyone watching the live broadcast was as excited as if they had been injected with adrenaline, buzzing with noise. No one wanted to miss what was about to happen. Meanwhile, inside the venue, the noise reached even higher levels. "Young Master Fang really must be crazy! Is he acting out in a fit of anger after being exposed?" "Yes, how can an early stage of Tianjiang Realm fight against a midterm phase of Yingyue Realm? A p from her could probably kill someone!" "He should''ve just smartly admitted it before thepetition, why keep puffing up his face to look fat? The name of a genius in Alchemy, just like that, spoiled by his own hands." "What''s more important is, Princess Bai Xi, whom he''s fond of, is watching. If he loses face, it''s going to be a big loss." "It''s no wonder that Princess Bai Xi, despite having an engagement, doesn''t like him. Who could stand such a fianc¨¦ who puffs up his face to look fat?" ... At that moment, the Family Heads sitting in the special seats didn''t make casualments, as they felt the matter was not so simple. From the beginning until now, Fang Ren''s expression had remained unchanged. He did what he said he would do, with no dilly-dallying, in the face of everyone''s doubts. The slight smile on Mu Huanqing''s face had disappeared now; she was still very worried about Fang Ren. Even if his cultivation talent was frightening, as Bai Chaojin said before, he had only been cultivating for about two months, and his realm had reached the early stage of Tianjiang Realm. But in such a short period of time, it was impossible for Fang Ren to make another breakthrough in the Tianjiang Realm. How could someone of the Tianjiang Realm fight against the Yingyue Realm? Bai Xi clenched her fists tightly, her heart was extremely nervous. She really wanted to talk her grandfather into stopping the duel, but looking at him, he clearly had no intention of stopping it. "Fang Ren, it''s your own fault for cheating first, don''t me me!" On hearing that Fang Ren was still puffing up his face to look fat by proposing a True Qi duel, Xia Fu Lan felt it actually suited her ns. Whizz¨D Xia Fu Lan drew her Spirit Form again, the Jade Water Linglong Sword, and the water-element True Qi around her began to burst out in an instant, causing gusts of wind to surge in the center of the venue. Broken bs were blown high into the sky, and the ground underneath Xia Fu Lan waspressed by the force of her True Qi. Her water-element True Qi formed two wing-like shapes behind her, constantly radiating the pressure of someone in the midterm phase of Yingyue Realm. "Young Master Fang, you better pray that I don''t identally inflict serious injuries on you, or you''ll have to crawl on your wedding to Sister Bai Xi the day after tomorrow." Xia Fu Lan''s smile grew more arrogant as she looked across at Fang Ren. "It was agreed that I would teach Princess Fn a lesson, so Princess Fn, you had better pray that the cost of my lesson isn''t too high." As soon as Fang Ren finished speaking, the red dots of light around his body suddenly went wild, exploding the surrounding air and rushing into his body. "Nine Extinctions! Third Layer!" Whizz¨D A zing red breath suddenly surged from his body, instantly scorching the nearby air, and in that moment, his entire being seemed to be dyed red with blood: skin, hair, clothes... Only his eyes remained white. Click, click, click¨D The air around his body twisted from the heat, and the stone bs beneath his feet began to cken. He aimed to exert full power in that moment; the ground constantly cracked and sunk, his aura no less intimidating than Xia Fu Lan''s. "This! Is this really early stage of Tianjiang Realm!?" As True Qi was fully released within Fang Ren''s body, people in the venue immediately started jumping up, cursing without a second word. "Bloody Azure Sky Realm! He''s definitely at the peak! Absolutely at the peak! No doubt about it!" "Damn! I didn''t expect Young Master Fang to be so capable! Being exceptional in Alchemy is one thing, but having a cultivation realm that ces him amongst the top-level talents in Tianjiang at the age of twenty-two is something else!" ... Even Bai Chaojin, sitting in the special seats, had his face freeze in the moment. Peak of Azure Sky! There was absolutely no doubt about it! His entire being felt stunned; he thought his psychological resilience was strong enough to withstand anything, but at that moment, he had to admit that he hardly believed his own eyes. To think, Fang Ren had only obtained a Spiritual Root three months ago, and his realm had already reached the Peak of Azure Sky! This pace was not only stronger than thebined progress of Mu Huanqing and Bai Xi, but even if you added talents like Song Mobei and Xia Fu Lan, they wouldn''t match his individial cultivation speed! Frightening! However, only a few people at the venue knew this fact. "Brother Bai, are you sure that Ran''er... just grew his Spiritual Root two months ago?" Fang Yuanhao couldn''t help but be stunned when he saw this, knowing that Fang Ren never had a Spiritual Root since childhood. But now, it seemed that they, the Fang family, had given up on a genius in both Alchemy and cultivation - a freakishly talented genius at that! ``` "I was very certain before, now... I''m suddenly a bit unsure," Bai Chaojin said with a somewhat dull expression on his face. In all his years, this was the first time he felt something impossible was happening, and that was the shock Fang Ren brought him now. Shang Han on the audience stands waspletely dumbfounded, the cigarette butt in his hand had burned to his fingers, yet he felt nothing. "Goddamn it... what kind of monster have I been raising for twenty-two years... If he continues to cultivate, will this kid alone fill the void?" Of course, the most excited person was Mu Huanqing, the one who knew Fang Ren''s realm best. His rapid progress made her the happiest and most excited person. "Hahaha..." While everyone was in shock, Xia Fu Lan chuckled heartily: "Just the peak of the Azure Sky Realm! Young Master Fang surely doesn''t think, with just this realm, he could withstand a few moves from me, right? That would be truly foolish!" Fang Ren said, "No, I just want to teach Princess Fn a lesson, but this lesson muste with a fee." "You dare to be rampant!" Xia Fu Lan shouted, "If you can withstand five moves from me, I, Xia Fu Lan, will admit defeat right here!" "You talk too much, Princess Fn." Having said that, Fang Ren shook his hands, bent his knees slightly, and the next moment, his whole body shot out like a red lightning bolt from his original spot. Boom¡ª With the departure of his footsteps, the over fifty meters of the ground was directly kicked into the air! "Seeking death! Falling Rain of Lotus Flower Sword!" Xia Fu Lan roared, her True Qi exploding, gripping the Jade Water Linglong Sword as she charged towards Fang Ren. During the charge, she infused her True Qi into the sword and swung it fiercely. Hum¡ª A hundred-meter-long, massive rain of sword energy streaked across the sky, instantly crushing the stone bs of the ground into dust, with the air continuously emitting buzzing sounds like thunder. The giant rain of sword energy charged straight towards Fang Ren''s legs, as she pondered making Fang Ren wheelchair-bound at his wedding to embarrass him. Her cultivation technique had a very wide attack range, and even if a single sword energy didn''t sh him, the de could explode and turn into countless gleaming rain, piercing through Fang Ren. "Sword Shield!" Just as Fang Ren was about to collide with Xia Fu Lan''s massive sword energy de, he suddenly roared out loud, and at that moment, a hundred-meter-long streak of silver light crossed the sky,nding directly in front of the enormous rain of sword energy. The crowd looked closely and saw that it was the Sword Shield that Xia Fu Lan had just used! But this Sword Shield was about twice the size of what Xia Fu Lan had used, with a very dazzling silver brilliance! Boom¡ª The hundred-meter-long rain of sword energy hit the Sword Shield, instantly transforming into countless streaks of light rain, hovering in the sky like myriad silver needles, then aiming straight for Fang Ren. Hum hum hum¡ª The air instantly erupted as if to st the charging Fang Ren into a ho''s nest. "Nine Extinctions! Quadruple Layer!" Boom! Suddenly, the red aura on Fang Ren''s body erupted, devouring the air like an explosion, making his shadow appear somewhat distorted in the air. "Fang Ren! You can''t withstand a single move!" Xia Fu Lan shouted with a smile on her face, seeing this. Hum hum hum¡ª In everyone''s eyes, those rain of sword energies collided with the red aura around Fang Ren''s body, which was about to severely injure him. But at that moment, something incredible happened. As if the red aura on Fang Ren''s body was the nemesis of water attributes, as the rain-like Sword Qi collided with it, it was instantly devoured and evaporated by the red aura, turning into vapor that filled the entire arena. Many students sitting in the audience quickly covered their ears, as the impact''s pressure was too great, making their heads feel like they were spinning. However, soon the overall chairman used True Qi to protect the students in the arena. "What''s happening!" Xia Fu Lan saw her technique being evaporated by the opponent''s aura and froze, this wasn''t supposed to happen, the realm gap was too big! Boom¡ª However, at that moment, a red lightning bolt shot out from within the hundred meters of steam, carrying a destructive aura, and kicked right towards Xia Fu Lan''s face! "Sword Shield!" Xia Fu Lan immediately conjured a Sword Shield to block, turning around to attack Fang Ren with her Spirit Form. But she had only just conjured her Sword Shield when Fang Ren''s kicknded on it like thunder. Boom! The whole arena shook, and the overall chairman immediately intensified his True Qi protection. Sizzle sizzle sizzle¡ª A grating noise sounded, and in the center of the field, Fang Ren''s foot forcibly kicked Xia Fu Lan''s Sword Shield back by more than ten meters! Even Xia Fu Lan herself was pushed back continuously by her Shield, finding that her strength couldn''t withstand this mere peak of Azure Sky Realm foe! Fang Ren''s burst of True Qi was like extracting all the True Qi from his body, focusing it all into this one strike as if he didn''t care for his own life! The crowd watched dumbfoundedly at this scene. Just two people each made a move, yet the entire venue was almost sted into the sky! Chapter 250: Chapter 346: Fierce Battle_1 At the central arena, Xia Fu Lan''s arm had gone numb from the force conducted through the Sword Shield. After being pushed over ten meters away by the Sword Shield, her expression, following a moment of shock, twisted into furious rage. Merely at the Peak of Azure Sky Realm! She had actually suffered a loss during their brief exchange! "This... This really is the Peak of Azure Sky Realm?" "Damn it! He even kicked Princess Fn''s Sword Shield back! There''s a difference of two minor realms here!" "Could it be that Princess Fn isn''t fighting seriously?" "Even if she isn''t serious, a strong practitioner from the Early Stage of Yingyue Realm isn''t someone an Azure Sky Realm cultivator can simply push over ten meters! Clearly, this red aura enveloping Young Master Fang is an incredibly powerful amplifying cultivation technique! It must allow for significant enhancement in all aspects!" The audience in the stands, although mostly Alchemy students from the medical college, were very clear about the matters of cultivation realms. "Peak of Azure Sky..." Clenching his teeth tightly, Fang Liqun''s gaze grew even more venomous as he stared at Fang Ren on the field, clearly having his worldview shattered by Fang Ren once again. Although Fang Liqun was only twenty-one this year, his realm had reached the Early Stage of Yingyue Realm. Compared to Xia Fu Lan, who was twenty-five and in the Midterm phase of Yingyue Realm, it was evident that Fang Liqun''s cultivational talent was higher! But he had never anticipated that this family outcast, who had always been defined ascking a Spiritual Root, could actually overpower Xia Fu Lan, who had a higher realm, by half a move! Didn''t that mean that Fang Ren was stronger than him, the youngest prodigy of the Fang Family, both in the art of alchemy and cultivation level? "Brother Fang, after many years of beingposed, after seeing this scene, I suddenly have the urge to curse," said the Wang Family Patriarch. "It''s not just you. I feel the same way," the Liu Family Patriarch interjected. "Brother Fang, you''ve really hidden an amazing grandson. Not only is he a genius in alchemy, but his cultivation level is also so formidable. Being able to best Xia Fu Lan, who is five years his senior, by half a move is simply astonishing." "The issue I''m most concerned about is the one Brother Bai mentioned just now. Did he really just develop his Spiritual Root two months ago? Are you sure ''born without a Spiritual Root'' isn''t just an excuse for Brother Fang to hide his potential?" inquired the Cao Family Patriarch with a frown. Bai Chaojin remained silent, his face showing intense focus on Fang Ren. He had initially only seen Fang Ren as Bai Qi''s cultivation furnace, butter, Fang Ren upended everyone''s understanding of alchemy, and to his further surprise, Fang Ren''s talent in cultivation smashed his worries about the human speed of cultivation progress. If everyone in the world could cultivate at the speed of Fang Ren, then breaking through the Void would surely be within reach soon. Such a person... He had viewed him merely as a furnace in front of Bai Qi and now, looking back, he found itughable. He suddenly regretted it a bit. The final test subject of the Indra Sky should not have been assigned to Bai Qi; it should have been Fang Ren. And Bai Qi, she should have been the furnace for Fang Ren. However, after more than twenty years of data collection in the Indra Sky, all tailored to Bai Qi''s personal attributes, to now change the final test subject to Fang Ren would take at least seven or eight years, a timeline that simply wasn''t feasible. ... p¡ª "Peak of Azure Sky! Merely Peak of Azure Sky!" In the center of the arena, Xia Fu Lan smashed the Sword Shield in front of her with a p, her face twisted in extreme anger. The water attribute True Qi at her back surged violently, feeling that she had lost enough face in that instant. "Fang Ren! Don''t get too pleased with yourself too soon!" With a roar from Xia Fu Lan, her Jade Water Linglong Sword shone brilliantly. Below her feet, a burst of True Qi exploded, turning the broken stones on the ground to ash, and sheunched forward like a flood dragon. "Empty Ming Sword!" Seeing this, Fang Ren immediately used a cultivation technique he had acquired from his swordsmanship. Boom! Like thunderous roaring, the sky split with a resounding st as a streak of gray vital energy from Fang Ren pierced into the air above him, creating a transparent giant sword over fifty meters long that twisted the space a hundred meters above the arena. As Xia Fu Lan charged toward him, Fang Ren dragged the vital energy, pulling the immense transparent sword into his grip. His feet exploded with vital energy, dragging the giant sword across the ground and carving out a deep trench. "Merely Peak of Azure Sky! You dare to challenge me at merely Peak of Azure Sky!" Xia Fu Lan, her emotions whipped to a frenzy, swung out a vertical sh from mid-air. In an instant, her blue True Qi brilliance transformed into a massive cleaver, as if it would split the entire arena in half. "Ignorant!" Fang Ren instinctively raised the transparent huge de in his hands, violently colliding it with the blue radiance that Xia Fu Lan shed down. Boom! The ground within the venue suddenly sank, with the earth sted into the sky by the massive energy impact. Only to see Xia Fu Lan''s blue radiance sword de sparking against the Air Sharp de and directly creating a notch in it. ted at this, Xia Fu Lan''s struggle intensified, converging at the tip of the de, making the sword in her hand three times stronger in the next moment! Cackle cackle cackle¡ª¡ª Fang Ren''s Air Sharp de in his hands began to be rapidly sliced open by Xia Fu Lan''s relentless attacks, making everyone watching believe even more that Xia Fu Lan had not used her full strength in their previous skirmish. "Fang Ren! Recognize the gap between us!" Xia Fu Lan roared, her entire being pressing down the sword de as she swiftly shed toward Fang Ren''s head. Now Fang Ren''s Air Sharp de was firmly clutched by her blue radiance; she aimed to chop at Fang Ren, and Fang Ren had no chance to dodge! "Indeed, the gap in our Realms has resulted in True Qi shing and being suppressed," Fang Ren thought to himself with some resignation. After all, Xia Fu Lan was genuinely at the Realm of Yingyue. How could she possibly lose to a Practitioner of the Azure Sky Realm in her burst state? However, her going all out didn''t mean Fang Ren had used all his strength. Watching his Air Sharp de being continuously split open, and his opponent''s sword de about to break through and hit his head, Fang Ren immediately summoned another strand of Gray vital energy behind his back out of the air. For a moment, the air behind him once again condensed, forming a brand-new giant Air de. Thud! Fang Ren''s Air Sharp de waspletely sliced apart, everyone''s eyes bulged in shock, feeling that Xia Fu Lan''s strike was going to cleave not only Fang Ren but the entire venue. "It looks like the oue is determined!" "Hey! This could lead to someone''s death, right?" Seeing her victory certain, Xia Fu Lan didn''t hold back her strength, but she changed the target of her sh to Fang Ren''s right arm, "Die!" Having key figures at risk, her father would certainly beat her to half-death if she actually killed someone, and her reputation would be damaged as well. Whirring¡ª¡ª At that moment, Fang Ren suddenly pulled out another giant Air de from behind his back and, with extreme speed, shed it directly against Xia Fu Lan''s oing sword de. Thud! The scene shook violently once again! New Air Sharp de blocked Xia Fu Lan''s iing blue sword de. "You think this can stop me? Naive!" Xia Fu Lan suddenly gathered blue vital energy in her other hand, pping it onto the back of her sword de, infusing all of the blue energy from her arm into the sword de. Crack crack crack¡ª¡ª Once again, Fang Ren''s giant Air de was pressured into exploding by her sword de. Seeing this, Fang Ren immediately stepped back, with the Gray vital energy behind him whirling fiercely. Whirring whirring whirring¡ª¡ª A series of space consolidations urred, as one after another new Air Sharp des formed behind him! If his True Qi couldn''t overpower hers, then he''dpete with her on the frequency of attacks! He would continue to strike until her vital energy was depleted! Chapter 251: Chapter 347: Heavy Sword without Edge_1 "Weakling! You could never possibly win!" The roar sounded as Xia Fu Lan already broke Fang Ren''s Empty Ming Sword in his hand again, with the de relentlessly pursuing the retreating Fang Ren. "Let''s see where you can retreat to now!" Xia Fu Lan''s de was only about five meters away from Fang Ren''s shoulder¡ªit could sh down in the blink of an eye. However, as Fang Ren kept retreating, she would at least have to increase her True Qi output again anyway. Her speed was faster than Fang Ren''s, and no matter how much he retreated, he was still bound to be hit by her strike! Moreover, Fang Ren was almost retreating to the edge of the arena. The Empty Ming de behind him would collide with the protective formation set up by the president of the association. By then, he would have nowhere to escape. And she, Xia Fu Lan, would certainly slice off one of Fang Ren''s arms! "Princess Fn, didn''t your father teach you that the sharper the sword, the easier it breaks?" Fang Ren spoke. "Hmph! Let''s see how arrogant you can be after your arm is cut off!" Xia Fu Lan pressed harder with her sword. Fang Ren''s mouth curved into a smirk. Xia Fu Lan was immersed in the attack she believed would strike him. Her body was full of openings; she hadn''t anticipated how to defend herself after he blocked this strike. Bang! Fang Ren grasped the Kongming Giant de that had formed behind him, the silver glow in his eyes erupted, the veins on his arms bulged, and the red aura on his body grew even hotter. "Storm Air sh!" Hum¡ª In an instant, Fang Ren was seen pulling a fifty-meter-long giant Empty Ming Sword with both hands, shing at Xia Fu Lan''s iing de from both sides. Bang bang bang bang¡ª A series of sparks exploded in the air, with the Empty Ming Sword de continuously striking at a high speed against Xia Fu Lan''s de, weakening the force on her de with rapid multiple impacts. Bang bang bang¡ª With rapid, sessive attacks blocking her, Xia Fu Lan''s blue glowing sword de was astonishingly halted mid-air, three meters away from Fang Ren''s arm, forcefully prevented from advancing any further! "What cultivation technique is this!?" Xia Fu Lan gripped her de tightly, only to find that no matter how she pressed it down, Fang Ren would strike it back up! Hovering three meters away from Fang Ren, no matter what she tried, she couldn''t move it a single bit further! At this moment, the air was cut into shapes by Fang Ren''s strikes, resembling the de Storm he used at the beginning of the fight, but this de Storm was muchrger than the one at the start¡ªit shot straight up into the sky! Crack crack¡ª Suddenly, the two Empty Ming des in Fang Ren''s hands shattered, and Xia Fu Lan was immediately overjoyed, ready to press forward. But before she could rejoice, she saw Fang Ren directly pull out four Kongming Giant des from behind! Holding two in each hand, he started furiously hacking at her blue de again! All of Fang Ren''s movements became phantoms. She couldn''t see at all how he was swinging the swords¡ªshe could only feel the vibrations in her arms, nearly losing her grip on her own sword! "What! What the hell kind of sword technique is this!" "It''s too wild! Dozens of strikes in one second! You can''t even see the person!" "Damn! Two hands controlling four swords, each over fifty meters! How can he sh them so quickly? Is this some kind of cheat?" "This is the Peak of Azure Sky? No way, this explosive power would require at least the strength of the Yingyue Realm to sustain!" Xia Fu Lan panickedpletely. She immediately wanted to change her attack, but she found that her de was chopped to the point where it couldn''t move at all, unless she withdrew it. But if she withdrew it, she wouldn''t have enough speed to block Fang Ren''s fierce assault. In a moment of desperation, she had to pour all her True Qi into this one strike. Crack crack crack crack¡ª The four giant swords in Fang Ren''s hands exploded once again. But in the blink of an eye, Fang Ren directly pulled out six giant swords from behind with no pause, and the attack rained down like a torrential downpour. Bang bang bang bang bang¡ª Huge noises continuously assaulted everyone''s eardrums. Even behind the shield, they could still feel how fast and terrifying Fang Ren''s sword strikes were! Each strike lifted the ground into the sky, sending sparks all the way to the entrance of the venue! This was the strength of the Peak of Azure Sky? Impossible! Such an attack, even if ced on someone at the Peak of Yingyue Realm, might be something that a Peak Yingyue Realm practitioner would struggle to withstand! Crack¡ª Suddenly there was another sound of shattering! But this time, it wasn''t Fang Ren''s sword des that broke¡ªit was Xia Fu Lan''s blue de! It snapped, chopped to pieces by Fang Ren''s multiple attacks! "Heaven Slicer Technique!" Fang Ren roared as he lifted the six giant swords overhead and charged at Xia Fu Lan in the air. Seeing this, Xia Fu Lan''s heart reached a peak of panic. "Sword Shield!" "Samsara Sword Technique!" She hastily formed a Sword Shield and pulled back the broken blue de in front of her, spinning it rapidly in a circr motion, turning it into a blue vortex. Thud thud thud thud¡ª Fang Renunched another fierce attack on her dualyer defense, pushing Xia Fu Lan back continuously through the sky, relentlessly driving his massive sword forward with shing movements. Crack crack crack¡ª Once again, a series of sword de breaks echoed, and Xia Fu Lan seemed to have found Fang Ren''s weakness. She immediately counterattacked, holding the Sword Shield in one hand while gathering the broken blue des in the other, preparing to strike at Fang Ren. But what she never expected was that this time, Fang Ren didn''t reach for the giant sword on his back but instead rushed at her with his hands empty! "This is you seeking your own death!" Xia Fu Lan pushed forward with her Sword Shield, shing down with the sword de in her hand without hesitation towards Fang Ren. "Heavy Sword without edge!" At that moment, Fang Ren, who had previously been unarmed, suddenly condensed an evenrger Kongming Giant de in his hands! The giant de had no edge! But it was extremelyrge! And it was gathering a massive amount of air around it! Clearly, this sword was many times heavier than all the previous Empty Ming Swordsbined! Boom! The Heavy Sword in Fang Ren''s hand ignored the suppression of True Qi and smashed down on Xia Fu Lan''s blue de as if it were an overwhelming weight. Right after that, Fang Ren swept out with his heavy sword, mming it against Xia Fu Lan''s Sword Shield. Boom¡ª The arena burst into blocks that flew up into the sky; Xia Fu Lan''s expression twisted because her Sword Shield had been forcefully dented by Fang Ren''s central hit! And the heavy sword was still pushing forward rapidly! She couldn''t dodge! She had no choice but to use the Jade Water Linglong Sword to block her chest! Boom¡ª The Heavy Sword, carrying the air pressure and an unstoppable force, struck Xia Fu Lan''s body through the Sword Shield. Xia Fu Lan turned into a streak of blue light, flying straight and fast, crashing into the protective Shield on the opposite spectator stand! The air burst open again, and Xia Fu Lan was pressed hard against the protective Shield by the huge impact, her entire body trembling, the Jade Water Linglong Sword in her hands buzzing with a piercing whine. Underneath her, the protective Shield set up by the association''s president, who was at the Peak of the Yingyue Realm, even showed a crack from her impact! Silence! The entire venue, both inside and out, fell deadly silent! The tide of battle had turned so quickly; moments ago, everyone thought Xia Fu Lan was about to chop off Fang Ren''s arm, but now they suddenly realized Fang Ren had never used his full strength! If he had used his full strength from the beginning, then a single Heavy Sword without Edge would have dented Xia Fu Lan''s Sword Shield! Had this been the case from the start, the scene they would have seen would not have been just Xia Fu Lan getting kicked back ten meters by Fang Ren¡ªit would have been her being smashed hundreds of meters away! Furthermore, the power of this strike was too cruel! Even the Shield made by the president, a Peak practitioner of the Yingyue Realm, had been cracked! "Heavy Sword without Edge... isn''t that one of the most basic moves in the Sword Dao? And even if bolstered by True Qi, it shouldn''t be stronger than a typical Cultivation Technique. So how did it be so powerful in his hands?!" "This guy''s fighting style is totally unconventional! Every move seems careless and casual! Facing Xia Fu Lan''s advanced Cultivation Technique suppression, he managed to block so recklessly! Too messy!" "In my view, it wasn''t reckless shing at all. Every one of his strikes hit the same spot! And even though he used six swords, he managed to hit all six at the gap in Xia Fu Lan''s de!" "Exactly, he isn''t fighting wildly, it''s just that his control over Sword Dao has reached a peak! No matter how chaotic the movements, he can achieve the best effect!" "As he pleases, Sword Dao without a sword... The Fang Family''s eldest son is truly terrifying!" "I suddenly have a question¡ªif everything he has said so far has be reality, then, when he said that Song Mobei''s understanding of Sword Dao is only this much... could it also be true?" ... The people in the venue discussed with shock in their hearts, their eyes fixated on Fang Ren, having no interest in looking at Xia Fu Lan. "Fang Ren!" Suddenly, Xia Fu Lan, who had been lying on the protective Shield, flew up, blood at the corner of her mouth, her chest filled with rage, heaving violently, with her True Qi surging more violently than before! She was throwing caution to the wind. "Princess Fn, the ss you enrolled for has just started, so don''t skip it," Fang Ren said indifferently, without any regard for her rage, casually retracting the giant sword he had used. In fact, he still hadn''t used his true strength; his previous restraint was to achieve a certain effect. He didn''t think it was excessive to enrage Xia Fu Lan into losing herposure, as he had never forgotten the sight of Mu Huanqing''s meridians fractured into threads within her body, nor the first time she called out to him from her wheelchair with a look of sadness in her eyes. That was the most heart-wrenching scene for him. But what pained him even more was the scene he couldn''t witness: Mu Huanqing fighting a Ninth-order Void Beast on the battlefield as the Large Formation failed, enduring until her meridians were destroyed, and watching her subordinates die one by one. How immensely cruel must that scene have been? Standing in the center of the arena, Fang Ren turned to nce at Mu Huanqing seated in the special seats, catching sight of her excitedlyplex smile. Her husband had finally be strong enough not to worry her every day. Chapter 252: Chapter 348: Heavenly Dao Body Refinement Technique Part 1 At the specially arranged seats, Song Mobei''s expression was impassive. He wasn''t feeling that he had lost face, but for the first time, he truly grasped that in this world, there were people with even greater talent in swordsmanship than him. Six swords shing simultaneously, each move hitting precisely the same minute spot¡ª he, a practitioner who had reached the ''Entering Void'' phase in sword Dao, could also execute the moves Fang Ren had just performed. However, he couldn''t manage to bring swordsmanship to such a level while at the Peak of Azure Sky, most importantly, he couldn''t maintain effective control over Xia Fu Lan''s Sword Qi from slipping away with each stroke. Imagine, if Fang Ren were in the same realm as him, what method would he use to break free from the other''s control? He couldn''t think of one right away, with hundreds of scenarios shing through his mind in an instant. And in every scenario, the end result was his de being forcibly cleaved in two by the opponent, or his de would be taken advantage of by Fang Ren. How profound an understanding of swordsmanship must one have to achieve what had just been witnessed? Song Mobei suddenly felt envious, something he had never experienced so intensely since he began learning the art of the sword. Meanwhile, Fang Yuanhao, who was also sitting in the specially arranged seats, promptly controlled his astonished expression and instead looked very steady, as if the scene unfolding before him was to be expected. He said casually to the shocked Wang Family Patriarch beside him, "Not bad, Ran''er was born without a Spiritual Root indeed, and I concealed this from everyone. It''s not that Ran''er didn''t have a Spiritual Root, but rather that it was too powerful and developed very slowly. I decided to send him away from Tianjiang so that he could have a calm mindset to face this impetuous society and to maintain a bnced heart on the Dao. As Brother Bai said, Ran''er only started growing his Spiritual Root at the age of twenty-two. Such talent, it''s somewhat within expectations." "Brother Fang, I think you clearly intended to hide him to give us old fellows a scare. Very crafty," said the Wang Family Patriarch. "However, Brother Fang did the right thing. A child without a Spiritual Root staying in Tianjiang would probably be crushed by the greatest pressure and ruin such a promising seedlings. On the other hand, encountering many things outside could temper one''s character, not weak like a greenhouse flower," remarked the Liu Family Head. The group of family heads prattled on and on, while Bai Chaojin, sitting on the side, was full of disdain. No one knew the truth better than he did; Fang Yuanhao loved to embellish himself with glory. If Fang Ren had been defeated, he estimated that he would''ve been able to stand up and shout for Fang Ren to step down quickly to avoid embarrassing the Fang Family further. At that moment, he suddenly felt that he was more suitable to be Fang Ren''s grandfather than Fang Yuanhao. No matter what, he had always seen Fang Ren as the Furnace for Bai Qi, from beginning to end. And in fact, he valued Fang Ren''s life safety more than Fang Yuanhao did. Bai Qi was dumbfounded within the protective Shield; she couldn''t believe how strong Fang Ren was. He had repeatedly shattered her understanding of many things¡ªAlchemy, Sword Dao, Cultivation, and even ranks... It seemed as if everything was futile before him. The ims that the youngest fourth-rank Alchemist was over forty years old, that a practitioner of the Yingyue Realm could easily destroy someone from the Blue Sky Realm, that reaching ''Entering Void'' in Sword Dao was the ultimate path¡ªall appeared pale and powerless in his presence. She couldn''t imagine how someone with so many abnormally strong abilities could have spent almost two months of campus life with her so ordinarily. At school, he was just a student, ordinary to the point of being nondescript. "Fang Ren! You forced my hand!" Xia Fu Lan bit her teeth fiercely as she descended from the sky, her eyes fixed on Fang Ren with resentment. She viciously wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and her unupied hand''s fingernails dug deeply into her palm. "It''s only that Princess Fn is displeased, so there''s no reason to continue ridiculing me when you''re just end up getting angry at yourself," Fang Ren responded. With a pair of white eyes, Fang Ren didn''t even nce at her, but merely gazed at the ground three meters ahead of his feet. After all, whether or not he used his eyes to see wasn''t the point¡ªusing his gaze to look at someone only indicated whether he respected them or not, like with Mu Huanqing, whom he would definitely use his eyes to see. There''s a saying that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and it''s not false. For Xia Fu Lan, he couldn''t even bother to give her a cold nce. Xia Fu Lan, seeing that Fang Ren didn''t even nce at her today, instantly felt insulted and angrily said, "Don''t think that using these petty tricks will guarantee your victory over me! You''ll bear the consequences of whates next!" "Is Princess Fu Lan going to use her full strength?" Fang Renughed. It would be best if she used her full strength since his aim was topletely crush her, especially her exceedingly proud heart and her disregard for human life, which he loathed to the core. "What happens next is all your own doing!" Xia Fu Lan''s longsword flipped in her hand, and her expression gradually turned fierce. "Heavenly Body Forging Technique!" With a roar, a golden light suddenly burst forth from Xia Fu Lan''s body, wrapping her up like an invincible shield. Her hair, which had been a bit messy from Fang Ren''s attack, also began to fly about. Crackle, crackle, crackle¡ª With the appearance of the golden light, the pressure from Xia Fu Lan''s True Qi became even stronger, and strands of electric current flickered around her body, producing sparks as a destructive aura surged enormously. "That''s it! The body technique created by the Sect Master of the Heavenly Path!" "Yes, the Heavenly Body Forging Technique! The technique that gained fame alongside Sect Master Xia Yuntian of the Heavenly Path! Once used, it rapidly burns True Qi to increase one''s own strength by nearly 50 percent! It''s one of the very rare amplifying cultivation techniques in the world!" "Princess Fu Lan''s realm is already on the cusp of breaking through. Combined with this technique, it''s not an exaggeration to say she''s at Half-step Moon-shining Realm Peak! Young Master Fang stands no chance at all!" The moment people saw Xia Fu Lan use the unique skill of the Sect Master of the Heavenly Path, exmations erupted throughout the venue. Boom¡ª Just as the crowd was discussing, a massive golden Sword Qi had already been hurled from Xia Fu Lan''s longsword, passing by Fang Ren like a streak of light and shadow, exploding against a shield over two hundred meters behind him. Layers of dust sted up into the sky, forming clouds! Most people couldn''t clearly see how she hadunched her attack, only sensing a slight movement of her wrist before a gulf appeared beside Fang Ren. The crowd was instantly speechless; Xia Fu Lan''s sudden burst of powerpletely reset their understanding of practitioners at the Midterm phase of the Yingyue Realm! Such speed, how could it possibly be just Midterm of the Yingyue Realm? To say it was Half-step Peak would even seem a bit too modest! "I have cultivated my father''s technique to the midterm stage. Although right now it can only enhance my strength by fifty percent, using it against a weakling from the Blue Sky Realm like you, really feels like a waste!" Xia Fu Lan said as she gently retracted her sword. She looked at Fang Ren, who stood motionless, and her angry expression turned into a cold sneer: "Heh, what''s the matter, Young Master Fang, couldn''t block with your sword? Are you petrified by fear, or do you want to admit defeat now? But before you admit defeat, I''ll return a phrase to you. This sparing lesson I''m granting to Young Master Fang alsoes with a fee, so you''d better not skip out." Chapter 253: Chapter 349: Supreme Sword Intent_1 After hearing Xia Fu Lan''s words, Fang Ren smiled. Indeed, he did not anticipate the strength that Xia Fu Lan''s previous sword strike would bring from the Heavenly Dao Body Refiniment Technique. If that strike from Xia Fu Lan hadnded on him... well, he would still have managed to block it, but it would have taken quite an effort. "From what Princess Fn has said, it seems that conceding is not allowed in this duel," Fang Ren said without even looking at her. Upon hearing his words, Xia Fu Lan''s determination surged even more. She said, "Young Master Fang can consider conceding if he wishes, but just now, without any power to defend myself, I took Young Master Fang''s full-powered strike and suffered greatly. Young Master Fang must also take one full-powered hit from me before leaving the field. Besides, if I remember correctly, the rule about not skipping ss was one that you brought up first." Fang Ren felt even morefortable. This was precisely what he wanted from Xia Fu Lan¡ªhe feared that she might concede midway and run, leaving him at a loss. "Since Princess Fn is simrly inclined, why don''t we modify the rules further?" Fang Ren proposed: "In this duel, as long as one party is still conscious, it won''t be allowed to end, how about that?" The crowd burst into an uproar upon hearing this. Were these two aiming for a fight to the death? "It seems that Princess Fn revealing his crush on Princess Bai Xi and herck of interest in him has really made Young Master Fang feel like he lost face," someonemented. "I heard thatst night Young Master Fang wanted to share a room with Princess Bai Xi and was outright rejected by her. Coupled with so many people here now, poking at his sore spot, anyone would feel humiliated." "Yet, what Princess Fn said was the truth. Princess Bai Xi likes Brother Song, and that''smon knowledge. A melon forced off its vine is never sweet, it can only quench your thirst, but once you''re full, you still long for something sweet." "But is this the time to act impulsively? Princess Fn is serious here! Young Master Fang''s swordsmanship is indeed shocking, but the gap in their realms has widened to nearly three levels, a difference that not even skill can bridge!" ... Xia Fu Lan paused slightly as she listened to Fang Ren''s words. Was this guy scared out of his wits, daring to change the rules like this? Her power was now nearly at the peak of the Yingyue Realm, almost three minor realms above his! If the fight continued, Fang Ren wouldn''t even know how he died. But this suited her just fine; she had yet to vent the frustration she had previously bottled up! "Fine! Fang Ren! Since you''re asking for it, don''t me me!" After speaking, Xia Fu Lan turned to address the chairman: "However, we are from the same n, not mortal enemies. An idental death during this bout wouldn''t be ideal, so I ask the chairman to take extra care." The chairman nodded in agreement: "Princess Fn is absolutely right. We are all of the same human race, and with such a great enemy from the Void upon us, it would be tragic for us to ughter our own kin." "Princess Fn is really sensible. Even when pushed to the brink of rage time and again, she still maintains her rationality," the crowd nodded and agreed. Fang Ren was indifferent. Sensible? No harm to life? Why hadn''t Xia Fu Lan shown such sensibility towards Mu Huanqing before? These were all just pleasantries. Who knew what kind of schemes Xia Fu Lan would plot to bring him down after this duel? And that word "sensible," thrown around so carelessly in front of him, Fang Ren, was justughable. He was about to pick a fight with the Central Area¡ªwhat did he care for being sensible! Listening to the crowd, Xia Fu Lan smirked coldly in her heart. Sensible? To her, that was just a joke. After this duel, let''s see if Fang Ren can still have an easy time of it in the days toe! "Shall we begin, Young Master Fang?" Xia Fu Lan''s face bore a sneer with a menacing look in her eyes. Although she couldn''t take Fang Ren''s life here, she had to leave him crippled! "That sword strike just now, do it again," Fang Ren said lightly, ncing at the ground three meters away that had been sted to ashes. "Your arm, I''ll take it!" Xia Fu Lan''s sword de flipped, and with just a light flick of her wrist, an invisible sword qi sliced through the air, cutting across the ground and heading straight for Fang Ren''s arm. "Supreme Sword Intent!" Fang Ren stood still, and suddenly, a transparent Sword Intent only a meter long burst forth from his body. The appearance of this Sword Intent was not particrly shocking; rather, it was silent and advanced very slowly. But if one were to observe carefully at this moment, they would certainly find that this Sword Intent was like a vacuum, invisible to Divine Sense¡ªthough visible to the naked eye! It was like something that existed only in the line of sight, with no physical substance. Seeing this, Xia Fu Lan sneered in her heart. Fang Ren didn''t even attempt to dodge; the technique he used hadn''t fully condensed. It seemed he was truly scared witless by her. In her eyes, Fang Ren''s arm was already as good as severed. This time she did not intend to give Fang Ren any chance to catch his breath. Honestly, she was somewhat cautious about the Sword Dao talent Fang Ren had shown earlier. She feared that if she relented again, an ident might ur just like before. "Phosphorescent Nine Swords!" Buzz¡ª Even before the de could hit Fang Ren, her sword began to gather light again. As her wrist flipped, nine waves of light whirled out, slicing towards Fang Ren''s surroundings and cutting off all his retreat routes. More importantly, she deliberately shed horizontally with one sword, ensuring that no matter how Fang Ren attempted to run in a short time, both of his legs would be severed by her strike. As a sword qi narrowly missed his face and nine light waves blocked his path, Fang Ren remained immobile, instead choosing to close his eyes at that very moment! Buzz¡ª Suddenly, the slowly advancing Sword Intent in front of him emitted an extremely piercing buzz. This sound, as if carrying an abnormally huge energy, had an extraordinarily terrifying prating power. The first sword qi Xia Fu Lan had struck with, under the intense vibrating buzz, was twisted and, within an instant, destroyed into brilliance by the buzzing sound, racing towards the other nine radiant sword qi emissions from Xia Fu Lan! Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh¡ªBang-bang-bang¡ª The points of light collided continuously with the nine sword qi, sparking constantly. In just a moment, the shapes of the nine sword qi began to destabilize, and their edges already showed signs of fracture! Buzz¡ª The nine nearly shattered sword qi swept across the sky, about to slice into Fang Ren''s legs. The Sword Intent in front of Fang Ren suddenly fell, blocking in front of his lower legs. The nine sword qi kept hitting the Sword Intent but made no sound at all. As the nine sword qi rapidly passed over his legs, there appeared a gap right at their center¡ªa gap over a meter wide! Following their flight path over Fang Ren, they collided with the rear protective shields in the blink of an eye, creating a thunderous roar. Fang Ren''s lower legs remained undamaged. Next to his legs, the meter-long Supreme Sword Intent remained intact, still as sluggish as before, seemingly without any power at all. However, in just that instant, everyone in the special seating area saw very clearly that, just as the nine sword qi were about to hit Fang Ren, that Supreme Sword Intent collided with each edge of the sword qi urately. But at the moment of impact, the parts of the nine sword qi that came into contact with the Supreme Sword Intent were all erased by it from space, as if there had always been a gap at the center of the nine sword qi, a meter wide. Chapter 254: Chapter 350: Half-step Moon-reflection Realm Peak_1 "What kind of Sword Intent is this! It seemed utterly ordinary, but I didn''t expect it to actually slice through Tiandao Sword Sect''s Phosphorescent Nine Swords!" "This isn''t just slicing! It''s clearly melting the Nine Sword Qi into thin air!" ... Xia Fu Lan''s facial expression kept twitching; in her eyes, a strike that even someone at the Early Stage of Yingyue Realm couldn''t dodge, was so easily resolved by Fang Ren. "I refuse to believe it! No matter how strong your Sword Intent is, can it really defend against attacks from all directions at once!" Xia Fu Lan, holding the Jade Water Linglong Sword in her hand, traced a golden streak across the sky with her figure, and in that moment, erupted with hundreds of Sword Qi from her body, like an enormously huge pair of wings. Without a word, Fang Ren grabbed the supreme Sword Intent in front of him, directly transforming it into a de. His feet shifted, and a red aura drew a red light behind him. Hu¡ª¡ª The two enormous wings behind Xia Fu Lan, formed from hundreds of swords, aimed a strike at Fang Ren''s head, but Fang Ren''s supreme Sword Intent was unstoppable, cleaving right through the sword wingsing towards him. Immediately after, Fang Ren, without any hesitation, chopped the other wing as well, and in an instant, the sky was filled with longswords raining down from Xia Fu Lan''s sword wings. "Idiotic!" Seeing this, a smile surfaced on Xia Fu Lan''s face. With a rotation of True Qi in her body, her figure quickly retreated backward, and the Jade Water Linglong Sword in her hand shone brightly at that moment, beginning to absorb Spiritual Energy from the air around it. Fang Ren immediately followed, but it was clear Xia Fu Lan wasn''t retreating with her full strength; it seemed like she was luring him to attack. Fang Ren immediately stopped the pursuit, nning to switch to using Empty Ming Sword for long-range attacks, but at that moment, the longswords scattered on the ground from her shattered sword wings, suddenly stood erect with their tips pointing in all directions, aiming for him. "Although your Sword Intent is strong, I don''t believe you can defend against the whole body!" Xia Fu Lan''s True Qi suddenly surged, and the longswords lifted into the sky wrapped in blue True Qi,pletely surrounding Fang Ren. These hundreds of swords formed a formation that the audience outside could not see Fang Ren through the dense mesh of longswords; they could only faintly discern a shadow between the gaps of the swords. "Storm Air sh!" From inside the circle of swords, Fang Ren''s voice could be heard. Immediately after, streaks of white light surged out from the group of swords that tightly surrounded him, and the surrounding des began to shatter rapidly. "This Half-step Moon-shining Realm Peak really is somewhat tricky." Inside the group of swords, Fang Ren swiftly wielded the supreme Sword Intent in his hand, smacking his lips in his mind. Originally, he had wanted to draw out a few massive Empty Ming Swords to split all these des, but s, now with Xia Fu Lan unleashing her full strength, his Empty Ming Sword simply could not impact the group of swords. And the supreme Sword Intent in his hand, although it was a product of the peak of the sword path''s peak, possessing the ability to cut through all things, was regrettably too small in size. Even though Fang Ren''s Realm was already at the Peak of the Blue Sky, he could only condense the supreme Sword Intent to about one meter, showing how tremendous the needed energy was and the difficulty of activating it. And as for Xia Fu Lan, she was, after all, nearly three small Realms higher than Fang Ren; when the power disparity was too great, it was impossible topensate with technique. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡ª The supreme Sword Intent in Fang Ren''s hand kept cleaving the longswords around him, but the supreme Sword Intent was after all still too short topletely intercept the other longswords in their flight. As the swarm of swords in the sky continued their assault, Fang Ren''s momentum instantly plummeted, his shoulders and legs already cut by many of these blue des, blood beginning to drip. The dense array of longswords below terrified the onlookers. The pressure was so great that Fang Ren had no time to use any other cultivation techniques; his only option was to sever all of the longswords in order to escape. "Fang Ren, no matter how powerful your swordsmanship is, what use is it if you can''t wield it?" Xia Fu Lan''s longsword was still drawing spiritual energy from the heavens and earth, for she was well aware of Fang Ren''s strength. She knew that it was virtually impossible topletely defeat Fang Ren with these sword swarms, so she was already preparing her decisive, winning strike. However, what she didn''t realize was that within Fang Ren''s field of vision, he had every move of hers under control. Bang, bang, bang¡ª The swarm of swords in the sky had been reduced to a mere thirty percent by Fang Ren, his shoulders and calves covered with wounds. Thankfully, the muscles and bones were not damaged. Before Fang Ren could deal with the final thirty percent of flying swords, Xia Fu Lan suddenly raised her Jade Water Linglong Sword. The massive amount of nature''s spiritual energy gathered atop it erupted at that moment, shooting a blue beam of light straight towards Fang Ren''s chest. At that moment, still entangled by the remaining thirty percent of longswords and faced with the sudden blue light, he had only two choices: continue dealing with the entangling flying swords and inevitably get struck by the blue light, or use the supreme Sword Intent to cleave the blue light, but Xia Fu Lan would surely continue to channel True Qi to suppress him to the point where he couldn''t move the supreme Sword Intent, leaving him to be stabbed in the back by the flying swords. It couldn''t be helped; Xia Fu Lan''s rotation of True Qi was too fast, and his realm couldn''t keep up. "Sword Shield!" Fang Ren chose to continue severing the entangling flying swords while summoning a Sword Shield behind him to block the opponent''s blue assault. Boom¡ª The Sword Shield was ttened by the blue light, mming hard against Fang Ren''s back. Fang Ren turned into a beam of red light, crashing down onto the center of the venue, instantly creating a cloud of smoke and a crater three feet deep. Mu Huanqing''s True Qi was already surging; if Xia Fu Lan didn''t know when to stop, she wouldn''t hesitate to m Xia Fu Lan into the ground, sticking her in the mud where no amount of digging could extricate her. "Young Master Fang... has he lost?" "The suppression of the realms is too strong. After all, Princess Fn''s strength is infinitely close to the peak of the Yingyue Realm; there''s just one realm differencepared to the Xuanyang realm." "Indeed, any technique is but a floating cloud in the face of absolute power." ... Looking at the pit below shrouded in smoke, Xia Fu Lan snorted coldly, sheathed her Jade Water Linglong Sword, and said to the president of the association, "President, you can announce the result now." She was confident in the sword strike she''d just delivered. Although it didn''t sever Fang Ren''s legs, it surely shattered his breastbone into eight pieces. The president watched and slightly furrowed his brow; he decided to wait for the smoke on the field to clear before making a judgment. Inside the smoky crater, Fang Ren expressionlessly touched his chest which seemed to have caved in slightly, probably indicating that all his ribs were broken. "This body... the more injured, the more excited it gets; it''s troublesome." Fang Ren withdrew his supreme Sword Intent and slowly rose from the crater, the red aura around his body ring even more intensely. This pain was negligiblepared to the fight at Linglong Bay; at least that fight made him feel somewhat itchy. Chapter 255: Chapter 351: Overwhelming Advantage_1 With a casual wave, a red breath scattered the surrounding dust like a storm. In the huge pit, Fang Ren''s chest was still sunken, a trace of fresh blood hanging from the corner of his mouth. Seeing this, the crowd gasped in shock, realizing that if they had suffered such an injury, they would probably be lying on the ground gasping for breath by now. Xia Fu Lan saw this and sneered from the corner of her mouth, "Can you still stand up?" No sooner had she spoken than she showed no signs of holding back, as hundreds of longswords gathered around her again, transforming into a blue light that charged towards Fang Ren. Mu Huanqing had already risen from her seat, with her True Qi fluctuating unreservedly and her Spirit Form revealed above her head. She had originally wanted to rush over directly, but she noticed that there wasn''t a trace of strain on Fang Ren''s face. Suddenly, she hesitated. If Fang Ren was determined to fight until he lost consciousness, her intervention would probably upset him. After briefly considering the matter, Mu Huanqing, despite the puzzled looks from various Family Heads, chose not to intervene. After all, she could smack Xia Fu Lan into the ground at any time. The chairperson of the council frowned at this sight. The victor had already been determined, yet Princess Fn was still hellbent on being ruthless. However, he couldn''t dere the result just yet given it was their agreement to fight until one lost consciousness, regardless of victory or defeat. Watching Xia Fu Lan approach like a stream of light, Fang Ren simply gave up on using Sword Dao. Frankly speaking, although Sword Dao was exceptionally powerful, manyrge-scale tactics were not convenient for him to use at present; fists were more reliable. It was supposed to be a contest of Sword Dao, but now that both had resorted to body techniques, it wouldn''t be excessive for him to use his fists either. Bang¡ª Hundreds of flying swords transformed into sword wings, heavily smashing onto Fang Ren, sending him flying into the air as blood sttered from his body. "Heh, if you admit defeat now, Fang Ren, I can still leave you some dignity. Otherwise, you won''t even be able to sit in a wheelchair at the wedding the day after tomorrow," Xia Fu Lan said with a chuckle as she observed the "agonizing" Fang Ren. After a flip in the air, Fang Rennded and finally looked at Xia Fu Lan, saying, "Use everything you''ve got." Her smile froze on Xia Fu Lan''s face, and a torrent of rage surged through her heart. To think that this man still wanted to put on a brave face! Want dignity? Well, I, Xia Fu Lan, will refuse to give it to you! Xia Fu Lan didn''t hesitate to smash another sword wing onto Fang Ren, who blocked with his arms but was still knocked back several hundred meters. She didn''t stop. Immediately, her figure flew forward, and another sword wing mmed down from above Fang Ren, pummeling him into the pit and followed by continuous assaults. The area trembled non-stop as both figures were engulfed by the dust in the sky, but the sounds emanating from within were unrelenting attacks from Xia Fu Lan''s sword wings. After approximately hundreds of attacks, Xia Fu Lan suddenly halted, and four longswords emerged from the sword wings behind her, floating above Fang Ren''s limbs. By this time, Fang Ren was battered beyond recognition, with countless bones in his body broken. "Fang Ren! Think about how disgusted Bai Qi must feel watching you pinned to the ground," Xia Fu Lan said, her face contorted with a cold sneer as she looked at Fang Ren. "Is your assault over?" Fang Ren asked while lying on the ground. His words seemed to trigger the deepest anger within Xia Fu Lan, as her expression turned fierce. The four longswords all simultaneously stabbed into Fang Ren''s limbs. She wanted to see Fang Ren''s face twisted in fear, but even now, he was still smiling! "You bastard! Let everyone see how you embarrass yourself!" After speaking, Xia Fu Lan prepared to circte her True Qi to disperse the surrounding dust, to reveal her triumphant stance to everyone, and to disy Fang Ren''s wretched condition. "Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat, Tier Six." Just as Xia Fu Lan was about to disperse the dust, Fang Ren, with an excited smile on his face,zily uttered a few words. Boom¡ª The next instant, a red breath exploded from Fang Ren''s body like divine moltenva, and Xia Fu Lan immediately raised her Sword Shield to guard against it. The red breath that erupted at that moment sted her hundreds of meters away! As the dust cleared, the longswords lodged in Fang Ren''s limbs melted away. The crowd, witnessing Fang Ren''s hundred-zhang-tall, skyward red glow, were shaken once again. Both individuals appeared to be monsters. Just when they thought it was over, it seemed the actual battle had just begun. "So you don''t mind if I beat you into the state I was just in, right?" Fang Ren stood in the pit, looking at Xia Fu Lan a hundred meters away, unable to contain the excited smile on his face. A savage killing intent kept spreading through his nerves, and suddenly, he quite fancied seeing Xia Fu Lan smashed into a pulp. This was the hallmark of the Asura Path Tier 2, ruthless ughter, almost an uncontroble stimnt. Xia Fu Lan removed the Sword Shield and looked at Fang Ren across from her. For some reason, she suddenly felt a chill at her back, always feeling there was something about this guy that instinctively frightened her. Whizz¡ª A shadow shed by; the red aura still lingered in ce, but Fang Ren had already arrived next to her seemingly out of nowhere! In a panic, Xia Fu Lan hurriedly swung the Jade Water Linglong Sword she held in her hand, but before she could even move, she felt an immense force m into her face! Boom¡ª Her figure violently flew backward, crashing into the protective barrier of the president, instantly spreading cracks several dozen meters long across the shield, nearly scaring the students inside to wet themselves. "How is this possible!" Just as Xia Fu Lan tried to get up, another blur streaked by, and there was Fang Ren with a cruel smile on his face, already upon her, his entire body''s red aura causing the True Qi on her body to scatter. "Wait... wait a minute!" Xia Fu Lan had just opened her mouth when Fang Ren, standing on top of her, punched her in the head. Thud¡ª The substantial Shield cracked even more. The president saw this and waspletely dumbfounded; his all-out Shield couldn''t withstand two punches from Fang Ren! How much force must be in those punches thatnded on Princess Fn''s head? Bang bang bang¡ª Continuous, deafening punches rained down on Xia Fu Lan''s face, causing her entire body to convulse from the intense pain, nearly passing out from the agony of the moment. Crack¡ª The Shield shattered, and the president was in a total panic. The students below the Shield, some of them unable to control their dders, unleashed their waterworks recklessly. Fang Ren grabbed Xia Fu Lan''s head, moved his arm, and she swiftly crashed into the other side of therge Shield. Fang Ren''s figure turned into a shadow, appearing in front of her once again. "Don''t..." At this point, Xia Fu Lan''s face was twisted, all her True Qi dissipating, her eyes filled with extreme fear. She couldn''t see any intention of stopping in this guy''s eyes! He wanted to kill her outright! But before she could say the words, Fang Ren''s rainstorm-like attacks came again, unabated, utterly merciless, each punch falling like a thunderous explosion. Crack¡ª That Shield was also sted by him! Yet he still showed no intention of stopping. The cruel emotions in his head grew more severe. If a few more such punchesnded, Xia Fu Lan''s Dantian would be shattered! "Stop!" Suddenly, from the specially arranged seats, a golden Sword Qi shed through the air, heading straight for the punch that Fang Ren was about tond. The golden Sword Qi was too fast. Even though Fang Ren had sensed it early, he still had no chance to evade! The owner of this golden Sword Qi was intent on severing his hand! Whizz¡ª Just at that moment, a silver light arrived in front of Fang Ren. The Hundred Martial Divine Weapon was activated and directly swatted the iing golden Sword Qi into the sky. Boom! The golden Sword Qi exploded in the sky. In everyone''s view, Mu Huanqing, who had been seated in the special area, had disappeared, and Song Mobei had stood up, holding a golden Longsword in his hand, his gaze icy cold. In the middle of the arena, Mu Huanqing emitted a silver radiance all over her body, standing in front of Fang Ren. The Hundred Martial Divine Weapon in her hand spun continuously, like an extremely sturdy Shield. Her mood wasn''t great either, her expression cold and angry. If her junior sister couldn''t beat him, her senior brother would cut off Fang Ren''s hand? If her husband couldn''t win, was she supposed to just go and annihte the Tiandao Sword Sect? Chapter 256: 352 Outside the venue at this time, the mood of the people from the third ss of the Medical College was at its peak excitement. Their original purpose was very simple, just toe over to cheer for Fang Ren. However, they hadn''t expected that just as they arrived, they witnessed Fang Ren fighting with the Tiandao Princess and demonstrating an abnormal and monstrous strength, overpowering Xia Fu Lan. As the fight continued, Song Mobei saw his junior sister''s face get swollen from the beating and started to strike at Fang Ren''s arm; however, Madame Xuan effortlessly neutralized his attack. Watching this scene, probably no one could be more excited than them from the third ss of the Medical College since they understood the rtionship between Fang Ren and Mu Hui all too well! The Tiandao elder brother wants to chop off Ranzi''s hand? Would Madame Xuan agree? ... Inside the venue: "Damn! Was thatst longsword strike from Brother Song? My heavens, if that had hit, Young Master Fang would have at least lost an arm!" "It''s the first time I''ve seen the usually gentle and easy-going Brother Song lose his cool! It seems Young Master Fang really hit too hard this time!" "Nonsense! The rules were agreed upon by the two of them beforehand, as long as there''s no fatality, anything goes. Moreover, when Princess Fn was heavy-handed with Young Master Fang earlier, why didn''t Brother Song help then?" "Exactly! Brother Song was in the wrong here. Princess Fn had all the advantages in terms of Realm, and she kept looking down on Young Master Fang. If Young Master Fang didn''t have the strength to counterattack, I guarantee he would be in a much worse state than Princess Fn is now!" "Thank goodness Lady Xuan intervened in time to protect! Otherwise, Young Master Fang''s hand would definitely have been severed on the spot!" ... "General Song, was that sword strike of yours intended to cut down the future of our human-made Elixirs?" Mu Huanqing stood in the center of the venue, the silver radiance constantly shedding from her body. Her expression was exceptionally cold as she looked at Song Mobei across from her, her gaze akin to how she would regard a Void beast on the battlefield. At the slightest hint of homicidal intent, she would possibly kill this man at any moment. Song Mobei''s own expression had also be extremely cold; he had never imagined that Mu Huanqing, as a Xuan Nv, would step in and protect the Young Master of the Fang Family at this juncture. In addition, the fact that she was staring at him with such an indifferent gaze... He remembered seeing Mu Huanqing ughter Void beasts on the battlefield, her eyes then were exactly the same as how she was looking at him now. Song Mobei could notprehend; he was just going to sever one of Fang Ren''s arms, and Fang Ren would recover naturally once his Cultivation Level improved in the future. He merely wanted to regain some dignity for the Tiandao Sword Sect. Why was Mu Huanqing looking at him with such eyes? He increasingly felt that if his sword strike had truly severed Fang Ren''s arm, maybe Mu Huanqing would have pped him into a cripple by now. His confusion deepened: What exactly was the rtionship between Mu Huanqing and this Fang Ren? Fang Ren''s injury wasn''t fatal; did it really warrant such fury from Mu Huanqing? "Lady Xuan, don''t you think Young Master Fang went a bit too far?" Song Mobei asked, "I merely wanted to teach Young Master Fang a lesson, yet you use me of annihting the future of human-made Elixirs. Then if Young Master Fang injures my junior sister like this, isn''t he harming the future of human talent?" "If your junior sister is not as skilled, she should pay the price for her arrogance and ignorance. General Song, don''t use twisted logic to excuse your junior sister," Mu Hui Qing said with a cold look. Seeing this, Song Mobei continued, "Lady Xuan is not wrong in saying my junior sister is not as skilled, but everyone knows that it was Young Master Fang who provoked first. During the districtpetition, Young Master Fang openly mocked my Tiandao Sword Sect for not knowing the Sword Dao, branding us as a bunch of frogs in a well. This provoked my junior sister, leading to the situation we have today." Mu Hui Qing didn''t say a word, unwilling to deal with Song Mobei''s distortions of truth and twisted logic. Your junior sister spreads rumors just because she can''t handle mockery? She couldn''t win and now she wants to me others for herck of strength? If your junior sister hadn''t done what she did originally, would anyone intentionally mock her now? Song Mobei went on to say, "Since Young Master Fang has already said that my Tiandao Sword Sect knows nothing of the Sword Dao, does that also imply that he is mocking me as much as he mocks my junior sister?" Fang Ren slowly stood up, his white pupils still not ncing at the person unworthy of his respect. He said, "If the junior sister couldn''t win, is this senior brother supposed to force a sparring session with me?" Song Mobei slowly stepped down from the special seat onto the field and said, "Young Master Fang really knows how to twist my words. That my junior sister lost is her own matter, but when Young Master Fang mocks my entire sword sect, it bes my business as the elder brother." The Family Heads in the special seats frowned together, of course, they wouldn''t allow the situation to escte further. If this continued, human internal conflicts could get out of hand. However, since they all regarded Bai Chaojin as the leader and he had not spoken, they naturally remained seated without acting. Only Mu Hui Qing''s grandfather, Mu Qing Mountain, had a troubled expression. His granddaughter... he definitely had no power over her now; whatever she wished to do, he would let her be. At the back of the spectator stands, Shang Han, who was still wearing a headscarf, was in a state of shock. He simply couldn''t believe the sight of Fang Ren rubbing Xia Fu Lan into the ground before. That was the Tiandao Princess! Nearly at the peak of Yingyue Realm! A top-tier genius among the young generation of humans! Yet his Ranzi, just about three months ago, was merely a person who couldn''t even cultivate the Spiritual Root and dabbled with Elixirs; how suddenly he starts beating up this top-tier young genius on a whim and turns her into a pig? "Brother Zheng! Where the hell have you run off to today! Your son''s about to take flight!" Shang Han shouted inwardly, his thoughts chaotically swirling. He now wished he could directly drag Fang Zheng, who was on the battlefield, over and point to Fang Ren below, telling him that his son finally had a Spiritual Root! And an incredibly powerful one at that! In the center of the field, Song Mobei''s face bore a cold tone as he summoned his Spirit Form, a golden Longsword named Sky Gang, known as the second-best Spirit Form in the world. His entire body''s True Qi was also golden, known as the second-best Sky Gang Righteous Qi. After all, the first was always Mu Hui Qing''s. "Young Master Fang, I believe it is necessary for me, as the elder brother of the Tiandao Sword Sect, to have a match against someone who looks down on our Sect," Song Mobei dered. "Are you suggesting a Spar in Realm, Brother Song?" Fang Ren asked with a smile, "Why not speak of the Sword Dao?" Chapter 257: Chapter 353: No One is Allowed to Touch Him Today_1 "I admit that I indeed mocked the Sword Dao of the Tiandao Sword Sect," Fang Ren said. "But it seems that Brother Song is now twisting my words to mean that I mocked everyone in the Tiandao Sword Sect." Everyone listening was stunned, failing to understand what the difference was between the two statements. Fang Ren continued, "You can debate Sword Dao with me, because that''s what I ridiculed ¨C your Sword Dao. You can also debate Cultivation Level with me; however, I never ridiculed your Cultivation Levels. If Brother Song insists on bringing up Cultivation Level, then in my view, it''s just because Brother Song knows he''s not qualified to discuss Sword Dao with me and can only use Cultivation Level to pressure me." Upon hearing this, Song Mobei''s indifferent expression remained unchanged as he spoke, "Regardless of how Young Master Fang tries to quibble today, I, Song Mobei, am going to stand up for my Sect." With that said, the True Qi within Song Mobei suddenly surged, and golden Sword Qi danced wildly in the air, spreading from the interior of the venue directly to the outside. "General Song debates Cultivation Level with an Alchemist; doesn''t that feel shameful?" It was then that Mu Huanqing, who had been standing protectively in front of Fang Ren, spoke up. Her own silver brilliance also erupted, and today if Song Mobei dared to target Fang Ren, she was prepared to cripple him on the spot! "Lady Xuan, I really don''t understand what your rtionship with Young Master Fang is," Song Mobei said. "Firstly, intervening in a duel between two people was indeed wrong of me, and as the embodiment of justice, you were right to save Young Master Fang''s arm. But now, with the friction between Young Master Fang and me, if Lady Xuan intervenes again, it would be meddling too much." Upon hearing this, the crowd also started discussing amongst themselves. "Indeed, when Madame Xuan previously helped Young Master Fang, it was to ensure absolute fairness and served as a warning to Brother Song for interfering in a duel. But now that the duel is obviously over, for Madame Xuan to stand between them again seems like overstepping," someone said. "That''s right, the friction between Young Master Fang and the Tiandao Sword Sect is their business¡ªhow they want to resolve it and who has the stronger force is up to them. Madame Xuan shouldn''t be involved in ensuring fairness at this point," another person added. "And the most important point is, as the human embodiment of unity, Madame Xuan should be unbiased, shouldn''t show preference to either side. If she continues to protect Young Master Fang at this juncture, it will seem excessively biased. More seriously, it could lead to significant dissatisfaction within the Tiandao Sword Sect, which might result in their bearing a grudge against the Tianjiang Fang Family. This is not conducive to human unity. Madame Xuan should not stop this matter from unfolding," someone else stated. ... Mu Huanqing listened to the surrounding discussions, her face cold and unchanging. Yes, as the symbol of humanity united against the Void, everything she did should be for the benefit of humanity. She could not take any action that wouldn''t serve the unity of humankind, nor could she be biased toward any human faction. However, she was no longer just the Nine Heavens Profound Lady; she was also the wife of Fang Ren, mother to his child. If her identity as the Nine Heavens Profound Lady became a barrier between her and Fang Ren, she would throw it away without hesitation. "Lady Xuan, please step aside. This matter concerns our Sect and Young Master Fang," Song Mobei said, sneering inwardly as he listened to the people around him. He thought that with so many people speaking for him, and with his arguments being seemingly reasonable, Mu Huanqing would have to leave. However, what she did next took himpletely by surprise. All at once, the aura around Mu Huanqing surged tremendously, and her pupils began emitting silver light. Above her head, a spear flew out from amongst the Hundred Martial Divine Weapons. This was her weapon of choice. ng¡ª With her long spear flipping in hand, Mu Huanqing pointed directly at Song Mobei across from her and said in a very loud voice, "What if I decide to handle today''s matter myself!" Hum¡ª Without hiding the strong oppressive force in her aura, she exerted it on Song Mobei, who was in the mid-phase of the Xuanyang realm, in front of tens of thousands of people. In an instant, Song Mobei felt as if a vast and huge mountain pressed down upon him, and his body involuntarily bent slightly. The golden radiance he had just released retracted back into his body like a tide at this moment, leaving only Mu Huanqing''s sacred silver glow shining in the sky above the venue. Seeing this, Fang Ren, standing next to Mu Huanqing, looked at the silhouette of his wife and felt a sudden surge ofplex emotions. Although most of these were warm, there was some embarrassment for him as a man to be protected like this by his wife... But this feeling of embarrassment was soon cast aside, as he suddenly realized something significant ¡ª not everyone had such a good wife as he did. It is said in the path of Cultivation that luck and destiny are a part of one''s own strength. Isn''t his wife also like this? Having such a strong wife, in his view, was indeed a part of his own strength. The cold expression on Song Mobei''s face finally wrinkled into a frown, as he never expected Mu Huanqing would dare to do something so contrary to her status and sense of responsibility for the sake of Fang Ren. "Lady Xuan, what exactly is the meaning of this?" Song Mobei''s voice was full of anger. "My intention is very clear." Mu Huanqing pointed her long spear at him, her voice still very loud and pleasing, "Today, here, no one is allowed to touch Fang Ren. If anyone wishes to challenge him, they''ll have to challenge me first." Song Mobei''s entire face instantly darkened. Mu Huanqing was defying him openly! He still had no idea where he had made an enemy of Mu Huanqing! Or was it that there was some unspeakable secret between Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing? "Enough." Just at that moment, the Family Head of the Bai Family, who was seated in a special area, suddenly stood up and said to Song Mobei in the center of the venue, "This ce is the venue for the Alchemypetition today, and no one is allowed to duel here. A farce has already taken ce just now, and there should not be a second one!" Mu Huanqing nced at Bai Chaojin, then withdrew her Spirit Form, and the silver radiance that had spread across the sky instantly returned into her body. However, she didn''t go back to her seat but looked at Song Mobei and said, "General Song, if you wish to challenge Young Master Fang in the future, you better hope I don''t find out. Otherwise, I might just challenge General Song first." The few short sentences spoken weighed on Song Mobei like a tremendous mountain. Chapter 258: Chapter 354: After the Battle_1 Looking at Mu Huanqing before him, Song Mobei felt his chest about to explode with anger. Mu Huanqing was determined to oppose him, Song Mobei! In his life, wherever he had been, he had always been idolized and admired by everyone. When had he ever experienced such a loss of face as he did today? With just one sentence from Mu Huanqing, he was unable to do anything to a person who had insulted his school. This made him feel an unbearable humiliation! But now he didn''t have the strength to stand up to Mu Huanqing. He knew very well that if he dared to touch Fang Ren Ran''er now, Mu Huanqing would have no hesitation in smashing him into the ground on the spot. This was also what he found most insulting! Who on Earth didn''t know that Mu Huanqing and he, Song Mobei, were meant to be lovers? However, who could have imagined that the current scene would be one where Mu Huanqing would speak harshly for the sake of a man who was opposing him? From now on, how would the world talk about him? "Lady Xuan is being too bullying out there," Song Mobei said coldly. "Let me ask, if today someone else insulted your entire family, as the eldest daughter of the family, what would you do?" Mu Huanqing answered casually, "Naturally, I would make them pay the price." "Then let me ask again, Lady Xuan, what reason do you have now to stop me from making someone who has insulted my school pay the price?" Song Mobei said. "He has not insulted your school," Mu Huanqing said indifferently. "He simply stated a fact that you are unwilling to ept, making you feel insulted. As far as I know, on the day Young Master Fang and Princess Fn agreed to the duel, he said that he could be Princess Fn''s teacher in the Sword Dao, and now it seems that what he asserted was indeed the truth. Furthermore, before the duel began, Young Master Fang did say that General Song''s Sword Dao was mediocre at best. I did not hear Young Master Fang insult the Tiandao Sword Sect, nor did he say that the entire Tiandao Sword Sect were "frogs at the bottom of a well." The term "frogs at the bottom of a well" was something that you, General Song, added yourself." Having said that, Mu Huanqing cleared a path between Fang Ren Ran''er and Song Mobei and continued, "Lastly, if General Song truly believes that his Sword Dao is superior to Young Master Fang''s, he can certainly spar on the spot. However, I hope General Song will not use the same tactics as Princess Fn, swapping concepts and turning ''spar in Sword Dao'' into ''spar in Realm.'' Princess Fn has already taken full advantage of the duel, and upon losing, she ndered the other''s Sword Dao as a True Qi-propelled Cultivation Technique. Everyone here has seen all this." As soon as Mu Huanqing''s words fell, the whole scene began to buzz with noise. "Does even Lady Xuan think that Young Master Fang''s Sword Dao is superior to Brother Song''s?" "Are you blind? All of Young Master Fang''s Cultivation Techniques just now were propelled by True Qi, which means that the Sword Intent he disyed at the beginning was genuine, not any hidden True Qi-propelled technique; it was a solid disy of Sword Intent!" "That Sword Intent even formed a tornado. Currently, there is not a single Practitioner in the Sword Dao who can achieve that level purely through swordsmanship alone. Honestly, I feel that Young Master Fang''s Sword Dao is indeed superior to Brother Song''s." "Ohe on, you guys were supporting Brother Song just a moment ago, and now you''re supporting this side. You obviously don''t understand anything; you''re just a bunch of fools who believe whatever you hear." ... Song Mobei''s eyes twitched again, and he looked at Fang Ren Ran''er across from him with a cold gaze, saying, "Is Lady Xuan disregarding what Family Head Bai just said? This ce is an Alchemists''petition ground, and all duels are forbidden." Having said that, Song Mobei turned around with the semi-conscious Xia Fu Lan and walked towards the group of disciples from the Tiandao Sword Sect. Mu Huanqing did not say anything more about this topic. She did not like talking to Song Mobei. ncing back at Fang Ren, Mu Huanqing put on an indifferent expression and said, "Should Young Master Fang encounter personal grievances in the future, feel free to seek me out. The Human n should be united in our stand against the Void. We must not let a past grudge, whose oue has already been decided, ruin the greater unity of our people." The first part of her speech was directed at Fang Ren, while thest sentence was addressed to everyone from the Tiandao Sword Sect. Fang Ren withdrew his True Qi and smiled faintly, "I thank Lady Xuan for your rescue. Otherwise, my arm might have truly been crippled." Mu Huanqing paid him little attention, continuing to assume an air of indifference as she walked toward the specially arranged seats. Watching her "indifferent" back, Fang Ren suddenly felt the urge tough. His wife was really putting on a good act, but her eagerness to protect him this time made him wonder what Bai Chaojin would do next. Once Mu Huanqing returned to the special seats, Mu Qing Mountain, sitting not far from her, shook his head with a wry smile, again and again. Today, he finally recognized the truth that his granddaughter would, it seemed, risk her life to be with this young man from the Fang Family. The strength that the young man from the Fang Family disyed today truly shocked him beyond words. Initially, when he set the seven-year challenge to surpass Song Mobei, it was only meant to appease his granddaughter''s emotions. He hadn''t expected that Fang Ren would take it so seriously. It hadn''t been three months since hisst visit to Yangming City, yet Fang Ren''s strength had already overwhelmed that of Xia Fu Lan, who was three years his senior, which left him utterly astonished. In the history of Human Cultivation, there had never been someone whose Alchemy and Cultivation Level both reached such a rarely seen height. This Fang Ren, no matter how one looked at it, was the greatest force in the Human n''s fight against the Void in the future. She would surpass Mu Huanqing, and by a great margin. However, with today''s battle, Mu Qing Mountain felt much more relieved because he no longer had to worry about his granddaughter being forced into marriage. The Central Area would reconsider the marriage alliance between Mu Huanqing and Song Mobei because of today''s battle. The current Fang Ren is indeed the most eligible suitor for the Lady of Mysteria. Shang Han, seated at the very back of the spectator stands, felt indescribable joy and excitement at this sight. At this moment, everything that was happening seemed to be proving his previous decision right. Looking at Fang Ren in the center of the arena, his senses suddenly became somewhat dizzy and unreal, as he still could hardly believe that such a thing was possible in the world. Ran''er was too strong, far surpassing his understanding of him from the past. He always thought that Ran''er was only suited to be an Alchemist, best living a low-key, peaceful life, away from trouble and conflict. But now, he suddenly felt that all the words he had said to Fang Ren were nonsense. Keeping away from conflicts did not belong to someone with exceptional innate talent. After today, there would not be a single person in the world with any reason to oppose the marriage between Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing. Of course, Shang Han knew nothing about Indra Sky. Chapter 259: Chapter 354: The Curtain Falls_1 "Ah! Tongtong! Your brother is just too strong!" On the aristocrat''s viewing tform of Tianjiang, Wang Linlin, with an excited face, was shaking Fang Tong''s shoulders back and forth, the frequencyparable to a turbocharger. Before Fang Tong had a chance to properly watch Fang Ren leave the arena, Wang Linlin''s shaking gave her such a headache. She turned back to look at her starry-eyed best friend, always feeling as if Fang Ren was not her brother, but Wang Linlin''s own brother. Interrupting Wang Linlin''s shaking, Fang Tong looked at Fang Ren, who had just sat back in the spectator''s area. Her heart was happy for her brother, but more so she was filled with a sense of bewilderment. She couldn''t help but think, if her parents were also here right now, what would they do on the spot? She vaguely remembered the baby on her mother''s phone wallpaper; her mother would stare at it every night for a long, long time. It was only two months ago that she learned the baby on her mother''s wallpaper was her brother. Fang Liqun, who was also in the Tianjiang aristocrats'' viewing area, sat there with a dumbfounded expression. The unfolding events, from start to present, were nothing like what he had imagined in his head! Every time he thought Fang Ren was about to face misfortune, Fang Ren would disy incredible talent and turn the situation around. Even in the end when Song Mobei made his move, Mu Huanqing was there to help him! This stirred a certain degree of anger in his heart, eventually leaving himpletely dumbfounded, with nothing to say. Fang Ye, sitting in the specially reserved seat, had a constant smile on his face, although the smile was rather ferocious, and anyone could clearly see the twitching at the corner of his eyes. At this moment, what Fang Ye was thinking waspletely different from Fang Liqun. The shock given to him by Fang Ren was indeed great, butpared to Fang Ren''s strength, Fang Ye was more concerned about another matter. That was what the Patriarch of Fang family told him yesterday¡ªoutside of Tianjiang, a great power of the Xuan Ye Realm suddenly emerged, and beside this great power of the Xuan Ye Realm, there also stood a young man at the peak of the Azure Sky Realm. In this world, besides the Patriarch of Fang family, there is only one person who could break through Xuan Ye Realm, and that is Mu Huanqing! Now that Fang Ren''s realm is precisely at the Peak of Azure Sky, doesn''t that confirm the truth about that matter! The person who broke through to the Xuan Ye Realm yesterday must be Mu Huanqing! Damn it! Fang Ye clenched his teeth fiercely. He had intended to have Fang Ren killed by Song Mobei, and then use his son''s marriage to Princess Bai Xi to establish contact with Indra Sky and ultimately achieve his goal of domination. But as it stands now, whether anyone dares to kill Fang Ren has be a significant issue. With the strength Fang Ren has now shown, the Central Area, seeing this, would naturally not allow anyone to touch a hair on Fang Ren. Given Song Mobei''s intention to act against Fang Ren, it''s likely that no one in the entire Central Area would agree, for anyone can see that Fang Ren''s talent will contribute significantly more to the future of humanity. Moreover, aside from that, Mu Huanqing, who has always had a personal affair with Fang Ren, has broken through to the Xuan Ye Realm. This whole Central Area doesn''t dare to touch Fang Ren! "Does that mean only grandpa can personally take action?" Fang Ye thought to himself in extreme turmoil. But if the Patriarch of Fang family were to appear, then the Central Area, feeling the strong Void Energy, would definitelye to besiege him. Furthermore, the Patriarch''s recently revived body is still not stable, and Mu Huanqing alone might be able to suppress him. A dead end! Fang Ye was furious. If he could not gain control of Indra Sky, then the Patriarch of Fang family could only depend on Qi and Blood Pills made from the bloodline of descendants to sustain his body. Wouldn''t that mean Fang Ye would end up killing off the Fang family bloodline too soon? No! He must think of another way! Even if it''s a dead end, he still has to y this game! ... "How are you feeling now?" Just as Fang Ren had stepped down from the center of the venue, Bai Xi, who had been standing on the edge of the audience tform, immediately rushed over, her face filled with concern. She grabbed Fang Ren''s arm to check it; his arm had just been pierced by a longsword, yet the skin was now smooth, white, and wless, without a single sign of injury. Seeing Bai Xi holding onto his arm without letting go, Fang Ren gently loosened her grip and said, "I''m fine, didn''t I tell you I could win?" When Bai Xi saw him push her hand away, the expression on her face paused momentarily, and then she quickly moved her hand from Fang Ren''s arm, speaking with a hint of embarrassment, "I was just... I saw you get hurt and got concerned." Fang Ren felt a bit helpless inside but followed Bai Xi back to their original seats. The people sitting close to them, having witnessed the scene, suddenly felt a surge of anger within. "Didn''t Xia Fu Lan say that Princess Bai Xi really disliked Young Master Fang? It seems that was all nonsense. It''s clear that Princess Bai Xi is very concerned about Young Master Fang, isn''t it?" "Exactly! If Princess Bai Xi really liked Brother Song, she should be going over to care for Princess Fn from the same sect at this time, noting up to grab hold of Young Master Fang''s hand?" "I thinkst night''s rumors were spread by some malicious hotel staff, just to ruin Young Master Fang''s reputation." ... In the center of the venue, the president announced the results of the duel and immediately shifted the focus to the opening ceremony without causing any disturbance. A female soldier with Earth Attribute Spiritual Root from the Nine Heavens Corps stepped forward, activated her cultivation technique, and restored the center of the venue, which had been destroyed beyond recognition, back to its original intact state. Song Mobei returned to his special seat, but this time, the smile of spring was nowhere to be seen on his face. He hadn''t stopped the duel at the beginning; instead, he fanned the mes and even wanted the situation to escte further, adding fuel to the fire when stirring the situation up. The oue was what he deserved. As for this incident, the students from the Lan Zhu Alchemist Guild exam had it all etched in their memory. The venue then returned to its initial state, with the opening ceremony resuming in an orderly fashion, butpared to the prior duel, the ongoing events seemed dull and tedious to the audience. At nine o''clock in the evening, the Alchemypetition opening ceremony came to an end. Bai Chaojin left the venue expressionless, the first to leave. Mu Qing Mountain immediately recognized Shang Han at the very back of the audience tform and dragged him away without a word, just as he was about to look for Fang Ren. Mu Huanqing led the Nine Heavens Corps back to their amodation, as she couldn''t risk going out to look for Fang Ren tonight and arousing suspicion. The disciples from the Tiandao Sword Sect hadpletely lost their initial arrogance, taking an injured Xia Fu Lan back to the ce arranged for them in the Central Area. Before leaving, each of them gave Fang Ren a fierce re. Fang Ren didn''t mind, and he left the venue with Bai Xi. Outside, there was still a sea of people, and one could clearly hear his name being called out, along with words of admiration. Right at the forefront of this crowd, he clearly saw his ssmates from ss Three of the Medical College, each one of them excitedly gesturing and shouting wildly. But at the very back of ss Three of the Medical College, Liu Qianqian nced at Fang Ren, then at the text message she had just received on her phone, and finally turned around with a dim expression and quietly left during this joyful time for ss Three of the Medical College. Chapter 260: Chapter 355: The Liu Familys Dispute_1 "Grandpa, did you want to see me?" Within a bustling street, at a certain restaurant, Liu Qianqian approached the Family Head of the Liu Family and asked softly with a slight bow. Liu Dongfeng nced at his granddaughter, sighed slightly, and shook his head, "Qian Qian, your mother told me that you and Fang Ren had been in a rtionship before?" Liu Qianqian''s expression stiffened for a moment before she denied, "No, Mother is overthinking it. There were only some feelings in the past, but all that is history now." Hearing this, an even deeper look of regret crossed Liu Dongfeng''s face as he said, "Back then, your mother, she was too hasty in drawing conclusions without proper investigation, and she kept Hu Hui from letting you and Fang Ren be in contact." Liu Qianqian shook her head and said, "Grandpa, did you call me here today just to ask about my past?" Liu Dongfeng shook his head, "Sit down and eat first; we''ll talk slowly." Having heard this, Liu Qianqian finally found a seat and sat down. After a while, a group of people from the Liu Family arrived at the location. Liu Qianqian''s parents, her eldest uncle and aunt, her younger uncle, her third-aunt, as well as the siblings from the family, all sat down at the same dining table. As everyone had assembled, Liu Dongfeng began, "Qian Qian, the entire family has gathered here to discuss your marriage with... no, the third young master of the Fang Family, that''s right." "Fang Lizhong?" Liu Qianqian asked expressionlessly, "Grandpa, are you still insisting on making me marry him?" "Qian Qian, your grandfather doesn''t mean that," her father interjected with a frown. "Your physique, as personally stated by Master Qing''an, is a cultivation talent thates once in a thousand years. How could our family possibly let you marry so early?" "Didn''t the Fang Family sayst time that they wouldn''t agree to call off the engagement?" Liu Qianqian questioned. Liu Dongfeng replied, "Indeed, they did not agree to call off the engagement, but they said they could wait until your physique stabilized before consummating your marriage with Fang Lizhong. However, the marriage must happen. Our Liu Family has always been at the bottom of the upper echelons in Tianjiang, and now that we finally have a cultivation talent like you, they want to tie you firmly to their family. Of course, we don''t want to agree, but what can we do given our family''sck of strength?" "So, my marriage with Fang Lizhong is still going to happen; it''s just that it won''t be consummated?" Liu Qianqian rified. "That''s exactly what the Fang Family''s Head intends. He wishes to hold your marriage ceremony with Fang Lizhong on the same day Fang Ren and Bai Qi get married, to celebrate double happiness," exined Liu Dongfeng. "But once you marry Fang Lizhong, the happiness of your entire life will no longer be in your own hands. I, too, like them, once intertwined your happiness with the family''s interests, thinking of marrying you to Fang Lizhong for the sake of the family''s survival, and you didn''t have the right to grasp your own happiness. But now it''s different, Qian Qian. You have that right, and I don''t think we should marry you off to someone you don''t like. In the end, even your cultivation honors would be shared by the Fang Family." Liu Qianqian listened to these words without developing a significant fondness for her grandfather. Talking about the right to happiness, a person should naturally have that right from birth, not because of a strong physique. These people of the Liu Family, from beginning to end, were always the same; they had never changed. ``` Saying that she didn''t want her to marry Fang Lizhong was because the future glory of her cultivation sess would belong to the Fang family who provided the resources for her cultivation, with little left for the Liu family. The words of her grandfather were not spoken with her happiness in mind, but rather out of fear that if she grew up in the Fang family, her loyalty might shift towards them, leaving little contribution to the Liu family. But then again, she genuinely disliked Fang Lizhong and had never considered marrying him. If she did marry Fang Lizhong, once her cultivation level increased, to divorce him would surely brand her with a reputation for ingratitude. After all, upon marriage, the Fang family would undoubtedly provide her with the best cultivation resources, which she would be obliged to repay. Liu Dongfeng paused for a moment, then continued, "The reason I asked you about your rtionship with Fang Ren the moment I saw you was actually to suggest you seek his help in persuading his grandfather to call off this engagement. Since you both had feelings for each other in the past, he surely wouldn''t want to see you marry his brother, right?" Upon hearing these words, Liu Qianqian suddenly felt a surge of anger. Now it turned out they wanted to use Fang Ren''s past feelings for her to achieve the cancetion of the marriage, ultimately keeping her in the Liu family to contribute. As a member of the family, Liu Qianqian knew she should make some rightful contributions to the n, but the issue was that these rtives didn''t seem worthy of her respect. From beginning to end, they had only drained her of her value. When she was unable to cultivate, she was required to enter into a political marriage, and even the possibility of being with the boy she liked was threatened by the family''s interests. Now they were sweet-talking her again, which truly chilled her heart. The Liu Family had alwayscked "human touch", willing to forsake anything for the benefit of the n. Everything revolved around the family''s interests, disregarding that every person has feelings. "I won''t go beg him for help," Liu Qianqian firmly stated as she stood up from the dining table. "Qian Qian, don''t get agitated," her father quickly interjected as he grasped her hand. "We all know the family hasn''t treated you fairly in the past and made you miss out on Fang Ren. But think about it calmly now, your status is different. If you had been with Fang Ren back then, your physique would have been wasted, and in the end, you would still have to marry Fang Lizhong. Sometimes, missing out isn''t necessarily a bad thing." Liu Qianqian shook off her father''s hand and said, "Father, no matter what you say today, I will not ask Fang Ren to help me, nor will I marry Fang Lizhong. The decisions you made in the past are now being changed at your convenience, using me like a tool. Have you ever considered my feelings?" Liu Dongfeng frowned and said, "Qian Qian, you know the situation our family is in, not ideal at all. If we don''t strive to climb higher, we''ll soon be pushed down and even bullied by the middle ss. I hope you can understand us. And if you still like Fang Ren, then tomorrow I will brazenly speak to the Fang Family Head, so he doesn''t rush into arranging Fang Ren''s marriage. After all, once you start cultivating with your physique, you will soon surpass Bai Qi..." "Grandfather!" Liu Qianqian immediately interrupted him, angrily retorting, "How is what you are doing now any different from setting up my engagement with Fang Lizhong? The reason you don''t want me to marry Fang Lizhong is that you know he won''t achieve as much as Fang Ren will. You''re not considering my happiness; you''re just looking for me to climb up to Fang Ren, who now possesses extraordinary talent!" "Qian Qian! How can you speak to your grandfather like that?" her mother scolded immediately. Liu Qianqian turned to look at her mother, her heart filled with even greater indignation, "Back in Yangming City, when you clearly saw Fang Ren with another woman, you still agreed with grandfather, saying it was for my happiness, suggesting I should approach Fang Ren in some way. As my mother, aren''t you going too far?" The "other woman" she referred to was naturally Mu Huanqing. ``` Chapter 261: Chapter 356: Various Thoughts_1 ``` "Qian Qian, since you don''t want to ask Fang Ren for help, you''ll have to submit to the pressure from the Fang Family and eventually marry Fang Lizhong. Our family cannot rise above, and youck the ability to resist," Father Liu said with a furrowed brow. "Yes, Qian Qian, you don''t want to marry Fang Lizhong, and Fang Ren still has old feelings for you, why be so stubborn?" Liu Qianqian''s uncle also spoke up. "Actually, I think if you now go back to Fang Ren, there might still be a chance for things to change. After all, ording to our servants'' observations, Fang Ren''s rtionship with Bai Qi does not seem as good as it appeared during the grand event," Liu Qianqian''s aunt added. ... The whole dining table was suddenly filled with all sorts of advice, causing Liu Qianqian''s emotions to re to a breaking point. "Enough!" Suddenly, Liu Qianqian mmed her hand on the table, her gaze turning frosty as she looked at this group of profit-driven rtives. "You''re right, everything I''m facing now is because Ick the power to resist!" The expressions of everyone at the table froze; no one expected Liu Qianqian to make such a scene by mming the table, something she had never done before. Liu Qianqian continued, "You always coerce me with the debts of raising and teaching me, those things I cannot resist! Do you want me to have the power to resist? Fine, I''ll resist now¡ªresist the marriage to the Fang Family and resist you all!" With those words, a crushing force of nature''s spiritual energy suddenly erupted from her. Hum¡ª This spiritual energy was not just the True Qi of cultivators; it formed a two-meter-wide purple vortex centered around Liu Qianqian herself, powerful enough that its suppressive force filled the entire private room. For a moment, the highest cultivation level member of the Liu Family, Liu Dongfeng, who was at the Peak of the Yingyue Realm, could not help but widen his eyes, his aged face full of utter shock: "Blue Sky Realm! Early stage!?" Liu Qianqian withdrew her hand from the table, her gaze still cial as she scanned the crowd, "From today onwards, no one has the right to ask Liu Qianqian to do anything she doesn''t want to do!" As her voice fell, Liu Qianqian''s figure started to blur, then she turned and vanished inside the private room. The door did not open, the window did not move; only the dumbstruck family remained. Secondster, the entire marble-supported wooden table and all the dishes on it turned to fine dust, flowing through the room like fog. After a long while, Liu Dongfeng looked at the dust covering the floor, his expression utterlyplex: "Is this truly a blessing for the Liu Family, or is it..." ------ "How did you end up here! The Ninth District has only just stabilized; do you want the Central Area to fire you from your position?" On a bustling street in Tianjiang, Mu Qing Mountain was angrily berating Shang Han. With a helpless smile, Shang Han replied, "Father-inw, with Ran''er causing such amotion, how could I note to see? What if someone has ill intentions towards him? At least I can protect him if I''m here." "You know nothing but nonsense!" Mu Qing Mountain roared, "Qing''er is more worried about that boy than you are! What''s the use of your concern! I see you''vee here just to stir up trouble! You won''t be at peace until you pair Qing''er and that boy together!" ``` Shang Han finally stopped imploring: "Ah, you also saw everything that happened today, Old Man. Ran''er''s strength is definitely a match for Qing''er; they truly are a match made in heaven. Besides, no one knows better than you when Ran''er started cultivating." Mu Qing Mountain snorted coldly, then his gaze became somewhatplicated: "This Fang Ren Ran, I indeed underestimated him by far too much. I thought at most he was just very talented in cultivation, but I never expected him to be this powerful. Regarding the marriage between the Bai Family and the Fang Family, I originally had no intention of interfering, but now that the boy has this ability and Qing''er is fixated on him, I can only bite the bullet and make a fuss with this group of old men." Hearing this, Shang Hanughed: "Father-inw, you actually quite like Ran''er, don''t you?" Mu Qing Mountain scoffed: "Like my ass! My granddaughter is a once-in-a-generation prodigy, and she''s been utterly ruined by him!" "Then why did you give him seven years of time initially?" "I... that was because I pitied Qing''er." ------ In the back courtyard of the Tianjiang Bai Family, Bai Chaojin sat on a lounge chair, looking up at the night sky with deep eyes, deeply shaken by the events of the day. Fang Ren Ran, this chess piece that he''d originally positioned early on, had actually managed to leap out of his chessboard and might even be an unexpected factor in his strategy. What troubled him now was, if Fang Ren Ran insisted on being with Mu Hui Qing and Mu Hui Qing desperately resisted the Central Area''s decision, how would things end up? What could he do to continue his ns? If he seeded eventually, he would carry on with his ns until he created the strongest human, to break the current human situation facing the Void. If he failed, then he hoped Fang Ren Ran would continue to grow until he became a strong enough warrior to lead humanity in breaking free from the Void. No matter whether he won or lost in this matter, in the end, he only hoped that humanity could reim their peacefulnds from the cruel grasp of the Void. He had seen too much of the Void''s cruelty toward humans, and he didn''t want the memories of the past decades to repeat themselves. For this, he was willing to give up everything, even abandon humanity. The ancients stopped wars with wars, and now he was trading the lives of his kin for the peace of their future. He felt he hadn''t done anything wrong; he only thought his ideas were too advanced, so much so that many couldn''t understand them. "Fang Ren Ran, oh Fang Ren Ran, what surprise will you bring me the day after tomorrow?" ------ Within the forbidden grounds behind Fang Family''s mountain, Fang Ye sat with a bitter look on his face in front of Patriarch of Fang family Fang Yun Zhong, narrating everything he had witnessed that day. "Mu Hui Qing?" Fang Yun Zhong frowned slightly: "Based on your previous descriptions of her, if she has broken through to the Yingyue Realm, then if I went out now, I would be merelyying my own life before her to take." "There''s no helping it, Grandfather. That Mu Hui Qing is too strong. Not just in True Qi, but even in formations and Spirit Forms, she possesses peerless and top-notch skills! Your physical body has not yet stabilized, and although your realm might surpass hers, your chances of victory are almost non-existent," Fang Ye said with a distressed look on his face. Fang Yun Zhong stood up and gazed out at the world beyond the barrier, a tinge of mncholy crossing his gaunt face: "This world, all its people are too extreme, especially in their view of the Void, which is clearly a step in human evolution but they insist on treating it as an apocalyptic enemy. How sad! Howmentable!" "Grandfather, we must employ some cruel methods, or else we''ll never be able to make the world realize the importance of the Void," said Fang Ye. Fang Yun Zhong looked up at the ck Void Hole above his head and murmured: "Since ancient times, human history has been drenched in blood, and the fundamental goal has always been to achieve better evolution. The Void is the future of humanity. For that, any amount of bloodshed is worthwhile." Chapter 262: Chapter 357: Fang Familys Mysterious Night Realm Expert _1 At this moment, Fang Ren had already returned to his hotel room, surrounded by ssmates from the medical college ss three after a gathering at the restaurant. He took out the new phone he bought today, logged into the long-unvisited alchemist forum ount, took a picture of a Red Grass, and then drafted a series of words. Finally, he included the detailed address, which was the room of the hotel he was currently in, and posted it on the forum. He needed this Red Grass to restore Qianye. Now, whether the identity of Master Qing''an was exposed or not, he no longer cared; even if it weren''t revealed today, he would announce it himself during the finalpetition the day after tomorrow. His greatest enemy was the Central Area, but his identity would make the entire Central Area his protective umbre. Although Mu Huanqing now possessed strong formation abilities, there was still a mysterious Xuan Ye Realm powerhouse hidden within Tianjiang, even stronger than Jiang Ling. He needed to set up his own protective umbre. After posting the information, Fang Ren pushed open the window, suddenly feeling an inexplicable sense of anxiety. This feeling was not strong, but he couldn''t understand why such an emotion would arise in his heart. Even though he had now ascended to an unprecedented level in the history of human cultivation, reaching dual excellence in medicine and martial arts, why did he feel more adrift the more powerful he became? Something was tugging at a string in his heart... This thing was inexplicable; he couldn''t explore it, so he could only let this inexplicable thing lead to his anxiety. Whoosh¡ª A gust of wind suddenly blew through the room, and Fang Ren immediately closed the window. Just as he was taken aback for a moment, someone had already entered his room through the window. "Qing''er." Fang Ren turned around to embrace the person who had just flown into the room, but as he opened his arms to hug her, he suddenly froze. "Jiang... Leader Jiang?" Fang Ren quickly lowered his open arms, his face a picture of embarrassment. Standing behind him was not Mu Huanqing but Jiang Ling, dressed in a red dress and having regained her 20-year-old appearance. Luckily, he was alert enough to see behind him; otherwise, he would have probably embraced her the moment he turned around without seeing who it was. "Yo, it seems Lady Xuan has been sneaking over frequently these days." Jiang Ling smiled, holding a cup of coconut milk tea as she unceremoniously sat on the bed. "Leader Jiang, why have youe over sote at night..." Fang Ren pped his own face, not knowing what to say for a moment. What would he do if Mu Huanqing also cameter? "You were surrounded by people as soon as you left the venue. I couldn''t just go over there and find you, could I?" said Jiang Ling. "What''s the matter? You seem in a hurry?" "I was just nning toe over and congratte you, but I encountered a major incident on the way here. It''s actually rted to you so I thought I''d mention it." "Is it about Indra Sky?" Fang Ren frowned. Jiang Ling smiled, "It''s not that. I only know they''ve taken Song Mobei away from Indra Sky; probably because of the Void beast matter. But what I''m about to say isn''t about that, it''s about your Fang Family." "The Fang Family? What could possibly be trickier than the situation with Indra Sky right now?" Fang Ren was even more puzzled. "On my way here, that hidden Xuan Ye Realm powerhouse from Tianjiang began probing me again. However, this time I didn''t choose to conceal my aura, wanting to test the other party''s intentions. To my surprise, the person turns out to be in your Fang Family''s back mountain, not moving an inch," said Jiang Ling. "What? That Xuan Ye Realm powerhouse is from the Fang Family?" Fang Ren was stunned. If the Fang Family had such a powerhouse, then Old Master of the Fang Family Fang Zheng, who is his biological father, should be well aware of it, and Shang Han and Fang Zheng have an extremely close rtionship. Shang Han couldn''t possibly be unaware of this. Moreover, if the Fang Family really had such a powerhouse, Second Young Master Fang Fang Ye''s move to incite infighting in the hope of surpassing the Bai Family to dominate Tianjiang would be utterly impossible because with a Xuan Ye Realm powerhouse, the Fang Family''s position would be firmly at the top of Tianjiang. What need would there be for any infighting? "Are you certain that person is from the Fang Family?" Fang Ren asked again. "There''s no mistake. I was almost at the front gate of the Fang Family, but the person still made no move, continuously within a formation in the back mountain. I don''t know whether he can''te out or he doesn''t want to," said Jiang Ling. "But one thing''s for sure, he holds no hostility towards me, and doesn''t seem to know who I am." "The back mountain of the Fang Family?" Fang Ren was once again confused. Though he hadn''t grown up in the family, after learning he was the eldest young master of the Fang Family, he had researched extensively online, seen aerial photos of the entire family estate, and knew what the back mountain was. It was the burial ground of the Patriarch of the Fang Family! Ordinary people had no ess to it except for important figures in the Fang Family, like Fang Yuanhao, Fang Zheng, Fang Ye, and others. All other people, including daughters who married out of the Fang Family, were not qualified to enter on their own and had to be led by the Family Head. Such a forbidden ce definitely wouldn''t allow outsiders, which means this Xuan Ye Realm mighty one must be one of the important figures of the Fang Family! But Fang Yuanhao, the elder of the Fang family, was only a mid-stage Practitioner in the Xuanyang realm, and the capabilities of the Old Master and the Second Young Master of the family were early Xuanyang realm and peak of the Yingyue realm, respectively; it was impossible for this Xuan Ye Realm powerhouse to be among them. Who could this person be? Fang Ren couldn''t figure out the answer at the moment. "Have you thought of something?" Jiang Ling asked. Fang Ren furrowed his brow and shook his head, "The back mountain of the Fang Family is a restricted area. Outsiders can''t enter. This person must be from the Fang Family, but it''s not anyone known to people nowadays." Jiang Ling slightly frowned, "Are you saying that your family has been hiding someone for a very long time? Someone who has now reached the Xuan Ye Realm without ever showing themselves?" "But¡­ how many years does it take to reach the Xuan Ye Realm in hiding?" Jiang Ling was at a loss for an answer. Her initial thoughts aligned with Fang Ren: if the Fang Family had such a strong figure, why would Fang Ye be able to cause a family conflict with the goal of ruling over Tianjiang? It was incredibly abnormal. "Do you think this matter is rted to Fang Ye?" Jiang Ling said. "It can''t be determined, but it''s impossible for him not to know about this person," Fang Ren replied. Jiang Ling nodded, "But speaking of which, if the Fang Family hides this powerful figure without sending him to the battlefield or revealing his existence, then what''s the purpose? I think Fang Ye''s goal of unifying Tianjiang probably aligns with this hidden powerhouse. Your Fang Family, I reckon, has big ns for Tianjiang." Chapter 263: Chapter 358: Cutting Through the Bustling Night of Tianjiang_1 ``` Chaos had erupted in Tianjiang, and it was on the brink of unraveling. One would have thought that in an era where humanity was united against amon enemy, only Indra Sky and the Nightfall Organization would be the core elements of infighting within the human ranks. Yet now, a Xuanyang realm powerhouse from the Fang Family had emerged, and his goal was likely the same as Fang Ye''s¡ªto rule over the entire Tianjiang. What would be the oue if these three forces collided? Jiang Ling, watching Fang Ren''s troubled face, smiled slightly and said, "You shouldn''t feel too disheartened about this matter. After all, that Xuanyang realm expert is from your Fang Family, and from what I see, given your cultivation progress, it will probably take you less than ten years to break through to the Xuanyang realm. You don''t need to look up to anyone. In this era, with your identity and strength, you can live mostfortably." "But the experiments of Indra Sky include me too, and I don''t believe that because of my talent for pill concoction, as well as my rtionship with Hui Qing, they will halt their experiments," said Fang Ren. Jiang Ling thought for a moment, then spoke again, "You''re now a renowned figure in the world, and if you return to the Fang Family, Indra Sky wouldn''t dare to press you into anything, for that Xuanyang realm master would certainly protect you." Fang Ren nodded. What Jiang Ling said made sense. His current situation seemed to have suddenly be much more secure. If he returned to the Fang Family, Indra Sky wouldn''t have a chance to press him, as the Xuanyang realm master from the Fang Family would surely not let Bai Chaojin seed, considering his strength and belonging to the Fang Family. Furthermore, it was very likely that the Xuanyang realm master harbored ambitions of unifying Tianjiang, leaving no opportunity for Bai Chaojin. However, on the other hand, the Xuanyang realm expert might be rted to Fang Ye. Fang Ye wanted to kill him over the marriage with Bai Qi, but if he made it clear to Fang Ye that he intended to marry Mu Huanqing and resolutely resisted the marriage with Bai Qi, then Fang Ye might instead side with him. But if he really did that, he would no longer be Fang Ren. Fang Ye had already attempted to kill him once, and had severely injured Mu Huanqing as well. That was something he couldn''t just get over. Even if that Xuanyang realm expert was rted to Fang Ye, Fang Ren was determined to stand firm against Fang Ye! "Leader Jiang, you seem to misunderstand me," said Fang Ren. "Every person has their own temperament. Whether I return to the Fang Family is one thing; whether or not Fang Ye kills me is another. Moreover, I would rather engage in causes that align with my beliefs with the Nightfall Organization than abandon my vengeance to return to the Fang Family and seek the protection of a Xuanyang realm expert. After all, Leader Jiang, you''re now at the Xuanyang realm as well, and even if not, I wouldn''t choose a heartlessfort." Upon hearing these words, Jiang Lingughed again, "I still owe Young Master Fang for his kindness. If ever in grave danger, rather than have Young Master Fang align with Nightfall, I would sacrifice myself to ensure your safety." Fang Ren shook his head, "There''s no need to talk about repaying kindness. Leader Jiang, I know your intentions well. Today, when I was falling behind in my duel with Xia Fu Lan, I could sense that you were about to descend from the skies above the arena to assist me. To say that I have no friendly appreciation for Leader Jiang, that would be impossible." His perception could reach thousands of kilometers, and he had always been able to see Jiang Ling, who had remained above the arena. As for why others hadn''t noticed Jiang Ling, it was because Jiang Ling''s realm was so advanced that people, rather than trusting their eyes, preferred to rely on their perception of True Qi. Naturally, they failed to detect Jiang Ling''s presence. Jiang Ling waved his hand dismissively, "I did what was necessary. Young Master Fang saved my life and gave me a tremendous opportunity for cultivation. I owe it to my benefactor to ensure theirplete safety." ------ ------ At that very moment, in a specially designated reception area in Tianjiang, Mu Huanqing held a star map formed of condensed True Qi in her hands, studying the cement of formations in each corner of Tianjiang. Just as she was about to infuse thest bit of True Qi into the star map toplete a major formation, a sudden sharp pain emanated from her lower abdomen. The pain was so intense that even Mu Huanqing, a peak practitioner at the threshold of the Xuanyang realm, flinched and dropped the star map to the ground, shattering it.``` "What''s going on..." Mu Huanqing instinctively protected her belly, followed swiftly by a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead and back. Then, she immediately began circting her True Qi throughout her body, but the pain in her belly made her tremble violently, furrowing her brows together. "The child..." Mu Huanqing did her utmost to dispel the Formation in front of her lower abdomen. As soon as she did, her swollen belly pushed against her clothes. Looking at the size of her belly, Mu Huanqing finally understood. She could no longer care about anything else. She forced her True Qi to circte with all her might and rushed out of the room, flying quickly towards the location of Fang Ren. As she transformed into a streak of light, fleeing the reception area, a group of women from the Nine Heavens Corps hurried out of their rooms. They all thought something special had urred within the Void Hole, but when they observed closely and detected no aura of the Void, their expressions turned to confusion. Looking up at the white streak in the sky, they began to murmur amongst themselves. At this time, key members of the various families in the streets had not yet left the vicinity of the meeting ce. Sensing the powerful pressure of True Qi from above, everyone looked puzzled in the direction Mu Huanqing had gone. Anyone could see she was in a rush, hasty, not even bothering to hide her overwhelming True Qi pressure as she raced across the sky, causing some ordinary people below to faint on the streets, unable to withstand it. Inside a luxurious carriage on a certain stretch of street, Fang Yuanhao was on his way to the residence of Fang Ren. Although he had never acknowledged Fang Ren as his kin, things were different now. Fang Ren had the ability to be his grandson, and he might not qualify to be Fang Ren''s grandfather. He naturally nned to have a grand, earth-shattering acknowledgment of his grandson tonight. However, upon seeing the figure of Mu Huanqing in the sky, he was slightly stunned because she was descending right where he was headed. Within the Bai Family, Bai Chaojin, who had been gazing up at the stars, wore a look of worry. He had a feeling that his attempt to intervene tonight would be futile and that Mu Huanqing might even take his life on the spot. "Fang Ren... With anyone involved with him, I can''t see their destiny. Could it be his life is not within the scope of Heavenly Dao?" Bai Chaojin sighed softly, feeling more and more the weight of his age in this very moment. ... In the room where Fang Ren was, Jiang Ling suddenly frowned. She felt a breath rapidly approaching and wanted to leave quickly, but it was toote. Hum¡ª In the room, a wild wind burst forth, and the windows and walls were shattered by the white streak of light. Tonight, this white streak cut through the bustling night of Tianjiang. Chapter 264: Chapter 359: This is a misunderstanding! _1 ``` Boom! The hotel wall was instantly shattered by a powerful presence, and Mu Huanqing, dressed in pajamas and drenched in cold sweat, wore an extremely vignt expression on her face. Without a word, before Fang Ren could react, she suddenly drew her long spear and aimed it at the throat of the woman opposite her, Jiang Ling. "Who is she!" Mu Huanqing held one hand to her lower abdomen while shielding Fang Ren behind her with the other. The woman in the red dress, who had appeared in Fang Ren''s room, exuded an immensely powerful aura that even made her, known as the strongest Xuan Nv on Earth, feel threatened. The True Qi that had just started circting within Jiang Ling was released in preparation to leave upon sensing Mu Huanqing, but she hadn''t expected Mu Huanqing to rush over at full speed. Consequently, while her True Qi was still active, her body remained motionless. "It''s over, am I being mistaken for the other woman?" Jiang Ling looked at Mu Huanqing, pointing her spear at her neck, and gave up, her smile showing a hint of helplessness. It was only now that Fang Ren, finally catching on to the situation, immediately grasped one of Mu Huanqing''s arms and hurriedly said, "Qing''er! Don''t be impulsive, listen to my exnation." He really hadn''t cheated! However, it waste at night, and there was a woman sitting on his bed¡ªif anyone else saw this, they too would have thought too much of it. Yet the True Qi emanating from Mu Huanqing showed no signs of subsiding. She had never considered that Fang Ren would cheat on her. She trusted himpletely, including now. Even with this woman in a red dress sitting by Fang Ren''s bedside, she still believed he had no improper rtionship with her. Looking at Jiang Ling''s face, a few secondster, Mu Huanqing suddenly became shocked. She felt she had seen this woman''s face somewhere before... "Leader of Nightfall!" Mu Huanqing clenched her teeth and frowned as she spoke, her True Qi bursting out even more intensely, "How dare youe to Tianjiang, are you not afraid of being besieged?" Seeing that Mu Huanqing had recognized her, Jiang Ling''s smile turned even more resigned, "Ah, I me my younger self for being too dazzling. Now, those old coots in the Central Area even keep photos of me from my youth." Mu Huanqing''s situation turned dire; her current physical condition was very poor. If a battle truly erupted, she had no confidence in her ability to defeat a mid-stage Xuanyang realm practitioner, let alone the woman before her, who seemed to possess a cultivation level even greater than her own at her peak! And this woman was none other than the leader of the Nightfall Organization! The Nightfall Organization was infamous for its ruthless killings and oftenmitted acts opposed by human society¡ªthey were essentially a group of lunatics. If a fight broke out, Mu Huanqing guessed she wouldn''t be able to look after Fang Ren, and she might even lose her own life on the spot. "Madame Xuan, although your lover is truly outstanding, I¡ªa woman in her forties¡ªcertainly wouldn''t be preying on the younger grass. Let''s get this straight, I did not tumble in bed with your lover," Jiang Ling quickly interjected as she saw Mu Huanqing bing increasingly agitated. "Yes, Qing''er, you''ve misunderstood," Fang Ren immediately stood between the two women, looking at Mu Huanqing with a face full of cold sweat, struggling with what he thought was a misunderstanding over infidelity. "Ah Ran, did shee today to coerce you into working for her organization?" Mu Huanqing kept her angry gaze fixed on Jiang Ling. Her anger wasn''t stemming from the presence of another woman in Fang Ren''s room, suggesting infidelity on his part, but rather she suspected that Jiang Ling had witnessed Fang Ren''s talent tonight and wanted to steal him away from the Tianjiang alliance. ``` Fang Ren then realized what had been happening all along. It was all because of Jiang Ling''s identity that Mu Huanqing had never considered the possibility that he might be unfaithful. Having heard this, Jiang Ling stopped and said, "As long as you don''t misunderstand that there''s something more between me and your boyfriend, that''s fine. As for how you resent me, I believe this will change in the future. You''re not in a good state right now, and with my power overwhelming yours, I could easily kill you here..." Jiang Ling hadn''t finished her sentence when Mu Huanqing, standing behind Fang Ren, suddenly began to sway. Her long spear turned ethereal, her silver armor shattered into specks of light, and the True Qi around her rapidly contracted. After a couple of wobbles, she copsed straight to the ground. "Qing''er!" Fang Ren immediately embraced Mu Huanqing, his face filled with concern as he looked at her armor-less abdomen, and in an instant, he understood everything. She was about to give birth! "This..." Jiang Ling was also taken aback. She stared nkly at the pregnant Mu Huanqing, unable toprehend that Fang Ren had already fathered a child with her! "Leader Jiang! Please help me protect the surroundings!" Fang Ren said as heid Mu Huanqing on the bed and unleashed his True Qi, starting to examine the condition within Mu Huanqing''s body. Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling didn''t ask any further questions. She immediately released her own True Qi and drew forth her ck Knife Spirit Image. With a few shes against the broken walls, she turned the ck de''s energy into a dark veil that blocked all the light and the view from outside. At that moment, following the recent explosion, a crowd had gathered outside the hotel, and the Tianjiang Guard Team had arrived on the scene. Seeing the dark barrier on the third floor, everyone appeared vignt. The pressure emanating from that dark barrier far exceeded their understanding. For the first time, they felt as if they were facing an entity even more formidable than a Ninth-order Void Beast. "What''s going on?" Fang Yuanhao, who had just stepped out of a luxury car, became furious upon seeing the state of the third floor. Someone was attacking a member of the Fang Family in the middle of the night! "You dogs of the Tiandao Sword Sect! Do you think the Fang Family is defenseless?" Fang Yuanhao roared, interpreting the scene as a secret attack by the Tiandao Sword Sect, especially since Fang Ren had humiliated the Sword Sect earlier that day. After his roar, Fang Yuanhao released his True Qi and, without a second thought, charged towards the dark barrier. No matter how he had disregarded Fang Ren as part of his family before, the problem now was that Fang Ren had be too dazzling, a pride of the Fang Family. And who in Tianjiang didn''t know that Fang Ren was his grandson now? If he let outsiders bully a member of his family on this turf, where would Fang Yuanhao ce his face in the future? Swoosh! Yet, just as he was charging up to the third floor, a streak of ck light from the barrier suddenly swept across, startling Fang Yuanhao, who immediately shielded himself with his True Qi. But the ck light was too powerful. Even with his full protection, it broke through his defenses and mmed him into the ground. Chapter 265: Chapter 360: Recognize Out_1 ``` Bang! Fang Yuanhao,pletely copsed in the crater, his face wearing an expression of shock, with fresh blood still oozing from the corners of his mouth. There was someone who could defeat him with a single move! There were very few in the world who could achieve this, and it was clear that the attacker was not using a sword, suggesting that the assant was not from the Tiandao Sword Sect. The Tianjiang Guard Team members around saw this, and they were all dumbstruck. Apart from Madame Xuan, who else in the world could paralyze a mid-stage Xuanyang realm powerhouse with a single blow? For a moment, the entire Security Team dared not take another step forward, and the captain, who had been the first to arrive on the scene, also immediately issued themand to retreat. This was not something they could handle. Only Madame Xuan could be summoned to deal with this! Hum¡ª Within the ck barrier, a red figure slowly emerged, her face obscured by swirls of ck True Qi, her features indiscernible to anyone. Jiang Ling looked down at the crowd constantly running out of the hotel rooms below and then nced at the blood-vomiting Fang Yuanhao. Her voice, spreading through True Qi, began to resonate, "Tonight, whoever dares to approach this building, don''t me me for taking their life!" The sound exploded like thunder; many ordinary people without cultivation levels were shocked into vomiting blood and fainting on the spot. Even members of the Tianjiang Security Team couldn''t help but instinctively protect their ears. "Evacuate the surrounding crowd! Do not rashly approach! Wait for reinforcements!" A Security Team squad leader yelled, grabbing a few people who had fainted and started running towards a distant location. The rest of the Security Team immediately followed suit, while Fang Yuanhao, lying in the pit, was dragged into a car by his driver, which disappeared from the spot with a lightning drift. Bai Qi, who had already approached the hotel, saw this scene, panicked but not retreating, and quickly ran towards Fang Ren''s residence. But before she had run far, she was suddenly stopped by a group of Tianjiang Guard Team members who appeared there. "Princess Bai Xi, this ce is very dangerous, we must retreat for now!" The guards did not even give her a chance to struggle, directly pulling her away with True Qi towards a far ce. "Damn it!" Bai Qi bit her lip in frustration; she currently bore the dispersing Spirit Mark andcked the strength to st the guards away, nor did she have the chance to get close to Fang Ren''s residence. In just a few minutes, the area around Fang Ren''s hotel was deserted and eerily quiet. Jiang Ling looked up at the lights that began to gather continuously in the distant sky. There were people from the Tiandao Sword Sect, from the Tianjiang aristocratic family, and also from the Nine Heavens Corps. Her expression became even more helpless, and she sighed, "It''s good that the monster from the Fang Family had no intention ofing out; otherwise, I would probably have lost my life here today." As she spoke, the True Qi around her grew even stronger, and she stood at the top of the hotel, waiting for the powerful figures of Tianjiang tounch their attack. Meanwhile, inside a hotel room, Fang Ren was frowning deeply. He had already understood the condition of Mu Huanqing''s body, but at this moment, he was utterly helpless to aid her in any way. He saw the fully developed fetus inside Mu Huanqing, but the condition of the fetus was extremely strange¡ªfor it was condensing True Qi inside the womb, and during the process, it had even absorbed all of Mu Huanqing''s meridians True Qi! ``` This directly led to the Immortal Qi of creation within Mu Huanqing''s Dantian bing thinner and thinner, until the True Qi surrounding her Spiritual Root neared a violent state, and her meridians could seal up at any moment due to the loss of True Qi. If the meridians entered a sealed state, it would be extremely difficult for Mu Huanqing to reopen them, and what''s more important is that during the process of the fetus consolidating True Qi, the energy inside the body began to grow massive, and the absorption strength also gradually increased, making Fang Ren truly afraid that the child would absorb all the essential aura from Mu Huanqing''s Spiritual Root! Such an oue would mean that half of Mu Huanqing''s Spiritual Root was ruined! "You troublemaking child! When you''re born, your dad will spank your bottom!" Fang Ren was angry at his child''s mischief in his heart while at the same time grasping Mu Huanqing''s hand, which was full of pain, and continuously transmitting True Qi into her body, trying to alleviate the pressure. "Ah Ran... why would she want to help us..." Mu Huanqing''s eyes were somewhat hazy as she stared at the ck barrier, clenching her teeth, her voice very frail. "Qing''er, there are some matters I''ll discuss with you slowlyter, but the pressing matter now is that we find a way to deliver the child. Don''t think about other things, remember to protect your Spiritual Root with all your might," Fang Ren said anxiously. Mu Huanqing sped Fang Ren''s hand tightly, feeling like she could faint at any moment, yet there were no signs of the child wanting toe out. In his extreme anxiety, Fang Ren had run out of options and directly summoned his Giant Tree Spirit Phase, wrapping the two of them tightly within the tree trunk, with all his Spiritual Energy being forcefully transferred into Mu Huanqing''s body. Then, his consciousness began to approach the increasingly fainting Mu Huanqing, knowing that if he could touch Mu Huanqing''s soul, he would also be able to reach the child''s, and as a father, he would have a way to resolve the current situation. As time passed, Mu Huanqing''s condition weakened by the minute, and Fang Ren was still desperately trying to reach her consciousness with his soul. Meanwhile, outside the room, Jiang Ling had already been surrounded by the Nine Heavens Corps, Tiandao Sword Sect, and the Patriarchs of the various aristocratic families of Tianjiang... However, among the many Family Heads, the figure of Bai Chaojin was conspicuously absent. "Who the hell are you! How dare you attack the rising star of humanity! You have disrupted the fate of human cultivation! You should be executed for this crime!" The Cao Family Patriarch roared at Jiang Ling, whose face was hidden. Jiang Ling nced at him and said, "Leave this ce now, and you might suffer less." "Arrogant fool! By attacking Fang Ren tonight, you intend to frame the Tiandao Sword Sect! You want to create a division within the human camp! Your conspiracy is just too cruel!" A disciple of the Tiandao Sword Sect immediately shouted in anger. Just as the crowd surrounded Jiang Ling, ready to take action, Fang Ye of the Fang Family was secretly delighted. The right faction of their family had nned for so long to eradicate Fang Ren from this world. To their surprise, the talent Fang Ren had disyed tonight made it impossible for them to move against him. They were still worrying about how to kill Fang Ren when someone came to do it for them that very night. This was a godsend for Fang Ye! However, even in his excitement, he could not show it on his face, and Fang Ye roared with a face full of rage: "It''s not easy for our Fang Family''s younger generation to produce a genius! You dared to go after his life! If I, Fang Ye, don''t kill you, I swear I''m not a human!" Since I''m already inhuman, what''s there to fear? "A ck long sword, ck True Qi, it can''t possibly be the leader of the Nightfall Organization, can it?" Just then, the Wang Family Patriarch furrowed his brows and spoke up. Chapter 266: Chapter 361: Not Enough of a Show of Strength_1 "Jiang Ling!?" "Wasn''t she severely injured at Linglong Bay half a month ago? How could she appear here!" "And her strength seems to have increased more than just a littlepared to the past! Just now, Brother Fang was paralyzed by her with a single move!" Everyone was shocked when they heard what the Wang Family Patriarch had said, their True Qi circting even more cautiously around their bodies, none daring to attack rashly. After all, Jiang Ling was a murderer who killed without blinking an eye! Jiang Ling still stood in ce, not starting a fight with these people right away, because Mu Huanqing would likely still need quite some time to give birth, and if she fought too long and consumed too much True Qi, the barrier protecting Mu Huanqing might inevitably be broken. Although her identity was recognized, she was not too surprised by it, after all, there were very few people in this world who possessed the same True Qi as her, and in addition to her Spirit Form being the ck Knife, anyone could have guessed it. However, she did not n to reveal her face. Now that she had finally be much younger, and most people could not recognize her youthful appearance, in order to move freely in small cities in the future, it was necessary to keep her face hidden with her aura at this moment. "You uncles sure have grown old quickly, almost time for great-grandchildren, huh?" Since she had chosen to dy, Jiang Ling certainly wanted to chat more with them. "Jiang Ling! You even dare toe here, aren''t you afraid of being executed by the Central Area?" Wang Family Patriarch frowned and said. All the Family Heads gathered here had been called uncles by Jiang Ling in front of the Number Twenty-Two, back when Jiang Ling''s Cultivational Talent was as exceptional as Mu Huanqing''s in this era. However, in her twenties, she was coerced by the Central Area, then subjected to a series of brutal treatments, and finally, she went insane, killed too many in the Central Area, not even sparing innocent civilians. On that crazy night, nearly a hundred thousand people died in Tianjiang, sixty thousand of whom were innocentmoners. These incidents were unknown to outsiders, but every Family Head in Tianjiang was clear about them. Because of Jiang Ling''s past, the Central Area still insisted on the marriage system for cultivators, but they did not force Mu Huanqing to marry Song Mobei when she was in her twenties, fearing that she might be the next Jiang Ling. If that happened, the Central Area could still imprison Mu Huanqing, but the Human camp would suffer greatly. Nevertheless, the Central Area remained persistent about the Cultivation Genes of Mu Huanqing and Song Mobei. "Executed?" Jiang Lingughed: "In this world, aside from Madame Xuan of the Nine Heavens Corps, I don''t even take the entire Tianjiang seriously! If you disagree, thene and try?" If these Family Heads still dared to fight, it meant that her recent demonstration of power was not effective enough, and more people needed to be beaten to deter them and buy more time. Cao Family Patriarch spoke with a chilly gaze: "Jiang Ling, although I feel deeply pained by what you went through, the crimes youmitted far exceed your suffering and are even more detestable. Even if you are now very powerful, our Tianjiang will still make you pay for what you did back then!" When Jiang Ling heard the other party bring up her past, a surge of anger suddenly welled up in her heart, and she coldly said: "Cao Family Patriarch, since it didn''t happen to you, you really have no ce to talk!" "I am merely stating facts! No matter how much you hate, you cannot involve innocent people in your revenge!" the Cao Family Patriarch frowned and said. "Innocent people?" Jiang Lingughed: "Which one of those people was innocent back then! All they did was believe the lies from your Central Area and insult me relentlessly with rumors. They deserved death!" "Just because they insulted you, you think you can take their lives!" eximed the Wang Family Patriarch angrily. "If you have the guts, go through what I did! And then stay calm and humane while standing among those who twist the truth!" Suddenly, the True Qi around Jiang Ling surged once more, and the group of Family Heads around her felt a terrifying presence. The Wang family and Cao family Patriarchs did not dare to say more, fearful that she might suddenly charge at them, risking everything. "Where is Lady Xuan? Didn''t she justnd here?" the Cao Family Patriarch frowned and asked a female soldier of the Nine Heavens Corps behind him. The female soldier also replied anxiously, "Madame Xuan seems to have some urgent matter and for the moment, we don''t know where she has gone." "Damn it!" the Liu Family Head clenched his teeth. "How are we supposed to deal with this crazy woman now?" "When will the people from the Central Area arrive?" "With the disturbance at the Second Void Cave, most generals in the Central Area are fighting the Void beasts; only seven generals managed to arrive first!" "Seven... is that enough? We don''t even know how strong this crazy woman truly is, she effortlessly defeated Fang Yuanhao, and even with seven more in the Xuanyang realm mid-stage, we might not be sure to kill her." ... While everyone was talking, Jiang Ling, who was standing on the rooftop, suddenly moved. She vanished like a ghost, causing everyone''s faces to show fear as they concentrated on their defenses. Yet, in just a moment, her figure had already appeared in front of the Wang Family Patriarch. "Damn it!" The Wang Family Patriarch gritted his teeth and violently pushed the Earth Attribute True Qi within his body. In an instant, the ground erupted with spikes, continuously striking towards Jiang Ling in front of him. Jiang Ling turned the ck Knife in her hand, and a ck barrier appeared before her. The ground spikes kept crashing against the barrier, getting crushed by it. The Wang Family Patriarch''s attack didn''t pause for a second; he kept pping out True Qi from his hands, the surrounding family heads immediately rushed up to help, and the Nine Heavens Corps also formed an encirclement. Tiandao Sword Sect''s Song Mobei and others wielded their Sword Qi even more fiercely¡­ For a moment, countless waves of True Qi bombarded the ck barrier surrounding Jiang Ling. Seeing this, Jiang Ling didn''t bother to defend any more; what she wanted was a final show of force to buy time for Mu Huanqing, not a fight to the death with this group. Buzz! As Jiang Ling gave up her defense, her Dark Attribute True Qi directly hit the Wang Family Patriarch''s chest. She didn''t linger; a wave of Sword Qi followed, cutting into the Wang Family Patriarch''s arm. Boom! The Wang Family Patriarch was sent crashing into the ground, surrounding houses copsed, trees were destroyed, and even the hotel where Fang Ren was staying had only a ck sphere left, protected by Jiang Ling. "Cough!" The Wang Family Patriarchy on the ground, his old eyes wide open; he had finally understood why Fang Yuanhao had fallen without withstanding a single blow! "Xuanye... Xuanye realm!" Clenching his teeth, he shouted and theny in the crater, much like Fang Yuanhao had before. Seeing this, everyone''s expression around turned fierce. This crazy woman had actually managed to seriously injure the Wang Family Patriarch, despite theirbined assault! And what the Wang Family Patriarch had just said ¡ª she was of the Xuanye realm! Chapter 267: Chapter 362: Difficult Task_1 Xuan Ye Realm! This was the Xuan Ye Realm¡ªa realm no practitioner had ever reached since the Cultivation Era had begun! Coming to their senses, everyone halted their attacks and retreated 100 meters away from Jiang Ling, huddling together, no longer daring to maintain their previous encircling formation. Seeing this, Jiang Ling didn''t continue to strike, nor did she kill the Wang Family Head lying on the ground. After all, there was a monster hidden within Tianjiang that was even stronger than her. She hadn''t killed Fang Yuanhao earlier, partly because he was Fang Ren''s grandfather by blood, and partly because she feared provoking the thing hidden behind Fang Family''s mountain. However, as far as she could see now, the creature behind the Fang Family''s mountain didn''t seem to have any intention ofing out. Still, Jiang Ling dared not start a massacre here. Who knew what that creature was thinking? What if she began a ughter and it, in its anger, disregarded hiding its identity and came out? What then? Buying time was exactly the result she wanted. The current situation couldn''t be better. Floating at the edge of the ck barrier, Jiang Ling pointed her long sword at the people opposite her and said, "Leave this ce tonight, and I won''t kill a single one of you. Of course, if you want to risk your lives, I won''t mind ughtering a few more." All the Family Heads and the military forces were both hating and resenting. This madwoman had actually killed Fang Ren right in Tianjiang and tried to pin it on the Tiandao Sword Sect, trulyying an excellent trap to instigate infighting among humans. Fortunately, they had arrived in time. This madwoman also seemed unable to leave because of something important within the ck barrier. If not, everyone would have attributed Fang Ren''s death to the work of the Tiandao Sword Sect. However, regarding Fang Ren''s death, the people of the Tiandao Sword Sect would not feel indignant. It was all because of Fang Ren''s arrogance that he was caught by the Nightfall Organization who wanted to stir up trouble and was killed as a result. Nobody was nning to retreat, as everyone could see that Jiang Ling staying here and preventing them from approaching the ck barrier was because it contained something critical. Song Mobei looked at the Wang Family Head on the ground and then at Jiang Ling on the other side, saying, "Criminal of Nightfall, you''ve twice held back from taking lives. There must be some reason you dare not go all out with us. I suggest you either drop whatever''s in the ck barrier and leave, or surrender now. Otherwise, when the Central Army arrivester, you''ll have no chance to escape." Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling smiled again. Song Mobei still thought her intimidation was insufficient. Hum¡ª In an instant, Jiang Ling swung the ck de in her hand, and a dark stream of light charged into the crowd, aiming straight for Song Mobei. "God''s Divine Sword!" Song Mobei''s previously calm expression vanished in an instant. He hastily summoned his Spirit Form, and a hundred-meter-long golden sword materialized in front of him. Boom¡ª The dark stream of light collided with the golden giant sword, emitting a continuous buzzing sound. The entire body of the golden giant sword trembled, and Song Mobei, hiding behind it, was shaken to the point of spitting out a mouthful of blood. But it wasn''t over yet. After striking, Jiang Ling immediately swung her sword again, slicing past Song Mobei and splitting open the head of a Tiandao disciple behind him. In an instant, blood spurted out. Song Mobei was stunned as he watched the disciple by his side being killed,pletely dumbfounded. He had just said that Jiang Ling dared not kill anyone, and now the other side had directly pped his face with his junior brother''s life. Jiang Ling sheathed her sword, and spoke, "Song boy, you always think too much of yourself, not realizing that in front of someone, you are truly the frog at the bottom of the well. You have the audacity, but you''ve never used it against those weaker than you. They call your behavior that of a gentleman, but in truth, you''re just a fool who likes to step on those stronger than yourself, greedy as a snake trying to swallow an elephant." Jiang Ling did have reservations about the monster in the backyard of the Fang Family. At this moment, she dared not kill anyone too important from Tianjiang, but that did not mean she was afraid to kill a disciple. "Jiang Ling!" A group of people seeing this only dared to be angry, but didn''t dare to act. Everyone knew that once they acted, Jiang Ling might be seriously injured, but she would also take down all of them in the process. The loss outweighed the gain! As the standoff atmosphere became more rigid, Jiang Ling didn''t say much more. She would wait for the generals from the reinforcements of the Central Area to arrive. Although she might suffer serious injuries by that time, she had no doubt she would survive. Her initial thought was to directly take Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing away, but regrettably, the fetus inside Mu Huanqing was too strange. It kept absorbing the ck barrier she released. Whenever she rxed, it seemed as if the ck barrier would develop a hole sucked out by the fetus. So much so that she was afraid that while she was escaping with Mu Huanqing and Fang Ren, the fetus would erode the barrier. At that point, she might survive, but the fates of Mu Huanqing and Fang Ren would be tragic. Now she stayed here, just in case a hole appeared in the barrier; she could use the ground to cover it up, making it invisible to everyone. ------ ------ At this moment, inside the ck barrier, Fang Ren was bathed in sweat from anxiety. Mu Huanqing was still struggling to give birth, but the child''s condition was not good¡ªit seemed not to want toe out, preferring to stay in its mother''s belly to absorb True Qi! However, fortunately, in a moment of extreme anxiety, Fang Ren finally managed to make contact with Mu Huanqing''s soul. In a world enveloped in whiteness, Mu Huanqing''s soul was like amon pregnant woman in a delivery room, struggling hard. Her soul was also white, and she could not hear Fang Ren''s voice, nor see his soul. This was the first time Fang Ren had encountered such a situation. He could only see his child''s legsing out, a ssic sign of a difficult birth. What if the child''s hands were stuck inside! "You little rascal! If you don''te out properly, I''ll give you a taste of your favorite¡ª a big smack on the mouth!" Fang Ren was both angry and anxious. He had no experience and only used his soul force to gently pull the child a bit, afraid to exert too much force lest he should harm both the child and Mu Huanqing. But to his surprise, when his soul force made contact with the child for an instant, he was shocked to find that the little rascal could even absorb his soul force! As a result, his not-so-strong soul force started to waver as he pulled the child along. After a long time, Fang Ren''s soul force waspletely absorbed by the little fellow, and he returned from the white expanse back to reality, only to find the child''s upper body had alreadye out. But the child''s hands were indeed stuck inside! By this time, Mu Huanqing was extremely weak. The True Qi that Fang Ren supplied could not match the fetus''s absorption. In utter desperation, Fang Ren suddenly remembered his child''s colorful little Spirit Form. Chapter 268: Chapter 363: The Colorful Little Guy_1 As soon as he thought of the colorful little fellow, Fang Ren immediately gathered all the remaining True Qi in his body, which had been mostly absorbed, into a sharp stream of light, directly connecting it to the ankle of the baby. In an instant, Fang Ren only felt a burst of power surge through his meridians, and then arge portion of his True Qi was absorbed once more. Grinding his teeth, Fang Ren hurriedly located the colorful little fellow inside the baby''s body. The little fellow had grown quite a bit from its original shape¡ªif it was originally the size of a bean, now it was the size of a potato. The moment he found the colorful little fellow, Fang Ren was stunned to see it happily absorbing True Qi within the baby''s body, dancing with joy, its appearance resembling that of a child who had seen candy. It seemed that the reason Mu Huanqing''s True Qi was draining so rapidly was that the little fellow knew its master was about to be born and had started to store energy in advance. But this method of storing energy was not right at all. "You little rascal!" Fang Ren urgently used his own True Qi to pull it away from where it was surrounded by True Qi, and in an instant, there appeared in Fang Ren''s hand a potato-sized little fellow resembling his Spirit Form, made up of several round spheres put together, looking like a rag doll. As the colorful one was pulled out, the pained expression on Mu Huanqing''s face clearly eased a lot, her Spiritual Root began frantically producing True Qi, continuously filling her meridians. The fetus also seemed to start showing signs of improvement... "Ah ha!" As soon as the colorful little fellow came out and saw Fang Ren, its entire little face suddenly smiled, its two round arms waving constantly as if asking Fang Ren for a hug. "Ah ha! I''m letting you off easy by not spanking you!" Fang Ren, learning that it was because of it that Mu Huanqing was in such a state, was too angry to speak and promptly flicked the colorful little fellow''s bottom with his finger. Pop¡ª "Ah ha..." A look of grievance appeared on the colorful little fellow''s face; it didn''t understand why its master''s father would hit it, when clearly it was storing True Qi for its master''s birth, to ensure the master''s safe growth. "Grievance!" Pointing at the little one''s head, Fang Ren spoke with a face full of anger, "Do you realize how much your master''s mother has suffered?" The colorful little fellow, looking at Fang Ren''s angry expression, immediately shielded its small face with its two round arms, looking afraid of being hit. "Ah ha..." Fang Ren intended to continue lecturing a few more words, but then he saw tears welling up in the little one''s big eyes, looking as if it was about to cry at any moment. Seeing this, Fang Ren felt helpless in his heart, knowing that the little fellow hadn''t intended to harm Mu Huanqing and turn her into this state, but simply wanted to absorb the strong True Qi nearby. It was still young, ignorant of everything, so he couldn''t me it. Now that Mu Huanqing was free from pain, he didn''t want to scold the little fellow anymore. After all, this was his child''s Spirit Form, in other words, Fang Ren was its grandfather. Fang Ren sighed and gently rubbed the little fellow''s head, after all, this little guy was just a newborn. "Don''t cry, otherwise I''ll spank your bottom." Having said that, Fang Ren cradled it in his palm and fed it with his own True Qi. As just a child, upon realizing that Fang Ren wasn''t going to spank it and was even giving it something to eat, it immediately cheered up, wiped away its tears, and began nibbling contently on Fang Ren''s palm. Fang Ren promptly directed his True Qi into Mu Huiqing with his other hand, all the while keeping a vignt eye on the baby''s condition. Mu Hui Qing, who by now was feeling much better, clutched Fang Ren''s hand tightly, her voice still somewhat weak, "Ah Ran, we''re going to have a child..." As she spoke, her sweaty face broke into an incredibly happy smile. A few minutester, the cries of a baby filled the space within the ck barrier. Mu Huiqing was utterly drained, and Fang Ren, holding the colorful little fellow in one hand and carrying a baby in the other, came to Mu Huiqing''s side. He bent down to kiss Mu Huiqing''s forehead and said with a tender yet ecstatic smile, "Qing''er, look, our child, it''s a girl." Mu Huiqing gazed at the crying baby in his arms, her exhausted face beaming with happiness that she could not hold back. She gently reached out to stroke the baby''s cheek, feeling an indescribable joy in her heart. At that moment, she felt that all the suffering she had endured was worth it. "Ah haha ah haha!" The colorful little fellow, upon seeing Mu Huiqing''s handing toward it and thinking it was going to be fed again, wasted no time in jumping off Fang Ren''s palm and onto Mu Huiqing''s, opening its mouth, ready to receive food from her. Mu Huiqing couldn''t help butugh harder at its antics. She patted the little fellow on the head and whispered softly, "I know you''re hungry, but you need to learn to behave." The colorful little fellow sat on her palm, seemingly understanding. Its bright, sparkling eyes fixed on Mu Huiqing, and after a moment, it nodded happily and transformed into a beam of colorful light that returned to the baby''s body. "What a handful of mischief. Will our daughter be like this too?" Mu Huiqing asked as she took the baby from Fang Ren''s hands, her pale face filled with maternal love. Fang Ren held her and chuckled, "She won''t. If she dares to throw a tantrum like that, I''ll dare to spank her bottom." "To spank what, she''s just a child," Mu Huiqing replied with a nce. Fang Ren stroked her head and said, "Alright, let''s not talk about this now. How are you feeling and how long will it take for you to recover your True Qi?" Mu Huiqing also knew this wasn''t the time for sentiment. Jiang Ling had been outside, shielding her and Fang Ren from the crowd, and surely Tianjiang and the Central Area would soon send many people to encircle Jiang Ling. "To fully recover, I guess it won''t be possible without half a day, but I can restore up to forty percent rather quickly," Mu Huiqing said. Fang Ren nodded: "That''s good. Jiang Ling must already be in the thick of it with Tianjiang''s people outside. I need to find a way to get her out of here safely." Mu Huiqing transformed some of the True Qi she had just recovered into Silver Battle Armor, her entire being once again taking on a holy visage. "Tomorrow, you must exin your rtionship with her to me," Mu Huiqing said with a pale face as she drew a long spear from the Spirit Form, demanding an exnation from Fang Ren. "Don''t worry, it''s not as bad as you think," Fang Ren said with a relieved expression as he took the child from Mu Huiqing''s arms. He continued, "Just do as I sayter, and all of us will be able to retreat safely." Chapter 269: Chapter 364: The Great Battle of Tianjiang_1 At this moment, outside the ck barrier, Jiang Ling stood in midair with a ck long knife in hand, while the sky around them had been filled with a densely packed army. In front of this dense army, a group of Tianjiang Family Masters, the Nine Heavens Corps, the Tiandao Sword Sect, and seven generals who had rushed over from the Central Area, were all ring furiously at Jiang Ling. The surrounding army formed an encirclement, and both the sky and ground had been seeded with numerous formations,rge and small, so dense that the scene was even bigger and more spectacr than hunting a Ninth-order Void Beast. "Who would have thought that you, a criminal, could break through that legendary realm!" A general at the forefront, gripping a giant battleaxe, had a fierce look on his face. "Criminal?" Jiang Lingughed, "Ha, so resisting you means bing a sinner. The rules of this world are indeed ironic." "Indiscriminate killing, brainwashing many practitioners into rebellion, and now trying to create misconceptions between the Tiandao Sword Sect and Tianjiang Fang Family, inciting internecine strife among humans, your crimes far outweigh the punishments you once received!" another general shouted. "I killed Fang Ren? Causing strife among humans? Jiang Ling''s smile became colder: "It''s as though if I didn''t kill Fang Ren, the Tiandao Sword Sect wouldn''t be doing things in the dark, as if humans haven''t been killing each other since ancient times, even in this age of crisis." Song Mobei red at Jiang Ling and said, "Even if you''ve broken through to that legendary realm, today''s inescapable will be the end of you! Better sever your own meridians now and save yourself from a death of a thousand crimes!" Jiang Ling looked at the sky full of formations and armies, and although her face was calm, she was indeed somewhat panicked. With so many formations and so many troops, it was not certain whether she could kill them all and live, and breaking through theyers would be very difficult for her. Even if she could kill all of them, reinforcements from the Central Area would arrive inrge numbers, and she would still be killed here. If it weren''t for Mu Huanqing giving birth here, she wouldn''t have given these troops the chance to set up formations. She could easily have broken through the encirclement and left Tianjiang. But she couldn''t do that directly. Once the battle started, her ck barrier would undoubtedly shatter under the ferocious fighting, and ultimately, both Fang Ren inside and Mu Huanqing would be hit and killed. In terms of buying time, she had already done her utmost. Now she had no choice but to fight. She could only pray in her heart that Mu Huanqing would quickly give birth and that Fang Ren would then exin some things to her, finally helping her break through the encirclement. "Where are those old immortals from the Central Area?" Jiang Ling smirked, "You think just these people alone can kill me? Aren''t you afraid I''ll annihte you all and then ughter half of Tianjiang?" "Big talk!" The Cao Family Patriarch shouted angrily, "Today, with all of us gathered here, even an eleventh-order Void Beast would die!" "Quit your yapping! Avenge Brother Fang and Brother Wang!" A Family Head shouted as his True Qi surged forth violently, charging straight at Jiang Ling. As he initiatedbat, a group of army instantly ramped up the formations to their utmost power, with continuous shields reinforcing those Family Heads and generals at the forefront, and a myriad of light streaming out from the formations, exploding towards Jiang Ling''s location. In an instant, the entire sky was covered with streams of light, with all generals and soldiers charging towards Jiang Ling, their momentum fierce and seemingly able to bury the whole of Tianjiang under the impact of the fight. ck True Qi surged around Jiang Ling like rolling clouds and thunder, quickly forming a massive barrier that shuddered unceasingly as countless impacts collided with it. Seeing this, Jiang Ling frowned slightly, "Indeed, once too many formations converge, their power bes unpredictably enhanced. If this drags on, the defenses will surely break. I have no choice but to start killing." No sooner had she spoken than Jiang Ling expanded her ck aura, swinging her ck long knife in a stroke that swept away dozens of Tianjiang Security Team soldiers. Wrapped in a ck shield, she sped into the midst of the group of generals. In an instant, various Family Heads and the seven generals shed with Jiang Ling, but soon one of the generals was sent flying andnded, unconscious, on the ground. However, the countless troops in the sky naturally wouldn''t allow Jiang Ling to unleash her full power. The formations constantly strengthened their suppression, leaving Jiang Ling no chance for another full-powered attack and forcing her to engage in an intense aerial battle with the powerful Xuanyang realm practitioners of the Central Area. ``` However, her Realm was ultimately too high, even with the countless Formations in the sky suppressing her, she still had a slight advantage in the brawl with a group of Generals, asionally inflicting physical injuries on the opponents, just not enough to impair their continuedbat abilities. "God''s Divine Sword!" "Wild Sky Thunder Roar!" "Sr Scatter!" ... "Dark Law! Gather Source sh!" In the sky, various Cultivation Techniques interwove, Jiang Ling''s sh pierced through all opposing techniques, intending to take the opportunity to disable another General on the opposing side, but as she approached, the countless Formations in the sky once again forcibly repelled her. "Everyone, attack with full force! Don''t stop! She must have just broken through recently! Her Realm isn''t stable yet! As long as we press with relentless assault, she will show ws!" Seeing Jiang Ling forced back by the Formations in the sky, everyone attacked even more fiercely. "Ignorance!" Jiang Ling roared in anger, the ck aura around her suddenly contracted violently, cracks of ck color started to appear on her long sword, and the wild oppressive force that erupted made it impossible for the Generals to take even a half step forward. "Dark Law! Space Breaking Dance!" With a furious roar, Jiang Ling''s shattered ck long knife suddenly swept out a huge arc, and before the troops in the sky could react, the ck arc had already expanded to a kilometer! For a moment, anyone looking up from the ground could only see a dark circle, relentlessly slicing through the bodies of the soldiers in the sky. Hum¡ª¡ª The fleeting sword technique directly imed the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers and broke through dozens of Formations meant for suppression. "Suppress! Keep going! Don''t give her any chance to attack the Formation!" "Those at the back, hurry up! Restore the new Formations to their positions! Quick!" "Where are the Array Masters! Don''t stop! Work together to create Formations!" ... Everyone was panicked by this strike, as every one of these soldiers possessed the strength of the Blue Sky Realm! A single strike taking out tens of thousands of Blue Sky Realms! This level of might, it''s estimated that currently only Xuan Nv could achieve it! The group of Generals and Family Heads were not foolish either, at the risk of injuring themselves, they began to coordinate in preventing Jiang Ling from attacking the Formation, very aware that if they dragged this out, it wouldn''t be long before the Shield on Jiang Ling cracked, and then she would not even have the chance to form a Shield again, only to be continuously crushed by the Formations, not to mention their own attacks, leading Jiang Ling straight to a dead end! Just that in doing so, they didn''t know how many lives it would cost to eliminate the leader of the world''s greatest evil organization. ``` Chapter 270: Chapter 365: Life is Yet Another Performance_1 As time passed, the battle in the sky became increasingly fierce, with a steady stream of armies incessantly joining the fray, piling on the pressure for Jiang Ling. The lowest realm of these soldiers was the Azure Sky Realm, and there were a total of twenty-one experts in the middle phase of the Xuan Yang Realm! Each one a veteran of a hundred battles! Coupled with variousrge formations'' enhancement and the assistance of elixirs, even two ninth-order Void Beasts would probably notst more than a few minutes. At this moment, the ground was littered with piles of corpses, and Jiang Ling regretfully had not exerted her full strength against the weaker soldiers because she had not forgotten her original intention to kill those in the Central Area and change the current marriage rules for cultivators. These soldiers were the main fighting force of humanity against the Void, so she naturally couldn''t kill too many of them, but rather focused her attacks on certain stubborn n heads. During the battle, Jiang Ling also tried to avoid harming the female soldiers of the Nine Heavens Corps; after all, they were under Mu Huanqing''smand. At most, Jiang Ling would inflict serious injuries on them without taking their lives. And precisely because there were so many, she didn''t unleash her full power, making it seem as if she was at a disadvantage as the situation progressed. "She''s starting to weaken! Increase the offensive! Exhaust her to death!" Seeing this, a group of Xuan Yang Realm experts intensified their attacks even more, each seeming to see the dawn of victory. "Jiang Ling! Today you killed the younger generation of my Fang Family! I will make you pay with blood for blood!" Seeing this, Fang Ye no longer hid behind a group of experts; he ran to the front andshed out at Jiang Ling with a palm. Although the strike was futile, it at least showed his rage over Fang Ren''s death. Whiz¡ª A streak of ck light struck, and Fang Ye, who had just advanced to attack, felt a chill in his arm followed by an immediate retreat, clutching his severed limb, full of regret. This damn moment of showing off had disastrously backfired on him! Seeing his severed limb, Fang Ye immediately started shouting as he flew to a far spot on the ground, fell there, clenched his teeth, and closed his eyes in struggle, as if his entire being was about to perish. In reality, Jiang Ling''s sh wasn''t aimed at him at all; it was merely the energy fluctuations that had severed his arm. Moreover, such a wound was nothing for an expert at the pinnacle of the Yingyue Realm; at most, it caused momentary pain. The reason Fang Ye''s expression was so exaggerated was simply that he had embarked on another path of pretense¡ªsince he couldn''t pretend to be a strong warrior, why not feignplete uselessness? After all, that Jiang Ling would ultimately die, and Fang Ren''s death at Jiang Ling''s hands exhrated Fang Ye. What thrilled him even more was that today, Jiang Ling had to die, as he had finally confirmed that the breakthrough to the Xuanyang realm a few days ago had not been Mu Huanqing but this Jiang Ling. As long as Jiang Ling died, the greatest threat to the Patriarch of the Fang family in this world would vanish¡ªa boon to his ns that was better than any assistance. "In about five more minutes, the main force from the second area will arrive! Everyone, hold on! We absolutely cannot let this criminal, a hazard to our kin, escape!" A general roared, desperately attacking Jiang Ling, disregarding his own wounds, retreating only when he had sustained enough injuries to swallow an elixir and then turning back to continue the fight. Suddenly, all the generals and warriors followed suit, no longer caring how precious their pills were, just recklessly consuming them. As the morale of the generals and soldiers around her surged, Jiang Ling''s heart grew increasingly tense¡ªwhat kind of child had Mu Huanqing actually borne, taking so long? Was she giving birth to Nezha? Just when her anxiety peaked, suddenly, a white light burst forth from the ck barrier below, piercing through the barrier and shooting straight into the night sky, instantly turning the thousands of miles around as bright as day. The group of soldiers was stunned by this sight; they all recognized that white aura¡ªit was Mu Huanqing''s creation Immortal Essence! "Is Madame Xuan inside?" "I saw Madame Xuannd here just now; it''s true! This Jiang Ling actually sealed Madame Xuan away!" "Protect Madame Xuan! Don''t let the enemy get close!" ... Boom boom boom¡ª¡ª The ck barrier shattered instantaneously, and the scene unfolding before everyone''s eyes was that of Mu Huanqing, d in armor, holding Fang Ren in her arms with his body covered in blood and his eyes closed; no one knew if Fang Ren was dead or alive. "Jiang Ling! You''ve harmed the future of the human race! You shall pay the price today!" With a roar of fury, Mu Huanqing''s True Qi of fate and fortune burst forth, and she hurled her Silver Long Spear at Jiang Ling without hesitation. Jiang Ling immediately sidestepped Mu Huanqing''s attack, nced at her below, and felt baffled. What kind of act were these two putting on? Turning gratitude into revenge the moment they arrived? And where was the child? Had it not been born? Ping ping ping¡ª¡ª While Jiang Ling was confused, a series of shattering sounds like ss breaking suddenly came from behind her. She turned to look, only to see that Mu Huanqing''s Silver Long Spear had pierced through the three suppression Arrays behind her. Only then did Jiang Linge to her senses. It turned out that Mu Huanqing had gone along with everyone''s misunderstanding to hide the true reason for her appearance here, pretending that Jiang Ling wanted to kill Fang Ren, and that Mu Huanqing had arrived just in time to save him. Thus, Mu Huanqing''s frantic descent to this ce, creating such amotion, also had a very reasonable exnation. Although it was uncertain whether the child had been born or not, one thing was clear: Mu Huanqing wasn''t truly trying to kill her, but was finding a way to help her out of the predicament. Jiang Ling felt helpless and could only keep ying along with Mu Huanqing''s script. "Mu Huanqing! I never expected you to be able to save him from my curse!" Jiang Ling spouted nonsense. She didn''t know what curse she was talking about. A surge of energy welled up in her, pushing back the group of generals around her, and with True Qi swirling around her ck Knife, sheunched an attack towards Mu Huanqing. With a face full of rage, Mu Huanqing tossed Fang Ren to a female warrior of the Nine Heavens Corps and charged towards Jiang Ling. Boom boom boom¡ª¡ª In an instant, the two top-tierbatants shed, leaving the surrounding soldiers with no chance to intervene, only able to maintain the Arrays suppressing Jiang Ling from the periphery. In the midst of the fight, Jiang Ling did not use her full strength, and Mu Huanqing didn''t employ her most powerful formations. They fought chaotically while moving about. They advanced from the sky above the guesthouse directly into an Array, and without a word, Mu Huanqing broke through the Array suppressing Jiang Ling. The onlookers, thinking that Madame Xuan had lost her advantage against Jiang Ling of the Yingyue Realm, did not think too much of it. However, after a short while of fighting, Mu Huanqing and Jiang Ling had already broken half of the camp''s Arrays meant for suppression. Jiang Ling could have easily escaped unobstructed. Yet, to make the act seem more real, Jiang Ling deliberately allowed Mu Huanqing to sh her arm and then feigned shock, looking at Mu Huanqing, "You... how can you possess the strength of the Yingyue Realm!" "Enough talk!" Not being one for acting, Mu Huanqing could only roar angrily and continue attacking Jiang Ling with her Silver Long Spear. The surrounding generals, seeing Madame Xuan gaining the upper hand, immediately formed a stronger suppression ring. A hint of fear appeared on Jiang Ling''s face. She then pped Mu Huanqing and turned to rush towards the weakest part of the Formation. "Don''t even think about escaping!" Mu Huanqing''s True Qi surged throughout her body as she chased after her. Their power levels being so high, they easily smashed through the weakest part of the camp, turning into two streaks of light that vanished into the sky. Chapter 271: Chapter 366: The First Conversation Between Two People_1 ``` In Tianjiang, a host of soldiers immediately chased after the two streaks of light, but those lights were exceedingly fast. They had not pursued far before the lightspletely vanished from view. "Notify all battle zones immediately! Encircle them starting from Xinyi District! The Tianjiang Guard Team is here! To prevent members of the Nightfall Organization from infiltrating Tianjiang! The rest of you, continue to follow me in pursuit!" A general shouted, leading a dark swarm of soldiers as they chased out of the city. Meanwhile, Fang Ren, lying in the embrace of a female soldier, watched the battle in the sky with slightly opened eyes, and heaved a sigh of relief. This scenario was exactly as he had anticipated. Now that Jiang Ling''s power was at the level of Mysteria, even if she were encircled, Mu Huanqing could help her continue to break free. And with Jiang Ling''s high realm, could she not escape if she couldn''t win the fight? However, he felt a bit sorry for her. He would have to properly apologize to her next time. "Young Master Fang is still breathing! Quickly, someone take him to the medical area!" At that moment, the female soldier holding Fang Ren, upon seeing his eyes slightly squinted, without a second word, handed him over to a Family Head nearby. Fang Ren was inwardly speechless¡ªafter all, he was the husband of their general. Were they really just throwing him away? After mentallyining for a while, he nced at the elder holding his arm, who was rushing him along. He remembered this person was the Family Head of the Liu Family. Speaking of the Liu Family... was that Liu Qianqian''s grandfather? Such a melodramatic turn of events. ------ ------ At this very moment, in the distant sky, Mu Huanqing looked back at Tianjiang, found it empty of anyone''s presence, and then retracted her True Qi back into her body,nding in a forest. Jiang Ling, who had been flying at full strength, also stowed her ck Knife away and joined Mu Huanqing in the forest, finding her pale-faced and leaning against arge tree. She panted continuously, her Spirit Form withdrawn into her body, and her hands clutched her abdomen, appearing very weak. Jiang Ling came before her and asked, "Is it always so tough for a Xuan Yang Realm expert to give birth?" Mu Huanqing shot her an unhappy nce, "Although I still don''t know what your rtionship with Ah Ran is, helping you this time doesn''t mean I ept you, a criminal." Jiang Ling cracked a slight smile, "Is your husband a fool?" Mu Huanqing frowned, "What do you mean?" "What I mean is, your husband isn''t a fool, so why would he be with someone like me, a criminal? And he could entrust you, during childbirth, to my protection so confidently?" Jiang Ling continued, "Don''t you think you should reconsider whether you might have some misconceptions about me?" "I don''t want to have too much to do with you, nor do I want Ah Ran to be involved with you. I''ll remember the favor you''ve done for me and Ah Ran this time. I''ll definitely repay it in the future. Let''s leave it at that for today. You should leave quickly," Mu Huanqing was not interested in further conversation. Jiang Ling shook her head and sighed, "You still don''t understand the intention behind Young Master Fang''s decision to have you chase after me." Mu Huanqing scowled fiercely. She did not want to talk too much with this woman, although she was very keen to know the rtionship between Fang Ren and this woman. But she wanted to ask Fang Ren in person, rather than listen to this woman''s version of the story. "The child you gave birth to seems quite special. Your True Qi is depleted, and Fang Ren must have given you a Fourth-order elixir earlier to temporarily maintain your peak state, right?" Jiang Ling said and took out a small vial from her person and ced it in front of Mu Huanqing, continuing, "Inside here is a Fifth-order elixir, concocted by your husband. He traded all his pills for money, and the Fourth-order elixir he gave you must have been concocted on the spot within the barrier. This should make you feel much better." "Why would he give you something like this?" Mu Huanqing looked at the small vial in front of her, her heart growing increasinglyplex. "Lady Xuan, can''t you see? He and I are on the same side. There''s a lot in this world you don''t know about," Jiang Ling asserted. "The reason he had you run after me so far was because he wanted you to learn some things from me." Mu Huanqing paused for a long time. What Jiang Ling said was not wrong. She had just given birth, and Fang Ren had no elixirs on him. He could only hastily concoct a side-effect-free Fourth-order elixir for her to maintain her peak condition. Otherwise, she would have broken out of the ck barrier long ago, and Jiang Ling wouldn''t have needed to fight Tianjiang''s soldiers for so long. Picking up the vial, Mu Huanqing examined the elixir inside, confirming that it was different from those concocted by a normal alchemist, before she spoke up: "You''ve said what you had to say." Hearing this, Jiang Ling smiled and sat down under a tree opposite her, looking at Mu Huanqing before speaking, "There''s far too much I have to say; such a short time is nowhere near enough. I can only share with you some of the experiences from my youth." In the following minutes, Jiang Ling conveyed the story of her past using the simplestnguage possible. Her narrative was brief, with no hint of emotional fluctuation, yet every word struck Mu Huanqing with profound impact. After hearing everything Jiang Ling had to say, Mu Huanqing fell silent. She had heard from Jiang Ling about the struggles of her past. Jiang Ling''s husband was imprisoned in the Central Area, and only after giving birth did Jiang Ling learn that her husband had been killed by others. Ultimately, Jiang Ling broke down, killing many people... However, the version of the event avable online was clearly not as Jiang Ling herself had described it; the narrative online was evidently spread by the Central Area. They portrayed Jiang Ling as an inhuman woman by nature, almost painting her as a whore. While Mu Huanqing did not fully believe everything Jiang Ling had disclosed, thest thing Jiang Ling said profoundly affected her. Jiang Ling questioned, "I often think, if you and Fang Ren openly came together, would you be the next me?" Mu Huanqing had pondered over this. She thought about what it would mean if they were powerless to resist and the Central Area chose to tear them apart. What would they face afterward? The oue was clear; she felt that she might indeed be what Jiang Ling had described. She would go mad, to the point of recklessly seeking vengeance upon the world. ``` Chapter 272: 367 Chapter: Scapegoat Under the Nightfall_1 Jiang Ling saw Mu Huanqing bing entirely silent; the anxiety within her heart gradually calmed down. Actually, this time, Fang Ren had turned her into an assassin genius, a killer of talents, and she didn''t feel wronged by the hatred of everyone. On the contrary, she was quite thankful to Fang Ren for providing her with this rare opportunity to have a quiet, detailed conversation with Mu Huanqing. If persuading Mu Huanqing failed, the result of dering war on the Central Area would undoubtedly be a fight to the death between her and Mu Huanqing. Although Mu Huanqing''s realm was only at the Peak Xuanyang Level, records of Mu Huanqing''s capability to challenge beyond her level had only been broken by Fang Ren so far. If they truly fought, she was certain she could beat Mu Huanqing, but the cost of winning would be her severe injury or her True Qi being on the verge of exhaustion. Jiang Ling looked up at the distant horizon and spoke, "Our pursuers have arrived. We don''t have much time to talk today. If there''s anything else, you can meet meter, and I''ll exin then." With those words, True Qi rotation began in Jiang Ling''s body, turning her into a streak of ck light that surged towards the distant sky. Her figure had already vanished, but her voice remained, "None of your Nine Heavens Corps soldiers were harmed by me." Mu Huanqing looked up at the streak of ck light, and after a long while, her gaze returned to the bottle in her hand. As she looked at the fifth-level medicinal pill inside, her heart grew increasinglyplex. She wouldn''t consume this medicinal pill. Although she believed some of what Jiang Ling had said, the image of evil she associated with the Nightfall Organization had been rooted in her mind for over twenty years. What made this image more credible to her was that over the years, she had witnessed first-hand the evil perpetrated by members of the Nightfall Organization. They killed and seized lives indiscriminately and without purpose. At the time, she was just a teenage girl who was beginning to understand the cruelty of bloodshed. Those memories all originated from members of the Nightfall Organization. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡ª Just as she was preparing to rise and leave to confront Fang Ren for answers, suddenly thousands of streaks of light descended from the sky. They were the soldiers of Tianjiang in pursuit. "Madame Xuan! Are you alright?" Several female soldiers from the Nine Heavens Corps immediately ran over when they saw the weakened Mu Huanqing, their faces filled with concern. Several generals nearby saw this and clenched their fists in frustration, "This Jiang Ling... not even Madame Xuan has a way to deal with her!" Mu Huanqing put away the fifth-level medicinal pill, True Qi began to circte in her body once more, supporting herself to float in the air as she donned silver battle armor. "Although I''m gravely injured, she isn''t much better off," Mu Huanqing said with a frosty face. At such times, she couldn''t demoralize the troops of Tianjiang, especially with the Void still in such chaos. If the soldiers became distracted thinking of the Nightfall Organization, facing the Void beasts would inevitably lead many to despair, thinking that even if they conquered the Void, they couldn''t defeat the Nightfall. "If it wasn''t for having to rescue Young Master Fang, she wouldn''t have had a chance to injure me like this," Mu Huanqing said. Upon hearing this, the soldiers suddenly remembered the ck barrier sphere that Jiang Ling had created before, which was probably intended to eliminate Fang Ren, but which Madame Xuan had taken on instead. That meant that Madame Xuan was managing an even fight with the opponent even after falling victim to one of their curse techniques. This realization set many soldiers at ease, as it seemed that Madame Xuan was indeed the stronger one. Within the crowd, Song Mobei clenched his teeth tightly, bewildered that the gap between him and Mu Huanqing was so great. Jiang Ling''s single move had shaken him, yet Mu Huanqing managed to fight Jiang Ling to a standstill. He had always believed the difference between him and Mu Huanqing to be a mere half-step in realm, being already at the Half-step Sunlight Peak Realm himself, but now it appeared he had been too arrogant. "You all continue to expand the search area here. Jiang Ling, being injured, surely won''t dare to turn back; pay extra attention to any other members of the Nightfall Organization," Mu Huanqing instructed. Leaving behind these words, she flew into the sky, heading towards Tianjiang City. The troops, upon hearing of Jiang Ling''s serious injuries, scattered like chickens with their heads cut off, eager to im her head as a great achievement. The person who would kill her would surely be known throughout the world, and their name would be passed down to posterity. ------ ------ Up in the sky over a certain part of Tianjiang, Head of Liu Family, Liu Dongfeng, was enveloped in True Qi as he carried Fang Ren, rushing toward the medical district. Fang Ren touched his chest, where the formation that concealed the child was still actively running. It seemed that Mu Huanqing''s venture to escort Jiang Ling out of the city didn''t deplete all her True Qi; otherwise, the formation on his body would have dissipated swiftly. Seeing that he was only minutes away from being taken to the medical district by Liu Dongfeng, he no longer continued to feign unconsciousness and hurriedly opened his eyes, pretending to cough painfully. "Cough cough cough..." "Young Master Fang! Are you alright?" Liu Dongfeng frowned, increasing his speed, "Hold on, we''ll be there soon and you will be saved!" Upon hearing these words, Fang Ren stopped pretending and, with a whoosh, detached himself from the True Qi shield that Liu Dongfeng had created around him, floating in midair, his face wearing an extremely solemn, theatrical expression. If he really arrived at the medical district, a group of top Grandmasters would examine him, and it would be somewhat strange to find not a single injury on his body. "Young Master Fang... What are you doing..." Liu Dongfeng was stunned, for Fang Ren had been looking like he was on the brink of death just moments ago. How could he suddenly be capable of manipting True Qi and flying on his own? "My thanks for your concern, Head of Liu Family. I have now managed to force out the poison from Jiang Ling from my body," Fang Ren said while holding his chest. "You... You''re alright now?" "I''m fine, thank you for your concern, Head of Liu Family." "What exactly happened just now?" Seeing that Fang Ren''s aura had softened and indeed he looked unharmed, Liu Dongfeng furrowed his brow and asked. Fang Ren''s condensed expression immediately turned to one of deep hatred as he said, "It was all the Nightfall Organization! Seeing that I had conflicts with the Tiandao Sword Sect, they immediately wanted to kill me and frame the Sword Sect. They were just waiting for the Fang Family and the Sword Sect to turn against each other, so they could reap the benefits. If it hadn''t been for Madame Xuan''s timely arrival, I would have been chopped down by Jiang Ling! Even though Madame Xuan blocked their attacks for me, it was impossible to break the curse of their cultivation technique instantly. In the end, it was Madame Xuan who helped me, expending a tremendous amount of vital energy to save me from danger." Upon hearing this, Liu Dongfeng''s heart filled with indignation. Although he was only the leader of an Aristocratic Family at the outskirts of Tianjiang and harbored strong aspirations to climb higher, it didn''t mean he wanted to see humans fighting among themselves. The current situation called for human unity in the face of amon enemy, and his Liu Family was definitely not like those inhuman cowards of the Nightfall Organization! "Damn it! The Nightfall Organization is despicably vile!" Liu Dongfeng clenched his fists, "Young Master Fang, you should hurry back to your family. The whole city is on alert, and there are people everywhere ready to assist you. I must report this matter to the Central Area immediately! We can''t let Nightfall continue like this any longer!" With that said, Liu Dongfeng flew directly towards the Central Area. Watching his departing figure, Fang Ren revealed a helpless smile at the corner of his mouth, "Great, I''ve let Nightfall take the me for me again..." Looking back, it seemed that the Nightfall Organization had already taken the me for him three times. Poor Jiang Ling. Chapter 273: Chapter 368: The Forbiddened Technique of Shang Han _1 After Liu Dongfeng left, Fang Ren did not return to the Fang Family but found another hotel and checked in without batting an eye. The receptionist at the hotel was almost frightened enough to call the police upon seeing hisposed face, knowing that news of Young Master Fang''s critical injuries had just spread. His unharmed appearance and undisturbed demeanor were truly bizarre. However, when Fang Ren pulled out his own ID card, the female attendant at the front desk breathed a sigh of relief. After asking Fang Ren a few more questions, she did not harbor further suspicions. Upon opening the window of his hotel room, he could see countless soldiers shuttling back and forth on patrol, a scene even more vast than when a Ninth-order Void Beast would appear. After confirming that no one was going to disturb him, Fang Ren closed the window and drew the curtains. He went to the bedside and removed a small Formation embedded in his chest. Hum¡ª His True Qi filled the room, creating arge noise barrier. Only afterpleting all these preparations, did he dare to erode the small Formation with True Qi, breaking it open from around its edges. As the Formation shattered, a crying baby suddenly appeared in his arms. Fang Ren gently touched the child''s head, feeding the grey True Qi to the Spirit Form within her body. Soon, the baby''s cries diminished significantly, eventually bingpletely quiet. Although it is said to be good for a newborn to cry for a while to ensure smooth breathing, this child had no need for such a thing, her Spirit Form was able to adjust whatever state she required. Looking at the child now quiet in his arms, Fang Ren''s emotions were beyond words, and he simply continued to look at her, his face breaking into an involuntary smile, The infant in his arms seemed to be connected to him by an innate thread, this thread hanging on his heart, tied to the child''s body. He thought that this must be what a blood bond feels like. Feeling the emotions of holding his child for the first time, Fang Ren suddenly thought of his parents. This affection... had they also felt it for him at some point? If they had felt the same way towards him, why hadn''t theye to see him more often over the past twenty-plus years? Could everything really be as Uncle Han stated, that they were just too busy? But how busy is too busy? Too busy to even spare a nce for their own child? Shaking his head, Fang Ren quickly dismissed these emotions. He didn''t want to understand his parents, as once that part of his heart that was touched by loneliness, it was hard for him not to be affected. Fortunately, he had Uncle Han, Hui Qing, and a bunch of friends from school. His emotional ties with these people allowed him to bury the nerve of kinship deep down. "Look at you, causing such a stir the moment you''re born," he said as he pinched the child''s chubby cheek. The baby couldn''t understand his words, just looking at him with her adorable big eyes while her tiny hands clutched at his arm. "Speaking of which... should I buy some diapers in advance?" Fang Ren suddenly frowned, "Right, and baby form as well, I can''t have Hui Qing rushing over from the battlefield every time she gets hungry, can I?" "Ran''er!" As he was talking to himself, a loud shout suddenly came from a distance. In his expanded field of vision, a dark shadow shed by. Before he had a chance to react, someone burst in through the window, breaking his barrier! Fang Ren hurriedly hid the child behind him and stared at the figure that had entered his room, his gaze freezing for a moment. "Uncle Han?" In the room, Shang Han looked disheveled, his eyes red with blood vessels, his True Qi wildly violent. Despite being a Peak-stage practitioner of the Yingyue Realm, at this moment, he seemed like someone in the mid-phase of the Xuanyang realm¡ªmaybe even higher! "Ran''er! How are your injuries?" Shang Han sprinted over and grabbed Fang Ren''s shoulders, his whole being radiating an rming concern. "I''m fine, Uncle Han, what''s happened to you?" Fang Ren asked, looking at his fierce expression in a daze. "Damn it! I heard the bastards from the Nightfall killed you, and I was ready to use the Forbidden Technique to go all out even if it meant risking my life! But just as Ipleted the Forbidden Technique, that bastard ran off!" Shang Han shouted in a rage. However, seeing that Fang Ren was unharmed, he immediately dispelled his Cultivation Technique, and his bloodshot eyes started to swell with tears; standing in front of him, Fang Ren could even feel the urge to cry welling up within him. "Uncle Han... I''m fine." "You''re fine my ass, thank goodness!" Shang Han pped Fang Ren on the head and sat on the bed, still looking furious with reddened eyes. Without a second word, he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and his chest continued to heave violently. "Uncle Han, don''t smoke, the child will breathe it in." Fang Ren quickly repaired the soundproof barrier that Shang Han had broken, smiling awkwardly as he spoke. "Child? You''re still a child?" At these words, Shang Han was about to hit him again, but then he saw a little head peeking out from behind Fang Ren. Suddenly, he froze: "This..." Fang Ren held the baby from behind him in his arms and said, "You might not believe it, Uncle Han... but this is mine and Qing''er''s child." ¡ªPlop¡ª Shang Han''s face turned to stone, and the cigarette fell from his hand onto the floor. A few secondster, he pped Fang Ren''s head again: "Qing''er hasn''t even been pregnant! Where did this childe from! Speak! Where did you pick this child up from!" Fang Ren was dumbfounded: "What do you mean picked up, this is the child of me and Qing''er, our biological child, your granddaughter." "Bullshit!" Shang Han didn''t believe a word: "You''d bettere clean! Is it that Qing''er can''t get pregnant or is there something wrong with you? You can''t just pick up a child and bring it home because you two can''t have one!" With a look of helplessness, Fang Ren said, "Uncle Han, so much has happened in between, and there''s no time to exin it all, but she is indeed Qing''er''s own child, and she was just born!" "..." Shang Han was taken aback, looking at the infant in Fang Ren''s arms and squinting for a while, he suddenly realized that the child did indeed have a look reminiscent of Fang Ren as a baby. "Cough cough cough!" As Shang Han looked on, he suddenly grimaced with pain, burst into a violent cough, and his body went limp as if he were about to fall to the ground. "Uncle Han! What''s wrong with you!" Fang Ren hurriedly supported him with True Qi, panic-stricken¡ªthere was no need to get so excited just upon seeing his granddaughter. Grinding his teeth, Shang Han spat out blood continuously: "If only I knew you were alright... I wouldn''t have used the Forbidden Technique..." "Bacsh from the Cultivation Technique?" Fang Ren was startled. Uncle Han''s Realm had always been at the Peak of the Yingyue Realm, but it had suddenly risen to the mid-stage of the Xuanyang Realm, even touching the Peak Stage! The power of the Forbidden Technique was evident! And with great power brought by the Forbidden Technique came an even greater price to pay. Chapter 274: Chapter 369: Is Shang Hans Brag Real?_1 "Uncle Han! How can I help you?" Fang Ren panicked and without further ado, immediately took out his pill furnace. Now that Qianye was unconscious, and there was no red aura to use within the Giant Tree Spirit Phase, his only avable treatment method was alchemy, right? "It''s no use, this cultivation technique is tied to my Life Spirit, the bacsh is my lifespan. Pills simply won''t resolve it," Shang Han waved his hand and said, "If it wasn''t for my forceful attempt to break through to the Xuanyang realm peak back in the day, my Spirit Form wouldn''t have shattered. Now, even using my Life Techniquees at a price." "Huh?" Seeing Shang Han''s indifferent face, Fang Ren was stunned, "My dear Uncle Han, is this the time for bragging? ''Xuanyang realm peak,'' do you honestly think you''re at that realm right now?" "Bullshit!" Upon hearing this, Shang Han got so angry that he bounced up from the ground and punched Fang Ren, bellowing, "When I was lording it over the Central Area, not a single one of those old fogeys dared to peep! If it wasn''t for trying to help my wife and forcefully breaking through to the Xuanyang realm peak, my Spirit Form would not have been shattered! Now if I say let Qing''er marry you, not one of those old fogeys in the Central Area would dare to fart in front of me! I¡ªcough cough cough! Dammit! That really hurts..." Shang Han, upon recalling his glorious past, got so agitated that it affected his injuries, causing him to cough violently. "Alright, alright, you''re the best, you''re invincible, I believe it, okay? Just sit down already. If you spit out a few more mouthfuls of blood, my daughter won''t have a grandfather in the future," Fang Ren said with a look of disgust. "You little shit! Are you cursing me to die?" Shang Han, angered by these words, replied earnestly, "You should go inquire about the times before Qing''er was born, I was the top Practitioner in the whole world! Jiang Ling was nothingpared to me back then! I could beat up whoever I wanted, no one on Earth would dare to stop me! If not for that ident, my realm wouldn''t have dropped to the Yingyue Realm peak¡­ cough cough cough! Motherfucker, I can''t talk anymore, or I really might die..." Fang Ren wore an expression of helpless resignation, ced the baby beside the bed, and casually lit the fire under the pill furnace. He didn''t dare to tease Shang Han any further, in case he provoked his daughter''s grandfather to death on the spot. Seeing Fang Ren didn''t dare to babble on with him, Shang Han huffed coldly and picked up the baby beside him. Gazing at the baby''s adorable little face, his cold expression softened slightly. The baby, with her innocent expression, kept grabbing at his arm with her cute little hands as if asking to be held more. Suddenly, Shang Han''s face blossomed into a loving smile, and he couldn''t resist rubbing foreheads with the baby, chuckling, "Aww, this little one is just as lovable as Qing''er was when she was born." Fang Ren, hearing his words, couldn''t help but think of the twenty-two years of care he had received without once going back to see Mu Hui. His heart filled withplex emotions. With a shake of his head, Fang Ren casually added some herbs into the furnace and started controlling the fire to begin the alchemy process. "This little one will definitely inherit my exceptional Cultivational Talent just like Qing''er. Who knows, maybe by twenty-five she will step into the Xuanyang realm too, hahaha... cough!" Shang Han, while holding the baby, seemed to recall something and suddenly started to entertain himself with his thoughts, looking just like a middle-aged man in his adolescence. "Okay, okay, enough with the nonsense," Fang Ren said with a look of disdain, "Give me your arm, I need to see how bad the injury is and whether I need to add more herbs." Shang Han couldn''t be bothered with him, holding the baby in his arms with a silly smile on his face, rambling on about what name the child should have, blowing his own trumpet, and speaking incessantly to himself. Fang Ren let him be, realizing that suddenly bing a grandfather, Shang Han''s feelings must be quite simr to his own. Grabbing Shang Han''s hand, Fang Ren''s True Qi began to permeate and he gave Shang Han a thorough examination. And, to his surprise, the examination made him reconsider. He had assumed all that Shang Han had said before was just bragging, but now he believed half of it. Shang Han''s injuries were extremelyplicated, or rather, his body was intrinsicallyplex, and what shocked Fang Ren the most was that there was an enormous hole in Shang Han''s Spiritual Root, surrounded by cracks, as if it had beenpletely destroyed. Moreover, Shang Han''s meridians were much finer than those of an ordinary practitioner, which would surely make the cirction of True Qi very difficult. Yet Shang Han had managed to cultivate to the Peak of the Yingyue Realm with these meridians, inevitably causing amazement. What left Fang Ren speechless was that the Spiritual Root, broken with arge hole, could still continue cultivating. He truly didn''t know how strong Shang Han''s Cultivational Talent was to utilize such a damaged Spiritual Root to this extent. He couldn''t imagine, if Shang Han''s meridians and Spiritual Root were just like a normal person''s, what his Realm would be now? Fang Ren had also searched Uncle Han''s information online, but most of it on the inte merely glossed over Shang Han, mentioning only that Shang Han was one of the most talented practitioners before the age of twenty-five, with detailed information deleted and pages leading towork error messages. Seeing this, and remembering how Shang Han''s cultivation technique had operated with strength close to the Peak of the Xuanyang realm, Fang Ren almostpletely believed all the boasting Shang Han had just done. Shang Han had said that the Forbidden Technique he used was a Cultivation Technique within his Life Spirit, and because the Spirit Form had shattered, it led to a Bacsh during use. This revtion shocked Fang Ren even more, for Shang Han''s innate Cultivation Technique could enhance his strength close to three minor Realms on top of the Peak of the Yingyue Realm, while his painstakingly developed ughter Heaven Pill could only increase the strength of a practitioner at the Peak of the Yuanxin Realm by three minor Realms! That is to say, this Cultivation Technique was equivalent to taking ten ughter Heaven Pills! That was terrifying! If that really was Shang Han''s innate Technique, he might have indeed been able to beat a group of old men from the Central Area to the point of searching the ground for their teeth. Even Mu Huanqing, who was only twenty years old, would not stand a chance against him. But then again, if Mu Huanqing''s Cultivational Talent is so astonishing, how could her father be just a simple cultivator at the Peak of the Yingyue Realm? All of a sudden, Fang Ren realized that maybe all those boasts Uncle Han had made to him in the past could actually be true. Chapter 275: Chapter 370: Peace and Happiness was the Original Intention_1 "How''s it looking, any hope for me?" Uncle Han looked at him with a confused expression and thought something serious might have happened to his body, so he asked. "No cure." Fang Ren said and then turned back to add a few herbs to the pill furnace. "You little brat! If there''s no cure, then why the hell are you still making pills?" "Ever heard of a painless release?" "I''m gonna beat you to death today, you little punk!" Uncle Han pped the top of Fang Ren''s head several times, and after he let go, he said with disgust, "Damn it, my daughter can''t be left a widow." Done talking, Uncle Han didn''t pay any more attention to Fang Ren. He just started making a fuss over the baby, acting even more affectionate than Fang Ren, who had just be a father. Buzz¡ª Just as Fang Ren was focusing on alchemy, suddenly a white figure broke through his barrier and entered the room. Fang Ren quickly repaired the barrier. The visitor was clearly Mu Huanqing. "Qing''er?" When Uncle Han saw Mu Huanqing, who had suddenly appeared in the room, his hands stiffened as he held the baby. For some reason, at that moment, all he could think about was the time when he held Mu Huanqing as a baby. Unfortunately, he had never fulfilled his responsibilities as a father to Mu Huanqing. At this moment, Mu Huanqing looked pale and her aura was somewhat disordered. Seeing her like this, Uncle Han felt a surge of heartache. His daughter had just given birth and was already off chasing after Jiang Ling... And he, as a father, didn''t even know his daughter was giving birth. "Why are you here?" Mu Huanqing nced at Fang Ren, who was still busily engaged in alchemy, then at Uncle Han holding her child, and asked instinctively. She had many questions she wanted to ask Fang Ren, but with Uncle Han there, she held back. When Uncle Han heard Mu Huanqing''s words, he felt a sense of helplessness. His daughter obviously wasn''t very willing to ept him as her father; otherwise, she wouldn''t talk to him like that when they first met. "Qing''er, I just came to see Ran''er. Then Ran''er told me that you had just given birth..." Uncle Han wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face filled with guilt as he spoke, "I''m sorry, I didn''t take care of you when you were small, and now I wasn''t even able to protect you and Ah Ran during your childbirth..." Mu Huanqing shook her head, suppressing the myriad of questions in her heart. Taking the child from Uncle Han, she said, "I''m fine, as long as my child won''tck a grandfather''s love in the future." "Qing''er..." After hearing this, Uncle Han still felt a wave of sadness. Mu Huanqing meant that he didn''t need to make up for the past, he only needed to love her child. However, in Uncle Han''s view, Mu Huanqing was his own daughter and should be closer to him than his granddaughter. Unfortunately, much had happened in the past, and he had to leave the Mu family to protect Fang Ren. Upon seeing this, Fang Ren spoke up, "Qing''er, you just gave birth to a child and went through a great battle. Your body must be extremely weak, and I currentlyck the medicinal materials to concoct tonics for you..." Before Fang Ren could finish his words, Shang Han interjected anxiously, "What medicinal materials are needed? Write them down for me!" "Uncle Han, you''re severely injured right now. You should rest well. I will go buy the medicinal materialster," Fang Ren replied. "Bullshit! Just write it down when I tell you to, what''s with all the nonsense!" Shang Han pped him, speaking furiously. "Alright, alright, I''ll write it now." Without further ado, Fang Ren immediately took out a te from his storage ring and inscribed a list of medicinal ingredients on it with his True Qi. As soon as he finished writing, Shang Han grabbed the te without a word and shot out of the window using his True Qi, coughing up a mouthful of blood before he left. Upon seeing Shang Han like this, Mu Huiqing asked, "Ah Ran, what''s wrong with him?" Hearing this, Fang Ren''s face showed a sigh, "Ah, Uncle Han heard that you gave birth and still went after Jiang Ling. In a fit of rage, he used a Forbidden Technique. Unfortunately, his meridians were too severely damaged. He had barely used the Forbidden Technique when he vomited blood in my room." "..." After hearing all this, Mu Huiqing furrowed her brows as she watched Shang Han disappear into the distance from the window. Actually... Shang Han also truly cared for her, a fact she had been clear on during the days she spent in Yangming City. What she hadn''t expected was that Shang Han would resort to using that Forbidden Technique because of her. As the Nine Heavens Mystic Lady, she was in contact with the world''s top mightiest individuals, so she naturally knew much about Shang Han''s past. Shang Han''s Spirit Form was already shattered, and if he continued using Forbidden Techniques, it would directly affect his lifespan. Seeing the expression on Mu Huiqing''s face, Fang Ren, who was busy with alchemy, felt much relieved in his heart. Although he had lied to Mu Huiqing, it was a lie with good intentions. He hoped that Mu Huiqing would have a good rtionship with Shang Han. And what he said wasn''t entirely false; if Shang Han had the capacity to act after learning that Mu Huiqing had gone to pursue Jiang Ling following childbirth, then Fang Ren believed Shang Han would have certainly used the Forbidden Technique without hesitation to chase after Mu Huiqing. But the unfortunate thing was that Shang Han had just used the Forbidden Technique, and Fang Ren had only just found him when the Bacsh of the Forbidden Technique had already begun affecting Shang Han''s body. After a while, Mu Huiqing withdrew her distant gaze and looked at the infant in her arms. Instead of smiling, she spoke up, "Ah Ran, why are you keeping things from me?" Fang Ren knew she was talking about Jiang Ling, so he stood up from beside the Pill Furnace, his face filled with sighs, "If I didn''t conceal these matters from you, you would definitely think I had been brainwashed by the Nightfall Organization, and in the end, you might even go to war with Nightfall." "I don''t understand," Mu Huiqing shook her head and said, "We and the evil of Nightfall Organization are irreconcble. A battle is inevitable. Why are you still afraid of us going to war with Jiang Ling?" Fang Ren shook his head, "Qing''er, if we both stillck any ability to resist right now, what you would see is only the evil of the Central Area. But have you ever considered that if there''s an organization opposing that evil, why would they be more wicked? Don''t you think the world understands the Nightfall Organization well enough?" "I don''t want to know about those things," Mu Huiqing said earnestly, looking at him. "All I want now is to be with my husband and provide our child with a stable home. I don''t want to hear about theseplicated rtions, and I am even less willing to let them shake the stability of our family." "I know." Fang Ren quickly went over to embrace her and the child, stroking her silver hair, and said, "I remember what I''m doing. What I''ve wanted from the start is to have a peaceful and happy home with you. Everything I''m doing now is for that original intention." Chapter 276: Chapter 371: The Harsh Reality of Acne_1 "If you really think that way, then don''t get involved with the Nightfall Organization, they are a bunch of crazed murderers with absolutely no moral bottom line!" Mu Huanqing said. "I''ve seen them recklessly ughtering humanity''s pirs of talent when I was just in my teens!" Fang Ren was slightly taken aback; he hadn''t expected Mu Huanqing to have such an insight into the Nightfall Organization, and he asked, "The people they killed were all from Tianjiang''s scientific research staff, right?" Mu Huanqing looked at him with a calm expression and asked, "What exnation did Jiang Ling give you to make you think that the Nightfall Organization is in the right?" When Fang Ren was questioned like this, he knew he had guessed correctly before, and he moved on to the next topic. "Have you ever heard of the Indra Sky organization?" "I heard of it a long time ago, just a faint impression. It seemed like a small research group in Tianjiang," Mu Huanqing said. "It''s not just any small research group, it''s too big," Fang Ren said. "You should know about that terrorist attack in Linglong Bay; it was a fight between the Nightfall Organization and Indra Sky, and I was involved in it. But the course of events was nothing like what the inte says, the facts have beenpletely inverted by the Central Area." "You were involved too?" Mu Huanqing showed a distressed expression. "You know I worry about your safety! And yet you still go to such ces!" Fang Ren quickly touched her head and said, "I know you''re worried about me, that''s why I never dare to talk about these things when I meet you. But now I want to clear up everything with you, please keep listening, okay?" Mu Huanqing looked at him with his gentle smile, touching her head, and her heart yearned even more for this moment tost forever, not wishing anyone to break this warm atmosphere. "You speak, I''m listening." Mu Huanqing reached out and touched the tiny face of the baby in her arms, the child was quiet and cute, not crying anymore, and their life toe should be safe and happy. She didn''t want to ask about anything else. "You''re often on the battlefield, so you must know that many soldiers who are seriously injured and retire from the battlefield die shortly after due to their bodies not being able to bear the burden," Fang Ren said. "Do you think this is normal?" Mu Huanqing didn''t understand why he would bring this up. On the Void battlefield, indeed many soldiers permanently left the military due to serious injuries, with internal traumas often being devastating and incurable, leading to their death not long after. What''s abnormal about that?" "Common Void beasts don''t carry poison or curse-like abilities at all. Even if they severely injure Cultivators, given the robust physique of Cultivators and the medical technology of the special medical district, they shouldn''t die," Fang Ren said. Mu Huanqing shook her head, "The injuries they suffer on the battlefield are beyond the imagination of ordinary people. When they leave the battlefield, many soldiers are barely hanging on to life. It''s hopeless." Hearing this, Fang Ren nodded and continued to ask, "Have you ever seen the graveyard for these dead soldiers?" "Yes, on Yun Cliff''s mountain, that''s where the graves of soldiers who died in battle are," Mu Huanqing became increasingly puzzled about what Fang Ren wanted to say, but she kept following his lead in the conversation. "What if I told you that they didn''t die because of the Void beasts, would you believe me?" Fang Ren said. Mu Huanqing frowned, "Is this another thing Jiang Ling told you?" Fang Ren shook his head, "It''s not just what she told me, but also what I''ve seen with my own eyes. The Indra Sky organization is not as you know it. It''s a huge organization under Bai Chaojin''smand, with branches in many cities, and one of its major branches is in Linglong Bay. The reason I asked you about the soldiers earlier is that I saw a lot of dead soldiers still alive in Linglong Bay; they were turned into inhuman, ghost-like creatures by Indra Sky. Central Area''s official version of the events ispletely the opposite, iming that all the seriously injured warriors who left the battlefield are dead when in fact, they were captured by Indra Sky to be experimented on!" Fang Ren''s continuous stream of words left Mu Huanqing in a daze. Although his speech wasn''t too long or difficult to understand, the information contained within was overwhelming for her to ept at the moment. "Are you sure all this is what you saw with your own eyes?" Mu Huanqing asked, furrowing her brows. Fang Ren said, "I''ve been to theirboratory personally, where many soldiers from the battlefield were cryogenically frozen in test tubes. After the battle of Linglong Bay, these soldiers were all rescued by the Nightfall Organization, but Central Area feared that these rescued soldiers might expose the truth one day. They imed that the human-shaped monster corpses in Linglong Bay were all experimental subjects created by the Nightfall Organization, even reviving dead soldiers from somewhere... tant inversion of ck and white." Mu Huanqing recalled the news she saw back then about Linglong Bay; there was a photo with corpses of humanoid monsters. The news exined that this was the work of the Nightfall Organization, leaving her very angry at the time. But now, with Fang Ren''s exnation, she suddenly felt bewildered. "Are you saying that when I saw the Nightfall Organizationmitting senseless ughter in my teens, what they actually killed were research scientists from within the Indra Sky organization?" Mu Huanqing muttered in shock. "Yes, the Nightfall Organization has been fighting against Indra Sky for many years now, but the strength of the Leader of Nightfall, Jiang Ling, has always been at a mid-level in the Xuanyang Realm, meaning she''s always been suppressed," Fang Ren shifted the angle of the conversation and continued, "Have you ever noticed something strange? Why is it that even though the Nightfall Organization is universally recognized as an evil organization, every time they appear, their power seems to have grown even more substantial than before?" Isn''t it because the Nightfall seduced people''s hearts?" Mu Huanqing asked. Fang Ren said, "Seducing people''s hearts is not that simple. The soldiers rescued from Indra Sky all chose to join the Nightfall because without the Nightfall, they had nowhere else to go. If they dared to return home, Indra Sky would surely eliminate their entire families." "..." Mu Huanqing, listening to these words, fell into silence. The ring wretchedness of reality was hard for her to ept. She had thought Jiang Ling''s experiences were dark enough, but now there was an Indra Sky, even more appallingly inhumane. Seeing her unable to ept the reality for a while, Fang Ren hugged her and said, "Qing''er, if there''s time, I''ll take you to meet the soldiers who were rescued, and then to see Indra Sky''s research base. Then you''ll understand everything." Chapter 277: Chapter 372: A Reality That Gets Closer and Closer_1 Actually, even now, Mu Huanqing was still reluctant to fully believe what Fang Ren had said, because the seductive lies of the Nightfall Organization had taken root in her mind for many years. She feared that the Fang Ren speaking to her now had already been brainwashed by the Nightfall Organization, but she was sure of one thing: his love for her was real. However, when it came to the matters concerning Nightfall, she remained skeptical. "Okay, I''ll go with you when the timees," Mu Huanqing readily agreed to visit the soldiers of the Nightfall Organization. She needed to confirm this for herself; she feared Fang Ren might have been deceived by the Nightfall Organization. If everything turned out to be as she suspected, then she would use the formation skills Fang Ren had taught her to annihte the Nightfall Organization. If everything was as Fang Ren had said, then there would be no need for the Nightfall Organization to take action; she would lead the Nine Heavens Corps and cleanse Indra Sky herself. Securing internal stability before extending one''s reach abroad was a principle understood by many, just as the Central Area, in order to better resist the Void, could not tolerate any remnants of Nightfall. But this matter was not like most others; it was not without a notion of right and wrong. There was indeed a right and a wrong, and Mu Huanqing, of course, would support the right side. If Nightfall was in the right, then everything would be reversed. Simrly, for the better resistance against the Void by humanity, she would have topletely destroy Indra Sky and eradicate Bai Chaojin''s ideology. Fang Ren, seeing her agreement, could roughly guess at the hint of doubt in Mu Huanqing''s mind. But this doubt was protective and not malignant, so he chose not to address it. "There''s another thing you should probably be aware of," he said. "Tell me." Fang Ren spoke, "That''s about the Fifth-order Void Beast held for experimentation at the Linglong Bay Experimental Base in Indra Sky. Since the great battle, that Void Beast has been quietly transferred to the Tiandao Sword Sect, and by now, they should have already handed it over to Bai Chaojin''s major organization." "Void Beast?" Mu Huanqing paused, "What do they want with a Void Beast? Plus, all Void Beasts are killed in battle, only a handful are ever captured." "Indeed, captured Void Beasts are used for research, but the Void Energy within this one has been applied to the human body," Fang Ren exined, "ording to information obtained by Jiang Ling at the Linglong Bayboratory, there are significant research results within this Void Beast. If the mainboratory in Indra Sky manages to make further breakthroughs with it, then Bai Chaojin will subject his own granddaughter, Bai Qi, to what''s termed ''the ultimate masterpiece'' of an experiment." "Xiao Xi!?" Mu Huanqing gasped in shock, "How could that be, Xiao Xi is Grandpa Bai''s own flesh and blood! Even if they really conducted such experiments, they wouldn''t use Xiao Xi for them. What Jiang Ling said isplete nonsense!" Fang Ren still caressed her head calmly as he spoke, "Don''t get worked up, listen to what I''m saying. The reason Bai Qi has been chosen for the ultimate experiment is because they want to create a being capable of directly destroying the Void, though as it stands, they might instead create a monster. To achieve the effect of obliterating the Void, they would inevitably choose the human with the strongest cultivational talent on Earth. At the time when their experiments began, you were the strongest practitioner among humans, but Bai Qi, three years your junior, had even stronger talent, so they chose her." Without stopping, Fang Ren continued, "There''s also another thing I need to mention: not only does this experiment involve Bai Qi, but Bai Chaojin has also included me in his ns." "And you too?" Mu Huanqing waspletely beside herself; Grandpa Bai of the Bai Family, whom she''d always regarded as the kindest and most loving, now nned to make her husband a subject for experimentation! "Yes, I don''t know when Bai Chaojin started this n, but I''ve always felt that from the moment I was born, both myself and Bai Qi were tied to his experimental table. Part of my Spiritual Root is in Bai Qi''s body, inherentlypatible with her spirit. The reason he arranged the engagement between me and Bai Qi back then was to use me as a supplementary ability for Bai Qi during the final phase of the experiment... something akin to a furnace," Fang Ren stated. "But what he didn''t anticipate was that my Spiritual Root would regenerate and that it would possess an even faster cultivation talent than Bai Qi. And he most certainly did not foresee my encounter with the Nightfall Organization." Mu Huanqing was somewhat stunned; everything Fang Ren said seemed to flow so smoothly into her ears as though all the facts were indeed as he described. She had always believed that as long as humans stood united andmitted to resisting the Void, the day woulde when the Void Hole would shatter. But she had never considered that while she was focused on fighting the Void, certain humans were already plotting all sorts of things... "Once the experiment in Indra Sky is sessful, Bai Qi will surely be urgently recalled to the Bai Family by Bai Chaojin, and I will also be taken away by the Bai Family under some pretext. The reason Bai Chaojin says he will let me and Bai Qi get married after the Pill Competition, I believe, is definitely because the experiment in Indra Sky has a very high chance of sess, and they want me and Bai Qi to keep pace with their organization''s schedule," Fang Ren exined. The more she listened, the more Mu Huanqing felt the reality of Fang Ren''s words. There was no need for the Bai Family to be in such a hurry to marry off Bai Qi and Fang Ren immediately after the Pill Competition. Although Fang Ren winning the championship after the Pill Competition was a very pleasing event, and Bai Chaojin said he wanted to add joy upon joy, which seemed reasonable. But the Bai Family is a major n; they would certainly need to handle such a significant event as marriage with great care. The tight schedule after the Pill Competition left no time for such preparations. Moreover, the day the Pill Competition ended was not a good day for a wedding. For a strict major n like the Bai Family, how could the wedding day be scheduled so casually? The more she thought about it, the more Mu Huanqing felt she was seeing the truth and increasingly believed everything Fang Ren had said before. But ultimately, there remained a trace of doubt in her heart. Mu Huanqing''s gaze grew more solemn, looking at her lovely daughter in her arms, she spoke, "The day after tomorrow, if he really intends to have Xiao Xi marry you, then I''ll tear down the Bai Family." Hearing this, Fang Renughed, "It''s okay, I''ll have a way to deal with it when the timees." "By threatening death?" Mu Huanqing gave him a disdainful look. "Uhh... heh, hehe." Fang Ren, having his thoughts guessed, wore an embarrassed expression. Chapter 278: Chapter 373: Who Will Lead_1 Watching Fang Ren''s awkward smile and then looking at the baby in her arms, Mu Huanqing''s heart couldn''t help but feel mncholic. She caressed the baby''s little cheek, her heart aching as she said, "She was just born, and we already face so many troubles. How are we going to take care of her these days..." Fang Ren looked at the baby clutching Mu Huanqing and burrowing into her arms with all its might, and he couldn''t help feeling a pang of sorrow in his heart. He had said before that he would take care of the child after its birth, but he hadn''t expected that as soon as the child was born, all these things woulde crashing down. Today, he had managed to escape from the watchful eyes of everyone in Tianjiang with the baby, solely because Mu Huanqing had ced the infant into a formation. This allowed him to take the baby out unnoticed, but he knew that this method couldn''tst forever. The child was so small; being in the formation every day must be incredibly lonely. "What if, I simply forfeit thispetition?" Fang Ren suggested. "What?" Mu Huanqing was startled. "Isn''t the meaning of thispetition very significant for you?" "The goal I want to achieve can also be attained through other means. Right now, I need to take good care of our child," Fang Ren said. Fang Ren had considered letting Uncle Han take care of the child during these days, but then he suddenly remembered that Uncle Han had snuck over from the Ninth District and could be captured at any time, so he dismissed this idea directly. Aside from Shang Han, Fang Ren couldn''t find any other suitable person to take care of the child. Only he himself could be at ease. "But even if you forfeit on the spot, you still won''t be able to take her with you at the wedding three days from now," Mu Huanqing said frowning. Fang Ren looked troubled, and at that moment, he couldn''t help but think of little Qianye. If it were awake, maybe it could help take care of the child. Besides, little Qianye was now incredibly strong inbat. It could easily entangle any Practitioners of the Blue Sky Realm with just a few tendrils. As the two were entangled in their dilemma, Mu Huanqing spoke again, "How about this? I''ll take care of the child during our time in Tianjiang. After everything is over in three days, you can take the child back home." "But how can you take care of the child now?" Fang Ren asked. "You are almost always surrounded by arge group of soldiers; they will definitely find out." Mu Huanqing looked at the baby in her arms and said, "Being discovered is inevitable. However, the Nine Heavens Corps are my people; they will listen to me." "What?" Fang Ren was stunned. "You''re going to reveal to them that you already have a child?" "Telling them is fine. They are myrades who I have been with for many years, and I trust them," Mu Huanqing stated. Fang Ren''s face showed his dilemma; this solution didn''t sit right with him, and his mind was still searching for alternatives. Whoosh¡ª And at that moment, Shang Han, who had gone out to buy medicine, had returned. Shang Han''s hands were carrying two stic bags full of various herbs, and hisplexion was even paler than when he had left. Seeing this, Fang Ren quickly stuffed the pill he had just refined while talking with Mu Huanqing into Shang Han''s mouth. A few secondster, Shang Han''s face regained a bit of color. Seeing him exert so much effort just to buy medicine for her touched Mu Huanqing''s heart, and it softened. Shang Han was her father after all. Even if she hadn''t liked him before, now that she saw him helping her, her heart inevitably felt a subtle warmth. In the following conversation, Mu Huanqing intentionally or unintentionally chatted more with Shang Han, which could be considered as her making an effort to approach her father. About half an hourter, Fang Ren refined another fifth-grade elixir for Mu Huanqing to swallow. Her physical condition was alleviated, and the True Qi within her body began to recover inrge amounts. During this half-hour, Shang Han also talked to them about the child. He knew that neither Mu Huanqing nor Fang Ren were in a position to properly take care of the child at this moment. He very much wanted to take the child with him but was afraid that if a punishment came from the Central Area and he ended up confined for more than ten days, the child would be neglected as a result. This topic went round in circles until the three of them finally decided to do as Mu Huanqing had just suggested¡ªshe would take the child for a few days first, and once the matters of Tianjiang were settled, Fang Ren would then take the child and leave. After all, once the Tianjiang affair was concluded, Mu Huanqing would definitely have to return to the battlefield, and she couldn''t possibly keep fighting Void beasts while caring for a child. Considering howte it was, Shang Han and Mu Huanqing had recovered about eighty percent. Shang Han was the first to cover his head with a towel and escape through the window. Mu Huanqing and Fang Ren chatted alone for a long time before Mu Huanqing finally wrapped the baby in a Formation and left the ce. Fang Ren removed the soundproofingyer and leaned against the window, watching the sky filled with Practitioners still searching for the Remnants of the Nightfall, little did they know that of the Nightfall Organization members who came to Tianjiang, only two remained¡ªJiang Ling left, and only the girl Jian Qi''er who came to cheer him on was left. No matter how thoroughly these soldiers searched, they would never suspect a student like Jian Qi''er, who was a minor celebrity in her own right and whose status served as an additionalyer of protection. After all, everyone''s understanding of a Nightfall Organization member was that of a bloodthirsty killer, and who among such people would bother to be a minor celebrity? ------ ------ Meanwhile, at the residential area for the current Elixir Competition, Bai Qi also leaned on her hands at the window, her beautiful eyes gazing at the sky full of soldiers, her heart full of confusion. Just two hours ago, her fiance was attacked by the leader of the Nightfall Organization. Thankfully, Sister Hui Qing arrived in time to rescue Fang Ren. As for the extent of Fang Ren''s injuries, there was no specific information yet, and everyone only knew that the Family Head of the Liu Family was taking Fang Ren towards the inds in the Central Area, flying desperately as if a moment''s dy would put Fang Ren''s life in danger. Bai Qi''s heart grew more and more anxious as time passed. She was very worried about Fang Ren and wanted to go to the medical district to see him, but the housekeeper grandpa wouldn''t allow her, saying it was a strict order from her grandfather. She didn''t understand; her grandfather had always wanted her to be with Fang Ren, so why was he preventing her now? The more she thought about it, the less she couldprehend, and she also felt somewhat resentful. After all, if her grandfather had removed her scattered spirit mark back then, then today, when Fang Ren was attacked, if she had been there, he might not have sustained such severe injuries. She had once told Fang Ren that she would willingly go through fire and water for him, but today, when she rushed to the ce where Fang Ren was attacked, she was only a few hundred meters away but was powerlessly dragged away by the soldiers forck of ability, she could only watch helplessly as Fang Ren was tormented behind the ck barrier. Chapter 279: Chapter 374: Then Become That Person_1 "If only I didn''t have this seal on me¡­" Bai Qiy on the windowsill, her gaze dimly looking at her own hands, murmuring to herself. A few secondster, she shook her head, acknowledging the truth in her own words. She suddenly realized that even if she didn''t have the seal, she wouldn''t have been able to help Fang Ren either. Xuan Yang Realm mid-stage practitioners were sent flying with one move by the Leader of Nightfall, and she had only broken through to the early stage of the Xuan Yang Realm by borrowing Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root abilities. Moreover, since her breakthrough, she hadn''t cultivated at all and was certainly no match for an ordinary Xuan Yang Realm practitioner. In the end, she would have only gone to her death. "If only my talent were stronger¡­ strong enough to break this seal, strong enough to stand against the Leader of Nightfall, then he definitely wouldn''t have been hurt¡­" Bai Qi tightly grasped her other wrist with one hand, a faint glimmer of light shing in her eyes. This matter saddened her deeply and filled her with self-me. The casual words she had once said to Fang Ren had, in fact, been taken very seriously by herself. She believed that braving fire and boiling water for him was her duty since without Fang Ren, Bai Qi would not be alive. But her actions were not just about gratitude; her personal feelings were also involved. Just as she was lost in silence all by herself, suddenly, a figure flew from afar¡ªit was the butler, Chen Cheng. "Miss, I just made a trip to the Special Medical District, and they all said they haven''t received Young Master Fang. Fortunately, on my way back, I met the Head of Liu Family, who told me that Young Master Fang is safe and sound," Chen Cheng spoke directly. "He''s alright?" Bai Qi snapped out of her world, listening to Chen Cheng''s words, she was stunned. She clearly remembered that when Sister Hui Qing had carried Fang Ren out, she said that Fang Ren had been cursed. How could he suddenly be all right? "I don''t know the details myself," Chen Cheng said. "But don''t worry, miss. Young Master Fang is a once-in-a-generation cultivation talent. He survived being injured by Princess Fn in the arena with no lingering issues, so he will definitely be fine this time too. And this was personally confirmed by the Head of Liu Family, so there''s no doubt about it." "That''s good¡­" Bai Qi was dazed for a few seconds, then nodded dismally. Logically, she should have been happy that Fang Ren was not in danger, but at the moment, she couldn''t feel any happiness in her heart. The Nightfall Organization had targeted Fang Ren, and she had no power to protect him. This was what saddened her the most. This time, Sister Hui Qing had helped Fang Ren avert the crisis, but what about when Sister Hui Qing returned to normal? If the Leader of Nightfall attempted to assassinate Fang Ren again, who would be able to protect him then? Even if the entire force of the Fang Family mobilized, it wouldn''t be enough to match Jiang Ling, and even if the Bai Family joined in, they probably wouldn''t be able to challenge Jiang Ling either. After all, Jiang Ling''s Realm was the profound Xuan Ye Realm. This time, Tianjiang had mobilized more than twenty mid-stage Xuan Yang Realm experts, over seven thousand Array Masters, and tens of thousands of warriors from the Blue Sky Realm frontline to barely inflict an injury on Jiang Ling. Had Mu Huanqing not appeared, it''s likely that Jiang Ling could have wiped out everyone here. Of course, if the reinforcements from the Central Area had arrived a bit sooner, with more than forty mid-stage Xuan Yang Realm experts joining forces, Jiang Ling would have surely been defeated. But such an extraordinary gathering of more than forty Xuan Yang Realm mid-stage experts simply couldn''t be maintained all the time; they too had to defend against the Void, and not all of them could apany Fang Ren. So, once Mu Huanqing leaves, Fang Ren will no longer have anyone by his side to protect him. Regarding this, Bai Qi deeply resented her own low cultivation level. If she could possess strength akin to Sister Hui Qing''s, she wouldn''t have to watch Fang Ren in danger while she stood by powerlessly. "Miss, there''s actually another piece of good news," Chen Cheng said, seeing that her mood was still not uplifted. He immediately took out a jade stone and said, "The master has agreed to remove the Dispersing Spirit Mark from you." Bai Qi''s expression paused, and she asked, "Does Grandfather think that since my grand wedding with Fang Ren is approaching, there is no need to restrict me anymore?" Chen Cheng said, "It''s not that. The old master is concerned that Tianjiang has been infiltrated by the Nightfall Organization, and he''s afraid you, Miss, might be in danger." In fact, Bai Chaojin had someone deliver the jade to Bai Qi a while ago, but events coincided such that the Leader of Nightfall suddenly attempted to assassinate Fang Ren. Bai Chaojin simply took advantage of this reason to exin. Although Bai Chaojin was still concerned about his granddaughter''s safety, he could not yet reveal the true purpose of the test to Bai Qi. Bai Qi took the jade Chen Cheng handed over, and the hesitance in her heart turned into motivation in an instant. She had to continue her cultivation, and she had to do it quickly. Since there was no one beside Fang Ren who could protect him, she would be that person. Crack¡ª Bai Qi crushed the jade in her hand, and in an instant, a dazzling light burst from the stone and entered her back. In a moment, the scattered Spiritual Marks on her back transformed into specks of white light, scattering throughout the room. As the light dispersed, a powerful pressure surged from Bai Qi''s body. This was the power of a Xuan Yang Realm expert, her first encounter with it, and she was overwhelmed by shock. Yet even with such immense power, she would still be no match for the Leader of Nightfall. Not enough, not nearly enough. "Steward Grandpa, please make another trip back to the family nter and ask my grandfather if there is any way for me to rapidly enhance my strength. I don''t care about the side effects," Bai Qi said. Chen Cheng was taken aback, clearly understanding what Bai Qi had in mind, and nodded, "I will head back to the n once again, Miss. You just focus on stabilizing your realm without worry." "Good." ------ ------ It had been three hours since the "assassination" attempt on Fang Ren that was meant to incriminate the Tiandao Sword Sect. All of Tianjiang was in a state of panic, and the inte was in an uproar. The Xuan Ye Realm, a level never before reached by humans, had been attained by the leader of the world''s most ruthless organization. It was undoubtedly something most people around the world could not ept. Only a small portion of people could ept it, divided into three types. One type was those linked to the Nightfall Organization, like Fang Ren and its members, who naturally epted this reality. The second type was like Fang Ye, whose right faction of the Fang Family didn''t think the matter too serious. Although Jiang Ling''s death would have guaranteed Patriarch of Fang family an additional level of security whening out of seclusion, Jiang Ling''s survival might allow them profit during a future major conflict with Tianjiang. Naturally, they could ept Jiang Ling''s strength. As long as Jiang Ling was alive, they most hoped to see Jiang Ling fight strenuously against the Central Area, especially against the Bai Family, and utterly defeat them. That was what the right faction of the Fang Family most wanted to see. The third type of people who could ept Jiang Ling''s breakthrough belonged to those who possessed the strength to contend with him or would soon have such strength. Hence, while Jiang Ling''s realm was terrifying, it did not mean those people were frightened. Of course, only two individuals belonged to this third type: Mu Huanqing and Liu Qianqian. The former was very confident in facing Jiang Ling, as her formations could kill even an Immortal. As for thetter... she was in a certain room, furiously cultivating, absorbing nature''s spiritual energy. Chapter 280: Chapter 375: Liu Qianqians Breakthrough_1 Liu Qianqian, who was sitting quietly in her room cultivating, belonged to the third category of people. While Jiang Ling was very powerful, she wasn''t at a point where she found it uneptable. Although she didn''t possess the formidable strength of Mu Huanqing, she had a talent that could turn everything upside down. Perhaps in the eyes of the masses, the fact that Fang Ren could cultivate to the Peak of the Blue Sky Realm in less than three months was a one-in-a-billion urrence. Then, how should one describe Liu Qianqian''s talent? Half a month had passed since Fang Ren fed her that fruit, and now, in just half a month''s time, she had cultivated from an ordinary person to the same Early Stage of the Blue Sky Realm. Although she was still in the early stages, there was no doubt that given another two months, she would far surpass Fang Ren by a great margin. It was precisely because of her absolute talent that Liu Qianqian had only one idea concerning Jiang Ling, to ughter him and the entire Nightfall Organization within half a year. Assassinating the Tianjiang Genius and attempting to instigate conflict between the Tiandao Sword Sect and the Tianjiang n¡ªthis was a matter Liu Qianqian didn''t care about. But the one who was assassinated was Fang Ren; she was determined to make those responsible pay, even if it meant risking her life. This resolve wasn''t just because Fang Ren had enabled her to cultivate. In this respect, she, just like Bai Qi, harbored strong personal emotions beyond gratitude for his kindness. To this day, her heart still held many pieces of the past, of those days when all she needed to do was agree, and she could have been with Fang Ren. Unfortunately, she was too concerned for Fang Ren''s safety back then, resulting in everything that happened today. Her resentment towards the Liu Family had reached an extreme level, even sparking a hint of hatred. They never considered her feelings. Had they not treated her that way, how could she have missed out on Fang Ren? The Liu Family, in her eyes now, had lost much of its importance, but Fang Ren had be even more significant than before. Because now she finally had the power to protect him. Those who wished to kill him, including the Void Realm, she could kill them all. Snap! Suddenly, the cyclone of Spiritual Energy gathering around Liu Qianqian was crushed by her bare hands. After two days of cultivation, she was at the point where she could break through to the next realm. However, achieving a breakthrough here was clearly not feasible, as the vast amount of Heaven and Earth''s Qi she was gathering could destroy the buildings within a radius of one kilometer. In this hotel, all her ssmates and teachers from ss three of the medical school were staying, so she needed to leave this ce. Her figure became ethereal inside the room, and the next second, she appeared a hundred meters high in the air, flying towards the outskirts of Tianjiang City. Although she only had the strength of the Early Stage of the Blue Sky Realm, some of her abilities could now match those of someone in the Yingyue Realm, like this instantaneous movement. Her speed was alreadyparable to that of the Yingyue Realm. The reason for this was that she was not using True Qi, but rather Heaven and Earth''s Qi. Once she activated her energy flow, it integrated impably with heaven and earth. Ordinarily, a cultivator moving through the air would experience resistance as if running through waves, but her movements encountered no such hindrance, and she could even use Heaven and Earth''s Qi to aid her own force. This ability was even stronger than that of an average Wind Attributed Spiritual Root Cultivator, considering her constitution could, in the future, traverse the Void. As she reached the outskirts of Tianjiang, although there were many soldiers patrolling the skies, they didn''t affect her, at least not during her breakthrough. Tianjiang was an inclusive vast territory. Many practitioners did not avoid others during their breakthrough because the region was filled with powerful beings, each striving to gain strength every second. No one paid too much attention to the process of others getting stronger; they only cared about their own progression. However, this was a special period. Soldiers would definitelye to verify her identity after she made her breakthrough. Having found an open space, Liu Qianqian began her breakthrough, with Heaven and Earth''s Qi powerfully converging upon her, attracting some gazes from the sky; after all, such arge gathering of Heaven and Earth''s Qi is not something ordinary practitioners can achieve. Two soldiers descended from the sky andnded not far from Liu Qianqian. They did not disturb her but quietly waited for her breakthrough to end. Appearing on the outskirts of Tianjiang, they had to investigate this person, but disturbing someone''s breakthrough was a grave offense. After about ten minutes, the cyclone of Qi around Liu Qianqian suddenly became violent, drawing the Heaven and Earth''s Qi from a mile around into her body. The two soldiers also quickly retreated. Liu Qianqian''s breakthrough exceeded their understanding of a practitioner''s breakthrough in the Blue Sky Realm; even the violently fluctuating Qi was stronger than that of the Yingyue Realm. After some time, Liu Qianqianpleted her breakthrough, reaching the mid-stage of the Blue Sky Realm. Yet, a hint of disappointment was evident on her face, as she had just been hoping to break through to the Peak of Azure Sky in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, her heart was still too anxious due to the influence from the stab wound inflicted by Fang Ren, ultimately causing her to stop at the mid-stage of the Blue Sky Realm. "Miss... Miss Liu?" The two soldiers who saw that Liu Qianqian had finished her breakthrough flew over. Originally intending to confirm if she was a suspicious character, it was only upon closer inspection that they recognized her as the Liu Family''s Miss who supposedlycked cultivation ability. "Patrolling must be hard," Liu Qianqian nodded to the two soldiers. "No, it''s nothing, Miss Liu. The area outside of Tianjiang is very dangerous, you should hurry back," said one of the soldiers. Liu Qianqian didn''t say much and flew toward Tianjiang City. Her speed in that instant, covering hundreds of meters, left the two soldiers dumbfounded. Was this really the Liu Family''s Miss who couldn''t cultivate? Their strength was likely even stronger than that of the two soldiers. Could it be... that the Fang Family concealed a Fang Ren, and the Liu Family had hidden Liu Qianqian? It seemed the heads of Tianjiang''s great houses really knew how to y the game. Meanwhile, inside Tianjiang City, the inn where Fang Ren had previously stayed had now be ruins. Many high-level alchemists were gathered around the site, among them some Grandmasters from the first domain. "Is this the address left by Master Qing''an?" asked an alchemist with a frown. Another alchemist checked the forum on his phone and confirmed it was the right ce: "It seems that the Nightfall Leader''s attack on Fang Ren was not just to incite internal strife between the Fang Family and the Tiandao Sword Sect." "Master Long Ming, what is your view?" All eyes of the alchemists turned to an old man in the sky. The old man was dressed in simple, ancient clothing and had a deeply furrowed brow. He was one of the top-level Alchemy Grandmasters from the first district¡ªLong Ming. He was also the elder who often asked Master Qing''an questions about difficult alchemy problems online. "I just went to inquire with the inn''s staff, and that room number was the ce where Fang Ren stayed. It''s not difficult to understand why Fang Ren, at such a young age, could produce a fourth-rank top-level elixir. Master Qing''an asked him to receive medicinal materials... There''s only one possibility, and that is Fang Ren is a direct disciple of Master Qing''an," Long Ming said seriously. Chapter 281: Chapter 376: Impulsive_1 All the alchemists showed very serious expressions after hearing Master Long Ming''s words. "Master Long Ming is right," one said, "if the address given by Master Qing''an is indeed Young Master Fang''s room, then Young Master Fang must be Master Qing''an''s direct disciple!" "Yes, at only twenty-two years of age, although talent is a key to genius, without the guidance of a distinguished teacher, even the finest jade cannot be carved into a fine vessel." Just as everyone was discussing, Long Ming suddenly spoke again, "Since everyone hase here, I assume you all have brought the items Master Qing''an requested." "Of course," an alchemist replied. "This is the first time Master Qing''an has mentioned needing something online. We have all received guidance from him on the forums, to some extent. How could we neglect his request when he speaks up?" Long Ming sighed and said, "Considering Master Qing''an has gone so far as to ask for medicinal herbs online, these must be urgently needed. And now with Young Master Fang severely injured, he certainly needs a quiet ce to recuperate. If so many of us go to deliver the herbs together, it would be embarrassing for him. Why don''t we do this: let''s consolidate all the herbs and have one person deliver them to Young Master Fang''s hands, so as not to disturb him and also to ensure Master Qing''an receives the herbs as quickly as possible." Upon hearing this, they all looked at one another with sidelong nces. Indeed, the situation was exactly as Long Ming described. It wouldn''t do to have so many of them visit Fang Ren together, but delivering the medicine was an excellent opportunity. Having a chat with Young Master Fang could possibly help them establish a connection with Master Qing''an¡ªa dream for any alchemist. "Let''s do this," an elderly man spoke up without any hesitation. "Everyone hase from far and must be tired. Leave this task to me. I''ve juste from the Central Area and am full of energy." "Ah, Elder Sun is being too modest," a middle-aged alchemist retorted, shamelessly adopting the title of ''youngster'' for himself. "Older seniors should rest instead, and let a young person like me handle the task." "I think neither of you should do it. Let me take care of it. I''m a local from Tianjiang, so I know my way around and can find Young Master Fang faster." ... The argument quickly escted among the group of old men and middle-aged people. "Ahem." Long Ming coughed twice, stroked his white beard, and said, "Everyone, stop arguing. I will take care of this. I was just discussing an issue with Master Qing''an over the past few days, and we haven''t yete to a conclusion. This visit will also give me a chance to discuss it with Young Master Fang." Shameless! Everyone cursed inwardly, scoffing at the idea that he had a long-standing issue to discuss with Young Master Fang. It was clearly just an excuse to take on the task himself. But, the excuse Long Ming had found was something none of them could refute. After all, it was well-known among alchemists that he often discussed alchemical problems with Master Qing''an on the forums. Moreover, of all those present, Long Ming was the most qualified alchemist. None from the first area had a higher status in the Elixir Field than him. With such a fitting reason, who would dare refute him? Seeing the silent crowd, Long Ming unabashedly proceeded, "Since everyone seems to agree, I''ll take care of this. Please hand over the herbs you''ve brought to me, and then get some good rest. I believe the long journey must have tired you all out." What the hell! In just a moment of silence, this old guy imed they had collectively agreed! He didn''t even care about saving face! And what about iming they were tired from a long journey? That wasplete nonsense! All present were cultivators, with the lowest among them at the Chongshan Realm. Were they supposed to be tired from such a distance? It was like telling someonefortably sitting or lying down, "You must be so tired from sitting. You should lie down and sleep right now or you''ll wear yourself out." Seeing no response from the crowd, Long Ming coughed again and added, "This favor... consider it as owing you one. Just ask for my help whenever you need it in the future." With that, the alchemists, especially those without much fame, didn''t hesitate to step forward and give their red grass medicine to Long Ming. After all,pared to meeting Fang Ren or trying to connect with Master Qing''an, the favor from Long Ming seemed far more valuable. A connection with Master Qing''an was uncertain, but a favor from Long Ming was a sure thing. And even if Long Ming could build a rtionship with Master Qing''an eventually, having this favor implied they could potentially benefit from Long Ming''s influence as well. With that thought, they immediately started concocting excuses. "Ah, my old back has been sore these past few days, and this long journey doesn''t help. Could you take this trip for me, Brother Long?" An old man said as he clutched his back in feigned pain and handed the red grass medicine to Long Ming. Last night, after naming himself, this old man flew off toward the horizon. His speed showed no signs of a person with a back problem. And besides, an alchemist with back pain... that didn''t quite add up. "Ah! I can''t go on! I just remembered I ate an herb in the past few days that limits me to flying only eighty kilometers, and I''ve already flown forty. If I fly a meter more, I won''t be able to return! Brother Long, I''ll leave the delivery to you. I must go now!" Another elder dered his name and quickly flew away. Seeing this, the crowd thought the excuses were getting ratherme, but acting was something anyone could do. "Elder Long! I just calcted, and today is the day the daughter of my second uncle''s aunt''s granddaughter is being born! I have to leave now. I''ll leave the herbs with you." "I just remembered, there are two patients in my guild who''ll pass away in half an hour if not treated! I have to hurry back to treat them. Elder Long, I must depart first!" "Damn! You''ve all taken the good excuses! I... Brother Long, I''ve got a sow at home that needs breeding today, and she''s temperamental. If I don''t tend to her tonight, she''ll kill herself. I''m leaving as well!" ... Whoosh whoosh whoosh¡ª A series of figures vanished before Long Ming''s eyes as he stood amidst the cold winds, his True Qi holding up a mountain of red grass medicine, his face a picture of disarray. He couldn''t shake the feeling that he had been a bit impulsive tonight... Chapter 282: Chapter 377: I Have No Master _1 Deep into the night, Fang Ren sat on the bed, cultivating. Ever since his battle with Xia Fu Lan, he felt on the verge of a breakthrough, although the sensation was not as intense as it had been during times of ughter. Having cultivated for approximately three hours, Fang Ren finally gave up. He always felt that something was missing when trying to break through realms, and if he forced the breakthrough now, he might reach the early phase of the Yingyue Realm, but his strength would certainly not be solid. "The Asura Path Realm that I am currently in still requires ughter as its core. Without the enhancement of the aura of ughter, the stability of one''s Dao heart is ultimatelypromised." Fang Ren looked at his own hands and couldn''t help but sigh. Speaking of ughter, thergest battlefield he had been part of was at Linglong Bay. He didn''t know how many people he had killed, and his realm had been rapidly increasing, but looking at the current situation, if Nightfall and Indra Sky were to have anotherrge-scale massacre, it might be the time for a decisive battle. After all, the current circumstances were no longer like the past. The leader of the Nightfall Organization, Jiang Ling, already possessed the strength to contend with the Central Area. Once the war began, it could be apocalyptic. Such a level ofbat was beyond his ability to participate in, let alone manipte the situation to his liking. Just as Fang Ren was feeling troubled about how to continue his path of ughter, a Practitioner at the midterm phase of the Yingyue Realm suddenly appeared outside his room. Unlike Mu Huanqing and Shang Han, who had previously barged in directly through the window, this individual approached his room door in a proper manner,ing from the corridor. Knock, knock¡ª "Is Young Master Fang there?" The voice of an old man came from the door, and Fang Ren went straight to open it. Without any children around, with Mu Huanqing absent, and with no one in Tianjiang daring to harbor murderous intent towards him at this time, he saw no need to avoid anyone. Moreover, by the time the person had reached the door of his room, he had already seen the visitor''s appearance with his mind''s eye: it was a white-bearded old man. His face looked somewhat familiar to Fang Ren. What''s more important was that he saw the True Qi around the body of the old man dragging along arge bunch of Red Grass, precisely what he needed to restore Qianye. The visitor must be an Alchemist who saw the forum post and came over. However, the address he had left originally was for his old hotel room. After the hotel was destroyed, no one except the hotel staff knew who had been staying there. Now that the visitor had found this ce, it meant that his identity as Qing''an had been exposed. "What is it?" Fang Ren asked as he opened the door, feigning ignorance. The elder outside immediately asked with concern upon seeing him, "Young Master Fang, how are your injuries?" "Thank you for your concern, elder. My injuries are no longer serious," said Fang Ren. Long Ming sighed and said, "At that time, I was collecting medicinal materials for your esteemed teacher and was on my way to Tianjiang when I heard that those dogs from Nightfall had attacked Young Master Fang. That pack of beasts! They are truly parasites of this world!" After hearing this, Fang Ren smiled awkwardly within. The man was cursing Jiang Ling in front of him, and he couldn''t even retort, feeling quite helpless. However, he soon realized a hint of doubt in the old man''s words. This person said he was collecting medicinal materials for his teacher, but since when did he have a teacher? Could it be that this fellow mistook Master Qing''an as his master? "Elder, I''m truly grateful for you toe all this way to deliver these materials. Please,e in and have a seat," Fang Ren said, and then turned and walked back into the room. Seeing this, Long Mingughed awkwardly and said, pointing at the pile of Red Grass he was dragging with his True Qi, "Young Master Fang, I brought so much stuff that I''m afraid it won''t fit." Only then did Fang Ren remember that, apart from himself, Mu Hui, and Jian Qi''er, no one else in this world possessed a storage ring. They had to carry everything with them. Fang Ren said, "Then in that case, elder, why don''t you set a price for these medicinal materials? I can''t just take them for free." Long Ming immediately shook his head and replied, "Master Qing''an has helped me greatly in the past. This time, I''m only helping him collect some medicinal materials. How could I take his things in return?" Upon hearing this, Fang Ren was slightly stunned, as he had felt that this elder looked somewhat familiar, but couldn''t recall where he had seen him before. He then asked, "Forgive my impoliteness, may I ask who the elder is...?" Long Ming, seeing that Fang Ren didn''t recognize him, wasn''t angry. Instead, heughed heartily, "Haha, Young Master Fang has a peerless mentor like Master Qing''an, so it''s natural that you don''t recognize an old man like me. My name is Long Ming. Although we have not met in person, since you are a student at the medical academy, you should have heard a little about me." Fang Ren was startled, "Long Ming?" No wonder he thought the old man looked familiar, who kept saying how much Master Qing''an often helped him. Seeing Fang Ren casually repeating his name, Long Ming''s expression froze in bafflement. From what others had told him, Young Master Fang was not someone to be so impolite, especially since Fang Ren had been politely referring to him as ''elder'' just a moment ago. Why had he suddenly started calling him by his name? Realizing his blunder, Fang Ren hastily said, "My apologies, Elder Long, I was somewhat carried away." "No, no harm done," Long Ming replied with an embarrassed smile, no longer dwelling on the matter and continuing, "With so many herbs, I wonder how much your master needs?" "Naturally, the more the better," Fang Ren replied. "Additionally, Elder Long, it seems you have misunderstood something." "Misunderstood?" "I don''t have a master, of course, other than the teachers at my school," Fang Ren rified. As those words fell, Long Ming was stupefied. He said he didn''t have a master, but the address Master Qing''an wrote on the forum was indeed Fang Ren''s residence... Could it be! Watching Long Ming''s dazed expression, Fang Ren directly used the Space Ring in his hand to collect all the Red Grass outside into his ring. Being in a state of shock, Long Ming saw this miraculous scene unfold. All he saw was a slight movement of Fang Ren''s hand, and the Red Grass on his True Qi just entered the ring in Fang Ren''s hand. What kind of magical artifact was this! After collecting the herbs, Fang Ren said, "Elder Long, you havee from afar to deliver medicine to me, and I cannot let you make this trip for nothing." As he spoke, Fang Ren took out a silvery iron box from his ring. Inside were several Space Rings he had previously crafted. They were meant to be sold in case he ran out of money, but since Long Ming had done him such a great favor, it was only right to give him one as a gift. Chapter 283: Chapter 378: Identity_1 "Is that! A Space Ring!?" Seeing Fang Ren take out more items from the ring, Long Ming waspletely shocked, and his excitement made him involuntarily shout out right at the doorway. Seeing this, Fang Ren quickly pulled him into the room and closed the door, then said with an embarrassed expression, "Elder Long, although there are some truths you may not be able to ept right now, I still need to be honest with you." The identity of Master Qingan could only be concealed for at most another three days before he would have to reveal it himself; it was bound toe out sooner orter, so telling Long Ming today didn''t matter. "Master Qingan...?" Long Ming looked nkly at the youth standing before him, and his aged face quickly filled withplicated expressions. This situation had far exceeded his expectations, and just as Fang Ren had said, his old heart truly couldn''t take it all at once. If all of this was true, then when he regrly asked Master Qingan questions on the Alchemist Forum, was he actually asking Fang Ren all along? "Elder Long, just call me by my name," Fang Ren said with a smile. "That''s just a nickname on the inte." Gulp! Upon hearing this, Long Ming swallowed hard. Fang Ren admitted it to him so directly, without any beating around the bush, that he was utterly dumbfounded. "Young Master Fang, you really are... Master Qingan?" Long Ming asked in a daze. Fang Ren smiled and pointed to the Space Ring on his hand, "Do I have any reason to lie to Elder Long?" Long Ming took a deep breath, blinked his aged eyes, and said, "This is indeed beyond my expectations, I... I really didn''t see thising." After calming down, he realized that he should have known all along¡ªwho in the world, besides Master Qingan, could casually produce an Upper Level Pill in fourteen minutes? Fang Ren didn''t say much, and took out a Space Ring from his Silver Box, saying, "Elder Long, you live in Zone One, a far distance from Tianjiang. It must have been a hard journeying all this way. Please ept this ring on behalf of a younger generation as payment for the medicinal herbs." Long Ming looked at the ring in Fang Ren''s hand, immediately waved his hands and said, "Oh no no, how can I ept such a valuable thing, and besides, from Young Master Fang''s usage, this should be the Space Ring that all the craftsmen in the whole world have been longing to make, right?" Fang Ren nodded, "Indeed, this is a Space Ring. This one has been modified by me recently, it has over 20 cubic meters of storage space, very convenient for storing items." "Over 20 cubic meters... and this thing is made by you!" Long Ming was blown away. Over 20 square meters was enough to hold a lot of things¡ªa small armory, a couple racks of herbs... There was so much it could hold. What surprised him even more was that Fang Ren made it himself. Upon seeing the Space Ring, Long Ming had wondered if he had recently be too engrossed in Alchemy and missed some news about the advent of the Space Ring. He never imagined that this pursuit, which should have been the lifelong dream of craftsmen, was achieved by a 22-year-old Alchemy genius. "Elder, don''t be too shocked; this thing is just in the testing phase. I can''t guarantee it ispletely free of problems, so if you have any particrly valuable items, it would be better not to store them inside," Fang Ren cautioned. Naturally, he couldn''t tell Long Ming that this was a finished product, because someone like Long Ming would inevitably think along the same lines as Mu Huanqing, urging him to announce his invention at once for the benefit of human society. "Just a testing phase and it''s this amazing... If it''s a finished product, wouldn''t it have hundreds of cubic spaces? Then even a house could fit inside!" Long Ming eximed. "That might not even be sessful," said Fang Ren with resignation. "I''ve already had one ring break down before, destroying everything stored inside. So Elder Long, if you have important items, it would be better not to store them in there." "No wonder you haven''t made it public; that makes sense," Long Ming, clutching the Space Ring in his hand and with a look of attachment, continued, "To be one of the first to possess a Space Ring, I''ve really basked in Master Qingan''s glory." On his way here, he had doubted whether the agreement he made with the other Alchemists tonight was too impulsive and whether he would face some punishment for his impulsiveness... But now it seemed all his worries were for nothing. What punishment for impulsiveness? What''s not worth it? This is simply one of the greatest fortunes in the world! Not only had he met the real Master Qingan on this trip, but Fang Ren had also been forthright with him, and it looked like they would continue to have dealings in the future. He was thrilled. "Alright, Elder Long, now you just need to drop a drop of blood on this ring, and then it will belong to you." "I understand, I understand!" Although Long Ming was old, in his youth he had read his share of Immortal novels, so the concept of blood recognition was an easy operation for him. He didn''t wait for Fang Ren to assist him, instead directly biting his fingertip and letting the blood fall onto the Space Ring that Fang Ren had just given him. The ring emitted a dazzling light as the blood moistened it, and Long Ming was utterly in awe. "So this is what it feels like to open a space..." Long Ming, feeling the space around his body, fell into a profound silence. "Elder Long, how do you feel?" Fang Ren asked. Long Ming immediately came back to his senses, his aged face taking on a very serious expression, and the next moment, he bowed deeply with his hands in a fist, "Who cares about Elder! You are my Elder indeed!" "Hey! Elder, don''t be like this, I really don''t deserve this." "No! You deserve it!" ¡­ Then Long Ming delivered a ten-minute-long lecture on the Space Ring, leaving Fang Ren utterly confused. Long Ming''s ramblings went from thieves to emergency medical supply transport on the battlefield... In short, no matter where his talk wandered, he always came back to the Space Ring. Fang Ren was simply impressed and let Long Ming stay for a while before sending the old man away, because after learning his identity, Long Ming was practically desperate to take him as a Master... terrifying. Chapter 284: Chapter 379: Little Qianye Wakes Up_1 In the next few dozen minutes, Fang Ren managed to shoo the old man out without causing any hard feelings. Although he felt grateful for the herbal medicine the old man brought him tonight, that old man was too chatty. He felt that if he didn''t send him away, the old man might have settled in and chatted with him the whole night. With Long Ming''s departure, Fang Ren immediately gave a cursory count of the red grass medicine stored within his storage ring. This pile consisted of about six hundred thousand nts. Although each nt was quite small, if he were to take them all out, they would not fit in the entire room. Fang Ren first released a hundred thousand nts of Red Grass. As these red herbal nts appeared, they filled half of his room to the brim. "I wonder if this huge pile will be enough for the little guy to wake up." As he spoke, Fang Ren began to activate his Divine Sense to guide a small twig of his Spirit Form from inside his body. Since Qianye had fallen into a slumber, its Spirit Form had be thoughtless, so everything it did required hismand to act. As one gray twig extended from Fang Ren''s lower abdomen and touched the pile of Red Grass, several more twigs immediately burst forth from his belly and plunged into the pile of Red Grass, frantically absorbing the energy from the nts. Watching his Spirit Form suddenly move independently again, Fang Ren felt his heart ease dramatically in an instant. Since the Spirit Form could move on its own, it meant that Qianye was controlling them. Giggle giggle¡ª The twigs tightly coiled around half the room''s Red Grass. The nts touched by their outer bark turned to dust in a sh, falling to the ground, while the red essence within them constantly passed through the twigs into Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root. For a moment, Fang Ren only felt warmth throughout his body, as streams of red warmth traveled through his meridians, as if flushing every corner of his flesh. As time went on, the Red Grass in half of the room was nearly depleted. Fang Ren used his Divine Sense to check Qianye''s condition and found that although the little guy was still in aa, the cracks on its body had already healed by seventy percent. Seeing that this was effective, Fang Ren didn''t hesitate to release another hundred thousand Red Grass from his storage ring. With the increase in the amount of Red Grass, the twigs in the room grewrger, like strong muscr arms, coiling around all the Red Grass. Engulfing, continuously engulfing at a very fast pace. For a time, the whole room glowed with dazzling red light flickering over the twigs and Fang Ren''s body. In the Spiritual Root, beneath a huge tree of Spirit Form, Qianye''s body had beenpletely cured by the red aura. Hum¡ª Suddenly, the twigs in the room went berserk, and the remaining two-thirds of the Red Grass were forcibly drawn into Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root. Facing this unexpected development, Fang Ren was confused. In his daze, a palm-sized figure suddenly leaped out from his lower abdomen. "Hee-ha!" Qianye, looking like a plush toy, joyfully bounced and spun on the ground, full of glee. Seeing it recovered, Fang Ren immediately grabbed the bouncing creature in his hand. The patterns on the little one''s body seemed a bit different from before; the gray had deepened, and upon closer inspection, there were thin strands of colorful aura winding around its two spherical arms. "Are you all better now?" Fang Ren asked, looking into its big eyes. "Mm! Hee-ha!" Qianye vocalized, its round little head nodding vigorously. "That''s good. Don''t you ever act on your own again. You have to exin to me clearly the consequences of your actions. And don''t always think of me first; consider yourself more, got it?" Fang Ren said earnestly. He still remembered how he had selected fruits for Mu Huanqing back then. Little Qianye, in order to ensure his smooth acquisition, had made sacrifices. Although the little guy had independent thoughts, it ultimately was his Spiritual Root, and they shared one heart. "Mmmhmm! Hee-ha!" Little Qianye nodded its round head, looking somewhat well-behaved. "Mmmhmm?" Fang Ren was startled, "When did you start saying something other than ''Hee-ha''?" Little Qianye pointed at itself with one of its spherical arms, then pointed at Fang Ren and spoke, "I, master, learn. Hee-ha!" The voice of Little Qianye was soft and tender, simr to that of a toddler who had just learned how to speak. "You learned it from me?" Fang Ren was dumbfounded¡ªthe little guy had actually started to speak humannguage! For a moment, Fang Ren couldn''t help but wonder if he had ingested too much Red Grass, causing Little Qianye to mutate or evolve? "Mmhmm! Hee-ha!" Little Qianye hugged Fang Ren''s finger, affectionately rubbing its face against the tip of his finger. "Wait a minute!" Fang Ren immediately lifted Little Qianye''s body, suspending it in the air, and with a frown and squinted eyes stared at it: "So you mean to say that for the past few days you weren''t unconscious after all, but fully conscious and have been learning to speak from me?" Little Qianye blinked, "Mmhmm! Hee-ha!" Without a word, Fang Ren flicked its bottom in anger, eximing, "The hell! You have consciousness and didn''t let me know you were okay! Do you know how worried I was for you!" Since Little Qianye''s body was the core of the Spirit Tree, Fang Ren flicking it could not make it feel any pain. Little Qianye looked bewildered as it shook its head and then pointed at itself and then at Fang Ren again, "I, learn talk, want, master, safe. Hee-ha!" After hearing these disjointed words from it, Fang Ren suddenly felt a pang of distress. It turned out that the little guy started learning to speak with him because it sensed his worry and wanted to reassure him that it was okay. Even though Little Qianye had a clear consciousness during its faint, it couldn''t speak humannguage and could only say "Hee-ha" to Fang Ren, who didn''t understand it and could only feel anxious. From this perspective, Little Qianye was again considering Fang Ren''s feelings. "You little thing¡­" Although Fang Ren felt a warmth in his heart, his face still wore an angry expression as he said, "Can''t you drop the ''Hee-ha''?" "Can!" Little Qianye nodded earnestly. Just as Fang Ren was about to praise it for not adding "Hee-ha" this time, right after saying "Can," Little Qianye''s mouth opened again, "Hee-ha!" "I..." Chapter 285: Chapter 380: The Number of Void Beasts_1 ``` Following that, Fang Ren spent over ten minutes educating Qianye, but most of their conversation went like this: "Can we do without the ''hey-ha''?" "Sure... hey-ha!" ... After making an effort and seeing no results, Fang Ren gave up and changed the subject to the problems he was currently facing. Whenever he encountered any problem in the past, Qianye was always able to help him. Although he was somewhat dependent on Qianye, Fang Ren might not have achieved what he had without Qianye, but Qianye was indeed his Life Spirit. Just like some extremely talented experts, without their talent, they wouldn''t have achieved much, but talent is what they were born with. "My child was born, you know that, right?" Fang Ren sat on the edge of the bed in a meditative posture, looking at Qianye who sat at the center of the bed, and said. "Know, hey-ha!" Qianye nodded emphatically. "Then you also know about how hard it is to take care of a child, right?" Fang Ren said helplessly. "Know, hey-ha!" "I really don''t have any good solutions right now, I can only have Hui Qing take care of her temporarily. But within these three days, something big is definitely going to happen, and I''m afraid I won''t have the power to deal with it when the timees. Although pushing myself to the brink of death is one thing, it''s too embarrassing..." Fang Ren said wistfully. After listening, Qianye nodded and said, "Master, want to get stronger fast? Hey-ha!" "Isn''t that obvious? Although the speed of Asura Path cultivation is definitely against the heavens, I''m currently in the killing phase, and I just don''t have any vile enemies deserving death to kill," Fang Ren said. "Don''t need to kill people, can also, hey-ha," Qianye suddenly said. "What, ughtering chickens and cows? Would that take a few billion?" Upon hearing these words, Qianye immediately hopped up from the bed and scurried over to the windowsill. Then, stretching out its spherical arm, it pointed at the sky outside the window while saying hey-ha. Fang Ren walked to the windowsill, looked up at the sky of Tianjiang, and saw that inside Tianjiang City there were only patrolling soldiers. Seeing this, he was puzzled: "You want me to kill them? What nonsense is this? These people have done no wrong to me. Unless we meet on the battlefield, I won''t use their lives for cultivation." Qianye immediately shook its head: "Demon Beast, hey-ha!" "Demon Beast?" Fang Ren was even more baffled. The whole day was filled with people; where would a demon beaste from? Looking up again at the sky filled with patrolling soldiers, after a few seconds, the confused expression on Fang Ren''s face slowly faded, and he suddenly understood what Qianye meant. "You mean, let me kill Void beasts?" Fang Ren asked. "It''s Demon Beast, hey-ha!" Qianye corrected. "Demon Beast?" Fang Ren blinked, "Are you saying that apart from Void beasts dropping from the Void Hole, there could also be Demon Beasts dropping out?" As soon as Qianye heard this, it rested one spherical arm on its forehead with a helpless face: "Void beasts are Demon Beasts, hey-ha!" This idiotic master''s way of speaking had be unpausable out of irritation. "You should have just said so from the start, why beat around the bush?" Fang Ren looked at Qianye with a disdainful face. This stupid Spirit Form had such low intelligence, he truly didn''t understand how someone as smart as himself could breed such a foolish being. Qianye blinked itsrge eyes, knowing it couldn''t win the argument, so it simply moved on, pointing at the Void above its head and continued: "Demon Beast, soon, ising, lots of them. Hey-ha." Fang Ren looked up at the Void, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, and he said, "Can you sense the movement inside the Void Hole?" Qianye nodded and said nothing. A storm of shock surged in Fang Ren''s heart. This little one had abilities he was unaware of, even the Void was transparent to it! ``` "So, can you sense when they are likely to arrive? Can theye down from the sky within three days?" Fang Ren asked the question he most wanted to ask. Because if the Void Beasts were to descend in these three days, Mu Huanqing, being the top fighting force on this side, would definitely be leading the charge, meaning she would have to go into battle with a child in tow, and how could that be allowed! Little Qianye shook its head and said, "Lots of Demon Beasts, waiting at the entrance for their king. Hehe." When Fang Ren heard this, he became very serious, lifting his head to look at the pitch-ck Void Hole in the sky that no glimmer of light could prate, invisible to the eyes of ordinary people. Even with Fang Ren''s spiritual sight, he could only touch the darkness within the Void. "You just said ''king''. Do you mean a Ninth-order Void Beast?" "Yeah, it should be, hehe." "What do you mean ''it should be''?" "Maybe there''s something stronger, hehe." "Stronger? Could there be Tenth-order Void Beasts in the Void!?" "Don''t know, hehe." Fang Ren flicked Little Qianye''s little rear with a finger: "You''re freaking scaring me to death!" If there really exist Void Beasts stronger than a Ninth-order Void Beast in the Void, and if they were to descend on Tianjiang this time, the entire Tianjiang would be in the throes of a massacre, with only a select few powerful individuals having a chance to survive. "Speaking of which, since you can sense what''s happening in the Void Hole, tell me about these Void Beasts waiting at the entrance and not descending. What are their power levels roughly, and how many are there in total?" Fang Ren said. Since Little Qianye said it could improve its Asura Path cultivation by hunting Void Beasts, those of too high a level would be unkible by him, while those of a low level wouldn''t be enough for his cultivation needs if they came in too few numbers. The same goes for low-level Void Beasts: don''te in too few numbers, and for high-level ones, not too many. "More than three hundred thousand..." Little Qianye started. "What?" Fang Ren was stunned. Although he hoped not too few enemies woulde, that was way too many! By then, many of Tianjiang''s soldiers, as well as the Nine Heavens Corps'' Security Team, would certainly die. There was even a risk that some of his ssmates who hade to Tianjiang would lose their lives here. As Fang Ren was thinking, Little Qianye suddenly blurted out a few more words: "Fifth-order Demon Beasts." Fang Ren was bewildered, piecing together Little Qianye''s words. Over three hundred thousand... Fifth-order Demon Beasts... Three hundred thousand!? Fifth-order!? "Are you sure you haven''t sensed it wrong?" Fang Ren asked, dumbfounded. Little Qianye shook its head, continuing, "More than seven thousand, Sixth-order Demon Beasts, more than three thousand, Seventh-order Demon Beasts, over sixty, Eighth-order Demon Beasts, Ninth-order Demon Beasts... not for now. Hehe!" As Little Qianye finished with "Hehe", Fang Ren waspletely petrified. What kind of numbers are these? Fifth-order Void Beasts in Ninth District, that is, Shang Han''s division, were rare monsters that would be seen only once every few days on average, so how could a sudden swarm of three hundred thousand have appeared!? And what about those Sixth-order, Seventh-order, Eighth-order Void Beasts? Together, these creatures could probablypete against half a war zone on Earth! Chapter 286: Chapter 381: Rebirth Fruit _1 "You want me to kill them to level up..." Fang Ren just stared nkly at the sky,pletely stupefied, thinking, damn it, so many High-Order Void Beasts could stomp him to death. "This is a huge opportunity! Heh ha!" Qianye said earnestly, pointing at the sky. "Huge opportunity my ass!" Fang Ren pped the little guy on the head and yelled, "My child was just born! You little brat alwayse up with terrible ideas!" "Heh ha?" Qianye looked at him with a puzzled expression, not quite understanding why his master, who had just been asking how to get stronger quickly, would get angry when it told the truth. "Heh ha and crap, when I asked you, I wanted to know how I''m supposed to escape now that I''m supposed to marry your mom... no, marry Bai Qi, and how I''m going to protect my child. And you actually bring up such a huge problem!" Fang Ren grabbed his hair, looking disheveled: "Now what am I supposed to do? I can''t even think about getting married! The city is about to be blown up by Void Beasts! And my wife has to go to war again!" Qianye frowned cutely and said, "Otherwise, I help master? Heh ha." Upon hearing this, Fang Ren still had a messy expression: "Aren''t you already helping me?" Qianye took two or three leaps to the top of his head and said, "Master, breakthrough, there''s fruit, heh ha!" "Fruit..." Fang Ren paused, suddenly recalling when he was helping Jiang Ling with a breakthrough, Qianye had been in aatose state, and it was precisely at that time that his own realm had crossed a significant threshold! He could pick the fruits again! "Damn! I can''t believe I forgot such an important thing!" Fang Ren didn''t say another word and immediately turned around and jumped onto the bed. Upon seeing this, Qianye also quickly erected a gray cylindrical barrier with a halo above his head to iste Fang Ren from the outside world. Hum¡ª¡ª As Qianye''s barrier activated, Fang Ren''s consciousness was transported into the Chaotic World. Without hesitation, he rushed straight towards the treetop. Although his realm had made a breakthrough, and his movement speed in this ce had increased significantly, he still didn''t know how long it would take to reach the top of the immense tree. In the end, it was Qianye who used one of the branches at the treetop to take him up. Upon reaching the treetop, Fang Ren looked at Qianye with a worried expression and said, "There''s something I just don''t understand. You''re my Spirit Form, so why in this world are you the only one who can control this tree?" Qianye shook his head, pointing at him with a serious look, "Master, immature, can''t hand over yet. Heh ha." "I''m immature?" Fang Ren blinked his eyes: "Then exactly when do I have to mature to be qualified to control this giant tree?" Qianye: "Be Immortal, heh ha." "Ah?" Fang Ren was dumbfounded: "Once I be an Immortal, the whole world will be mine. What would I need this tree for?" "World, very big." Qianye said, making a smacking sound with his feet as he jumped off Fang Ren, then patted the giant tree trunk with a spherical arm, adding, "This is, the world. Heh ha!" "..." After listening, Fang Ren became even more baffled. What did that mean, the little guy said this tree is the world? Spewing some cosmic spiral nonsense! Fang Ren grabbed Qianye by the scruff, staring at it seriously, and said, "Are you telling me you''ve recovered only to have your brain go kaput?" Qianye looked at him with disgust, feeling that ever since it woke up from its slumber, its master seemed to be getting sillier, acting like it had told some kind of lie. Seeing the look in Qianye''s eyes, Fang Ren gave up. That kid''s brain really must have fried after passing out. He needed to quickly think of a way to concoct some elixir to help it recover. Otherwise, at this rate, it might even start iming he was the lord of the world. Tossing Qianye onto his shoulder, Fang Ren didn''t bother saying anymore and began searching the massive tree for the fruit he desired. Ever since he peered into destiny thatst time, he remembered the powers of many of the tree''s fruits. This time, he was searching for the Space Law Fruit he had seen before¡ªa fruit that carried thews of space. ording to its description, when cultivated to its full potential, it could allow one to cross spaces and kill using the power of space. It was an ability that could shock and awe the world. However, the only w was that the fruit wasn''t as outrageously powerful as the Shattered Void Fruit he had encountered previously. The Shattered Void Fruit was said, in its introduction, to have a cultivation technique capable of shattering all things, including the void and the Ten Thousand Realms. Although the Space Law Fruit wasn''t as extreme as the Shattered Void Fruit, it had the advantage of having no prerequisites for cultivation, whereas the Shattered Void required the user to possess the power to overshadow heaven itself, as well as space powers¡ªsetting a very high threshold. But, in the end, the Space Law Fruit was still a fruit that contained thews of space. If Fang Ren could fully cultivate the powers hidden within this fruit and breakthrough on that basis, he might also reach the capabilities of the Shattered Void Fruit. Moreover, even if he couldn''t achieve the power of the Shattered Void Fruit, by using the Space Law Fruit, he would at least reach one of the thresholds for the Shattered Void Fruit. Once his strength was great enough, he would then be able to directly consume the Shattered Void Fruit. Without resting, Fang Ren went straight to the end of the branch where the Space Law Fruits grew ording to his memory and unhesitatingly picked a colorful fruit from it. Snap¡ª As the colorful fruit detached from the giant tree, countless other colorful fruits on the tree instantly turned into specks of light, scattering into the chaos. They would reaggregate into new fruits upon Fang Ren''s next breakthrough. "How could this be?" After picking the fruit, as the lights faded away, Fang Ren was left holding a blood-red crystal fruit in his hand, not the all-white Space Law Fruit he had expected! Sitting on Fang Ren''s shoulder, Qianye nced at him and said, "Fortune, it changes, heh heh." "It changes?" Fang Ren was perplexed. "It''s destined, heh heh!" Qianye said. Fang Ren stared nkly at the fruit in his hand. If his memory was correct, then this fruit should be called the Rebirth Fruit¡ªits ability was to store a droplet of the eater''s blood essence in a separate space, offering the user a chance to be reborn. But to Fang Ren, this fruit seemed somewhat useless; he was essentially unkible unless his heart waspletely destroyed, so the likelihood of needing such a thing was slim to none. "Sigh." He sighed heavily and dejectedly exited Chaos Space. Chapter 287: 382 Chapter: Speed Up the Progress of the Experiment_1 ``` As Fang Ren''s consciousness returned to his body in the hotel, the grey cylindrical barrier around Xiao Qianye was withdrawn back into the halo above its head. Fang Ren sat on the bed, holding the newly acquired Rebirth Fruit in his hand, his face unable to convey any joy. What he needed now was formidable strength, not just thinking about how to save his own life. "Could it be that I''ve walked into too much luck?" Fang Ren sighed. Xiao Qianye shook its head and said, "Master, picking it was inevitable. Heh-ha." Fang Ren remained dejected, although he agreed with what Xiao Qianye said; the problem at hand involved tens of thousands of Void Beasts! Once they burst out of the Void, the whole Tianjiang would be doomed! And with this ability, he would only be able to save himself, butpletely unable to help Mu Huanqing. "Forget it, having one more ability is always good." Fang Ren tried to level his mood and directly popped the red fruit into his mouth, swallowing it. In an instant, his body was covered in red lines, looking as if it was about to split open. The immense pain that came from his body was, to him,pletely trivial. Boom¡ª Soon, a drop of blood-colored crystal flew out from the top of his head, falling into his hand. Shortly afterward, his body reverted to its original appearance. The process was that simple. Fang Ren looked at the blood-colored crystal in his hand, utterly bewildered: "This thing is my second life? Where should I put it? Wasn''t it said that it could be stored in another space?" Xiao Qianye spoke, "Master, just put it anywhere, heh-ha." Half-understanding, Fang Ren raised his arm and ced the blood-colored crystal in mid-air. As soon as the crystal left his hand, it did not drop to the ground but floated there, the air around it gradually dispersing. Before long, wisps of ck aura began to swirl around it. Seeing this, Xiao Qianye said, "Master, you canprehend the Space Law here, heh-ha." Fang Ren came to a realization, suddenly remembering that there was a sentence in the fruit''s description mentioning that the essence blood was stored in another space; that is to say, this droplet of essence blood was now carving out its own space. This truly was a process where one could witness how space was created. Fang Ren focused his attention on the small droplet as it gathered ck aura continuously. The ck aura quickly grew more intense,pletely discing the surrounding air. To be precise, not just the air was being pushed aside, but also the Spiritual Energy between heaven and earth, as well as any impure energies. In the end, the ck aura turned into a very small ck vortex, and the blood-colored crystal slowly entered into the vortex. After the blood-colored crystal hadpletely entered the vortex, the ck vortex began to close, and the surrounding air and Spiritual Energy gradually converged back. Hum¡ª The ck vortex sealedpletely and vanished from the space in an instant. Fang Ren could no longer feel its presence, as if nothing had changed around him. "Master, have youprehended anything? Heh-ha," Xiao Qianye asked. Fang Ren looked at Xiao Qianye, utterly baffled, "Understand what, exactly? In just a few short minutes, what do you expect me toprehend?" After hearing this, Xiao Qianye propped its round arm against its forehead, a look of exasperation on its face as it said, "Master, your talent is extremely poor; cultivation relies entirely on cheating. Heh-ha." "Heh?" ``` Fang Ren immediately wanted to retort upon hearing this, but before he could speak, he suddenly recognized a fact¡ªthat ever since he began cultivation, he had indeed been relying on the advantage of his Spirit Form. "Cough cough, but isn''t that advantage also a kind of ability of mine?" Fang Ren''s face turned red. "Yes, but the master''s talent is stillcking, hehe." Little Qianye said. "So what? If I can solve problems by taking advantage of my abilities, why bother using my brain? Moreover, in the field of alchemy, I rely entirely on my ownprehension and have never taken any shortcuts." Fang Ren said. Little Qianye looked helpless; it was not implying that Fang Ren wascking in all areas, just in the aspect ofprehensibility. Regarding the scene just now, even a regr person would gain a bit of insight into the Void after witnessing it, such as the need for a special kind of ck energy to open up space. Without this energy, it''s impossible to create a space. Yet the master flippantly said, "Comprehend my ass," which made it very curious. Clearly, this was theprehension of spatial abilities, so how did he end upprehending it as useless? The direction of the master''sprehension... it could not understand. ------ ------ In the big backyard of the Bai Family, Bai Chaojin sat in the pavilion with a worried look on his face, while outside the pavilion stood two soldiers reporting on the security situation in Tianjiang. However, Bai Chaojin was not at all concerned about whether there were remnants of the Nightfall in Tianjiang¡ªwhat he cared about was that he had miscalcted so many things tonight. He had thought that the ominous signs he saw in the astrological predictions were the result of something Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing would do tonight, but it turned out that the bad omen came from Jiang Ling. What shocked him even more tonight was that Jiang Ling, whom he had not taken very seriously, had actually broken through that legendary realm! He could not understand how Jiang Ling, with all her talent, managed to surpass only a few middle-aged core members of the Tianjiang Great Family in terms of ability. At her age, she should at most have been able to break through to the peak of the Xuanyang realm. Moreover,pared to Mu Huanqing, it was obvious that Mu Huanqing had much higher talent, and yet, supposing both of them reached the peak of the Xuanyang realm at the same time, logically, Mu Huanqing should have been the first to break through to the Sr Realm, so how could it be Jiang Ling? What he found even more iprehensible was that Mu Huanqing, who possessed a higher talent, had reached the peak of the Xuanyang realm first, so how could Jiang Ling have advanced so much faster than Mu Huanqing? And as far as he knew, Jiang Ling was still a mid-stage practitioner of the Xuanyang realm when in Linglong Bay, which was only about half a month ago. How could she have crossed two major elite realms in just half a month? "Has Jiang Ling... stumbled upon some incredible fortune?" After pondering for a long time with furrowed brows, Bai Chaojin''s attentionpletely shifted from Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing. The greater threat to Indra Sky now seemed to be Jiang Ling. "Could it be!" Suddenly, Bai Chaojin thought of something and was shocked. "During the battle at Linglong Bay, Jiang Ling seized all the data from thatboratory... Did she make use of some methods from theb!?" Bai Chaojin was extremely excited internally. Since Jiang Ling had be so powerful due to the research results of Indra Sky, did that mean they couldpletely disregard the data from the Fifth-order Void Beast and still seed directly? Snap¡ª In his excitement, Bai Chaojin pped the pavilion and stood up, addressing the two soldiers in front of him, "Quick! Bring Qi''er back!" If Jiang Ling, whocked experimental data, could acquire such formidable power, then why was Bai Qi about to undergo an experiment? Wouldn''t that mean the experiment had a 100% sess rate, and that Bai Qi would obtain even stronger abilities than Jiang Ling!? Chapter 288: Chapter 383: Bai Qi is Captured_1 On the morning of the next day, Fang Ren awoke from his cultivation practice, noticing almost no change in his realm. It was as if he had reached a bottleneck, stuck at the Peak of Azure Sky, unable to advance further. With a somewhat depressed mood, Fang Ren opened the window and looked out at the sky, observing the sun that had not long since risen. By this time, the number of Tianjiang City''s patrolling soldiers had decreased significantly, probably havingbed through Tianjiang City the previous night without spotting any suspicious characters. Fang Ren then turned to nce at the Void Hole in the sky and yanked little Qianye over, saying, "Qianye, sense again. Have those Void beasts up there left?" Little Qianye blinked and replied, "The number increased by three thousand, hee-hah." "Increased?" Fang Ren was startled. "Are you sure you''re not mistaken, kiddo? It''s over three hundred thousand! And it''s still increasing?" "No mistake, hee-hah," little Qianye nodded and said. "Then can you sense when that Ninth-order Void Beast they''re waiting for will appear?" "Cannot, hee-hah." Fang Ren felt helpless; this little guy was only able to inform him when trouble was brewing but offered no solutions to get them out of it, leaving him to fret on his own. "Forget it, for now, the most urgent task is to quickly go and inform Hui Qing so she can set up the Formation. I reckon by the time the Bai Family starts trouble with me, these Void beasts will be picking a fight with everyone." With that thought, Fang Ren grabbed little Qianye and stuffed him into his pocket, then flew straight out of the hotel window. There was about an hour left before the start of the Elixir Competition, and by all logic, Bai Qi should have already awakened early and bombarded Fang Ren''s phone, urging him to take her out for a meal. But today was a bit odd. Not to mention that he had encountered an assassination attemptst night, ording to Bai Qi''s personality, she should have called him. Even the morning call to hasten him for breakfast was strangely missing; not a single message from that girl had been received on his phone. Had she overslept? After leaving the hotel room, Fang Ren headed straight to a breakfast shop to buy some food and then started flying towards Bai Qi''s residence. A few minutester, Fang Ren arrived at Bai Qi''s window ledge, only to discover the room empty with the bedding neatly arranged, almost too clean, as if the tenant had checked out and the room service had changed all the linens. "Where did that girl run off to?" Fang Ren immediately took out his phone and dialed Bai Qi''s number. After a few rings, a stiff tone indicated that no one answered the call. Seeing this, Fang Ren''s brow furrowed, suddenly filled with a sense of ominous foreboding. This was Tianjiang City, and Bai Qi was the princess of Tianjiang. No one here would dare to harm her, of course, except for the Bai Family''s elders, like Bai Chaojin. "Qianye, try to sense if you can detect your mom... no, Bai Qi''s aura?" Fang Ren did not hesitate to pull out little Qianye. Little Qianye looked confused for a moment, then after a few seconds said, "Mom, left this ce, five hours ago. Hee-hah." As soon as Fang Ren heard it call Bai Qi "Mom," he felt like hanging it up and giving it a lesson, but with the urgency of the situation, he couldn''t concern himself with that anymore. "Are there any other people''s remnants in the room?" Fang Ren asked. "Yes, Butler Chen came five hours ago. Hehe." Little Qianye added. "Damn it! Has Bai Chaojin lost his mind?" After hearing this, Fang Ren immediately threw away the breakfast in his hand, ced Little Qianye on his shoulder, and said, "Follow her scent and lead the way!" Then, as Little Qianye pointed the way, Fang Ren flew towards the east side of Tianjiang City, eventually flying out of the city, with Little Qianye continuing to guide him. As Fang Ren left Tianjiang City, he became more convinced of his previous guess; Bai Chaojin must have thrown Bai Qi into the Indra Skyboratory for their so-called ultimate experiment. However, what he couldn''t understand was why Bai Chaojin would suddenly hand over Bai Qi to Indra Sky. Had Indra Sky''s technology made a new breakthrough? Fang Ren felt this was very likely. "Shit! It seems that the Fifth-order Void Beast from before was thest step of the experiment for Bai Qi by Indra Sky! If I could have killed that Void Beast back then, there wouldn''t have been so much trouble!" As Fang Ren hastened on his way, he took out his mobile phone and dialed Jiang Ling''s number. The call connected within a few seconds after the number was dialed. "What, only now you remember to call and thank me?" Jiang Ling''s voice came from the other end,ughing. "Leader Jiang! I have an urgent matter! Last night, Bai Qi was taken away by Indra Sky!" Fang Ren said excitedly. There was silence for a second on the phone before Jiang Ling''s voice became instantly serious, "What! Last night? Wasn''t she taken away by soldiers?" Justst night, Jiang Ling clearly remembered battling in the sky, spotting Bai Qi, whose cultivation level was still restricted. She had thought about taking Bai Qi away to prevent Indra Sky''s next move, but regrettably, Tianjiang had deployed too many soldiers, leaving her no opportunity to do so. Moreover, when Mu Hui helped her break through, she still had no chance to capture Bai Qi. After all, though Mu Hui was indeed helping her break out, if she took Bai Qi, Mu Hui probably wouldn''t continue to help her. "There''s no time to exin now! Leader Jiang! I''m sending you live location updates; hurry over!" shouted Fang Ren, then he hung up. In the sky above a certain city outside Tianjiang, Jiang Ling was dressed in a red robe, her face covered with a mask of ck aura, one hand holding a ck long sword, the other holding a mobile phone. In that moment, she didn''t immediately fly towards Fang Ren''s location but hovered mid-air, immersed in her personal dilemma. The experiments on Bai Qi were originally intended to create a being capable of shattering the Void, but because Indra Sky had killed who knows how many people to achieve this goal, the Nightfall Organization had be their enemy. But now that Bai Qi''s experiment had started, it meant Indra Sky''s n was nearing its end. If Bai Qi''s experiment seeded, then Indra Sky wouldn''t have to capture innocent practitioners anymore, and it would create an unparalleled entity for Earth. Before, they wanted to capture Bai Qi to prevent Indra Sky from creating the Ultimate Body, forcing them to stop experimenting on practitioners, but with things having reached this point... was there still a need to capture Bai Qi? And was there still a need to stop Indra Sky? Chapter 289: Chapter 384: The Experiment Begins_1 "Have I made such a mistake that I should still try to stop it?" Jiang Ling suddenly felt lost. She didn''t know if there was any point in trying to stop it now. If she stopped Indra Sky, then she would be preventing a peerless powerhouse from being born on Earth. After all, she was very aware of the formidable power of the Void beast''s Void Energy. Just a small amount had allowed her to break through from the mid-phase of the Xuanyang Realm directly to the Mysterious Night Realm. If Indra Sky had absolute experimental capability, how powerful would Bai Qi be after the experiment seeded? Would Bai Qi truly be the peak powerhouse among humans as recorded in Indra Sky organization''s data, able to shatter the Void with a single move? If what the experiment records of Indra Sky organization imed was true, then wouldn''t stopping it be disrespecting the sacrifices of all the innocent practitioners who had died? Wouldn''t it mean that all those who died did so in vain? All of a sudden, Jiang Ling felt utterly bewildered. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn''t bring herself to stop what was happening. She too was a part of this world, and not only did she dream of changing the marriage constraints on cultivators, but she also wanted to free humanity from the threat of the Void and reim a purend for everyone. Besides, her original intention in creating the Nightfall Organization was indeed to change the marriagews for cultivators, which didn''t sh with Indra Sky''s ultimate goal. She had only stepped in to prevent the deaths of innocent cultivators. But if Indra Sky''s final experiment were to seed, then the marriagews for practitioners in this world would also be abolished. Humans would no longer need to forcibly pair cultivators with excellent genes to fight against the Void and to produce the next generation. From this perspective, Indra Sky''s ultimate experiment seemed to align very closely with her own original intentions, even possibly fulfilling them. Lost in thought, Jiang Ling began to descend from the sky. The True Qi around her body converged, and the Spirit Form in her hand dissipated. She had decided not to go and stop it. At this moment, the only thing disturbing her peace was the fate of those practitioners who had sacrificed so much to fight against the Void for humanity. Were their grievances to be buried by a single ultimate experiment...? ------ ------ At this moment, within argeboratory at the bottom of an ind in the Central Area. Bai Chaojin and a group of researchers dressed in whiteb coats stood outside arge ss pane, behind which were various experimental devices. To the left of these devices, a huge Void beast with the shape of a bull-horse was firmly fixed to a table, and to the right were various instruments and a white bed. On that bedy Bai Qi, dressed in white. At this moment, Bai Qi''s entire body was pale. There was no blood flow, no breath, no sign of life at all. By the side of the white bed stood four researchers in thick armor. One stood in front of the Void beast, two at the instruments, and another was continuously noting down data beside Bai Qi. Amongst this array of equipment, many tubes were pierced into the back of the Void beast, and the machines were seemingly processing the Void Energy being drawn from the beast. Eventually, through a smaller catheter, the transformed Void Energy was infused into Bai Qi''s neck. ... "Leader, is it really okay to start the experiment like this?" asked a sweaty researcher, clenching a report in his hands, gazing anxiously at Bai Chaojin. "What are the calcted results for the experiment conducted in theboratory in Linglong Bay when applied to an ordinary practitioner? How did it pan out?" Bai Chaojin inquired. The researcher wiped the sweat from his forehead, handed the report to Bai Chaojin, and said nervously, "Leader, the calcted results of this set of data exceeded our expectations. While a practitioner in the mid-phase of the Xuanyang Realm like Jiang Ling can be sessful, the sess rate for other practitioners drops to zero." Bai Chaojin frowned, "What about the calcted results for Qi''er?" The researcher frowned and replied, "Princess Bai Xi''s final calcted data is even stranger. We can''t evenprehend the results. The fluctuations in various data are massive, but whenbined, theye out to precisely 50%. However, within that 50%, there''s an unpredictable factor¡ªthe Spiritual Root of Fang Ren... it''s too unique." "How unique?" Bai Chaojin furrowed his brow. "Isn''t that Spiritual Root what we use to suppress the Void Energy?" "Originally, that''s what we thought, but it turns out that wepletely misunderstood it." The researcher sighed. "That grey Spiritual Root doesn''t just suppress Void Energy; it''s also constantly absorbing it! It refines energy that has already been processed a second time, and the Void Energy bes extremely pure after being refined twice. It''s directly conflicting with Princess Bai Xi''s Life Spiritual Root within her body¡ªthey are ipatible!" The researcher continued with fervor, "What''s more, Princess Bai Xi''s Life Spiritual Energy is incredibly potent, and it has remained in bnce within her body only because of the grey Spiritual Root. But just now, when we began refining Void Energy, the grey Spiritual Root abruptly abandoned suppressing Princess Bai Xi''s Spiritual Root, leading to a breakout of her Life Spiritual Energy which started to sh with the Void Energy!" Bai Chaojin spoke with a frown, "If we stop the machines from refining the Void Energy and let the grey Spiritual Root do the refining, what will be the oue?" The researcher was surprised, "Currently, we only know the double refined Void Energy causes conflict, but we''re not sure about the once-refined Void Energy... we haven''t been able to calcte that result yet." "Go quickly! Stop the energy transfusion for Qi''er and check her meridians and Spiritual Root status!" Bai Chaojin shouted. "Yes!" Instantly, the entirergeboratory sprang into action, as every researcher began conducting small-scale experiments on each subject¡ªpreparations for making calctions about Bai Qi''s final oue. But even such small-scale experiments still cost the lives of hundreds of practitioner subjects. Chapter 290: Chapter 385: The Energy inside Bai Qi_1 As a group of scientists conducted hundreds of experiments on over a hundred test subjects within tens of minutes, several men and women in white coats began to nervously calcte using a long string of data. Meanwhile, within therge ss pane, the infusion of Void Energy into Bai Qi had ceased, and the screens of the instruments nearby were disying the various energy clusters within her body. A woman in a white coat immediately took out a syringe and injected a vial of medication into Bai Qi''s neck. As the drug entered Bai Qi''s body, a series of numbers began popping up on therge instruments in the white room, continuously changing, and three differently colored energy bars were slowly rising. At that moment, a scientist who had been observing the instruments ran out from behind therge ss wall, removed his mask, and said, "Commander! The True Qi coagnt we just injected has been sessful! The Void Energy within the Princess''s body has stabilized! But Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root is not under the control of the True Qi coagnt at all, it''s still devouring Void Energy!" "Isn''t that good? As long as Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root devours the Void Energy, the energy within Qi''er will also stabilize," Bai Chaojin said to the scientist who had run out. "It''s not that simple, Commander! Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root has been a huge variable since the beginning of our experiments! Although it devours Void Energy, it''s not using it to supply Princess Bai Xi, but for its own storage! This Spiritual Root is acting in its own interest!" the scientist eximed. "If this continues, it will keep forsaking suppressing Princess Bai Xi''s essence, choosing to devour Void Energy instead, and eventually, Princess Bai Xi''s Spiritual Root will go berserk!" "What! Qi''er''s Spiritual Root will go berserk?" Bai Chaojin was shocked and immediately ordered, "Quick! Everyone, find a way to suppress Qi''er''s Life Spiritual Root! Otherwise, everything here will be destroyed!" "Yes!" Upon hearing Bai Chaojin''s words, the faces of everyone present also turned frantic, rushing to their stations to analyze various solutions. Bai Chaojin frowned deeply, his sallow, aged face staring intently at Bai Qi through the ss wall, never expecting that his worst fears would manifest today. When Bai Qi was born, he, as a grandfather, almost personally killed his newborn granddaughter, and the reasony entirely in her Spiritual Root. Bai Qi''s Spiritual Root was of the Wood attribute, but the energy it contained exceeded everyone''s imagination at the time. ording to Bai Chaojin''s own calctions, if the energy within that Spiritual Root were not suppressed by any means and allowed to burst forth, the eventual result would be the death of Bai Qi as an infant. And after her death, her Spiritual Root would continue to affect her body, ultimately destroying about a third of Tianjiang! That would be an unimaginable disaster for Tianjiang! If it weren''t for Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root as the initial solution, Bai Chaojin would have had to kill Bai Qi to save the lives of billions of people in Tianjiang. Now, the situation had reverted to the original crisis. Bai Chaojin was inplete turmoil. Originally, Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root suppressed Bai Qi''s energy, but now, Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root waspletely out of control. If the scientific team failed to find another solution, he would have to kill his granddaughter with his own hands. Otherwise, a third of Tianjiang would be reduced to ruins! Simply put, without the suppression of Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root, Bai Qi was like a walking, enhanced nuclear bomb! If she could freely control this energy, it would be extremely terrifying. However, ording to estimates by the Indra Sky organization, to control this power, Bai Qi would need to reach the legendary Fractured Void Stage...but this was merely a calction, not "Commander! The Wood attributed life essence within Princess Bai Xi has already been released by twenty percent!" a scientist ran out and shouted. At this moment, within the massive ss wall, Bai Qi, who was lying on the bed, her originally pale face devoid of any signs of life, suddenly began to look rosy and lively. Especially noticeable was the change in her abdomen; her lower belly began to emit bursts of green light. Underneath the illumination of this green glow, small patches of green nts began to grow on the remaining parts of the experimental bed, including vines, grass, and several colorful flowers... "Speed up the calctions! Faster!" Bai Chaojin shouted immediately upon seeing this. "Try calcting the transfer of Void Energy from within Princess Bai Xi''s body back into the Void beast!" "Probability is zero!" "Try calcting the guiding of Princess Bai Xi''s grey Spiritual Root!" "Probability is zero!" "Try..." ... In a moment, after a series of calctions by a group of scientific researchers, every single result yielded a probability of zero. "Forty percent of Princess Bai Xi''s Wood attributed life essence has been released!" At this point, inside therge ss walls, various green nts had overgrown the area. Vines crept up the walls, flowers and grass rooted on the ss, and all sorts of instruments were engulfed by the foliage, making it impossible to see Bai Xi and the enormous Void beast from outside. Bang! Suddenly a vine extended out, directly shattering the ss wall, which was as sturdy as diamond. As the ss walls broke, the entirergeb began to wildly sprout various nts. "Ah!" Suddenly a researcher stepped on a small nt, and following a scream, they were rapidly enveloped by the vegetation and instantly deprived of life. Upon seeing this, Bai Chaojin immediately attacked a mass of nts with his True Qi, trying to cut off the spread of the vegetation. However, his True Qi hit the nts and got entangled without causing any explosion or damage to the vegetation. "Can''t... Can''t retrieve it!" Bai Chaojin was sweating profusely. He discovered that the True Qi he had released was beyond his control and he could no longer sense the presence of his Spiritual Energy, as if it had been voided. The nts continued to spread unrestrained. The energy values within Bai Xi were no longer visible on the overrun instruments, and no researchers reported how much more Bai Xi''s Wood attributed life essence had grown, or how long until it was fully released. Bai Chaojin watched the vine-covered experimental bed, his teeth clenched tightly: "Is this how the ultimate experiment ends?" If this continued, he would have to kill Bai Xi to save the lives of thirty percent of Tianjiang''s poption! Chapter 291: Chapter 386: Captured?_1 "Qianye, are you sure the location is correct?" In the sky above a certain sea area, Fang Ren looked at an ind a kilometer ahead, his brows tightly furrowed. "No mistake, hey-ha!" Little Qianye shouted from Fang Ren''s shoulder. "So, Bai Qi is in the Central District..." Fang Ren looked at the ind thousands of miles away, feelingpletely disoriented. The ind ahead was known to be the gathering ce for humanity''s top militarymand, alsomonly referred to as the Central District Command. Little Qianye''s sensing ability definitely couldn''t be wrong. Bai Qi must be on that ind, which meant that thergestboratory of Indra Sky, under Bai Chaojin, was inside the Central District Command! It never crossed Fang Ren''s mind that Indra Sky''srgestboratory could be there. Didn''t this suggest that the Indra Sky organization was epted by the entire Central District? Then, knowing how cruel the experiments were, wouldn''t some of the rulers in the Central District be aware of it? "Bai Chaojin... one of the fourteenmanders of amand, ranking fourth in strength. He must not be as simple as he appears on the surface..." Fang Ren gritted his teeth, feeling as though the supreme decision-making power over all humanity was somehow being held in the palm of Bai Chaojin''s hand. He continued to fly forward for a while before stopping mid-air, since if he kept moving closer, the guards patrolling around the Central District would capture him. If he wanted to rescue Bai Qi from their experiment, he would have to forcefully breach the Central District Command with Jiang Ling today. "Why hasn''t Jiang Ling arrived yet?" Fang Ren scanned the skies around him. His current field of vision reached only a kilometer, and although within that span, he could see everything clearly, he couldn''t, as normal eyes do, spot distant horizons in the vast sky. If Jiang Ling had arrived but was beyond his kilometer range, he wouldn''t be able to see her at all. "If I just barge in like this, the entire Fang Family might be convicted. Even though I don''t agree with that family, the thought of those disgusting looks on their faces really irks me." Fang Ren touched the Night Walk Robe inside his storage ring. It belonged to the Nightfall Organization. He nned to wear it and go with Jiang Ling, anyways, letting Nightfall take the me wasn''t new to him, one more time wouldn''t hurt. After rescuing Bai Qi, he''d just take Jiang Ling to relive their youth aspensation, yes, that''s what he''d do. But where in the world had Jiang Ling gone? Logically, with her Xuanyang realm, she should be faster than Mu Huanqing. A Tianjiang shouldn''t take more than a few minutes to cross, so why was it taking so long? "She couldn''t be fighting someone on the way, could she?" As soon as this thought crossed Fang Ren''s mind, he quickly took out his phone, looked up Jiang Ling''s number, and dialed it once more. Beep beep¡ª Just as the number was being dialed and the beeping began, at the edge of Fang Ren''s detection range, two practitioners suddenly rushed towards him. Seeing the pair move at speeds almost beyond his ability to track, Fang Ren was certain that the cultivation level of these two practitioners was definitely of the Xuanyang realm! Because his Mind''s Eye visual range was limited, everything beyond a kilometer around him was shrouded in darkness; he couldn''t sense when they had arrived. Hum¡ª In the blink of an eye, two figures arrived in front of Fang Ren, and only then could he clearly see that they were wearing the ck armor of the Central Area Security Team. This is the strongest security team in the world, primarily responsible for monitoring whether any suspicious individuals enter the Central Area and whether void beasts exploit vulnerabilities to damage the base. Fang Ren was about to turn off the cellphone in his hand, which he was dialing, but with his current peak of the Azure Sky level and without the speed boost from the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat, he was too slow in front of two Peak Xuanyang realm guards. His cellphone had already been snatched away by a man in ck armor. One of the men nced at him, frowning slightly, "Fang Family, Fang Ren?" Fang Ren''s heart was in turmoil, but at that moment, he could only pretend to be calm and nodded, "Yes." The man who took his cellphone looked at the device, which was dialing, and asked, "Who was the call to?" Because during Jiang Ling''s breakthrough earlier, his phone had broken, and this new phone didn''t have any contactsbeled. Fang Ren gave a wry smile, "It''s to Jiang Ling, I just wanted to tell her toe and surrender quickly, perhaps she could still be spared ..." Buzz¡ª Before he could finish his sentence, a blue ice de suddenly appeared in one man''s hand and was ced against his neck, the man''s face cold as he said, "Tell the truth! What are you doing here, who is this call to, and what were you nning to say on the phone?" Fang Ren looked at the still unconnected call and couldn''t help breaking out into a cold sweat internally, thinking, Jiang Ling, oh Jiang Ling, don''t answer this call, or no one will be left to bring back your youthful memories ... "Ah? Wasn''t it you who informed me toe here?" Without a second thought, Fang Ren activated Oscar Actor Mode, feignedplete confusion, and continued, "You even told me that something had happened to Princess Bai Xi and only Old Master Bai could handle it. That''s why I came." After hearing this, the man holding the ice de nced at the man with the cellphone, and the ice de in his hand dissipated into True Qi. Although they were unsure about the truth in Fang Ren''s words, Old Master Bai really had brought Princess Bai Xi here in the early morning. As for what Fang Ren had just said about calling Jiang Ling to surrender, they didn''t take it seriously at all, considering everyone knew aboutst night''s incident; Jiang Ling had almost killed Fang Ren, so the idea of her making a call to him was nonsensical. Seeing the man''s de disperse, Fang Ren finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that he couldn''t just barge into the Central District; Jiang Ling hadn''t arrived, so he had to bluff his way in. But what would he do once he had bluffed his way in? He was also an important part of the Indra Sky experiment! Bai Chaojin wouldn''t put him on an experimental table as well, would he? Beep! Just as he had let out a sigh of relief, the phone suddenly emitted the sound of a call connecting. Oh crap! "Fang Ren, I... don''t want to go anymore." As soon as the call connected, a woman''s deep voice came through. The man holding the cellphone immediately handed it to Fang Ren, giving him a cold nce. Fang Ren took the phone and smiled, "Qian Qian, if you don''t want to go shopping, then don''t. I''m actually tied up with something and can''t make it either. Let''s make ns for another day." As Fang Ren spoke, he was ready to hang up the call. Speaking any longer would definitely give Jiang Ling away. Pretending to have made ns to go shopping with Liu Qianqian was the most suitable cover for now. After all, most of the high-ups had never even seen Liu Qianqian. Chapter 292: Chapter 387: Theres No Time to Explain!_1 ``` p¡ª Just as Fang Ren''s hand was about to press the hang-up button on the phone screen, at that moment, a man beside him caught his wrist with a speed invisible to the naked eye. Fang Ren''s expression stiffened, and he couldn''t help but wonder where he hadn''t performed well just now? Or was it that he had encountered two "True. Oscar" level critics today? The man who had grabbed his wrist gave him a look, and Fang Ren, on the surface, cooperated by staying quiet, waiting for the next segment of sound toe from the phone, his heart pounding. In the following three seconds, the phone didn''t emit any sound, and what followed was the beep-beep of a hang-up, without a single "mm" or "okay" being said. Fang Ren breathed a sigh of relief in his heart¡ªJiang Ling was still clever. Then Fang Ren lifted his head, using his white eyes to nce at the man who had grabbed his wrist, and said, "Any more questions?" The man let go of his hand, his face expressionless: "I''m just very curious, the people Young Master Fang usually contacts, don''t you put them in notes?" Upon hearing that the other party even addressed him as Young Master, Fang Renughed and said, "I have a good memory. No need, putting notes ispletely unnecessary." The man who had previously held a knife to Fang Ren''s throat dismissed the notion with a gesture and said, "All right, now that things are clear, Young Master Fang should hurry over, so as not to dy anything." Having heard this, Fang Ren put away his phone with a nod and turned around, then started flying towards the ind of the Central District, while the two men lingering in mid-air had one of them take out a phone to dial a number. At this very moment, in thergestboratory at the Indra Sky headquarters, various nts, flowers and vines had already covered 70% of theb''s area. Some of the scientific researchers had retreated to the door, all watching the rampaging nts inside theb with panicked faces while constantly dragging arge instrument and calcting. Inside theboratory, many of the experimental beds still had cultivators who were experimental subjectsying on them, but as soon as these beds were touched by the nts, they instantly turned into green grass, including some of the unconscious subjects; the moment they were touched by the nts, their lives vanished in their unconscious state, turning into nourishment for the nts. Bai Chaojin looked at the endlessly spreading nts on the ground, his forehead covered in cold sweat, his True Qi continuously striking the sprawling nts, but to no avail. This experiment had gone far beyond his expectations. He had thought that Jiang Ling would be able to fuse with the Void Energy, and so could Bai Qi, but there were too many variables¡ªfirst was Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root, and then Bai Qi''s Spiritual Root. He had overlooked the devouring attribute of Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root, as well as the earth-shattering ability of Bai Qi''s Spiritual Root. "Commander! The energy inside Princess Bai Xi''s body is far stronger than we had estimated!" A scientist wearing sses reported, hands trembling as he held the instrument, his face so panicked that he was stuttering. "What do you mean?" Bai Chaojin asked through clenched teeth, frowning. "The energy of the Princess''s Spiritual Root has grown by more than tenfold in the past 22 years! In other words, once this energy bursts out, not even Tianjiang will be enough to contain it!" the scientist eximed, his sses gone awry on his face, without even caring to straighten them. Bai Chaojin clenched his fists tightly, his teeth grinding so loud they made noise: "Are you saying that this energy grows along with Qi''er''s Realm... Doesn''t that mean Qi''er won''t be able to control it even if she reaches the Fractured Void Stage!" "General! We have no other options left! All the experimental calctions have resulted in failure! The only way is if Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root can release the devouring True Qi outside of Princess Bai Xi''s body; that could suppress the growth of these nts! But Princess is currently in a state of suspended animation, she simply cannot release it!" "Are you telling me to kill Qi''er outright?" Bai Chaojin roared. ``` "No... Commander, we still have onest option, and that''s to bring Fang Renran here to awaken the grey Spiritual Root within Princess Bai Xi''s body! However, if we do that, Fang Renran will know everything we''ve been up to," a researcher wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said. "At a time like this, who cares about that!" After Bai Chaojin roared, he immediately reached for his phone to call the guards outside to bring Fang Renran over, but before he could touch his phone, a call from a member of the Central District Guard came through. Good, he was just about to contact them. Bai Chaojin immediately hit the answer button on his phone, and without giving the other side a chance to speak, he shouted, "Don''t talk to me about anything else right now! Go to Tianjiang and bring me Fang Renran! I don''t care how you do it! Make it quick!" As soon as Bai Chaojin''s roar went down the line, the man from the guard on the other end was stunned for a few seconds before he managed to say, "Commander, I was just about to tell you... Fang Renran, he''s already arrived in the Central Area..." Bai Chaojin was taken aback, then without another word, he hung up the phone and with True Qi Rotation, he burst out of theboratory. He didn''t even bother with the elevator, but instead used his True Qi to break through the elevator shaft and flew to the surface. Hum¡ª The guards on the ground hadn''t even seen his figure, they just felt a gust of wind, leaving behind only a damaged elevator in the hall, and everyone with a dumbfounded expression. No sooner had Bai Chaojin flown out of the building when he saw Fang Renran in a school uniform in the sky, because he was the only one floating above the entire path, which was too conspicuous. At that moment, Fang Renran was frowning, quickly closing in on a certain building, because his senses had detected a familiar energy about fifty meters underground, violently stirring. And in the center of that violent energy, his senses could clearly see Bai Qi lying pale on a bed, now devoid of any sign of life. Hum¡ª As he was charging towards the building, suddenly Bai Chaojin''s figure appeared. Fang Renran immediately tried to dodge, but didn''t expect Bai Chaojin to charge directly at him as if he had anticipated his arrival. "Shit! It''s over!" Fang Renran, watching Bai Chaojin turn into a blur, regretteding alone! Looking at the situation, it was clearly a critical time. They must be just short of one test subject to supply Bai Qi with energy! Wasn''t this just walking into a trap? "Dammit! Why isn''t that olddy from Jiang Ling showing up all of a sudden! Is she crazy?" Fang Renran roared inside, but he was stuck in the sky, immobile. Even if he tried to run, he couldn''t outrun Bai Chaojin! Hum¡ª In the blink of an eye, Bai Chaojin appeared in front of Fang Renran. His aged hand directly grabbed Fang Renran''s arm, and with a frantic tone he said, "There''s no time to exin! Come with me!" Chapter 293: Chapter 388: The Great Task of Saving Tianjiang_1 What the fuck?!? Fang Ren waspletely dumbfounded. What do you mean there''s no time to exin? Couldn''t you be clearer when I came to catch Old Master Bai? Why do you have to use the inte ng young people are fond of? "Well, Bai..." Just as Fang Ren was about to voice his resistance, he felt a tremendous force pulling at him, and he was whisked away into the building along with Bai Chaojin. Buzz¡ª¡ª Bai Chaojin didn''t give him any time to think. After entering the building, he charged straight for the destroyed elevator and descended over fifty meters. Bang! With a loud crash, the steel tes at the bottom of theboratory dented under Bai Chaojin''s stomping, and all the staff looked on in bemusement as Bai Chaojin returned with Fang Ren in tow. "You, kid from the Fang Family! You better think of something fast!" Bai Chaojin shook Fang Ren''s shoulders several times, pointing at the nts spreading rampantly within theb and shouting with a face full of panic. Fang Ren, dizzy from the shaking, took in theb and the group of researchers. He never imagined that he would simply walk into the main base of the Indra Sky research facility. Moreover, it seemed that Bai Chaojin hadn''t dragged him here to be part of an experiment but to ask for his help. Before Fang Ren could get a handle on the situation, a researcher inside let out a piercing scream. A nt had pierced his arm; he only managed to get half a scream out before it covered his entire body, turning him instantly into a clump of grass and flowers. Fang Ren quickly brushed off Bai Chaojin''s hand from his shoulder and, using his mind''s eye, inspected Bai Xi''s condition. Only at this close range did he realize the immense energy he had sensed earlier was being emitted by these nts, all of which were linked to Bai Xi. Bai Xi was buried under mounds of nts. Her lifeless body was topped with a floating green glow connected to her Spiritual Root, which was providing vitality to all the nts but wasn''t reviving Bai Xi. This fact suddenly fueled Fang Ren''s anger, and he turned to re at Bai Chaojin, "You really are ruthless! Using your own granddaughter as an experimental subject!" From Fang Ren''s perspective, the reason the green light wasn''t reviving Bai Xi was all because of the meddling of these researchers¡ªafter all, how could a Spiritual Root not care about the life of its host? Beads of cold sweat dotted Bai Chaojin''s forehand as agitation consumed him. Hearing Fang Ren''s shouting, he erupted in anger, yelling back, "You don''t know shit! You think I don''t care about her?" "You care my ass! Have you no shame? She''s dead, and you''re still not nning to stop the experiment!" Fang Ren, too, was too furious to mind hisnguage. "It''s not like I wanted this to happen! You don''t know anything about what''s going on!" After Bai Chaojin''s roar, he immediately calmed down, gritting his teeth and saying, "Stop arguing about this nonsense and think of a way to awaken the Spiritual Root inside Qi''er. Otherwise, the whole Tianjiang could be blown to smithereens!" "What the hell does that have to do with me!" Fang Ren shouted angrily, "If it weren''t for your unteral decision to conduct such inhumane experiments, how could this have happened!" Bai Chaojin was gritting his teeth so hard that they were making grinding sounds. Themander, arguing and cursing with some brat, was truly a first in his life. "Commander! Now''s not the time to fight! We have to figure out how to save Princess Bai Xi! Otherwise, we''ll all be eternal sinners!" a researcher shouted. "Eternal sinners?" Fang Ren sneered coldly, "As if the things you''ve done aren''t enough!" Bai Chaojin immediately grabbed Fang Ren''s arm, his surprise evident. He was certain of what Fang Ren had said, but he had no idea how Fang Ren could possibly know about the internal affairs of Indra Sky, as that information had never been leaked. "I will exin everything to you after you save Qi''er," Bai Chaojin said seriously. "Me, save her?" Fang Ren grew even angrier. "Wake her up just so you can continue your inhumane experiments on her?" "I''m telling you, even if we take ten thousand steps back and your misunderstanding of our intentions is fine, if you don''t save Qi''er now, the entire Tianjiang will be obliterated! Even Mu Huanqing might not be able to survive this massive explosion!" Bai Chaojin gritted his teeth. "What''s your choice!" Fang Ren clenched his teeth audibly for a moment. Although Bai Chaojin was telling the truth, it felt like a threat to him. But at this moment, he had no other choice. Judging by the expressions of the scientific researchers, this was no joke ¡ª and certainly not a show put on for him. No one would risk an entireboratory and the lives of so many researchers for a mere performance. Fang Ren wasn''t overly concerned that Mu Huanqing would be affected by the explosion, as her power would likely allow her to survive even a powerful st. However, there were just too many innocent people in Tianjiang, and more importantly, his child had just been born! Faced with such a crisis mere days after his child''s birth, Fang Ren naturally wouldn''t allow it to happen. Taking ten thousand steps back, he didn''t want to leave Mu Huanqing a widow or his child fatherless. Being here, he definitely couldn''t escape the st. "Damn it!" Fang Ren swore and said through gritted teeth, "Tell me what I need to do!" Bai Chaojin felt a sigh of relief and directed his True Qi to block the nts that were pouring into theboratory. "Qi''er has your Spiritual Root inside her. All you need to do is awaken that Spiritual Root and use it to suppress Qi''er''s Life Spiritual Root. However, the biggest problem now is that you can''t touch Qi''er through this thickyer of nts, which might prevent you from awakening it." Fang Ren frowned and said, "Are these nts deadly to the touch?" Bai Chaojin replied, "At least my True Qi can''t resist their corrosion, and I dare not touch them." Fang Ren looked at the countless nt-encased bodies in theboratory and at the green nts that continued to spread, feeling a tingling at the back of his head. He didn''t dare to touch those nts. But as for awakening the Spiritual Root, there was no way to do that from such a distance. "Damn it, eureka!" Just as Fang Ren fretted, suddenly, little Qianye jumped out from his pocket, plopped onto his shoulder, and looked confusedly adorable. Everyone was startled by the sudden appearance of the charming creature. "Is this¡­ a Spirit Form?" Bai Chaojin furrowed his brows. He could sense the rich Spiritual Root aura from Qianye and knew that it was undoubtedly a Spirit Form, but since when had Spirit Forms been alive, let alone capable of speaking? Fang Ren grabbed little Qianye and, seeing its confidence, knew it must have a solution. Fang Ren patted Qianye''s backside and said earnestly, "Go on, Pikachu, the tremendous task of saving Tianjiang rests on you!" "Pikachu?" Qianye appeared confused, gnawing on its round arm, then tilting its little head. "Pikachu?" "Don''t worry about it; it just means an amazingly cool adjective," said Fang Ren impatiently. Qianye nodded seriously, shouted "Pikachu," and charged right into the pile of nts. Chapter 294: Chapter 389: Bai Qi Under Surveillance_1 Under the bewildered gaze of everyone present, this little fellow, resembling a plush toy, zipped into the dense vegetation. Little Qianye ran to the edge of the spreading nts without any attempt to dodge, allowing those deadly threats to touch its body, yet it moved through them with ease, showing no signs of being devoured. The group of researchers watching this didn''t seem too surprised because they all knew very well that Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root could suppress Bai Qi''s Spiritual Root. Since this little fellow was Fang Ren''s Spirit Form, it naturally possessed the same suppressive power. The endlessly spreading vines originated from Bai Qi''s Spiritual Root, and could also be considered a form of her Spirit Form, just like Fang Ren''s Spirit Form, which had two forms. Bai Chaojin watched little Qianye running out, his expression still tense, then turned to nce at Fang Ren, "Your Pikachu... can it handle it?" "If it can''t, who can?" Fang Ren couldn''t be bothered with the old man. Now that the masks were off, he wasn''t afraid of what would happen next. He would have to take things one step at a time and focus on protecting Princess Bai Xi and Tianjiang first. Half a minute after little Qianye burrowed into the vines, suddenly, the growth rate of all the nts in theboratory began to slow down. Seeing this, a huge sigh of relief was released by the scientists. The entireboratory was filled with the sound of breath being released. Meanwhile, inside theboratory, little Qianye stood beside Bai Qi''s bed, staring dumbly at the green energy ball with its round arms slowly reaching into the light. As little Qianye''s round arms touched the green light ball, all the nts in theboratory stopped growing and Fang Ren was the only one among the people on the outside who could see this scene. "Was this the reason you transnted my Spiritual Root back then?" Fang Ren nced at Bai Chaojin. Bai Chaojin, seeing that the vines in theb were nowpletely under control, shifted his focus to Fang Ren. "I had no choice at the time. If I didn''t use your Spiritual Root, and still wanted to save the lives of most people in Tianjiang, then I would have had to kill Qi''er with my own hands," Bai Chaojin said. Fang Ren nodded, after hearing this exnation and considering the current scene, he could somewhat understand why his Spiritual Root was transnted back then, but he did not understand what Bai Chaojin did afterward, which was using his Spiritual Root and Bai Qi''s abilities to conduct experiments on countless lives, aiming to make Bai Qi the most powerful Cultivator in human history. This matter, he could not understand, nor would he try to! Like the situation with Jiang Ling, the matter of Indra Sky, and the test subjects lying on each experimental bed in front of him... he would not try toprehend them. Fang Ren abruptly changed the subject, "If Old Master Bai cherished his granddaughter so much, why would he have the heart to use her for experiments now, almost killing her? Doesn''t Old Master Bai find himself a bit tooplicated?" Bai Chaojin asked, "Do you think this experiment was something I forced Qi''er into?" "Otherwise, did shee here on her own? And aftering here, did she voluntarily offer to gamble her life on an experiment?" Fang Ren retorted with a sneer. Upon hearing this, Bai Chaojin''s brows furrowed, and looking at Fang Ren, he said, "Actually, I wanted to ask you about that. I thought it would be difficult to persuade Qi''er during this time, but to my surprise, the first time I saw her, she looked utterly dejected! I hadn''t even mentioned the experiment, and she was the one to ask me how to be stronger in a short period of time, saying she didn''t care by what means! After I came clean about the experiment, she readily epted it!" As he spoke, Bai Chaojin couldn''t help but be angry, "Even during the experiment, while Qi''er was unconscious, she kept mentioning you! In the end, I had no choice but to induce a state of suspended animation in her body! Now I want to ask, does this not have anything to do with you at all?" Fang Ren frowned after listening to Bai Chaojin, unable to believe Bai Qi would agree to the experiment, which seemed utterly impossible to him. And Bai Qi, still talking about him while unconscious... He knew Bai Qi was fond of him, but that was a different issue from her agreeing to the experiment. "Any fool would know you wouldn''t believe that," Bai Chaojin said before turning his gaze to a scientist nearby and instructed, "Pull up that surveince audio for me, and show him in person." "Yes, Commander." Upon hearing this, the scientist immediately kicked the wall next to the elevator, and a small door frame with several monitors for surveince appeared within the wall. Fang Ren watched the scientist going to fetch the surveince footage, his forehead wrinkling. Old Master Bai didn''t look like he was joking, and Fang Ren didn''t understand how Bai Qi could''ve agreed to this life-risking experiment. During the time the surveince footage was being retrieved, little Qianye had already begun pushing the green glow back into Bai Qi''s Spiritual Root. As the green light faded away, the nts in theboratory rapidly shrank back, with vines and herbs all converging towards Bai Qi''s abdomen. A research team leader saw this and immediately ran inside, "Everyonee over! Push all the remaining equipment next to Princess Bai Xi, and check her physical condition!" Hum¡ª Hundreds of scientific researchers quickly pushed the still-intact equipment toward Bai Qi''s location. Various devices started to be connected, just waiting for the remaining vines to retract into Bai Xi''s body before they would proceed with further experimentation. Because the most important auxiliary person, Fang Ren, had already arrived, they were nowpletely confident in carrying out the experiment to the end. Two to three minutester, the researcher who retrieved the surveince footage came out, transferred a video clip onto his mobile phone, and handed it to Bai Chaojin, "Commander, this is the surveince video from when Princess Bai Xi arrived herest night." Bai Chaojin had just received it when he immediately tossed it to Fang Ren, his face burning with anger, "You take a good look at this! There''s also audio!" Fang Ren clenched his teeth; this old bastard had be tough once he saw the vines had stabilized, which was irritating. However, Fang Ren still took the phone; he now really wanted to know why Bai Xi had willingly subjected herself to this experiment. Pressing the y button on the mobile video, the camera angle was high, and the people in view were not clear. As the video started to y, Bai Qi, dressed in school uniform, was seen entering with a female scientific researcher. At first, she was surprised and puzzled by the scene in theboratory. Bai Qi''s voice could be heard in the video, though it was faint against the chatter of other researchers, and she had to listen carefully to hear what Bai Qi was saying. Half a minute after Bai Qi''s arrival, Bai Chaojin also appeared on the surveince. Listening to his conversation with Bai Qi, it was Bai Chaojin trying to exin the origin of theboratory, but he was interrupted by Bai Qi. Bai Chaojin wasn''t wrong; Bai Qi''s expression was grim. There was one sentence of her dialogue with Bai Chaojin in the video, "I don''t want to know what experiments you are doing, Grandfather. I came here today because the butler said that I could be countless times stronger within a few days." "I want to be strong, no matter what it takes. As long as I can be the world''s strongest Cultivator within these few days, I am willing to pay any price!" "You don''t need to ask why I''m doing this all of a sudden, Grandfather. I won''t tell you. Just make me strong. The rest is my own business¡­" "Like I said, I don''t care how it''s done. I''m not afraid of pain, I''m not afraid of death. As long as I can be stronger than anyone else in these few days¡­" ¡­ Bai Qi said a lot, her expression alternating between serious and dark, with a tone that was so resolute it seemed ten oxen couldn''t pull her back. In the video, Bai Chaojin tried several times to tell her about the matters of Indra Sky, but he was always cut off by Bai Qi''s "I don''t care." In the end, Bai Chaojin had no opportunity to inform her about the risks of the experiment or the brutal history of Indra Sky. ¡­ The scene shifted, the experiment was about to begin, Bai Qi entered an unconscious state. During the experiment, herplexion was poor, and it was apparent from her expression how much pain she was in when she wasn''t feigning death. "Fang Ren¡­ I will definitely save you¡­ No one can hurt you¡­" In the video, this phrase was the one repeated the most by Bai Xi while she was unconscious. Ultimately, because Bai Qi kept talking in her unconscious state, the experiment could not proceed, and the researchers had to resort to an injectable drug to induce a deathlike state in Bai Xi, which facilitated the progression of the experiment. After watching the end of the video, Fang Ren waspletely stunned. Now, he understood why Bai Chaojin had tied two matters together, but he still didn''t understand why Bai Qi, in such extreme pain while unconscious, kept calling out his name and saying words of protection for him. The message conveyed through the entire video was that everything, Bai Qi''s willingness to undergo the experiment, had been for his sake¡­ Chapter 295: Chapter 390: Another Sacred Body_1 Seeing this, andbining it with my own experiences from the past two days, Fang Ren could only think of the attack that urredst night. In the surveince video, the words spoken by Bai Qi were likely due to the provocation from Jiang Ling. Bai Qi liked him, Fang Ren was clear about this in his heart, so the conclusion was obvious. It was because she liked him and saw him being "assassinated" by Jiang Ling, worrying that he could be killed by Jiang Ling at any moment, that Bai Qi came here. However, what Fang Ren hadn''t expected was that in the surveince, Bai Qi was so emotional that she spoke words that implied "whatever method," anguage of recklessness. The video in his hands yed until the end and started looping again, and as Fang Ren watched Bai Qi in the video, resolute and shouting "no matter what method, it doesn''t matter," suddenly, a scene that had appeared two months ago shed through Fang Ren''s mind: It was a bustling street, at noon, and the sunlight was a bit scorching. In the crowd, Bai Qi was wearing a pair of broken white canvas shoes, tightly clutching a stack of cash, and twenty meters away on the roadside was the figure of Fang Ren with little Qianye. The twenty-meter-long street was bustling with peopleing and going, and Bai Qi, within Fang Ren''s line of sight, was asionally blocked by passersby. "Fang Ren!" Suddenly, Bai Qi, holding tightly to the hem of her skirt, shouted his name loudly. Fang Ren was slightly stunned, his gaze fixed on Bai Qi, who was a bit dirty, as this was the first time Bai Qi had run away from home, and it was when he was giving her the fare to go back. "I, Bai Qi! Am willing to go through fire and water for you!" The serious words shouted by the girl seemed earnest; however, at the time, Fang Ren considered it just something a girl would blurt out impulsively after hearing about the annulment of an engagement. Yet he hadn''t anticipated that the girl had truly made up her mind at the time and that this day would indeede... The surveince video in his hands stopped again and data information reported at high speed by a group of researchers reached his ears. Fang Ren put down the video, staring nkly at the depths of theboratory at the Bai Qi lying on the hospital bed, his heart suddenly filled with sorrow. That today''s scene had unfolded was all because of Bai Qi''s good intentions towards him, not because Bai Chaojin was so inhumane, nor because Indra Sky forcefully turned Bai Qi into a living dead... It was all voluntarily done by Bai Qi, willing to protect him. Why had things turned out this way? Fang Ren was distressed, wondering why Bai Qi had fallen for him. The person she should have liked was Song Mobei, so why had it suddenly be him... However, it was just a few seconds of distress, for he understood that no matter what he thought at this moment, it couldn''t change the situation at hand. Rather than asking himself questions without answers, it was better to quickly resolve the matter in front of him. Bai Chaojin felt much morefortable after seeing Fang Ren put down the surveince video, because he knew that no matter what happened to Bai Qi next, Fang Ren wouldn''t be able to just sit by and watch. In the depths of theboratory, the green vines on Bai Qi''s body had all retracted inside, and little Qianye, full of excitement, jumped off Bai Qi and rushed towards Fang Ren. Fang Ren was walking towards the depths of theboratory, his gaze constantly scanning Indra Sky''srgestboratory. Although it had been badly damaged, he could still discern many of the test subjects, and with his wide-range but fine-tuned perception, he could arrive at very urate conclusions. Thisrgeboratory housed a total of 2,624 test subjects, nearly three thousand people, meaning that 2,624 practitioners who hade off the battlefield were brought to this highly revered Central Area, only to undergo extraordinarily cruel experimentation. They sacrificed for Earth, and what they got in the end was being exploited again by the higher-ups, squeezed dry of theirst value, and the outside world didn''t even know how they died. Bai Chaojin, Indra Sky... every one of them was guilty! They couldn''t escape the heavy sin, no matter what! In a society built upon human moral norms, Bai Chaojin deserved to be killed ten thousand times over. "Heiha heiha!" Little Qianye ran and bounced happily into Fang Ren''s arms, pointing excitedly in the direction of Bai Qi, shouting, "Master! Sacred Body! Sacred Body! Heiha!" Fang Ren pulled his attention away from the bodies and listened to Qianye''s words. ncing at Bai Qi again, he wasn''t too surprised this time. The power that had erupted from Bai Qi''s Spiritual Root had been enough to destroy the entire Tianjiang, which meant it could obliterate one-fifteenth of Earth''snd. It would be odd if she didn''t have some special body constitution. "Is it even stronger than Liu Qianqian''s constitution?" Fang Ren asked. Qianye shook his head, "No, Qian Qian''s constitution is one of the strongest in the world, heh heh!" Fang Ren frowned. Bai Qi''s constitution could wipe out a fifteenth of Earth''snd, and yet, it wasn''t as strong as Liu Qianqian''s? Then what kind of constitution did Liu Qianqian have? Moving through the Ten Thousand Realms... Would Liu Qianqian really end up like that? "However, while the constitution is important for cultivation, it''s fortune that truly matters, heh heh," Qianye spoke. "What constitution does Bai Qi have?" Fang Ren inquired. "The Withered Wood Profound Spirit Constitution, heh heh!" "What''s it good for?" "It''s one of the strongest forms of the Wood attribute. At the highest realms, one thought can wither all things, and another can bring them to life, heh heh," said Qianye. After listening, Fang Ren''s face showed his headache. Every Sacred Body sounded so mighty, but he had never seen such phenomena in reality. He couldn''t shake the feeling that Qianye was boasting nonsense... Fang Ren''s conversation with Qianye wasn''t soundproofed by True Qi, so Bai Chaojin caught every word. However, he didn''t care about what constituted a Sacred Body or not. He didn''t want to understand those things; he only wanted to grasp the present moment. The group of researchers next to him continued to report their findings, with Bai Chaojin incessantly asking about the situation. "The gray Spiritual Root has devoured the Void Energy! It has re-suppressed Princess''s Life Spiritual Root! The energy within the princess''s body has stabilized!" they reported. "Can the experiment continue?" "If we continue the experiment, the energy in the princess''s body may be uncontroble again! But with Fang Ren here, the feasibility is 90%! If we stop the experiment, the princess might truly be a corpse!" "Continue the experiment!" ... At Bai Chaojin''smand, the researchers sprang into action once more. "Commander! The Void Beast used for the experimentation has been destroyed by the vines! We must obtain a new Void Beast to proceed!" a researcher said. Hearing this, Bai Chaojin furrowed his brows and responded, "What about that skull of the Ninth-order Void Beast, can we use it?" The researcher was startled, "Commander! That skull is still alive! And it''s a genuine Ninth-order... the gray Spiritual Root inside Princess Bai Xi can''t suppress it!" Bai Chaojin nced at Fang Ren, not far away, and said, "What if he suppresses it?" The researcher turned to Fang Ren and then fixed his gaze on Qianye, the little creature that had suppressed the rampaging energy that could destroy Tianjiang. "With the help of Young Master Fang, the Ninth-order Void Beast Skull can serve as the energy for Princess Bai Xi''s evolution!" the researcher stated emphatically. Chapter 296: Chapter 391: Abolition of the Marriage System? (Part 1)_1 "Then go prepare." After listening to what the other party had said, Bai Chaojin directly dropped this remark and turned to walk towards Fang Ren. The scientist nced at Fang Ren, then took a few people to the other side of theboratory to prepare for moving out the head of a ninth-order void beast. Watching Bai Chaojining towards him, Fang Ren''s feelings at the moment were nothing but anger and powerlessness. He had heard everything Bai Chaojin and that person had discussed, but he was powerless to stop Bai Chaojin. "Since you are quite familiar with this organization, you must also know where you stand in this experiment, right?" Bai Chaojin said. "Furnace? An auxiliary tool?" Fang Ren responded. "Although those words have some derogatory connotations, the reality is indeed so," Bai Chaojin said. "But let''s take the conversation back to the beginning; I hope that you understand not only the negative aspects of our organization, but also why we are willing to pay such a high price. You should know that doing these things means bearing a notorious legacy for eternity." Fang Ren shook his head and sighed, "People like you, who are in high positions, only know that the victors can rewrite everything. You have never considered the consequences of your failure. All you can think of is how to cover up these horrifying truths after achieving sess." Bai Chaojin paused for a moment, his gaze towards Fang Ren somewhat helpless, and he spoke, "Do you think that everyone in high positions must cover up their atrocities?" "At least among those I havee into contact with, you are the one most in need of concealing your crimes," Fang Ren said. "And you have indeed done so before, such as with the Nightfall Organization." As Fang Ren''s words fell, the expression on Bai Chaojin''s face paused for a moment, then filled with resignation, "You really do have an inextricable link with the Nightfall Organization." From Bai Chaojin''s words, Fang Ren could tell that Bai Chaojin had long suspected his connection with the Nightfall Organization, but his admission now confirmed Bai Chaojin''s suspicions about his rtionship with Nightfall. Fang Ren didn''t want to know when Bai Chaojin started suspecting him, nor did he care about what strategies Bai Chaojin would adopt next, since he was now in the Central Area. Regardless of his involvement with Nightfall, Bai Chaojin would use him as an auxiliary tool for Bai Qi. Since faces were already torn, there was no need to hold back. "How does it feel to have your own pawn stepping out of the chessboard?" Fang Ren asked. Bai Chaojin''s face still wore a look of resignation, "I never regarded you as a pawn. Everyone here, all those who are alive or dead, they are heroes. And as for stepping out of the chessboard, although that metaphor is not quite appropriate, your presence here shows that you haven''t stepped out of the chessboard you speak of." "You are wrong," said Fang Ren seriously. "If I had never encountered the Nightfall Organization, by the time I was twenty-two, I would probably naively believe your sweet nothings, thinking that helping you with your experiments was contributing to the great journey of our race. But it''s different now. Whether or not I help Bai Qi, it''s my freedom, all the initiative rests in my hands, and I am not so easily fooled by your sweet talk." "Oh, you mean in that respect¡­" Bai Chaojin frowned. "Indeed, it would have been far less troublesome if I could have deceived you with words. In the face of such circumstances, ignorance is indeed a fortune." Fang Ren did not speak further, waiting for what Bai Chaojin would say next. He would not be confused by the other''s words, if Bai Chaojin were to use force, but his spiritual root was something others could not control, for no entity had been discovered in this world capable of suppressing Qianye. Even if he were controlled, Qianye was beyond their grasp. Moreover, at his age, transnting a spiritual root was no longer possible, no matter how much Indra Sky wanted to exploit his spiritual root, without his consent, they had no recourse, and could only sit and stew. Seeing him waiting, Bai Chaojin continued to speak, "Your misunderstandings about me are quite deep. Regarding what happened with Jiang Ling of the Nightfall Organization, I have nothing to say, she indeed is a victim. But in the face of a racial crisis, personal emotions cannot be amodated against the backdrop of greater issues. Before her, many people gave up their personal feelings and made greater sacrifices than she did. Moreover, the title of ''victim'' fits many people better than her, but they died for the future of the human race. However, she, in the face of great issues, for her own selfish desires, caused infighting within our species. It''s not wrong to call her a victim, but it''s even more correct to say she was guilty. If her actions had continued, all our sacrifices would have been in vain. She was selfish!" After listening to Bai Chaojin''s words, Fang Ren felt rage building up in his throat, threatening to take over his mind at any moment. "She turned out like this because of what you did, didn''t she?" Fang Ren said coldly. Bai Chaojin frowned at Fang Ren, feeling that his words had been as inconsequential as a fart; this junior from the Fang Family clearly had not grasped the greater issues he had tried to convey, let alone the current plight of humankind. "Forget it, there''s no use talking to you about this, but there''s one thing I must tell you. Regardless of whether the experiment is a sess or not, or whether Qi''er can shatter the void, I won''t deny the sins I''vemitted." Having said this, Bai Chaojin''s gaze shifted toward the huge ck serpent''s head being moved by several scientists. He turned around and walked directly towards the enormous ck serpent''s head, and while leaving, he sighed and said, "Once Qi''er''s experiment is sessful, I will go to the world beyond and atone for the sinsmitted to those who have died." Theboratory was noisy. Bai Chaojin''s sigh, however, was crystal clear in Fang Ren''s ears. Fang Ren watched nkly as the elderly man with the resolute silhouette moved away. The fury that had been burning up to his neck suddenly felt like a fishbone stuck in his throat. It stopped burning, it didn''t engulf Fang Ren''s brain as it should have. It just stopped, unable to rise any higher. Bai Chaojin... This man behind the scenes whom he detested so much had, at this moment, said such words... "Wait a second," Fang Ren called to Bai Chaojin. "If you have any more questions, askter," Bai Chaojin said, walking quickly toward a group of scientists; he was most worried about whether his granddaughter would be able to wake up safely. Fang Renpletely ignored his words and said, "If Mu Huanqing and I insist on being together, what would you do?" Bai Chaojin''s stride suddenly halted, and after a moment of pondering, he said, "As long as Qi''er''s experiment seeds, you and she can be together however you wish. Even after that, the cultivators'' marriage regtions can also be abolished." Chapter 297: 392: The Experiment Continues (Part 2) - 1 Having said that, Bai Chaojin continued to make his way toward thergest ck serpent head. Behind him, Fang Ren''s face showed no expression; of course, he wouldn''t believe Bai Chaojin''s words. If Bai Chaojin were truly honorable, then Jiang Ling''s husband would not have been killed. Of course, Bai Chaojin''s statement, "After everything is over, I will go to the afterlife and atone to the heroic dead," did stir some feelings in Fang Ren. A person who hasmitted so many sins, especially an old one, must harbor some desire for redemption. After all¡­ the ultimate aim of the high-ranking officials in the Central Area, from the beginning until now, was to ensure a secure life for the humans on Earth, and that never changed. But his and Mu Huanqing''s situation probably wasn''t as simple as Bai Chaojin made it out to be. "Commander, please unseal this head. Otherwise, our guiding equipment will not be able to extract the Void Energy within," a research staff member pushing the gigantic head entreated Bai Chaojin. Without a word, Bai Chaojin formed a small Formation with his hands and pped the three-meter-high serpent head. In a sh, blue Arrays began to appear on the entire ck serpent head. As the small Formation from Bai Chaojin''s hand integrated, the entire Blue Array began to operate, turning into strands of blue silk that started to fall away from the ck serpent head. Following that, as the blue silk detached, the ck serpent head suddenly opened a pair of enormous golden pupils. It swiftly scanned all the objects in theboratory and then opened its gaping maw toward Bai Chaojin standing directly in front of it. A pair of massive fangs lunged at Bai Chaojin''s head. Boom¡ª Suddenly, True Qi burst forth from Bai Chaojin''s body, and he struck the ck serpent head with his palm. The powerful True Qi made the entireboratory tremble, and the giant fangs shattered straight out of the serpent''s mouth! Hiss¡ª The serpent head, in pain, emitted a sound akin to a gas leak. Following that, its golden eyes rolled back, and it fell unconscious. "This creature has been severed from its main body for so long and yet it''s not fully weakened." Bai Chaojin frowned at the ck serpent head, "Using this thing''s Void Energy, can Qi''er withstand it?" A research staff member nearby said, "ording to our recent calctions, as long as Young Master Fang is willing to go all out to suppress, the Void Energy within the serpent''s head won''t pose a threat to the Princess." Upon hearing this, Bai Chaojin promptly dered, "Continue the experiment." Several research staff members immediately pushed the gigantic serpent head into the experimental device, and they began to insert various types of energy conduits onto the ck serpent head. Bai Chaojin turned back to look at Fang Ren and spoke, "Fang Family''s boy, it''s time for you to lend a hand." Clenching his teeth and frowning, Fang Ren knew he couldn''t refuse. If he did, Bai Qi would die, and he couldn''t possibly let Bai Qi, the girl who came here because she liked him, just die like that. The research staff had also said that Bai Qi''s current state of feigned death was irreversible, and the only chance for survival was to see the experiment through to the end. Without replying to Bai Chaojin, Fang Ren immediately joined the group of research staff. Looking at Bai Qi inside the shattered giant ss wall, and the ck serpent head on the other side, he couldn''t shake this ominous premonition. This foreboding feeling was far stronger than the fact he was in the Indra Sky Laboratory Headquarters at the time. What was it? Fang Ren suddenly became bewildered. "Young Master Fang, please lie down beside Princess Bai Xi," a researcher walked over very respectfully and said to Fang Ren. Fang Ren was indifferent, not saying much, and went into the ss wall. Hey down on another experimental bed that was brought over by the research staff next to the bed where Bai Qi was lying. He had understood from what these people said before that they wanted to use his abilities to suppress the Void Energy¡ªsomething he was aware of; after all, when Jiang Ling was breaking through, it was he who suppressed the Void Energy. The Spiritual Root within him had the capacity to sh head-on with the Void Energy. "Young Master Fang, please hold the Princess''s hand," another research staff member instructed. Fang Ren frowned slightly, but without any objection, he gently grasped Bai Qi''s stiff and cold hand. The moment he grasped Bai Qi''s hand, Fang Ren went nk. He could sense the aura of his own Spiritual Rooting from her, and at this moment, the feeling was noticeably strong, even more than when they had had more physical contact before. Fang Ren turned to look at Bai Qi''s abdomen. The energy within her waspletely released without any form of protection. Logically speaking, Practitioners who cultivate above the Cloud Layer realm should always keep their True Qi in a protective state. Yet, Bai Qi did not have any protection¡ªan indication of true death. Aside from this, observing the True Qi constantly circting in Bai Qi''s abdomen, she seemed like a living person. This state was too strange, no wonder these research staff referred to her as a "living dead." And precisely because of this state, the Spiritual Root that had been transnted from Fang Ren without any disguise,id bare under Fang Ren''s True Qi sense, hence the strong feeling. "Confirming the transfer tubes are correct, equipment is verified urate. The Void Energy calction range is safe; Princess Bai Xi''s body data is declining¡­" "Proceed with the experiment quickly! Energy transfer,mence!" "Young Master Fang, please transmit True Qi to the grey Spiritual Root inside Princess Bai Xi, or enhance the Spiritual Root within her if possible. If neither of these methods work, then please proceed with mouth-to-mouth contact." ... "Mouth-to-mouth contact?" Fang Ren was baffled. He could understand the first two methods of transferring energy, but what the hell was this mouth-to-mouth contact about? What a joke! Fortunately, Fang Ren was capable of both the aforementioned methods. It was better to opt for energy transfer. Hum¡ª The roaring sound of the massive engine made Fang Ren frown. Shortly afterward, he began to transmit his True Qi through his hands into Bai Qi''s body. However, he couldn''t transfer too much at once; he hadn''t forgotten the incident that had previously taken ce in the ssroom... Truly frightening. Chapter 298: Chapter 393: The Strongest Void Beast in History_1 The research staff saw Fang Ren frowning and thought he wouldn''t know any of the three methods mentioned before. After hesitating for a few seconds, he finally spoke of thest method, True Qi transmission. "Erm, Young Master Fang, if you really can''t find any other way, then... cough cough, you could... although there are quite a few people around." As soon as these words were uttered, Fang Ren was almost overwhelmed with frustration. Damn it, he couldn''t believe such words had been spoken¡ªespecially in front of so many onlookers! "Cough cough, it''s fine." Fang Renposed himself and put Qianye into his pocket. He then said, "Hurry up and find a way to save her. Let someone else handle the rest. I don''t want to waste time chatting with you." After speaking, Fang Ren continued to adjust the transfer of True Qi within his body. As therge machinery operated, clusters of purple Void Energy began to be drawn into the conduit from the ck serpent head. The moment the Void Energy appeared, the air in the entireboratory started to feel oppressively heavy. The air had truly be heavy¡ªits weight! Suddenly, many of the research staff without cultivation levels started to find breathing difficult. They felt as if they were not breathing air but water. "Energy of a Ninth-order Void Beast..." Bai Chaojin''s brows slightly furrowed as he gazed at Fang Ren, unsure whether Fang Ren could handle such intense Void Energy. Moreover, the experimental equipment used for filtration might not withstand the pressure, and if so, all the unfiltered Void Energy, with its impurities, would be bearing down on Fang Ren. Of course, he wouldn''t allow Fang Ren toe to harm. If Fang Ren died, the n to which he had devoted countless efforts wouldpletely fall apart. ------ ------ Meanwhile, a massive distortion suddenly urred in the giant Void Hole above Tianjiang, revealing a colossal vortex in its center. The sound emitted by the vortex was extremely somber, sending shivers down the spine of anyone who heard it. In the open-air venue of the Alchemypetition, tens of thousands were awaiting the absent Fang Ren''s arrival. Thepetition had been dyed for over an hour since its start, mainly because no one wanted a talent to miss out on the contest due to tardiness. Mu Huanqing, sitting in the VIP area, was very anxious at that moment. Her beautiful cheeks were marred by deep frowns as Fang Ren had yet to arrive. To make things more coincidental, Bai Qi was absent as well, and even more so, so was Bai Chaojin! This couldn''t help but remind her of some things Fang Ren and Jiang Ling had mentioned to her over the past two days. The most memorable thing was Fang Ren mentioning that in the Indra Sky experiment, he was merely an auxiliary tool for Bai Qi... On the other side, Song Mobei''s face wore a smile like that of a good person, as always. However, his mood was even better today. Neither Bai Qi nor Fang Ren had shown up that morning, indicating that when he had given the Void beast to Bai Chaojin the other night, everything Bai Chaojin had said was true. The Fang Ren, who had been the cause of great embarrassment for the Tiandao Sword Sect, was no more than a part of an experiment. It seemed to have already begun, but it was uncertain whether Fang Ren would retain his extraordinary cultivation talent after the experiment. Song Mobei thought he probably wouldn''t, as all of Fang Ren''s gifts would be transferred to Bai Qi. The talent transfer was far more pleasing to Song Mobei than Fang Ren being taken away since the person Bai Qi fancied was him, not Fang Ren. Now that Mu Huanqing was no longer a possibility for him, why not choose Bai Qi, with her greater gifts and powers, as a wife? As time passed, exceeding an hour and a half, Mu Huanqing could no longer sit still. She had to entrust her child to a subordinate and make a trip to the Central Area. But just at that moment, the sky suddenly started to emit bursts of gloomy sounds. Uh¡ª¡ª "The sky! Look at the sky!" "Oh my dear mother! What on earth is that!" "The Void Hole... The Void Hole! Could it be that Void beasts are about to fall down!" "Damn it! Don''t freakin'' scare me!" ... In an instant, the students within the entire venue descended into chaos. On the special seats, a group of Family Heads, the head of the Alchemists, along with Mu Huanqing and others, immediately ignited their True Qi, warily watching the sky above. Outside the venue, three hundred female warriors from the Nine Heavens drew their swords in unison, soaring up into the skies above the venue, well acquainted with the Void Hole. In such situations, it was certain that Void beasts would be falling down, and the level of the Void beasts could be judged by the size of the vortex. At that moment, the Tianjiang Guard Teams stationed in various parts of Tianjiang swiftly flew towards thepetition venue. A captain of the Guard Team immediately called the Central Area, instructing headquarters to inform all sections of Tianjiang to evacuate those without Cultivation or with insufficient Cultivation Levels. "It''s definitely a Void beast, no doubt about it!" "This magnitude... I''ve never seen anything like it before... Not even a Ninth-order Void Beast would cause such a huge vortex!" "Notify all battle zones immediately! Request the strongest Generals from each zone for support! We might be facing the strongest Void beast in history!" Inside the venue, a group of Family Heads on the special spectator seats had foreheads covered in cold sweat, some continuously swallowing saliva in their throats, their eyes trembling slightly. Mu Huanqing waspletely stunned. In the years she spent battling Void beasts on the battlefield of Area One, she had never seen a vortex thisrge, and what''s more crucial now was that she wanted to find her husband! But if she were to leave right now, with the Anti-Void Array not present here, the Void beast that would emerge from such a huge vortex would surely ughter all her subordinates, as well as all these human students who were the future genius Alchemist apprentices! Boom! Suddenly, a ck beam of light fell from the sky, crashing onto the earth three kilometers away from the venue, thundering with a roar like that of rolling thunder! In the next instant, the entire earth began to shake. Massive shockwaves surged from afar, and Mu Huanqing immediately donned her Silver Armor, a magical Array flying out of her hands, protecting everything within a mile radius. Wooosh¡ª¡ª As the shockwave swept past, the massive walls of thepetition venue suddenly copsed, and in a moment, screams pierced the sky, all Practitioners flying upwards to protect the students. The shockwave was blocked, but the trembling it brought shattered the massive walls! The countless crowd outside the venue, witnessing this scene, couldn''t help but cry out in shock, the scene resembling one that was about to bury everyone within the venue alive! Chapter 299: Chapter 394: Walking with the Child_1 In the sky, the giant wall that had obscured the night suddenly copsed, crushing the self-preservation nerves of the tens of thousands of students in the venue, and for a moment, everyone stood frozen in ce. They trembled as they looked at the sky, but their bodies couldn''t muster any reaction to flee. At the same time, three hundred female soldiers from the Nine Heavens Corps within and outside the venue soared into the sky, bing streaks of light as they shouldered the copse of several huge stone barriers upon themselves, saving the lives of the students below. Those who came back to their senses looked at the wolf smoke rising three kilometers away and couldn''t shake off the shock in their hearts, especially the nearly fifty thousand students from various schools around the venue, except for those from Yangming University who had never seen a Void beast in person and were now standing there, trembling slightly on the spot. "Did you hear that? The chairman just said¡­ this might be the strongest Void beast they''ve encountered¡­" "Doesn''t that mean¡­ this Void beast is even stronger than a ninth-tier¡­" "No way! It''s my first time in Tianjiang and I run into this!? What sins did Imit in myst life!" "The Anti-Void Array isn''t here! Even with Madame Xuan, we might not be able to beat this thing!" "Damn it! Am I going to die in Tianjiang today!?" ¡­ Mu Huanqing, along with the various Family Heads of Tianjiang, also leapt into the sky, looking anxiously towards the three kilometers outside the venue where dust and smoke filled the air. Even though Mu Huanqing had already erected barriers, the energy of this Void beast pierced directly through her defensive shields, shattering the massive walls of the venue¡ªits power was eerily immense. "This creature... I can''t even sense its tier, it''s probably even higher than the ninth¡­" Mu Huanqing said, frowning deeply as she watched the massive dark shadow within the distant wolf smoke. This was undoubtedly the strongest Void beast she had ever encountered! Upon hearing Mu Huanqing''s words, the expressions of the gathered generals and Family Heads of Tianjiang grew even graver in an instant. "We must hold this beast off first to buy the other students some time to escape, otherwise if a real fight breaks out, hundreds of miles around will be decimated," the Cao Family Patriarch said. "That''s right, we can''t engage it directly. We need to dy it, or countless people in the city will die," a general agreed. After hesitating for a moment, Mu Huanqing asked, "How far is the nearest sea from here?" "Forty-two kilometers!" "Then let''s lure it to the North Sea. Also, notify the cities along the route to evacuate the citizens urgently!" Having said this, Mu Huanqing didn''t immediately rush towards the huge dark shadow that had fallen, but instead turned around and flew to the side of a female soldier from the Nine Heavens Corps. "Xiao Xuan!" "Madame Xuan¡­" Hearing Mu Huanqing''s voice, the female soldier named Xiao Xuan snapped out of the shock brought by the Void beast. "Follow me!" Mu Huanqing''s expression was slightly panicked. After speaking, she grabbed Xiao Xuan and quickly led her towards an uninhabited riverbank below. Although those who saw this were somewhat perplexed, no one voiced their confusion, focusing instead on the Void beast. When they arrived at the riverbank, Mu Huanqing specifically chose a secluded corner where no one could see. After confirming that no one could see them, she took out a small blue Array from her bosom. "Madame Xuan, is there still time to set up an Array?" On seeing the blue Array, Xiao Xuan thought Madame Xuan meant for her to set it up. Exclusive tales from m v lemp-yr "Xiao Xuan, I''m not asking you to set up the Array this time." Mu Huanqing said with aplex expression, "You''ve been with me in the First District for over three years, as close as sisters. Leaving you behind is to me more important than anything else." Xiao Xuan watched Mu Huanqing''s conflicted yet serious expression and realized the importance of the issue at hand, bing serious herself. However, she couldn''t help wondering, what matter could possibly be more important to Madame Xuan than the current crisis with the Void Beast. Looking at the blue Array in Mu Huanqing''s hand, Xiao Xuan paused in confusion: "This is¡­?" With a gentle wave of her hand over the Array, a small blue vortex appeared, and peering into the center of the whirlpool, she could see an infant, wrapped in swaddling clothes, sleeping peacefully. "Madame Xuan¡­" "It''s my child," Mu Huanqing said with aplex look in her eyes, filled with immense reluctance and unease. "She was just born two days ago¡­" "¡­" Xiao Xuan stiffened, her gaze fixed on Mu Huanqing in disbelief. She began to wonder if she had misheard. Madame Xuan had a child? Impossible. Madame Xuan didn''t even have a boyfriend, let alone a husband. How could she have a child? But then, "No¡­ Madame Xuan, what did you just say?!" "Take this child away, to a safe ce," Mu Huanqing''s expression grew more troubled as she continued, "If you can find Fang Ren, give the child to him; if not, take her to the district head of Ninth District, Shang Han." Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuan paused briefly, then took a small step back in fright. Her eyes still fixed on Mu Huanqing, she began toprehend the implication behind her words. After a long moment, Xiao Xuan looked at the child again, her shock not subsiding for a long time. She would have never imagined that this child really belonged to Madame Xuan, and from what Madame Xuan implied¡­ the child was also that alchemical prodigy, Fang Ren''s¡­ Recalling the day before the alchemypetition, Xiao Xuan had an epiphany. No wonder Madame Xuan had been so protective of Fang Ren that day¡­ Even risking a confrontation with Song Mobei in front of tens of thousands of people at the venue, all because they had a child together¡­ However, what struck Xiao Xuan wasn''t just that. It was because Mu Huanqing spoke of her taking the child to Fang Ren... and not going herself. Mu Huanqing was already nning for the possibility that she might not return. "Madame Xuan! This Void Beast¡­" Xiao Xuan furrowed her brows. "It''s very strong, unlike any we''ve seen before. I don''t know how many will die this time," Mu Huanqing''s face was filled with worry, "If the Arrays had been set up in advance, it would have been better. But not only are there no Arrays prepared, there are simply too many people in Tianjiang¡­" Boom¡ª Roar¡ª Suddenly, a roar exploded in the distance, a ck column of light shot up into the sky, and the roar of a beast permeated the horizon. "Xiao Xuan, remember my words! You must ensure her safety!" Mu Huanqing had no time to say more; she transformed into a streak of light and flew toward the heavens, leaving Xiao Xuan alone with the blue Array, watching the sky full of soldiers, gritting her teeth. "God¡­ please protect Her Excellency Madame Xuan¡­" she murmured. Having said that, Xiao Xuan turned and flew in the direction opposite thending of the Void Beast, her heart asplex as Mu Huanqing''s. Chapter 300: Chapter 395: The Spark Plan_1 "Energy input at three percent..." In the silent yet tenseboratory, a researcher''s voice rang out, filled with surprise. As the percentage numbers on the experimental equipment continued to climb, all the data remained rtively bnced and stable. The researcher standing by the machine immediately turned around, excitedly shouting, "It''s working!" With those words escaping his mouth, the atmosphere of tension that filled theb eased momentarily. Amidst the hum of only the operational equipment, it was even possible to clearly hear the relieved sighs of some personnel. Bai Chaojin, upon seeing this, immediately came to Fang Ren''s side and whispered, "How do you feel?" "Not bad, just a bit hard to breathe," Fang Ren replied. For this energy transfer experiment, he was 100% certain he could save both his own life and that of Bai Xi¡ªas long as he didn''t die, he could cut off the energy transfer. The Void Energy waspressing his lungs, and he regted the transfer through breathing. Even if his lungs were damaged by the energy, as long as his heart wasn''t dead, he could regenerate his whole body. He wouldn''t die. "Say something if you really can''t hold on," Bai Chaojin said, frowning. In fact, he was the most nervous person in the room¡ªthis was his life''s work of over 20 years. "Don''t act like you care about me that much. I find you quite repulsive," Fang Ren frowned and said. "..." Bai Chaojin''s aged brows twitched. There wasn''t much he could do about that, and of course, he didn''t care about it either. "Energy transfer remains stable, reaching seven percent! Princess Bai Xi''s grey Spiritual Root is beginning to merge with the Void Energy! The primary Spiritual Root is drawing energy through the grey one... Princess Bai Xi''s internal Spiritual Energy is surging!" The researchers nearby continuously reported various pieces of information, their expressions a mix of tension and excitement, as if their struggles of over 20 years were finally bearing fruit. "Looks like Princess Bai Xi is about to make a breakthrough..." A group of researchers immediately crowded around, looking at the numbers on therge apparatus and the fluctuating energy within Princess Bai Xi. Complex expressions simultaneously emerged on their faces. "It''s seeding..." In the midst of the researchers'' excited voices, Fang Reny on the bed, silently enduring the agony. From time to time, he nced at the ceiling, then at Bai Xi beside him. If it wasn''t for saving this girl, he would never have been part of this sin-filled and farcical experiment. He felt that even if these people seeded, they wouldn''t get what they were hoping for¡ªa mighty being capable of shattering the Void. Right now, Bai Xi''s Realm was only at the early stages of the Xuanyang Realm. Using external forces to enhance her Realm would certainly fill Bai Xi''s Spiritual Root with instability. Maybe Bai Xi would survive, but whether she could retain the improved Realm gained through external forces was a mystery. Apart from that, what concerned Fang Ren even more was, if this experiment seeded, and if it was announced to the public, what would be of the human world from then on? The idea of using the Void Beast''s energy for Realm enhancement was too tempting for some Cultivators on Earth with ulterior motives. Fang Ren had never been in contact with war zones since his childhood; instead, he grew up in a small county. Through various malevolent individuals, he learned they were unlike the iron-willed soldiers in human war zones who would risk their lives to shatter the Void. They were full of personal desires and greed. Of course, if you looked at it this way, Fang Ren himself was also full of personal desires and greed, but his was to have a peaceful marriage with Mu Huanqing and lead a quiet life, unlike some people... who desired dominion over others. If this experiment seeded, would those people really allow the Void to shatter? He feared that instead, they would oppose shattering the Void, supporting the continuation of the experiment, making humans even stronger. And then... who knew what Earth would be. ``` And the person Fang Ren feared the most was precisely someone like Bai Chaojin. What if Bai Chaojin seeded and his goal was not to shatter the Void, but to turn the entire Earth into his own dynasty? He would certainly choose to kill everyone who knew about this experiment, and then only he would know the method. Just how horrific could the situation develop? Regrettably, no matter how things evolvedter, Fang Ren had no way to stop it. The moment he decided to save the girl beside him, he had already lost control over an already hard-to-control future. "Sigh... Hopefully, things will develop in a favorable direction." Fang Ren sighed, carefully transmitting his True Qi without stop. Bai Qi''s internal Spiritual Energy was growing continuously, finally reaching the next bottleneck. He had to give Bai Qi a hand. The gray energy within his body began to circte, entering Bai Qi''s bloodstream through his arm, and ultimately reaching Bai Qi''s Dantian, which had already started to riot, continuously harmonizing the various energies inside. Time ticked away bit by bit, and Fang Ren began to feel fatigued. His eyelids could barely stay open, and he closed his eyespletely. As he closed his eyes, his spirit began to focus only on the transfer of energy, assisting Bai Qi in her breakthrough. "Energy transfer stable, overall progress 11%, Princess Bai Xi is about to break through!" "Energy transfer at 15%! Princess Bai Xi has broken through!" "This is only 15%! It has already allowed for a breakthrough in the early stages of the Xuanyang Realm! This Void Energy is far too powerful!" "How much energy is contained within this Void Beast Skull?" "Beginning to calcte total energy... Preliminary calctions indicate that if all this Void Energy were transferred, Princess Bai Xi''s Realm could directly break through to the mid-stages of the Qianye Realm!" "The mid-stages of the Qianye Realm!? From the beginning of the Cultivation Era up to now, the strongest person..." Various reports echoed in his ears, yet Fang Ren felt increasingly exhausted. His spirit was bing more and more focused on one thing, rxing his vignce against everything around him... He didn''t want it to be this way, but the immense pressure of the Void Energy still overwhelmed his nerves, which couldn''t stand it. Although his heart would not die unless destroyed, and damaging his nerves would be futile, as they would regenerate, it still wasn''t hard to exhaust his nerves and thus deprive him of fighting strength. He could be immortal, but that didn''t mean he had endless energy and stamina. Time had passed uncountably, and besides transferring the Void Energy, Fang Ren had forgotten everything else. During this period, the little Qianye in his pocket had jumped out, attempting to awaken him, but Fang Ren''s fatigue had forced it back into his body. Bai Qi''s Realm continued to break through, her body gradually warming, the effects of the feigned-death drug were lost, and she was about toe back to life. Now, Bai Chaojin came back to Fang Ren''s side, looking at Fang Ren, who was nearly passed out, his eyebrows deeply furrowed, as if he was wrestling with something. A researcher came over and said to Bai Chaojin, "Commander, I think we should let Princess Bai Xi and him have an offspring... After all, shattering the Void is too dangerous, and even if it''s achieved, Princess Bai Xi might... die. If the Void still hasn''t shattered by then, their child would also be a guarantee for the future of humanity." After hearing this, Bai Chaojin was conflicted but ultimately nodded, "Execute the ''Seed of Fire'' n." ``` Chapter 301: Chapter 396: What the Hell Do You Know_1 ``` "The ''Seedling Project'' is essentially about keeping a child as a contingency n," he said. "Do we still have that medication?" Bai Chaojin asked. Immediately, a scientist rummaged through a damaged table nearby and pulled out a bottle of blue liquid, saying, "Luckily, Princess Bai Xi''s powers didn''t spread here; otherwise, it would take a lot of time to produce this." Bai Chaojin nced at Fang Ren, then touched Fang Ren''s forehead with the tip of his finger to make sure he had lost most of his consciousness before saying, "Inject them both." As his words fell, the scientist began to prepare syringes of different colors--one red and one blue. The blue injection was given to Fang Ren, and the red was administered to Bai Xi. Clearly, the blue medication was akin to a sedative, whereas the red one was meant to ensure Bai Xi''s safe fusion with the energy inside Fang Ren''s body. The worry on Bai Chaojin''s face had yet to fade; his eyes fixed on Fang Ren as if torn between hatred and helplessness. "Fang Ren, Fang Ren... how did youe to meet Mu Huanqing, with whom you have nothing inmon? Sigh!" Bai Chaojin was deeply troubled. "Without Mu Huanqing, you and I wouldn''t have had so many conflicts." "Commander," said a scientist with a grim expression, "speaking of which, Mu Huanqing remains a big problem. With Fang Ren and Princess Bai Xi having a child, Madame Xuan certainly won''t let matters rest... We can''t just kill Madame Xuan... We''ve already killed so many martyrs, the experiment for the benefit of humanity has seeded; we can''t harm our own kind anymore..." "I already owe that child a great deal..." Bai Chaojin furrowed his brows. "I just hope she won''t pose a threat to Qi''er''s child, otherwise, I am prepared to risk my old life." "Commander..." There was a long silence in the air, everyone knew the kind of rage Mu Huanqing would unleash after the birth of Fang Ren and Bai Xi''s child, but they needed to carry out the next phase of their n. They were concerned about the bigger picture, no matter what their fate would be or how the world would scorn them in the end, they would carry the experiment through to thest. "After this experiment is sessful," Bai Chaojin said, looking at the damaged ceiling, "just tell everyone that all the experiments were only carried out under my coercion. That way you all can survive, and no one will me you." "Commander! Why must you..." "Commander! When we joined this organization, we never thought about living on with a good reputation!" "Yes! Commander! If you''ve chosen to be the sinner, then we won''t let you be one alone!" "That''s right!" ... "Commander!" As the crowd discussed the burden of guilt, suddenly, a middle-aged man rushed down from the broken elevator shaft. His face was panicked, and as he took in the scene in theboratory, he didn''t have time to express his shock, but instead ran up to Bai Chaojin and shouted, "Commander! A Void beast has suddenly fallen from the sky in Tianjiang! The whole of Tianjiang is calling for reinforcements! ording to the Generals, it might be the strongest Void beast that Earth has ever seen!" Seeing the man barge in, Bai Chaojin was exceedingly angry, but upon hearing what the man had said, he didn''t have the leisure to be upset. Hearing this, a scientist immediately said, "Commander! It must be the master of this Serpent''s head! The beast sensed its head being devoured, so it came straight here to take it back!" Bai Chaojin frowned deeply and asked the middle-aged man, "Has that Void beast already surpassed the ninth order?" ``` "ording to what the Generals personally reported, that Void Beast isn''t anything like a typical Ninth-order Void Beast! As for information about it, all we know is that it''s wrapped in ck lightning, and its form can''t be discerned!" the middle-aged man said. "It really is that guy!" Bai Chaojin''s eyes fiercely fixed on the ck snake head beside Fang Ren and spoke, "It seems we have no choice but to ask the Commander-in-Chief to take action!" Humm¡ª Just then, another figure rushed into the destroyed elevator shaft¡ªit was a Pce Guard from the Central Area. He, too, was panic-stricken and immediately ran towards Bai Chaojin, shouting, "Commander! Disaster has struck! The Leader of Nightfall, Jiang Ling, has forced her way into our headquarters! The guards outside were all pped away by her hand! We can''t stop her!" "What!" Upon hearing this, Bai Chaojin became entirely furious. Why did Jiang Ling choose toe at precisely this time, of all times? And this here is themand headquarters! Jiang Ling''s forced entry meant that she was ready to fight them in a battle to the death! At this moment, the Nine-headed Serpent Void Beast had already arrived at Tianjiang, and the lives of hundreds of millions were in peril. Princess Bai Xi''s experiment was also still in progress, and that Void Beast was likely to head straight for the headquarters to reim its head! Now Jiang Ling had appeared... All these absolutely urgent situations were intermingling, making Bai Chaojin feel like exploding. "You two go notify the Commander-in-Chief! I''ll hold off Jiang Ling!" Bai Chaojinmanded the two men who had just burst in. He then turned to a nearby researcher, his expression grave, and said, "As soon as the experiment is sessful, immediately move Qi''er and Fang Ren to safety, we must preserve the fireseed!" Having said that, he didn''t linger on words, but immediately charged towards the ground with the two guards who had rushed in. Seeing this, the group of researchers'' expressions became even more serious¡ªthey had to elerate the timeline now, as the Nine-headed Serpent hade to the surface surely for this one head. "Energy transfer has reached thirty-five percent, and a breakthrough is on the horizon within Princess Bai Xi''s body. Moreover, her bodily life functions have started to revive; she will awaken after this breakthrough!" "The potion is taking effect! The underground tunnel is being opened in advance! After the experiment isplete, we''ll find the best ce for both the princess and young master Fang to preserve the fireseed!" ... As Bai Chaojin rushed to the surface, the entire sky was filled with guardians and warriors from inside and outside the headquarters, soaring through the air, with a ck streak continually scattering the soldiers of Tianjiang in the very center of the sky. Innumerable warriors were scattered by the ck streak and fell to the ground, severely injured, yet few had their lives threatened. "Bai Chaojin!" A wave of ck energy from the streak repelled the guards miles away in the sky and instantly arrived above the headquarters. Jiang Ling, dressed in a red gown holding a ck long sword, pointed down at Bai Chaojin who had just emerged, and angrily said, "Haven''t youmitted enough crimes! Are you even going to kill your own granddaughter!" "Jiang Ling! You don''t know shit!" Seeing the group of severely injured guards on the ground, and with various urgent situations pressing on his heart, Bai Chaojin cursed, True Qi circting throughout his body as he charged towards Jiang Ling. Chapter 302: Chapter 397: Central Area Warfare_1 Hum¡ª In an instant, the two transformed into streaks of ck and white light, shing in the sky; the ind of the Central District Command was shaken by the impact. "Bai Chaojin! You''re no longer human!" Jiang Ling''s heart was also filled with boundless fury. Bai Chaojin had killed so many people, which was already unbearable for her, and now he even wanted to kill his own granddaughter and Fang Ren, her lifesaver, which made Jiang Ling''s wrath unforgivable. "Do you have any idea how much I''ve sacrificed for this day!" Bai Chaojin kept releasing True Qi in a ferocious attack in the sky, bellowing madly,pletelycking the demeanor of amander. "I only know that you''ve killed hundreds of thousands of martyrs who sacrificed themselves for our race!" As Jiang Ling spoke, the True Qi around her body started to intensify. With Bai Chaojin sending a streak of light her way, Jiang Ling''s ck de split it open, and her foot kicked hard against Bai Chaojin''s abdomen. Hum¡ª Bai Chaojin turned into a streak of light and crashed into the ground, creating a huge crater. Jiang Ling did not stop her attacks; this time, she was intent on killing Bai Chaojin. If she had hesitated before over Bai Chaojin''s experiment''s potential sess in shattering the Void, now that Bai Chaojin had harmed her savior, her tolerance had reached its limit. "Die! Go atone for those who have died!" Jiang Ling''s ck long knife was about to sh at Bai Chaojin''s neck. "Jiang Ling! You forced me into this!" Bai Chaojin''s body suddenly erupted with a wave of colorful light: "Hongyuan!" With the emergence of the colorful light wave, Bai Chaojin''s figure suddenly disappeared, moving hundreds of meters in an instant like a rainbow. "You think you can survive like this?" Jiang Ling turned and instantly appeared beside Bai Chaojin, her ck long knife flipping in her hand, and the ck steam from within her transformed into a giant ck de in the air, sealing off the space. "Jiang Ling! If you really care about the Human Race, you should be going to Tianjiang to save people now, not fighting with me here!" Bai Chaojin bellowed. As he fought and retreated, Bai Chaojin''s hair became disheveled, blood spilled from his mouth down to his chin, staining his face and clothes as he moved rapidly, appearing extremely wretched. Although Bai Chaojin was beaten to a pitiful state, with his life Cultivation Technique, he moved swiftly, and the hits he took were not fatal. For a mid-stage Xuanyang realm powerhouse like him, his recovery abilities were still very strong. Moreover, the battle had only just begun, and Bai Chaojin had never intended to stop Jiang Ling from destroying the Central District Command, nor had he thought he could survive under Jiang Ling''s hands. His only desire was to buy more time and let Bai Qi''s experiment sessfully reach its end. "You''re still fond of using childish words to deceive children." Jiang Ling, wielding her long sword in the sky, pressed on step by step. In her eyes, everything Bai Chaojin said was nonsense; if there had been a single word of truth from Bai Chaojin''s mouth back then, her husband wouldn''t have died! "Jiang Ling! If you ruin my n today, you will regret it for the rest of your life!" In the sky, two streaks of light continued to sh violently. Meanwhile, in a pce at the corner of the Central District Command, an Array was starting to loosen. Outside the pce stood a Central Area Guard with a panicked expression, continuously muttering to himself. "Commander-in-Chief! We''ve encountered a great trouble! Pleasee out!" The "Commander-in-Chief" mentioned by the Guard was the Central Area''s highestmander, who often moved between various battle zones. However, a few years ago, due to the great battle with the Nine-headed Serpent, the Commander-in-Chief was seriously injured. To this day he was still recovering in the Array, but even though it was said to be for recovery, it was more likely that he was attempting to break through, since the Commander-in-Chief had already been at the mid-stage of the Xuanyang realm ten years ago. Most people believed that the injury sustained by the Commander-in-Chief this time might have been a blessing in disguise, providing him with an opportunity to seek a breakthrough within the Array. "Commander-in-Chief! The Nine-headed Void Beast hase back! And now the Central Area is facing a crisis! Jiang Ling of the Nightfall Organization has broken through to the Xuanyang realm! If you don''te out now, she will annihte our entire Central Area!" The Array kept trembling, and after a long while, the trembling of the Array ceased. The Guard outside felt a chill in his heart upon seeing this, thinking that the Commander-in-Chief was in a critical period of breakthrough and simply couldn''te out. "What about Bai Chaojin?" It was at that time that an old voice emanated from within the Array. The Guard outside immediately replied, "Commander Bai is entangled with Jiang Ling! But Commander Bai simply has no way to handle Jiang Ling¡­ If this continues, Commander Bai will only die at her hands... And the Nine-headed Serpent has also appeared in the uncovered part of Tianjiang... Both sides are extremely urgent!" With the Guard''s voiceing to an abrupt halt, no other sound came from within the Array; only the continuous shing of Jiang Ling and Bai Chaojin fighting in the sky could be heard. "Commander-in-Chief! If you don''te out now..." Hum¡ª Suddenly, the Array spanning thousands of meters shattered, and the entire pce began to turn into dust, like yellow sand flowing down from the sky. A white silhouette slowly stood up from within the Array, its face unseen, its entire body enveloped in white light. "How long has it been? Young people are truly terrifying," the white silhouette lifted its head to look at Jiang Ling in the sky, murmuring these words. With that said, Hum¡ª The white silhouette flew out from the ground and shot straight towards Jiang Ling in the sky. "What is that!?" Jiang Ling, who had been relentlessly pursuing Bai Chaojin, suddenly felt a threatening aura approaching, and immediately turned her head, flinging out the ck de in her hand. Bang¡ª The ck de struck the white silhouette, sparking a series of sparks. Contrary to Jiang Ling''s expectations, the white silhouette didn''t get sliced open by the de, but instead, was blocked firmly. Hum¡ª A series of light waves erupted from the white silhouette, and Jiang Ling immediately used her True Qi to protect herself, blocking the oing impact without any hesitance and lunging forward to attack once more. Bang bang bang¡ª The white silhouette and Jiang Ling fought fiercely in the air, and no one could have anticipated that there would be somebody in this world who could match Jiang Ling of the Xuanyang realm toe to toe. "Has Xia Mo, the elder brother, also broken through to the Xuanyang Realm this time?" Bai Chaojin, her face the picture of disarray, watched the evenly matched battle in the sky, her heart filled with shock. Humans were bing stronger and stronger; to think that within the same year, two early Xuanyang realm individuals had appeared! This realm was an unprecedented height for the Human Race! "Young girl, why abandon the grand scheme for the sake of personal matters?" The white silhouette and Jiang Ling, after another exchange, repelled each other. The white silhouette floated in midair, looking towards Jiang Ling with a voice filled with a hint of regret. Chapter 303: Chapter 398: Class 3 of the Medical Academy in Crisis_1 "Commander-in-Chief, do you also like to y with lies that deceive children?" Jiang Ling''s ck de once again glinted with overwhelming Spiritual Energy as she pointed it at the shimmering figure opposite her and said, "If you don''t release Fang Ren today, I''ll see if I can''t smash the entire Central Area to pieces!" "You crazy girl!" Bai Chaojin yelled at the sky, "The Tianjiang Northern Territory is continuously being bombarded by Void beasts! Over a hundred millionpatriots are in mortal danger! And you''re still causing internal strife!" "I don''t care whether what you''re saying is true or false, hand over Fang Ren now!" Jiang Ling was unwavering in her stance. "No! He still has very important work to do!" Bai Chaojin roared. "Stop ying tricks on me!" Angry, Jiang Ling swung her long sword in the sky, sending a Sword Qi like a kilometer-wide chasm plummeting down, leaving the ground of the Central Area scorched with innumerable mes. "Jiang Ling! You could just let your subordinates take a look at the sky above the Tianjiang Northern Territory! You''re one of the top powerhouses among the Human Race! You should be able to tell what''s more important at a time like this!" The white silhouette also spoke up. "Enough talk!" Jiang Ling didn''t believe a word the other party said, even if that person was the Commander-in-Chief respected by countless people. In her eyes, this person was nothing but a despicable liar. As the white silhouette and Jiang Ling shed again, the Spiritual Energy in the sky turned incredibly violent. Bai Chaojin clenched his teeth and turned to fly directly towards the Tianjiang Northern Territory. Convincing Jiang Ling to join the fight against the Nine-headed Serpent would have been ideal, but with Jiang Ling in her current state, believing them was simply impossible. Staying there to persuade her was a waste of time. ------- ------- Tianjiang Northern Territory. Floating high above, the Void Holes poured out all sorts of High-Order Void Beasts, while countless human soldiers took to the sky, engaging in an unprecedentedly brutal battle with the Void beasts. The sky grew dim and heavy, obscured by the silhouettes of countless soldiers and Void beasts, blocking the sunlight. Even the originally white clouds were stained with blood. On the city''s main roads, countless people were seen running in panic. Traffic was at a standstill, most people were running on foot, and from the sky, the bodies and bloodied remains of humans and Void beasts fell intermittently. It was a scene of utter terror. The nes at the airport had all taken off, but only a tiny fraction of the refugees were aboard. The rest were unlucky, trapped in the city with nowhere to escape, cowering in corners, praying to survive this disaster. Students from the Third ss of Medical College at Yangming University belonged to the unlucky group. Their residence had copsed, with all escape routes blocked. As the ss advisor, Teacher Huang could only lead a group of students to hide by a fallen building, using the massive rubble to block their view and stay concealed. "It''s over... it''s all over! Screaming about heading into battle every day, who could stand this kind of battlefield!" A male student sat by the rubble, his face etched with fear, endlessly expressing his inner dread. Snap! Teacher Huang, after making more than 30 unsessful distress calls, furiously smashed his phone to the ground. He was just a university instructor from a small city, and from the medical college at that. Although he possessed some Cultivation Ability, it was sufficient for scuffling with ordinary people, but entirely useless against these Void beasts. "Damn it, I haven''t even taken over my dad''s condom factory yet! How can I die young?" Jing Haichuan copsed to the ground, full of regret that he hadn''t been able to expand the family business worldwide. "Where''s Ranzi! Damn it, why isn''t that kiding back to save us!" Li Xingwang even pulled out his cell phone, ready to dial 110 to report that friend who ced romance over friendship. Aooo¡ª A beastly roar came from the sky. Several soldiers were torn apart by a winged leopard-like Void beast, their bones scattering across the sky and falling near where the Third ss of Medical College was taking cover, causing a group of female students to scream in terror. "Watch out! It''sing this way!" Teacher Huang shouted, "Run!" However, the entire ss was made up of medical students; how could they possibly outrun a Fifth-Order Void Beast? From a corner far from the ruins, Jian Qi''er immediately donned the Nightfall Organization uniform, her Dark attribute Spiritual Energy coursing through her, covering the long sword in her hands, as she rushed towards the Fifth-Order Void Beast that was attacking her ssmates. "Moon Wheel!" Hum¡ª The ck aura on the long sword shed, and she spun through the air at high speed with a huge ck arc, striking the Void beast''s wing with her sword. Boom! The ck crescent collided with the Void beast''s wing, sparking a trail of sparks. Jian Qi''er''s hands trembled from the impact, yet she knew she couldn''t just leave these ordinary people behind and flee by herself. Aow! The Void beast, having been sneak-attacked, turned in anger, its golden eyes fixating on the figure d in ck, Jian Qi''er. Its huge w swiped at her head. Jian Qi''er immediately dodged to the side, covering her body with the long sword, but the pressure from the swiping w still sent her flying. Wiping the blood from her mouth corner, Jian Qi''er couldn''t help feeling grateful that she had learned so much following the leader during this time. Otherwise, that single swipe of the paw would have turned her into a bloody pulp. This Void beast was far more terrible than the one that descended on the schoolst time; Jian Qi''er''s previous sessful strike was merely a sneak attack. Facing it head-on, she feared she wouldn''t be able to withstand even one move. "You all, run quickly!" Jian Qi''er shouted to the group of students below, who were stunned with fear. No sooner had she spoken, she too began to flee hastily, drawing the fifth-order Void beast away from the area. Seeing the Void beast being lured away, the students of the third ss remained on the ground, faces still etched with fear, some copsing with expressions of bewilderment, and some girls breaking down altogether, forgetting everything but to cry. "Quick, hide in here!" Teacher Huang punched through the walls of the copsed building nearby, pulling a few students in with him. Their current location waspletely surrounded by fallen buildings. Escaping by punching through walls was impossible; they could only find temporary safety within the ruins. "That person just now¡­ she was wearing the attire of the Nightfall Organization¡­" "Why would she save us?" "Stop thinking about it for now! Quickly, hide!" ... A group of students hid within the shattered building, peering through broken ss at Jian Qi''er in the sky, fleeing from the relentless pursuit of the Void beast, filled with perplexity. The Nightfall Organization, a well-known evil entity, why would it suddenly step in to rescue them? "If this continues, that woman might be killed by the Void beast... " As Jian Qi''er continued to stall for time, more wounds appeared on her body. With her current strength, she couldn''t contend with the fifth-order Void beast, and even her attempts to escape looked pitiful. Bang¡ª With a loud noise, the Void beast smacked her long sword with its paw, and Jian Qi''er, like a bird with broken wings, fell beside the building, covered in blood. "Teacher¡­ let''s try to save her!" "Even though she''s from the Nightfall Organization, she did save us just now..." Seeing this, the students began to panic. In this situation, even if they hadn''t been saved by this woman, they were still human. No one wanted to witness a fellow human being killed by an invasive species right before their eyes. Teacher Huang saw this and was also drenched in cold sweat. He wanted to go out and save this person, but if he did, the Void beast would surely trample all the students to death. "Stay calm! Keep quiet!" Teacher Huang hissed in a low roar, then continued to feel his way towards the outside of the building, turning back to say, "No matter what happens, don''te out. If I''m gone, you listen to the ss president." "But, the ss president... she''s been missing since this morning and hasn''te back yet..." Chapter 304: Chapter 399: The Patriarch of Fang Family Comes Out of Retirement_1 "What? Where''s Liu Qianqian?" Teacher Huang scanned the ss of over fifty students. With the overwhelming number and the urgency of the crisis, he had failed to notice that apart from Bai Qi and Fang Ren, Liu Qianqian was also missing. "I don''t know, she just left this morning without saying anything," Li Xinyue frowned. "Teacher! Jian Qi''er is also missing!" suddenly, a female student shouted. After hearing this, Teacher Huang felt like he had been struck a heavy blow. In a city infested with Void beasts, most missing students were presumed to have met with misfortune. How would he exin to the parents of these missing students? Seeing that a Void beast was about to crash to the ground, Teacher Huang couldn''t think anymore. He immediately activated his mediocre True Qi and dashed toward the Nightfall Member lying on the ground. "It''s over..." Jian Qi''ery on the ground, feeble and numb. She couldn''t muster any strength to move and, watching the Fifth-order Void Beast with its gaping mawing at her from the sky, she felt for the first time that her life was at its end. "Yuan Yan!" Just as Teacher Huang was toote to save her and Jian Qi''er had given up hope, a resounding voice suddenly exploded in the sky. Whir! In an instant, the sky, which had been stained red with blood mist, became bright, and the temperature around started to soar rapidly. The students hiding in the ruined building stared at the enormous fireball in the sky with a nk gaze. Then, as they saw a figure swiftly approaching the fireball, they were jolted from their stupor with a shock. "ss president!" Boom¡ª With a loud explosion in the air, Liu Qianqian, dressed in Yangming University''s medical department uniform, appeared next to the giant fireball. Her body was enveloped by turbulent air, and the fireball behind her was not like a regr me; it bore a color much deeper than that of ordinary mes¡ªa blood red. With not a trace of hesitation, Liu Qianqian''s slender arm drew the huge fireball behind her, and with the speed of lightning, she flew toward the neck of the Void beast. Whir¡ª The massive red fireball smashed heavily onto the body of the Void beast; the fireball shattered instantly. Streams of blood-red magma flowed out, causing the Void beast to wail in agony and abandon its attack on Jian Qi''er, turning to howl in mid-air instead. It pped its wings frantically trying to get the magma off its neck, but it could not extinguish it. The Void Energy within began to erupt, yet it still couldn''t shake off the magma covering its body. As the Void beast thrashed its body, the magma began to scatter in the air. The buildings that came into contact with this red magma were instantly melted by the high temperature. Liu Qianqian''s figure flew past Jian Qi''er, bringing her over to Teacher Huang''s side, then turned back and charged toward the struggling Void beast in the sky. Whir¡ª A buzzing sounded as Liu Qianqian rapidly threw two visible air spheres from her hands. As the spheres made contact with the Void beast, the space around it suddenly distorted. The Void beast, which had been raging from the burns, was instantly immobilized by the twisted space, unable to move at all. Whoosh¡ª When the space twisted to a certain extent, the body of the Void beast suddenly exploded, its flesh spraying in all directions. The people hiding in the school building were stunned. Who would have thought that the one to kill this Fifth-order Void beast would be the usually gentle and dignified Liu Qianqian? The most shocked was Jian Qi''er. This was a Fifth-order Void beast¡ªhow could Liu Qianqian have the power to kill it? Wasn''t she just an ordinary person? "Quick, let''s get out of here!" Without any dy, Liu Qianqian immediately blew open a path and led her ssmates towards the city outskirts at full speed. ------ ------ Skies of the Northern Sea of Tianjiang. Tens of thousands of human soldiers were locked in battle with a sky-full of Void beasts, the entire sky obscured from view, while on the ground below, all living creatures were suffering, bodies piled into mountains. Directly beneath this battlefield, there was a ck fog more than a hundred meters wide, moving rapidly toward the North Sea. "Die!" A group of soldiers charged at the ck fog, activating their most powerful cultivation techniques, but before they could unleash their techniques, a pair of blood-red eyes suddenly appeared within the fog. Hiss¡ª The sound of a snake hissing arose, and those blood-colored eyes instantly transformed into a massive ck snake head that burst out of the fog, swallowing a whole squad of soldiers, gear and all, in its gaping maw. Seeing this, nearby squads of soldiers immediately intensified their attacks, countless streaks of light bombarding the ck fog, which showed no sign of reaction, nor any slowing in its speed. "Damn it! What the hell is this thing! Doesn''t it get injured?" a general gasped in anger from the sky. They had been attacking this mass of ck fog for over an hour, yet it seemedpletely unaffected by the damage, instead continuously devouring nearby cultivators and elerating its movement. "If this keeps up, even if we manage to lure it to the center of the sea, we won''t be able to do a thing against it!" "Not necessarily! As long as we can hold it back, Madame Xuan over there will be able to create a formation to annihte it!" "But¡­ can this thing really be killed¡­ We''ve lost over a hundred generals and haven''t caused it the slightest injury!" "Stop spouting nonsense! Just keep firing!" ... Meanwhile, in the skies above the central area of the Northern Sea, Mu Huanqing''s body was flickering with blue light, the patterns forming beneath her feet spreading into the surrounding sky, condensing into a massive circr formation. A group of female soldiers from the Nine Heavens Corps were shielding her within, while outside, an overwhelming number of Void beasts roared, with blood still scattering ceaselessly, all resembling the end of the world. ... The back mountain of the Fang Family estate. Fang Ye, covered in wounds, dashed frantically into the protective barrier escaping from encircling Void beasts. "Grandfather! Grandfather!" Fang Ye, at over 40 years old, was shouting incessantly in the back mountain, his expression frantic like that of a child bullied outside. Whizz¡ª A ck shadow flew in, transforming into a gaunt old man in ck robes who appeared in front of Fang Ye: "How did it go? That kid Bai Chaojin is really ying big, eh?" "Grandfather, you were spot on! I just went to the Central Area and found out Jiang Ling from the Nightfall Organization and the Commander-in-Chief are fighting! It must be because of Fang Ren," said Fang Ye. "Jiang Ling? The girl with the high potential from back then?" the old man frowned slightly. "Yes, that''s her! But Grandfather, we got one thing wrong, the person who advanced to the Xuan Ye realm wasn''t Mu Hui, rather it was Jiang Ling!" said Fang Ye: "Which means, the person you sensed with Fang Ren that night was Jiang Ling! They have a connection! However, now that Jiang Ling has barged into the Central Area, this also indicates that Bai Chaojin has started experimenting with Fang Ren! And with the chaos in Tianjiang right now, it''s the perfect opportunity for us to seize the secrets of Indra Sky!" Upon hearing this, a smile crept onto the old man''s withered face: "That kid Bai Chaojin dares to use the younger generation of my Fang Family for experiments, he''s tired of living!" Whizz¡ª With that, the old man turned into a streak of light and disappeared into the back mountain. Fang Ye, left alone, wiped off the cold sweat from his forehead. Compared to the results of the Indra Sky experiments, what did Fang Ren''s life matter? Shaking his head, Fang Ye immediately followed, leaving the back mountain to chase the old man''s footsteps. The thought that the Indra Sky would soon be under control of the Fang Family, that the entire Human Race would soon be dictated by the Fang Family, excited Fang Ye uncontrobly. Chapter 305: Chapter 300: The Small Room Inside the Submarine_1 Boom¡ª At the edge of the distant horizon, darkness loomed, and the low rumble akin to thunder continued incessantly. The battlefield between humans and the void beasts had already spread to the central North Sea. At this moment, Jiang Ling and the Commander-in-Chief, Xia Mo, still locked in aerialbat above the Central Area, were able to sense the intense foreboding presence through their exceptional perceptual power. "Jiang Ling, if you continue to fight so stubbornly, half of the Tianjiang poption will die a wrongful death!" Xia Mo, cloaked in light and shadow, bellowed. Every attack from Jiang Ling was desperate, forcing him to defend with all his might. It was precisely because of this that, within less than half an hour, both of them were already covered in wounds. For legendary masters at the peak of the Cultivation Realm, like those in the Xuanyang Realm, it wouldn''t necessarily be clear who would win even after days and nights of fighting. But if they fought desperately andunched relentless, explosive attacks from the get-go, neither could withstand it¡ªand likely, within less than half a day, one would suffer a fatal injury. Jiang Ling naturally noticed the ominous presence in the distant horizon as well. She sliced through the air, creating distance between herself and Xia Mo. She nced at the murky clouds in the distance and spoke again, "Hand over Fang Ren! I will go and ascertain the situation myself! Otherwise, let''s settle this with a fight to the death right here!" Her attitude remained exceedingly firm. "Are you sick in the head!" Xia Mo, as the Commander-in-Chief, couldn''t help but curse, "Fang Ren won''t die! Why won''t you believe that!" "You bunch of damned bastards! If you were trustworthy at all, my husband would not have died!" Jiang Ling roared. "Indeed, Bai Chaojin''s methods back then might have been wrong, but wasn''t that for the future of our species? If it weren''t for the cultivators'' marriage policies, do you think humanity would still have so many young talents?" Xia Mo spat out a mouthful of blood and gritted his teeth, "When the Cultivation Era first began, humans could spend their entire lives and only reach the Golden Mountain Realm at most, but now, thanks to the inherited genes of talented cultivators, the human limit has been raised to the current Xuanyang Realm! And even to the once unattainable Xuanyang Realm of old! Can''t you see the problem here? The outstanding human genes must be concentrated! Otherwise, it is a waste of the future!" "By that logic, as long as one has the best genes, could that person not go around the world sowing seeds at will, being nothing but a stud horse!" Jiang Ling raged. "You! Jiang Ling! You''re too extreme!" "Cut the crap! Will you hand over Fang Ren today or not?" No sooner had she finished speaking than the ck de in Jiang Ling''s hand was once again wrapped in a destructive aura. She unleashed a sh toward the army below the Central Area! Boom¡ª An explosive roar, the earth shattered, and countless soldiers were blown into the sea. "If you are so obstinate! Then I''ll risk this old life of mine to ensure the sess of this experiment!" As Xia Mo finished speaking, the white aura around him surged once again, and he continued his fight with Jiang Ling from the sky to the ground. Everything around them, under the onught of their energies, kept fracturing and copsing. ------ ------ Inside Indra Sky''s Underground Lab, a group of scientists with incredibly tense expressions watched the fluctuations on a massive device¡ªfinally, the transmission rate of 99% jumped to the long-awaited 100%! "Sess! The void energy haspletely fused with the Spiritual Root inside Her Highness!" "Quick! Open the underwater passage! Take Young Master Fang and Her Highness away!" As a group of scientists carried out their evacuation n in a state of urgency, Fang Ren, who had been lying in bed, slowly opened his eyes. His consciousness had returned to rity, though he felt extremely weary. Surveying the bustle of theboratory staff preparing something and catching a glimpse of Bai Qi lying on the bed next to him, her face color restored to a healthy hue, her aura no longer that of a mid-stage Xuanyang Realm but simr to Jiang Ling''s state when she had broken through to the Xuanyang Realm. "Young Master Fang, can you move normally now?" At that moment, a man in a whiteb coat rushed over to him. Fang Ren nced at him, then at the scientists who were busy opening a small passage, and asked, "Where are you going?" Boom¡ª A p of thunder entered the undergroundb, and the expression on the man''s face grew even more tense. He hurriedly said, "We are now going to take the submarine through the underwater passage to leave this ce. Young Master Fang, if you can move, follow us. If you need it, I can support you." "What''s the situation above?" Fang Ren frowned. "It''s a Ninth-order Void Beast!" The scientist pointed at the ck skull nearby and exined, "The owner of this skull, it''s attacking the ind. The Commander-in-Chief is above us holding it off. We must evacuate quickly!" "Ninth-order..." Fang Ren was shocked, barely able to believe what Bai Chaojin had said was true¡ªthe skull indeed belonged to a Ninth-order Void Beast, and that beast had actuallye to this world to reim its head, arriving so swiftly... At this moment, therge ck skull, now desated due to the depletion of Void Energy, was lifeless. "Then let''s get moving quickly." Fang Ren didn''t think he could survive against a Ninth-order Void Beast and without further ado, he picked up Bai Qi from the experimental bed and followed the group of scientists into the underwater passage. The passage was so narrow that as Fang Ren carried Bai Qi through, a slightck of attention would cause Bai Qi''s feet to brush against the walls, forcing Fang Ren to carry her on his shoulder in the end. At the end of this passagey a secret chamber meant for the submarine. Several scientists opened the hatch of the submarine and climbed in, and Fang Ren quickly seated himself inside. "Young Master Fang, you can put Her Highness here to rest for now. We will leave safely," one scientist assured him. A researcher led Fang Ren into a small room inside the submarine. The only thing inside was a bed¡ªnothing else. The door of this room was arge green iron door with not even a small window, making it a sealed chamber. Fang Ren nced at the researcher and said, "Something''s not right." "Does Young Master Fang have any questions?" "Didn''t you say that after the energy transfer was sessful, Bai Qi''s realm should have been at the mid-stage of Xuanyang realm? Why is she still stuck at the bottleneck of the peak of Xuanyang realm? She''s not even at the initial stage." The researcher nced at his watch and frowned. "For this, we need Young Master Fang''s cooperation toplete the final step." "What else do you need me to do?" Fang Ren frowned and asked. "Rest in the room first, and when we get to a safe ce, we will naturally tell you," the researcher said. "You''d better tell me now." Fang Ren said unhappily, "Now that Bai Qi is out of danger, I dare to really kill you if I say so." As he spoke, Fang Ren walked to the bedside,id Bai Qi by the bed, but just as he was about to turn and talk to the researcher, a sudden pain shot through his head, and he copsed beside the bed. "You..." Fang Ren looked angrily at the researcher in the doorway, feeling that things were not as simple as he imagined and that he had been led by the nose by these people. Seeing this, the expression on the face of the researcher at the door did not change as he said, "Please rest, Young Master Fang." With that, he closed the iron door and locked a rotating mechanical lock from the outside. "Get back here!" Fang Ren gritted his teeth and got up, ready to channel his True Qi to shatter the iron door. However, before he took a step, he fell to the ground, losing consciousness. Outside the iron door, several researchers gathered together. A team leader looked at the locked iron door and asked, "How long will it probably take?" "For ordinary people, it''s 7-10 days. The physique of cultivators is excellent, so 3 days should be enough." "But the medication is simply not enough tost three days. During this period, it''s not feasible for us to go in and inject them directly. What should we do?" "Don''t worry, this kind of medication can be vaporized and act through the respiratory tract inside the body." "That''s good, otherwise if the medication fails, I don''t know whether Her Highness can conceive." ------ ------ Skies of the North Sea, battles like the end of the world were still raging. All major radio stations had stopped all their programs, which now only featured reports on this great battle. From the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere, whether it was nighttime or daytime, whether they were office workers sitting at their desks or homebodies lying in bed, everyone was clutching their smartphones, closely following this battle that could potentially destroy humanity. Ao¡ª¡ª Eight huge ck snake heads howled to the sky as if infuriated by something. The ck Eight-headed Snake, with its 300-meter-long gigantic body, rushed at the massive formation at high speed, constantly trying to move towards the Central Ind. "This thing has gone mad! Hold it back!" Countless soldiers manipted the huge Blue Array in the sky, tightly surrounding the ck Eight-headed Snake, while outside the Blue Array, an overwhelming number of Void beasts also continually rammed the human formation, trying to break it. Boom boom boom¡ª¡ª Within the Blue Array, countless blue light swords continually stabbed at the scales of the ck Eight-headed Snake, sparking innumerable shes, and the entire sea was boiling from the sparks erupting. "Cough!" At the center of the formation, Mu Huanqing felt a heavy pressure in her chest. The constant activation of the kilometer-sized array attacks caused a colossal drain on Spiritual Energy. Moreover, many Array Masters around didn''t understand how the Large Formation worked and couldn''t help at all, leaving her to fend for herself. Thud thud thud¡ª¡ª The Eight-headed Snake inside the formation was no pushover either. Its ck aura continuously corroded the formation. Several snake heads also tore at the edges of the formation. However, every time the ck aura corroded the formation, it was quickly repaired by Mu Huanqing. The battle continued, a war of attrition against Spiritual Energy. If Mu Huanqing could not keep her Spiritual Energy up with the formation, the Eight-headed Snake would break free, and at that moment, at least tens of thousands of the human army outside the formation would be submerged by the ck aura. "If this continues, I''m afraid the formation will shatter in less than two hours. I must think of another way..." Mu Huanqing looked at the frantically raging Eight-headed Snake on the sea and felt greatly shocked. Ever since she had entered the battlefield, she had killed more than a hundred Ninth-order Void Beasts, but each time it was only by uniting humans and the Anti-Void Array that they were able to drag it until its energy was exhausted before killing it. This time was different; she always felt that the energy of this Void beast was increasing instead of being depleted..." Chapter 306: Chapter 301: Somethings Not Right_1 "Protect Madame Xuan at all costs! That beast is probably running out of energy! Once its frenzy is over, we''ll kill it with all our might! Just hold on a little longer!" The battlefield in the sky had already been divided into fouryers, the outermostyer consisting of soldiers from around the world continuously arriving to join the battle, who were fighting against the void beasts pouring into the sky. The thirdyer was made up of human warriors who had arrived at the battlefield first, and the initial wave of void beasts that had fallen. However, thebat power at this level had reached its weakest point, leaving only the strong ones fighting amongst themselves, their energy nearly exhausted. The secondyer was the mainbat force of the human battle zones, almost all were top cultivators from the various battle zones, generals, district chiefs, and even included family heads from some of the great Tianjiang families. The reason they stayed at thisyer was to protect Mu Huanqing, who was in the firstyer, and some array masters assisting in suppressing the ck eight-headed snake. It was precisely because there were so many experts in thisyer that thebat power of the human warriors in the outeryer was unbnced, causing them to suffer losses far quicker than the void beasts. But the mainbat force could not leave this ce, for once they left, and the formation broke, the ninth-order void beast breaking free would be tantamount to all previous efforts going in vain. ------ While the great battle raged on above the sea, inside the small room of a submarine below, it was very quiet. Fang Ren felt himself leaning against the edge of the bed, feeling weaker and weaker. He could endure pain that was hundreds, even thousands of times more intense than an ordinary person, but he was helpless against this numbness. "What else do these guys have up their sleeve... Bai Qi has alreadypleted his advancement..." Even if Fang Ren racked his brains now, he could only roughly guess that Indra Sky would continue to use him for Bai Qi''s advancement, but as for the specific methods, he had no idea. As time ticked away, a slight feverish sensation began to rise in Fang Ren''s body, making him somewhat irritable. "The Seed Project..." Suddenly, Fang Ren recalled a phrase he had overheard while he was unconscious. From the sound of it, one could guess it was about leaving a ''seed'' for some follow-up n, but what this ''seed'' was exactly... "Damn it! It can''t be..." As the heat in his body intensified, Fang Ren suddenly realized why these people had locked him and Bai Qi in such a secluded room: it was clearly to leave a child between him and Bai Qi as a safeguard for their subsequent n to shatter the void! "That sneaky old man Bai Chaojin really came up with something!" Fang Ren struggled once again to stand up from the edge of the bed. He couldn''t stay here, or else something terrible would surely happen. "Ugh..." However, just as he was about to get up, Bai Qi''s voice came from the bed behind him. He instinctively turned his head to see Bai Qi, dressed in white, frowning and holding her head while slowly sitting up from the bed. "This is bad..." Seeing this, Fang Ren''s entire body stiffened, as theponents of some drug in his body were ignited upon seeing Bai Qi and began to rapidly spread, constantly numbing his nerves and encroaching upon his sanity... "Bai Qi..." Bai Qi had just woken up and was only able to feel a sharp pain in her head. Before she had a chance to observe her surroundings, she heard a male voice close to her ear. Bai Qi immediately turned her head to see Fang Ren sitting beside her bed; he was leaning on the bed with his hands syed out, looking at her. "How... are you here?" Bai Qi was first taken aback, surprised and confused. Then, as she carefully observed her surroundings, she realized that this was not thergeboratory from before, but a sealed small room. "Where is this?" As Bai Qi spoke, she tried to turn around and get off the bed, but as soon as she moved, she found her body somewhat uncontroble. Her eyes, it was her eyes, she couldn''t look away from Fang Ren. Hum¡ª¡ª In an instant, her mind went nk. She didn''t even have time to think whether she had be stronger or if she had reached the Xuanyang realm her grandfather had told her about. Instinctively, she moved closer to the man in front of her. Unable to think about anything. And Fang Ren beside her was the same; at the nce of her, his mind turned to nothingness. Thump¡ª¡ª A sound emanated from the small room''s bed, and the scientists outside the iron door all showed relieved smiles and discreetly left the vicinity of the door. ------ Boom¡ª¡ª In the skies over the North Sea, the blue array that had enshrouded kilometers of the sea surface was finally torn open by the ck eight-headed snake, and immediately its ck aura began to corrode the crack ceaselessly. "Suppress it!" Seeing the ck eight-headed snake about to escape the formation, more than a hundred silver light rays shot out from the silver wheel behind Mu Huanqing, transforming into various weapons midair and stabbing toward the crack in the formation. ``` The generals who were at the second level of the battlefield surged forward andunched a fierce attack at the crack in the Formation. The ck Eight-headed Snake hadn''t managed to escape from the Formation when it was suppressed back by thebined Cultivation Techniques of the generals. However, cracks had ultimately appeared on the Formation, and even though the generals could temporarily keep the Void Beast inside, the Large Formation was already difficult to repair. Among all the people present, only Mu Huanqing understood this type of Formation, after all, it was acquired from the fruit of Fang Ren and no one on Earth had seen it before. "There''s something off about this Void Beast!" a general shouted. "The Formation that Madame Xuan cast this time is almostparable to the Anti-Void Array in the first area! Normally, a Ninth Order Void Beast can''tst this long inside it!" "Indeed! Our earlier guess wasn''t wrong; this thing isn''t just a Level Nine Void Beast! It has surpassed the ninth order!" "Damn! No wonder it could bring so many high-level Void Beasts!" ... Boom! A loud noise erupted from the sea, and a crack appeared on the blue seal in Mu Huanqing''s hand, followed by the disintegration of the kilometer-scale Formation she controlled. It dissipated as blue light waves scattered across the sea. The enormous ck Eight-headed Snake instantly burst out of the Formation''s protection, its pitch-ck silhouette sweeping across the sea, breaking through the defensive formation of the generals, and tearing apart the flesh of tens of thousands of Array Masters. "It''s over!" Blood spurted from Mu Huanqing''s mouth as the blue seal in her hand shatteredpletely. This Blue Array was the fastest and most powerful Large Formation she could deploy at present, yet the Void Beast had emerged from it unscathed! Although she possessed even more powerful Formations, she simply had no time to set them up. If she had started with the strongest Formation she controlled, how many more soldiers would have to die before buying her enough time? "It''s heading to the Central Ind! Stop it!" A swarm of Human warriors surged forward, trying to block the ck Eight-headed Snake in this sea area, but the power they believed to be strong enough to contend with Seventh or Eighth Order Void Beasts was nothing in front of the ck Serpent. The breath from the Serpent swept across the sea, annihting dozens of early-stage Xuanyang realm experts as if it were as trivial as crushing a group of ants. "How... how should we fight this battle..." Countless Human soldiers in the sky saw this scene and felt their hearts enveloped byyers of gray despair. Humanity''s finest warriors were so vulnerable before the Void Beast; if the soldiers were all to die... what power would they have to resist? "To arms!" Mu Huanqing gritted her teeth, the Silver Wheel behind her in motion, as she took a long spear and charged towards the ck Eight-headed Snake. Following her, tens of thousands of female soldiers from the Nine Heavens Corps also rushed forth, desperately bombarding the ck Eight-headed Snake with their Cultivation Techniques. Yet, the Snake paid them no attention, heading straight for the Central District Command. Anything in its path was torn to shreds. ------ On the ind of the Central Area, Jiang Ling was covered in wounds, one arm twisted, and blood soaked his entire body. The Commander-in-Chief of the Central Area, Xia Mo, wasn''t in much better shape, one lower leg broken off, and the aura fluctuations about him were not as strong as when he emerged from seclusion. "Jiang Ling! Today, if I don''t kill you, will you surely kill me!?" Xia Mo roared in anger. "Without handing over Fang Ren, don''t even think about living!" Jiang Ling wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, holding a long sword in his twisted arm as he swung it again towards Xia Mo. The ck sword Qi instantly split the earth, cleaving the Central Ind in two. "You''re nothing but a parasite in the Human world! You''re ruining the grand ns for Humanity!" Inside, Xia Mo''s fury was hellish, unable toprehend why, with such a threat looming over Humanity, Jiang Ling would obsess over Fang Ren! Currently, Fang Ren was the sole key to empowering Bai Qi; at such a critical moment, how could he be allowed to see her? Their war had rendered the Central Ind an ashen waste, no remaining trace of buildings, only a massive pit, as sea water flowed in from all directions. Just as they were about to unleash their killer moves in what was seemingly theirst burst of life, the sky above them suddenly darkened. Both stopped immediately, Jiang Ling frowning as he looked towards the horizon where countless battles between Humans and Void Beasts raged at sea. "You parasite! Now do you see what you''ve done!?" Xia Mo bellowed in rage, his white beard trembling with fury: "I told you Humanity was in crisis! And you didn''t believe me!" Jiang Ling was momentarily stunned, watching the ck Eight-headed Snake flying towards them from a distance. His pupils contracted sharply ¨C he couldn''t sense the level of this Void Beast! "Hand over Fang Ren." Jiang Ling looked at Xia Mo again, earnestly saying, "Give him over, and I''ll join the battle immediately." "Nonsense!" Xia Mo roared: "You mad girl!" He couldn''t fathom, even at this point, that Jiang Ling would still demand Fang Ren from him! Could it be... did Fang Ren spoil this mad girl thousands of times? Could she really be so desperate to settle her score with him? "Go find him yourself! If you harm our own kind in this war, I swear, you will not die a good death!" Xia Mo, with a shout, turned away and rushed to the battlefield at sea, no longer paying any attention to Jiang Ling. ``` Chapter 307: Chapter 302: Island Collapse_1 Boom¡ª The enormous body of the ck eight-headed snake crushed the edge of Central Ind, and its thunderous energy made the entire ind shudder. The ind had long been fragmented due to the prior battle between Jiang Ling and Xia Mo. Now, under the crushing weight of the eight-headed snake, chunks of the ind rapidly split apart, tumbling into the sea from the edges. "Roar!" The ck eight-headed snake that arrived at the ind began to bellow towards the sky. Since its head had been chopped off, this was the closest it had been to its own head so far. The massive ck body released thousands of ck lines that weaved through the crumbling ind, searching for its ninth head. In the sky, the human army continued to bombard it with extremely powerful cultivation techniques, while the Commander-in-Chief with the Security Team on the ind tried to block thousands of ck lines from entering, but all seemed to be in vain. This Void Beast was too strong; the human race had never faced such a formidable enemy before. Having rushed to the ind with troops, Bai Chaojin, observed the giant ck body at the edge, his already paleplexion grew even paler. "Has this thing... evolved?" The pressure emanating from the ck eight-headed snake instinctively made him feel despair. This ck giant snake used to be a nine-headed golden python, and although he led his soldiers to drive it away back then with heavy losses, the scene was never as tragic as it was today. This overwhelming group of Void Beasts, the ck light that could destroy an ind at any moment¡ªhow could thispare to the ninth-order Void Beast he faced those years ago? This ck eight-headed snake must have already broken through the ninth order! Hum¡ª Over a hundred ck light beams swept over Central Ind like thunderbolts, and the already shattered isletpletely disintegrated, sinking into the ocean. A general who followed Bai Chaojin waspletely stunned by the sight. Before leaving the ind, he thought that this crisis might beparable to the great battle that happened over a decade ago, but he never imagined that it wouldpletely overturn his past battlefield experiences. Bai Chaojin, looking back at a group of petrified soldiers, gritted his teeth and roared, "Over a decade ago we were able to chase it away by cutting it! Why not do it again!" Morale was very important at this time! And as the onlymander who had reached the frontline, Bai Chaojin had to lead by example. Having said that, Bai Chaojin himself was the first to charge into the Void Beast Group. They were positioned on the outskirts. If they wanted to approach the ck eight-headed snake, they had to break through the encircling beasts. Seeing themander charging in, the soldiers immediately followed on either side, drawing their weapons, resolved to carve a path towards the ck eight-headed snake. As the Central Area soldiers joined the battlefield, the beasts on the periphery instantly scattered, but in the middle-level war zone, humans still remained at a severe disadvantage. He saw that hundreds of formations had already shattered terribly, and the array masters were nearly crushed to death amidst the beast horde, with no room to catch their breath. A massive number of beasts from the middle-level war zone began to flood into the central area, and for a time, most of the soldiers who had been bombarding the ck Eight-headed Snake had no choice but to give up their attack on the serpent and defend against the horde charging in from behind. In the spot where Mu Huanqing stood, countless practitioners had already died, leaving only a sea strewn with numerous corpses and the surface of the water dyed red with blood. Her own body was also covered in fresh blood, and her Life Spirit behind her was no longer as pure as before, continuously revolving in the sky, but now it was covered with chunks of the corpses of Void beasts, its white light obscured by the blood. The strongest formation she could use had just shattered, causing even her, seasoned from countless battles, to panic inside. That was a formationparable to the Central Area''s Anti-Void Array, yet it didn''tst two hours before breaking apart... She had never seen any Void beast capable of breaking the Anti-Void Array, but the ck Snake had done it with ease, just how strong was this monster... In a flurry of desperation, Mu Huanqing could only lead her Hundred Martial Divine Weapons into closebat. The True Qi consumed in condensing out a formation was far too immense, she was unable to bring forth the blue Large Formation again in a short time, and now her ability in closebat was uncertain; it was hard to say if she could even reach the giant snake''s head, especially as it was protected by many other beasts and surrounded by numerous ck lines of defense, difficult to break through. As therge number of beasts poured in, the human central battlefield''s strength began to diminish significantly, and although they were initially able to limit certain actions of the ck Eight-headed Snake with the formations of the surrounding array masters, now those smaller formations had also been crushed by the horde, and the ck Eight-headed Snake, as if breaking free from its chains, became even more ferocious with its pitch-ck energy. The eight heads of the snake sprouted even more ck light strips, half of which extended into the seabed, sweeping back and forth among the fragments of Central Ind, while the other half continuously attacked the surrounding human practitioners. Seeing this scene, Bai Chaojin, who had led the team deep into the beast horde, grew panicked. "Quickly, get it under control! The creature is searching for its head!" With a roar, Bai Chaojin rushed even more swiftly toward the central battlefield, well aware that if they allowed the snake to restore its nine heads, the human race would pay an even more tragic price in this war. Upon hearing Bai Chaojin''smand, countless human practitioners abandoned their momentary defenses and began to focus fire on the ck light spewing from the sea bed by the ck Eight-headed Snake. Thunderous booms resonated, and the force of the impact hurled seawater into the sky. The concentrated attack momentarily shattered many of the light rays that the ck Eight-headed Snake was using in its search for its head, but due to the temporary abandonment of their defenses, the human ranks suffered thousands of casualties. Just as they were about to break all the light rays extended by the eight-headed snake into the sea, suddenly, the eight heads began spewing a thick mystical fog, which expanded continuously until it enveloped the ck light rays it had extended. As the mystical fog wrapped around, the human practitioners'' attacks were significantly weakened in an instant, and the ck light rays that had just been broken off started growing back from the serpent''s body, continuing to stretch into the seabed, searching for the head it had lost decades before. "What kind of energy is this? All kinds of cultivation techniques weaken when they pass through this fog!" a General gritted out in hatred. "If this fog isn''t dispersed, I fear it will be very hard to injure this creature!" "Disperse? How to disperse? Even light attributed cultivation techniques are ineffective against this thing!" shouted a practitioner. "Light and darkness counter each other, how can it be ineffective? Unless the light attributed cultivation technique isn''t strong enough! We need a stronger practitioner with a Light Attributed Spiritual Root to handle this!" "A strong enough Light Attributed Spiritual Root... That only leaves the Commander-in-Chief!" "Yes! Wasn''t it said that the Commander-in-Chief had already emerged from seclusion?" "The Commander-in-Chief dide out, but that despicable Jiang Ling blocked him!" "It''s Nightfall''s doing again! At a time like this! Are they even human!" ... Unseen, the sins of Nightfall deepened in the hearts of the people. On the battlefield, Mu Huaqing, burdened with hundreds of weapons, charged into theyers of demon beasts, nearing the ck fog surrounding the eight-headed snake. Hum¡ª Suddenly, a snake head burst out from the ck fog, opening its huge maw towards the surrounding human practitioners. A jet of ck burst forth, and a wave of light swept across the sea, slicing the bodies of thousands of practitioners. At this moment, Mu Huanqing''s True Qi was already running low, and while dealing with arge number of eighth-order beasts, it was difficult to guard against this ck fog. "Madame Xuan!" Dozens of female soldiers from the Nine Heavens Corps quickly arrived by Mu Huanqing''s side to help her withstand the energy shock, but even with their full strength, several soldiers still lost their lives to the beam. Watching her own soldiers getting sliced open, Mu Huanqing''s eyes reddened, various emotions of anger intertwined in her heart, her True Qi burning violently as she turned and charged towards the snake head that had emerged from the ck fog. As Mu Huanqing changed direction, hundreds upon thousands of high-order beasts also began to defend towards the head of the giant snake. For a moment, the blood of Void beasts sttered across the sky. As Mu Huanqing approached the head, ck light began to sweep towards her from around the snake''s body, while the head that had appeared from the ck fog started to rapidly recoil back into it. "Moon Wheel!" The Hundred Martial Divine Weapon transformed into arge shield to meet the sweeping ck light, and in the moment the Spirit Form blocked the shock, Mu Huanqing had already reached the snake head that was about to recoil back into the fog. "Creation Divine Technique! Exterminate!" The long spear in Mu Huanqing''s hand turned into a streak of silver light, thundering onto the forehead of the snake head. Boom¡ª "Agh!" Sparks flew! The unprotected snake head, under this strike, screamed in pain as its scales were sted off by the silver light, with ck blood gushing from its forehead. The injured snake head tried even faster to escape back into the ck fog, while from within the fog, more ck beams swept out towards Mu Huanqing. "I will kill you!" Her sisters-in-arms had been killed, and the surge of anger somewhat clouded her mind. Faced with the sweeping ckness, Mu Huanqing didn''t defend, instead, she condensed a purple Formation in her hand and mmed it hard onto the snake head. With a loud rumble, from within the purple Formation, hundreds of vines extended, entangling the huge snake head, and then Mu Huanqing connected the Formation to her own Spirit Form. Hum¡ª The Hundred Martial Divine Weapon flew into the sky, the connected vines forcibly keeping the head suspended in mid-air, preventing it from escaping back into the ck fog for the time being. This head was temporarily restrained, but the ck beams from afar had already swept over, striking Mu Huanqing''s silver armor and flinging her over a hundred meters away. She had willingly given up defense to prevent the opponent from retreating into the fog. "Cough!" A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed from Mu Huanqing''s mouth; without any pause, she flew up once more andunched a fierce attack on the restrained head. At this very moment, Bai Chaojin had led the soldiers of the Central Area into the Middle-level War Zone. As he burst into the interior of the battlefield, the first thing he saw was the bloody Mu Huanqing desperately entangled inbat with the head of a ck snake. A few traces of diposure and bewilderment shed across his aged face. Such a girl who fought for her life for the Human Race, such a girl whom he had watched grow up from childhood, was he really going to destroy her happiness for the "Seed of Fire n"? In Bai Chaojin''s heart, he suddenly found it unbearable to witness such a thing happen. But... the n was already in motion. "When humanity is at peace, I wille to apologize to you, Qing''er..." Looking at Mu Huanqing, Bai Chaojin sighed in his heart. Then he turned and charged towards Mu Huanqing, wiping out the beasts around her to ensure her safety. Chapter 308: Chapter 303: Xia Mo Enters_1 True Qi surged out from beside Mu Huanqing, ying the Void beast that emerged unexpectedly. The presence of this True Qi made her nce sideways involuntarily. When she turned her head, indeed, the owner of this True Qi was none other than Bai Chaojin, the Family Head of the Bai Family. "Qing''er, where is your formation?" Bai Chaojin arrived at Mu Huanqing''s side, frowning as he fought off enemies and asked. Mu Huanqing replied with cold eyes, "Before you speak to me, Grandfather Bai, you had better tell me where Fang Ren has gone." "..." Bai Chaojin''s heart jolted, his movements pausing momentarily. Based on the current situation, it seemed that Mu Huanqing must have found out something. After all, Fang Ren had alreadye into contact with the night, and he had been with Mu Huanqing for so long, and since the two were lovers, it was normal for them to share everything frankly. Truly, one misstep caused another. "Girl, I don''t want to be enemies with you," Bai Chaojin said. "You have indeed hidden many things!" Hearing these words from Bai Chaojin, Mu Huanqing instantly understood too many things. Jiang Ling''s words to her were all but confirmed now, and reality was just so; Bai Chaojin had indeed turned Bai Qi into an experimental subject and had captured Fang Ren to use him as an auxiliary tool for Bai Qi. The image of grand justice that Bai Chaojin held in her heart crumbled in that instant. She had often been with Bai Qi since childhood, and Bai Chaojin''s care for her rivaled that of a grandparent. However, she never imagined that this grandfather, whom she respected, had treated people close to her as chess pieces since she was little! "This is not the time to discuss these matters with a great enemy before us. If you intend to turn against me, then let''s talk after this catastrophe has passed," Bai Chaojin earnestly said. "I can distinguish what''s more important, but you must tell me where Fang Ren is now!" Mu Huanqing demanded angrily. "Don''t worry, he is safe now. I estimate that you''ll be able to see him in seven days." "What did you force him to do?" "I originally wanted to force him, but in fact, he volunteered," Bai Chaojin exined. While they were talking, the vines restraining the serpent''s head started to loosen. If they did not attack quickly, the head would escape back into the ck mist. At this moment, Mu Huanqing''s mind was in chaos. She was extremely concerned about Fang Ren''s safety, but now she had no choice but to let go of her worries for her lover. "If anything happens to him, don''t me me for not cherishing past sentiments!" she eximed. After saying this, Mu Huanqing quicklyunched an attack on the serpent''s head. She was clear about what she should do now; she couldn''t let her emotions cloud her judgment, or else, if they lost the battle, Fang Ren would still be in danger. Moreover, her daughter had just been born; she could not let her live in a world filled with Void beasts from the beginning. This war had to be won. Bai Chaojin watched Mu Huanqing, who, despite being severely injured, continued to charge into battle. His aged face could not help but turn even paler today. The heart of man is made of flesh, after all. Mu Huanqing, whom he had watched grow from a child, was almost like his own granddaughter to him; how could he bear the thought of bing her enemy? If it weren''t for the sake of a peaceful future for the world, he wouldn''t want to be this eternal sinner. "Generals! Cut off this head!" Without giving it more thought, Bai Chaojin roared, his True Qi burning as he attacked the serpent''s head. At that moment, the Cultivation Techniques of tens of thousands converged,unching an assault at the head suspended in mid-air, the scene was once again earth-shatteringly astounding. Without the protection of the ck mist, the serpent''s head, under the ferocious attack of the crowd, had its scales flying off, exposing the flesh beneath. Just as the serpent''s head was about to be sted into a pulp, suddenly, from the ten-thousand-meter ck mist, seven huge heads burst forth, spewing ck energy into the sky to block everyone from continuing the assault on this head. As the other heads surged out of the mist, Mu Huanqing''s restraining formation was broken in an instant, and the head that was about to be turned into a pulp promptly retracted into the mist. Then, the seven heads that had just emerged swiftly fled back, disappearing into the ck mist, leaving no trace. Once again, the battlefield returned to its previous state, light rays continuously sweeping through the ck mist, both scouring the human army and searching the seabed for its head, while the people could only keep bombarding the ck lines on the sea surface to prevent this monster from finding its head. "Chase!" Seeing the serpent''s head about to be shattered escaping, Bai Chaojin immediately led his troops to pursue into the ck mist. "Commander-in-Chief! Don''t rush in!" A General immediately yelled, "We''ve already had hundreds of brothers rush in and get obliterated! Inside, you can''t see anything at all, nor can Divine Sense detect the enemy''s position! We''re just being toyed with by this monster!" Hearing this, Bai Chaojin also quickly stopped, "Is there no way to disperse this ck mist?" "Currently, we haven''t found a Cultivation Technique that can counter this ck mist! The Wind Attribute cannot blow it away, the Light Attribute is swallowed by it! But I feel that as long as the Light Attributed Cultivation Technique is sufficiently powerful, it will be able to break through it!" ``` "Light and darkness are mutually exclusive, Light attribute techniques must have an effect on this thing!" Listening to the voices of the surrounding soldiers, Bai Chaojin''s gaze turned to the distance. Although he also knew Light Attribute techniques, his Spiritual Root was of the Wood attribute, which prevented him from unleashing the full power of Light Attribute techniques. Speaking of Light Attribute techniques, of course, it was the Commander-in-Chief Xia Mo who was the strongest, possessing a Light Attributed Spiritual Root. Xia Mo had already broken through the Mysterious Night realm, and the power of his Light Attribute techniques was countless times greater than his own. "Where is old brother Xia..." Bai Chaojin searched the skies above the ind for Xia Mo and Jiang Ling, but found that the two had already vanished without a trace. "Was Jiang Ling defeated? Or could it be that..." Boom¡ª Just as everyone was resisting the beast horde while looking for a way to dispel the ck fog, the sky above the outer battlefield suddenly boomed with a loud noise. In an instant, a column of light appeared in the originally murky sky, erupting continuously towards the clouds, breaking open the gloom above the battlefield and expelling all the dark clouds from the sky. The source of this column of light came from an elder dressed in white. The elder was floating high above the battlefield, wielding a silver-white longsword, pointing it towards the clouds, and the sudden column of light was emitted from the elder''s sword. "It''s the Commander-in-Chief! The Commander-in-Chief has arrived!" "We''re saved! If it''s the Commander-in-Chief, he can definitely break through thisyer of ck fog!" "Atst, we can y this beast! Revenge for our brothers and sisters!" ¡­ With the appearance of the Commander-in-Chief, all the soldiers became as excited as if they had seen their savior. It was also because of Xia Mo''s appearance that people around the globe, who were watching the battlefield livestream, were finally able to calm their hearts at this moment. The scenes of the broadcast like the end of the world caused every person''s heartstrings to tense up. Even those who should have been asleep, after ncing at the news, could no longer close their eyes, because nobody knew what the world would be like when they woke up. In countless software tforms'' live broadcast rooms, tens of millions of people were watching the battlefield every moment, and the official livestream tform had been restarted countless times due to the sheer volume of several billion people. "We must win! We must! Otherwise, it really will be the end of days!" "The Commander-in-Chief hase out! We can definitely win this war!" "Why haven''t the reinforcements from the 7, 8, 9 War Zones arrived yet! I''m so nervous! I can hardly bear to watch on!" "I suddenly hate that I''m powerless to go to the battlefield! Even if I could kill one enemy, that would be something!" ¡­ The bulletments never stopped revealing people''s panic, grief, anger, and helplessness. Weng¡ª In the high skies of the battlefield, after the dark clouds were dispelled, Xia Mo''s longsword began to rapidly y towards the dense pack of beasts on the sea''s surface. The sound of the sword rang through the sky, the white column of light swept across the demon beast crowd and in a sh, a mist of blood filled the sea''s surface, and countless Void beasts were shattered by the column of light. With arge number of the beast horde being in, a direct path to the ck Giant Snake also appeared before everyone. The soldiers on the outer and middleyers immediately stopped the beast horde from closing up the path, giving Xia Mo more time to reach the central battlefield. They could not follow Xia Mo into the central war zone together because their numbers would affect the performance of the high-ranking soldiers. After all, the ck Snake''s attack range was so vast; their presence would hinder the high-ranking soldiers'' evasion. Therefore, holding back the invasion of the lower-ranked Void beasts at the periphery was indeed what they should be doing at this moment. "Is this... Doomsday Sunlight?" Bai Chaojin, who was in the central battlefield, was stunned upon seeing this sword. As far as he knew, "Doomsday Sunlight" was the strongest technique Xia Mo himself could use. The technique condensed the user''s entire True Qi into a weapon, causing it to materialize and doubling the purity of the True Qi ¨C a special technique with immense power. Ifunched with its strongest strike, it couldpare to one collective firing attack of the Central Area''s Anti-Void Array. But now, Xia Mo had not broken through the Mysterious Night realm; otherwise, the strongest strike of this technique would undoubtedly be several times more potent than the firing attack of the Anti-Void Array. The great cost of such a powerful technique was that it required a lot of time to gather energy. Only by elevating the purity of True Qi to a certain height could the "Sunlight Sword" in Xia Mo''s hands be condensed. Seeing Xia Mo unleash the technique as soon as he appeared, Bai Chaojin felt bewildered. Earlier, Xia Mo had been fiercely fighting with Jiang Ling, and it looked like it would be difficult for the two to determine a winner even after several days of battle. During the fight, Xia Mo definitely did not have the time to condense the Sunlight Sword. And now that Xia Mo''s technique was already deployed, it meant that Jiang Ling had already left this ce; otherwise, Xia Mo would not have had the time to activate the technique. "I just hope Jiang Ling doesn''t find Fang Ren then; otherwise, the Seed project wille to an end." At this moment, Bai Chaojin could only pray in his heart. Although Bai Qi hadpleted the experiment and obtained Void Energy, he still wanted to keep Bai Qi and Fang Ren''s child as an insurance policy. After all, whether Bai Qi could shatter the Void was unpredictable to anyone. ``` Chapter 309: 304 In fact, things did not go as Bai Chaojin had predicted. After leaving Central Ind, Jiang Ling did not go looking for Fang Ren. After the appearance of the ck Snake, the tragic scene on the battlefield made Jiang Ling realize that this was a war concerning the lives of countless of her own kind. If they couldn''t win, the entire Tianjiang, where the human elites gathered, would fall. Now that Central Ind waspletely destroyed, if many more soldiers were to die, what capital would humanity have left to resist the Void in a prolonged struggle? Moreover, since Central Ind had shattered, and she hadn''t seen any traces of the Indra Sky organization, Bai Chaojin wasn''t worried about the ind breaking apart. Hence, Indra Sky must have moved before the ind''s destruction, and Fang Ren must have been taken away by them. Without any information, looking for someone became truly difficult. Given the current situation,pared to seeking the now untraceable Fang Ren, she knew all too well what she ought to do. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Deep within a forest on the outskirts of Yangming City. Following the battle in Linglong Bay, all members of the Nightfall Organization began to scatter to avoid scrutiny from the Central Area, temporarily moving the organization''s headquarters to this location. If not for special circumstances, members would not return to headquarters, especially since, even up to the present, the investigative group''s watchers from the Central Area had not left Yangming. The fierce wind howled as a ck streak of light crossed the sky, descending deep into the forest. Afternding on the ground, Jiang Ling withdrew the ck Spiritual Energy surrounding her. Her clothes were somewhat disheveled at this point, her cheeks and hair bore many bloodstains, and one of her arms was twisted, having been broken in the fight against Xia Mo. Jiang Ling approached arge stone wall, where she tapped her long sword against the wall several times. Immediately, the wall split open in the middle, revealing a passageway that extended underground. On either side of this passageway stood two men from the Nightfall Organization, constantly surveying the entrance. Seeing Jiang Ling covered in blood, the two men quickly approached. "Leader! What happened to you?" Jiang Ling waved off their concerns, there was no time for that, and asked, "Is Yanzhu here?" "The Vice Leader is in the central room." Hearing this, Jiang Ling''s form turned into a blur as she passed throughyer uponyer of passageways to reach a vast underground chamber. The chamber was surrounded by soil, not asvish as Indra Sky''s underground space. The Nightfall had just moved not long ago, and with one event after another urring, they didn''t even have the energy to tile the underground room, nor to fix proper lights; they used temporary Fire attribute talismans instead. However, in this underground chamber, various high-tech devices and equipment were fully equipped, with rows ofputers upied by the organization''s tech personnel, constantly probing for various pieces of information around the world. At the front of theboratory, on a mud wall, was arge screen disying the defense battle of Tianjiang, ryed by war correspondents. The screen showed countless human Practitioners shing with the overwhelming Void beasts, but the giant ck Snake was nowhere to be seen, nor were Mu Huanqing and the other top-tier humanbat force groups. They were all blocked from view by the human soldiers and Void beasts on the periphery. Everyone in the underground chamber was fixated on the screen. Standing on the side of the screen was a woman in business attire, her face filled with worry, her hands tightly sped, her heart exceedingly tense. This woman was Luo Yanzhu, the Vice Leader of the Nightfall Organization. Her preference for business attire wasn''t usually for fashion; she typically preferred sportswear since it was more convenient for the organization''s missions. Her reason for wearing business attire was due to her second identity in Yangming City, where she was a department director at apany, and this was her usual dress code. With the Void''s sudden major outbreak, coupled with the Leader''s abrupt disappearance, she had had no time to attend to other matters, let alone change her clothes. "Yanzhu." Jiang Ling didn''t have time to tend to her wounds and called out to the woman in business attire. Luo Yanzhu, upon hearing Jiang Ling''s voice, had her tense expression freeze for a moment before turning around. Seeing Jiang Ling covered in blood, her entire being panicked, confirming the worries she had earlier. Jiang Ling must have gone to the Central Area; otherwise, no ce else could have inflicted such injuries on Jiang Ling. "You actually went to the Central Area! Do you know what the consequences would be if you died!" Luo Yanzhu couldn''t help feeling angry. The Nightfall Organization lived in constant fear every day, and yet Jiang Ling, the Leader, still dared to take such risks. If Jiang Ling died, the Nightfall Organization would be no more. Without Nightfall, who else could stop Indra Sky? However, what Luo Yanzhu didn''t know at that moment was that Indra Sky''s ns had already seeded. Everyone seeing Jiang Ling in such a wounded state had a rough idea in their hearts; the Leader''s strength was not as it once was. It must have taken thebined efforts of the variousmanders from the Central Area to injure the Leader to this extent. Now, with a great enemy before us, thosemanders in the Central Area actually still have the mind to deal with us, which is utterly detestable! Jiang Ling stopped whatever he was doing, asking somewhat anxiously, "Now is not the time to talk about this, what stage has the Nine Yin Gathering Spirit Array reached now?" Luo Yanzhu frowned, "Why are you asking this? The Void has erupted, and the entire Human Race is under threat. You can''t possibly be thinking of using it against the Central Area now, can you? If that''s the case, if we ignore the jeopardy to our race to deal with Indra Sky, then how are we any different from Indra Sky?" "You''re overthinking it." Jiang Ling strode to therge screen and tapped it with his finger at the chaotic battlefield, saying, "At the very core of this battlefield, there is a monster that has surpassed the Ninth Order. The entire Human army has no way of dealing with it. This time, we are going to help, to kill this monster." "Help? But, Chief, the battlefield is filled with people from the Central Area..." "Yes, Chief, even if we help them out, it''s hard to say how they will treat us afterward! "Moreover, if you activate the Nine Yin Gathering Spirit Array, that is ourst trump card against Indra Sky. If we use it now, how will we save the Practitioners who have been harmed by Indra Sky in the future?" ¡­ Upon hearing that Jiang Ling was going to help on the battlefield, everyone''s faces instantly turned grim. It was not that they didn''t want to help their own race ovee the crisis, but aside from whether their ability could significantly help, even if they could help Tianjiang''s army through the crisis, what about afterward? Whether the others would be grateful or not aside, it would be considered lucky if they didn''t wipe them all out at that point. After all, in everyone''s heart, the Nightfall Organization is seen as a malevolent group. Luo Yanzhu also spoke with furrowed brows, "Chief, I did say that we shouldn''t confront the Central Area at this time, but that doesn''t mean we should lend them a hand! Even if we help them, would they be grateful? I suspect that once the Void beast is defeated, they will just kill us all!" Jiang Ling was silent for a moment after hearing this, then nodded and said, "It''s right for us to consider our matters deeply. But have you thought about what the consequences might be if Tianjiang falls in this war?" As that sentence was uttered, everyone in the basement fell silent, watching the battle on the screen. Tianjiang and all thebat zones had been mobilized; everyone knew that if Tianjiang fell this time, the Human Race''s resistance against the Void would be as fragile as paper. "The central battlefield is right above the Central Ind, and I can see the situation very clearly. Thousands are dying every second, and I''d wager that no fewer than a hundred thousand have died in the time I''ve been speaking with you," Jiang Ling said with a heavy tone. Luo Yanzhu''s brows furrowed even deeper, as conflicted and embarrassed expressions surfaced on the faces of those below. To go would mean they might be killed by their own race; not to go risked the fall of Tianjiang and the future of all Humans living under the shadow of fear from the Void. "Everyone here already knows what has happened to me," Jiang Ling continued without pausing. "Twenty years ago, I was a very selfish person, my heart covered with overwhelming hatred and brutality. I killed many innocents, including my own flesh and blood. Over time, one finds answers to many things. Bai Chaojin¡ªI must kill; but civilians¡ªI will also save, even if they support Bai Chaojin." "When I first brought you into the organization, I told you, we are called Nightfall because no one will understand us, and we should not hope to be understood by others. People always love the light and only fear the dark. It will be the same this time; no matter what we do, the oue is something we have to shoulder on our own," said Jiang Ling. After a severe internal struggle, Luo Yanzhu finally let out a heavy sigh and said, "Our lives were saved by you, and every one of us here will undoubtedly follow you, no matter what. After all, nothing we say will change your actions; we can''t just watch our benefactor go alone." "If we don''t act, Tianjiang will likely fall, and I suppose after Tianjiang''s fall, our fate will still be death. Death being equal, we might as well contribute as members of the Human Race. As for whether it''s good or bad, we can leave that for posterity to talk about." "Originally, my life should''ve ended early. Chief gave it to me, and I will do whatever Chiefmands." "Even if Nightfall gets the me again this time, at least the world will remember for what cause Nightfall fought this battle." "We all live on the samend; we can''t just let others'' armies indirectly protect us and keep dying without end." ¡­ The members all rose from their seats amidst the tumult. Seeing this, Jiang Ling nced at Luo Yanzhu next to him and then began to circte his True Qi to heal his wounds. "The Nine Yin Gathering Spirit Array has only gathered up to the eighthyer; it has not reached its strongest state yet. But it is enough to destroy an ind the size of the Central Area," said Luo Yanzhu. Jiang Ling frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Hopefully, the power of the Formation will be enough to break through that ck Snake''s fog." ¡ª ¡ª Momentster, above the forest on the outskirts of Yangming City, tens of thousands of Nightfall Organization members soared into the sky, heading straight for Central Ind. Behind their ranks, a colossal white Formation consumed the surrounding Spiritual Energy, emitting a cold and sinister aura. Chapter 310: Chapter 305: Distress Call?_1 Meanwhile, at the bottom of the sea, inside a submarine moving away from the Central Ind, Fang Ren''s body leaned against the iron door, his breathing rapid, his eyes focused on Bai Qi lying unconscious on the bed, his pupils clouded with a mix of daze and innate desire. He feared that if he only slightly approached Bai Qi, saw her face, or caught the scent of her, he would instantly lose his sanity. He could only lean as far away from the bed as possible, hoping that he would soon lose consciousness, pass out, and wake up to find that nothing had happened. But, as it turned out, Fang Ren had oversimplified the situation. Over an hour had passed on the room''s clock, yet he showed no signs of fainting; instead, his body only grew hotter and his instincts, stronger. "Qianye¡­" He had tried calling for Little Qianye many times, but there was no response; the drug had not only blocked his spiritual energy but also cut off hismunication with Spirit Form. In such a state, Fang Ren pondered whether letting his head explode might rid him of the drug''s effects, as long as his heart remained, he could be reborn. The method seemed feasible, but hecked the strength to wreck his own body; leaning against the wall was already a struggle. Shaking his head to stay alert, Fang Ren nced at his phone again, only to find no missed calls, casting another shadow over his heart. When he first started making calls, he was relieved the submarine hadn''t dived deep and that his phone was still in a serviceable area. But to his dismay, he had made several calls to Jiang Ling, only to be told that the recipient''s phone was off. He had also called Mu Huanqing many times, but no one answered ¨C the same was true for Shang Han. He had dialed everyone who could possibly help him, but the results were all the same ¨C either no answer or switched off. This peculiar phenomenon reminded him of a sentence he had overheard in theb, where an experiment staff mentioned that the owner of the serpent''s head had chased from the Void to Earth. That serpent''s head belonged to a Ninth-order Void Beast, meaning that when he was moved onto the submarine, a Ninth-order Void Beast was already approaching the Central Area. Ninth-order Void Beast¡­ Calls ended¡­ no answers¡­ "Could it be!" Fang Ren felt he could guess some of what was happening; Mu Huanqing and Shang Han, being from thebat zones, were surely off to intercept the Ninth-order Void Beast. As for Jiang Ling, thest time he contacted her in the Central Area, he could tell something was off; she must have encountered some serious trouble, causing her phone to break. "It''s over¡­" Fang Ren gasped for air; he could think of no one else who could help him at this moment. As time continued to pass, Fang Ren''s pupils started to tremble, his physiological reactions nearing the point of overwhelming his reason. Clinging to hisst bit of sanity, Fang Ren hastily searched through his phone''s contacts. He could feel his body beginning to move on its own; the beast within was about to break free. Li Xingwang¡­ Jing Haichuan¡­ Jian Qi''er¡­ Liu Qianqian¡­ Dive into the story on m|vl em pyr The first two gentlemen could certainly not be counted on; Jian Qi''er might still have hope, but her Realm seemed not as strong as Liu Qianqian''s. Moreover, Jian Qi''er was with Nightfall, and with the Nightfall leader in trouble, Jian Qi''er must be tied up. His only choice at this moment was Liu Qianqian. Without a second thought, Fang Ren trembled as he rapidly dialed her number, and at the same time, he sent his location information to Liu Qianqian through the chat app. Beep¡­ ¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª On a ruin in Tianjiang, medical students were rapidly evacuating the battlefield, Liu Qianqian charging at the forefront, clearing the path for her teachers and peers, carving a bloody trail through the enemy crowd. "The rain is still falling; I''m like a joke¡­" Liu Qianqian''s phone ringtone suddenly rang out. But in such moments, she had no time to answer the phone, as a dense swarm of Void Beasts ravaged in front of her while her ssmate behind her suffered serious injuries. Hum¡ª Just then, a dark glint swept in from the edge of the sky, piercing through the beasts blocking the path of the students, and instantly opening a pathway for Liu Qianqian. Following that, tens of thousands of shadowy figures streaked across the sky, cutting down the surrounding Void Beasts as they made their way towards Central Ind; behind this group of shadows, a white Large Formation rapidly rotated. Everyone looked up to the sky, unsure which war zone this ck-d force belonged to, capable of annihting tens of thousands of Void Beasts with mere hand gestures. The beasts that were pursuing the students seemed like mere paper in front of them... In the crowd, Jian Qi''er''s eyes trembled as she looked up at the sky. The Nine Yin Gathering Spirit Array... these are all from the Nightfall Organization! "We need to leave this ce quickly!" Seeing that the Void Beasts in front were wiped out, Teacher Huang hurriedly led the students away from the battlefield. "... The most pitiful are those with sincere hearts who dare not reach out, the most absurd is true affection separated by chasms and ravines..." The ringtone of the phone was still sounding; Liu Qianqian withdrew her gaze from the sky and took out her phone. The person calling her at this time must be the one who cared about her most. After all, during their escape, every ssmate''s parents were incessantly calling to check in on them. Fang Ren... After seeing the caller ID, Liu Qianqian froze in ce for half a second, then immediately pressed the answer button, unaware that the person who cared for her was also the one she was intensely worrying about. "Where are you? I''ve been looking for you for a long time," Liu Qianqian said, her tone carrying a hint of reproach. She had nearly searched the entire 13th sector of Tianjiang, hadn''t seen him at all, and he hadn''t even been answering his phone. Only now did he remember her. "Huff..." The phone did not transmit the concerned words she had expected, only Fang Ren''s heavy breathing. He sounded as if he had suffered some serious injury and was struggling to hold on. "What... What happened to you?" "Huff..." Fang Ren wanted to speak but couldn''t manage it; aside from the desire to get to the bed, he couldn''t think of anything else. "Hey! Where are you now? I''ming to find you!" "Huff..." The response was only the sound of breathing, and Liu Qianqian couldn''t help but grow even more anxious. She quickly logged into her YiXin app, ready to share her real-time location with Fang Ren, but found that he had already sent her a location through YiXin thirty seconds earlier. Strangely, the location was in the sea not far from the outskirts of Central Area, with nonding spots, and by the sound of Fang Ren''s voice, he wasn''t in the water. "Wait for me!" Having said that, Liu Qianqian didn''t dare hang up the phone and turned to inform Teacher Huang of the situation before flying toward the location on her phone. In the previous battle, Liu Qianqian had used up a lot of her vital energy, but fortunately, she possessed a Sacred Body. Unlike ordinary practitioners, she didn''t use spiritual energy but the Sacred Body''s nature''s spiritual energy, which she could use without needing to refine. Chapter 311: Chapter 306: Liu Qianqians Rescue_1 ``` "The time should be about right, take me to have a look." Inside the submarine, a woman dressed in a whiteb coat, along with two crew members, headed toward the rear cabin. Soon, the three arrived at a restricted iron gate, where the woman in theb coat opened a control box next to the gate, revealing a small piece of ss on the iron door. Looking through the ss window into the room, the woman''s brows gradually furrowed. The scene inside did not meet her expectations: Bai Qiy neatly dressed on the bed, while Fang Ren was slumped against the wall, nearly unconscious. Clearly, the two had not shared the bed during the preceding period. "The injection we administered earlier... was it mistaken?" a man said, frowning upon seeing this. The woman immediately shook her head in denial, "Impossible. Perhaps the dosage was insufficient. Open the door and administer another injection." One of the men turned to search for the syringe, while another began to unlock thebination lock on the door. As the door opened, the heavy panting of Fang Ren spilled out. The woman in theb coat entered the room, nced at Bai Qi, who was neatly dressed, then at Fang Ren, slumped on the floor with his head down against the wall, her gaze filled with extreme contempt. "Ma''am, don''t get too close to him, the drug is still in effect," the man immediately warned the woman in theb coat. The woman took two steps toward Fang Ren, clearly unconcerned with the man''s warning, "Isn''t Princess Bai Xi even more beautiful? Would he be interested in a woman over thirty like me?" The man coughed twice in response, "This... cough cough... it''s hard to say..." The man then muttered under his breath about the possibility of abnormal sexual orientation or perhaps a preference for mature women. The woman bent down and grabbed Fang Ren''s chin with one hand, lifting his bowed head. Fang Ren''s lips were parched, his cheeks flushed, and his eyes bloodshot, filled with physiological desire... But it was not hard to notice his hands clenched together, trying desperately to maintain rationality. "Since you promised themander, do what you''re supposed to do," the woman said coldly, looking earnestly at Fang Ren. Fang Ren tried to break free from the woman''s grasp; the indignity of having his chin lifted by a woman made him feel somewhat ashamed, especially since he didn''t want to see the woman''s face at all, as his gaze would uncontrobly linger on certain parts of her body, brazen and covetous. But, regrettably, he didn''t have the strength to break free. It was as if all the strength in his body was sealed off, only to be released when he wished to indulge in his desires, allowing his body to move. "What''s happened outside..." Fang Ren gritted his teeth, managing only a weak voice. The woman stepped on his thigh with her foot, looking down with cold eyes, "You don''t need to know that. Right now, there''s only one thing you need to do, and that is to sleep with her." "Ma''am, the injection has arrived." The man who went to fetch the drugs ran over. The woman let go of Fang Ren''s chin, looking at him with disdain, and said, "Inject him with this, then throw him on the princess''s bed." "Yes." The man took out a syringe and injected a tube of blue liquid into Fang Ren''s shoulder. Seeing this, the woman in theb coat turned and left the room coldly, muttering venomously, "What pretence, as if the princess is beneath you!" As the drug was injected into him again, Fang Ren felt hisst shred of reason being devoured, his body involuntarily standing up from the wall, and heading toward the woman in theb coat who was close by. "Ma''am! Be careful!" In the moment of the men''s distraction, Fang Ren had already pounced on the woman. Crack¡ª With a sharp sound, the woman seemed to have turned in an instant, her hand striking Fang Ren''s chest. In a sh, Fang Ren''s clothes burst open, and he was hurled against the wall of the room, his chest skin starting to split, leaving behind a red handprint. Looking at Fang Ren, who had copsed against the wall with eyes full of desire, the woman''s gaze grew even more disgusted: "You''re nothing but a mating tool for Her Highness the Princess! Did you really think you were something special?" With that, the woman spoke to the two men, "Lock him up in there." The two men immediately shut the door and set the electronic lock. Through a small window in the iron door, the disheveled appearance of Fang Ren inside could be seen, resembling an untamed beast in heat, repulsively ugly to any onlooker. "Come back in an hour." After saying this, the woman turned to leave. But the very moment she turned, she suddenly bristled as if startled, circting the True Qi in her body wildly to protect herself. ``` "Who did you say was a tool for mating?" At the same time, a cold female voice abruptly appeared outside the room. Behind the woman in the whiteb coat, two men had fallen to the ground at an unknown time, while a jade-like hand was gripping the woman''s throat. The woman in the whiteb coat looked at the owner of the hand on her neck, her eyes filled with shock and bewilderment: "The Liu Family... Liu Qianqian?" The person clutching the woman''s neck was none other than Liu Qianqian, who had previously been looking for Fang Ren. "You have to pay a price for what you just did." Liu Qianqian held the woman''s neck with one hand, while purple Heaven and Earth''s Qi surrounded her body. "How did you get here?" the woman frowned and asked. The woman couldn''t understand three things: first, why would someone from the Liu Family interfere with them? Second, Liu Qianqian, ording to rumors in Tianjiang, had always been an ornamentaldy of pure looks but no use,pletely incapable of cultivating True Qi, so why could she now grip her throat? Third, this submarine was equipped with very advanced defense detection equipment, which would alert them to any Cultivators who came near, so how did Liu Qianqian enter the submarine undetected? Snap¡ª Liu Qianqian didn''t bother to argue with the woman. She pped her face with a palm filled with Heaven and Earth''s Qi, breaking through the woman''s True Qi protection and sending her flying into an iron door. Why was she able to appear here so directly? Of course, it was because she wasn''t using True Qi, which the submarine couldn''t detect at all. As for how to enter the submarine, for Liu Qianqian, who could use Heaven and Earth''s Qi, moving her own body into the midst of steel was all too simple. "Do you... do you know what you''re doing? We are people from the Central District Command!" the woman shouted loudly. Liu Qianqian ignored the woman''s roar, kicked open the electronic door, operated the spiritual energy of nature to grasp the disheveled Fang Ren, and carried him on her shoulder. Her gaze swept over Bai Qi whoy on the bed, and though Liu Qianqian couldn''t understand why Bai Qi was there, she was certain that Bai Chaojin''s men wouldn''t harm her. As she left the room, Liu Qianqian looked at the woman coldly, "Next time you dare to touch him, I''ll have you reced as themander within two years." "What did you say!" Hearing this, the woman instantly became furious, her True Qi surged again, and she rose to charge at Liu Qianqian, "Is your Liu Family going to rebel against Tianjiang?!" Bang! In an instant, Liu Qianqian twisted the Heaven and Earth''s Qi around her, and the steel in the entire corridor of the submarine twisted along with it. The woman''s body froze in mid-air. She only felt her meridianse to a halt, her body trembling with fear, and an unprecedented horror filled her heart. It felt as if she would be the next to twist, not the steel, if she dared to resist. Liu Qianqian turned back, stretched out her palm, and made contact with the True Qi around the woman''s body, her gaze cold, "You''re wee to try!" Having said that, Liu Qianqian, carrying Fang Ren, suddenly disappeared inside the submarine. As Liu Qianqian vanished, the woman suddenly felt a great relief, gasping for air. That feeling, as if someone was squeezing her heart in their hand, was something she never wanted to experience a second time. "The Liu Family... Liu Qianqian! How dare you, just an Early Stage Bikuang Realm practitioner..." The woman''s expression hardened again. In her perception, although Liu Qianqian was able to cultivate, she was merely an Early Stage Bikuang Realm Practitioner. She didn''t understand how she''d been defeated so helplessly by a young girl from the Early Stage of Bikuang Realm. Snap¡ª However, before the woman could finish talking to herself, the next second, a crisp sound resonated, and the True Qi around her body shattered like ss, dissipating into tiny specks that disappeared into the air. "True Qi... My True Qi..." The woman suddenly panicked, as she realized she could no longer use her True Qi! No matter how she tried to sense her meridians, she could no longer feel their existence. Her body waspletely undamaged, yet there was no trace of a Cultivator''s aura on her... After a long time, she finally understood that her Cultivation Level was sealed. She was an Early Stage Yingyue Realm Practitioner, and yet with just a touch from Liu Qianqian, her Cultivation Level was sealed... How was this possible? The Liu Family''s Liu Qianqian... wasn''t she supposed to be just a useless vase? But when she left the rear cabin and came to the otherpartments of the submarine, seeing nearly a hundred soldiers lying silently on the ground, she finally understood. Liu Qianqian was not at all like the rumors in Tianjiang; she wasn''t a vase. "The vase" was just an excuse the Liu family used to hide Liu Qianqian. She was a Cultivation genius, perhaps a genius on a par with Princess Bai Xi, or even surpassing her... But what she didn''t know was that Liu Qianqian had just advanced to the Blue Sky Realm a few days ago. Chapter 312: Chapter 307: Principles Cant Stand Up to Her Willingness_1 Over the sea, Liu Qianqian carried Fang Ren on her back, flying towards a safe ce. The sky behind them was pitch dark, marking therge battlefield where humans and Void beasts shed, the rumbling sounds echoing incessantly in her ears. Yet all of her attention was focused on the boy on her back. "What''s wrong with you? What did they do to you?" Confronted with Liu Qianqian''s question, Fang Ren''s response was nothing but rapid gasps. His mind was in chaos, unable to formte any words. With each gasp, Liu Qianqian''s heart grew more anxious. She couldn''t feel any True Qi in Fang Ren and even suspected that his meridians had been destroyed by that group of people, but why would they do such a thing? Simply because Fang Ren was with Mu Huanqing? And what about Bai Qi? Why was she also locked in the same room with Fang Ren? As they neared anding spot, Fang Ren, lying on Liu Qianqian''s back, instinctively began to stir. The unique fragrance of a virgin on Liu Qianqian''s body was like a huge wave breaching a dam, flooding over the gates and submerging everything below in an instant. His blood vessels began to engorge, the strength temporarily lost due to drugs began to gradually return at this moment, driven by the wildness in his heart... "Ah..." Liu Qianqian, who was flying, suddenly felt a cool sensation on her neck, and her entire body froze in mid-air as if she had been shocked by electricity. Was that a kiss? Her face turned crimson instantly. "What what what are you doing!" Liu Qianqian''s voice was unclear as she turned her head in a panic, only to see Fang Ren''s head buried in her neck, wantonly kissing her skin, greedily. It seemed that Fang Ren could feel the breath from Liu Qianqian''s mouth, and he lifted his head to press his lips against her blushing ones. Panic exploded in Liu Qianqian''s heart, and she stood still in the air, her eyes wide open, unable to believe the absurdity and suddenness of the moment. Brazen. Unable to control the Qi inside her body, Liu Qianqian''s floating figure began to fall towards the ground, with Fang Ren embracing her from the front, plummeting down together. If one were to look up from the distant ground towards that pitch-ck battlefield in the sky, one could clearly see, beyond the apocalyptic battlefield, a man and a woman locked in a tight kiss, both falling, like a pair of wingless birds stubbornly refusing to part even in death. Boom¡ª The two bodies hit the ground,nding on a sandy beach by the sea. Liu Qianqiany on the ground with her back, protecting the person she cared for in her arms. Although she didn''t know what had happened to Fang Ren, she tried to resist the excessive things he did to her afterward. But her resistance was neither firm nor willing; instead, there was a touch of ambivalence. Liu Qianqian was well aware that the boy in front of her didn''t like her and would never marry her in the future. She would never allow herself to be the despised "other woman," nor allow the man she liked tomit infidelity. But in that moment, she suddenly realized that perhaps... none of her principles could withstand her willingness. What other woman, what infidelity, what principles... As long as Fang Ren was willing, she dared to do it. Xuan Nv of the Ninth Heavens? She didn''t care! Even if the world branded her with a million curses, it didn''t matter! ... The pitch-ck sky, every moment countless human corpses fell into the sea, yet on the other side of the battlefield, the light of dusk shone on the sandy beach by the sea. Liu Qianqian sat disheveled on the beach, watching her reflection in the seawater. Human emotions often lead to regret after action. She felt that emotion in her heart at this moment. Looking back at Fang Ren lying on the beach, seemingly having no memory of the event, she gradually felt a sense of uncertainty rising within her. What had happened was consensual, but Fang Ren was clearly not conscious, and it was uncertain whether he would remember what had just happened when he woke up. More importantly... she now felt that the Spirit Embryo within her had disappeared. Sacred Body of Original Essence¡ªit was because of this physique that she could be so close to him, that she could save him during his time of danger. Without this physique, she would have been in a different world from him a long time ago. Having lost even this one thing now, didn''t it mean that there would be no more intersection between them in the future? Most of her regret stemmed from this. "Forget it..." Gazing tenderly at the man lying on the beach, she finally sighed. She did not want to be the other woman, and the public scandal of Fang Ren''s infidelity was not something she wished to witness. Getting up, Liu Qianqian dressed him, then patted off the sand from her own body, a few simple actions that made her feel somewhat ufortable. Without the Spirit Embryo inside her and unable to sense the Heaven and Earth''s Qi,bined with having lost her virginity and stepping into the world of adults, everything made her feel anxious. She used her cor to cover her neck and bent down to kiss the lips that brought her joy yet uncertainty, then activated her True Qi and left the beach, flying towards the location of the medical academy''s students. In the sky, she could no longer utilize the Heaven and Earth''s Qi to travel thousands of meters in an instant as before; her flying speed had been greatly reduced, and it seemed it would take a long time to return to her ss. "I hope that when you wake up, you remember nothing at all¡­" ------ ------ After an indeterminable amount of time, Fang Ren slowly awoke on the edge of the beach, feeling a headache and pain in his body. And more importantly... his waist felt somewhat weak. Sensing some changes in his body, Fang Ren quickly recalled everything that had happened before. "Is this... could it be... Bai Qi!" Once he realized what had happened, he suddenly found it hard to ept everything, he truly hadmitted the act of betraying Mu Huanqing, he really had had an affair with Bai Qi... ording to Bai Chaojin, the Seed n was meant to leave behind his and Bai Qi''s offspring, so his being released meant... Bai Qi was already pregnant with his child. Fang Ren clenched his fists tightly, his heart filled with regret and chaotic emotions. Now that Bai Qi was carrying his child, how was he supposed to face Mu Huanqing... The turmoil in his mind made him stand still for a moment, unsure of what to do next. "Boom..." Unannounced, a Void Beast''s corpse was sted onto the sea surface at the edge of the battlefield in the sky, creating massive waves that flew towards the shore. Only when some of the seawater sshed onto Fang Ren''s face did he snap out of the chaos. From where he stood, he could just raise his head to see the distant Void Hole, where the battle raged furiously. "What is this..." Fang Ren quickly stood up from the beach, shocked by the scene in the distance. He had never seen so many human soldiers, nor had he seen so many Void beasts, a scene like two ipatible seas shing in the skies, seemingly tearing the heavens apart. "That''s right! Hui Qing!" Witnessing this end-of-the-world scenario, the first thing Fang Ren thought of was Mu Huanqing and their child. Since he went to the Central District Command, he hadn''t seen Mu Huanqing, and while he was being transferred to the submarine, he heard something about a Ninth-order Void Beast invasion. "How many days have passed by now?" Since he had been released, it implied that Bai Qi had confirmed the pregnancy, and the earliest confirmation of human pregnancy would be fourteen days after the act. That meant he must have been on the submarine for at least fourteen days... What on earth had happened in the world during these fourteen days? Anxiety inside him made Fang Ren activate his True Qi immediately, flying towards the distant battlefield, for if the Void beasts had invaded on arge scale, then Mu Huanqing must be out there as well. "Boom!" The moment he activated his True Qi, Fang Ren felt the ground beneath him tremble violently, and the next second he realized he had flown over a thousand meters away. Looking back at the beach, it was now shrouded in dust with a section of ground breaking apart and slowly sinking into the sea. Seeing this, he suddenly discovered that the meridians in his body seemed to have undergone a significant change, the strength of his True Qi had surged dramatically, and more importantly, his body had developed a new sensation towards the surrounding nature, allowing him to precisely feel the impurities and the pure True Qi in nature. Without a doubt, he had broken through to the Yingyue Realm. To urately determine his realm, he should be at the Midterm phase of the Yingyue Realm, because the True Qi inside him didn''t have the fluctuating instability of the Early Stage of Yingyue Realm, nor the swelling feeling of the Peak of Yingyue Realm. This sudden breakthrough, in his view, wasn''t unexpected after all, since he and Bai Qi had shared an intimate encounter, their Spirit Forms began to merge, and his cultivation level was destined to skyrocket; moreover, Bai Qi should have experienced an even greater boost than him. However, one thing he couldn''t fathom was that his Spirit Form wasn''tcking, ording to Bai Chaojin, his cultivation talent should have been grafted onto Bai Qi via the transfer of Spirit Form. Considering his Spirit Form was still intact, it meant his cultivation talent had not been transferred to Bai Qi. What he didn''t know was that he hadn''t spent fourteen days on the submarine, nor had he shared a bed with Bai Qi. The reason he was able to advance his cultivation level was actually all thanks to Liu Qianqian''s physiology. The Spirit Embryo within her had been absorbed by the meridians in Fang Ren''s body, turning the Sacred Body into a waste, from then on she could not only fail to sense the Heaven and Earth''s Qi but also couldn''t sense the True Qi used by ordinary practitioners. And her physique could only cultivate the Heaven and Earth''s Qi; without this sense, she naturally could no longer continue cultivating, and her cultivation level would remain at the Blue Sky Realm forever, unable to move forward a step. If unlucky, the Heaven and Earth''s Qi within her would even leak out, with no ability to replenish, leading to a fall in her realm. If Liu Qianqian continued to use Qi as before, she would soon return to the state of an ordinary person. But these things, Fang Ren might never know, because he had no memory of Liu Qianqian rescuing him, and Liu Qianqian did not n to tell him about it. Chapter 313 : 308: Main Force Warrior, All Members Enter_1 Although the advancement in realm was a cause for great joy, Fang Ren just couldn''t seem to feel happy at the moment. He didn''t know how to face Mu Hui Qing, let alone bring up this embarrassing matter. But he didn''t have much time to dwell on it at the moment; all he wanted was to quickly find Mu Hui Qing and ensure her safety. As he got closer to the central battlefield, Fang Ren realized just how fierce the battle was. He couldn''t even guarantee that he would survive to find Mu Hui Qing. "Qianye." He softly called out to his Spirit Form, thinking that he should wake Qianye up before charging in, as he didn''t know what difficulties he might face. It was better to be safe than sorry. Moreover, with his recent realm breakthrough, Qianye should take him to the great tree to pick a fruit. But as his voice fell, there was no response from Qianye. "Qianye?" Again he called out, but still received no response. Fang Ren then used his Divine Sense to probe into his Spiritual Root, checking on the condition of his Spirit Form. When his Divine Sense passed through the Spiritual Root and came to the giant tree in the darkness, he found that Qianye was actually lying inside a purple orb, asleep. Fang Ren tried to touch the purple orb but discovered that he could not prate it; he could only try to wake Qianye up with his voice. After several attempts, the result was the same; Qianye remained asleep,pletely oblivious to his calls. As for the purple orb, Fang Ren had initially thought to forcefully open it, but after observing for a while, he realized that the orb was continuously nourishing Qianye, seemingly beneficial and harmless to him. This was probably the result of his dual cultivation with Bai Qi. He shook his head, trying not to think further; the more he thought, the more muddled his mind became. Fang Ren withdrew his Divine Sense from within the Spirit Form and continued towards the central battlefield. "Buzz¡ª" Just as Fang Ren was rushing towards the battlefield, suddenly a ck beam of light streaked across the sky not far from him. The speed of the light was incredibly strange. He had seen Mu Hui Qing fly at full speed, which could urately be described as covering half a mile in a single step, but this beam was clearly faster,parable to Jiang Ling at full speed after breaking through to the Xuan Ye Realm. Could it be Jiang Ling? He quickly dismissed this idea; although Jiang Ling''s True Qi was also ck, this beam did not carry Jiang Ling''s aura. Instead, it had a hint of the Void''s scent. A Void beast? But when did Void beasts be so small? In a moment of bewilderment, Fang Ren remembered something Jiang Ling had once told him; in the mountains behind the Fang Family in Tianjiang, there hid an expert of the Xuan Ye Realm whose identity was unknown to everyone publicly. Another piece of information was that this Xuan Ye Realm expert had connections with Fang Family''s right faction and Fang Ye. Watching the ck beam disappear into the horizon, Fang Ren put his thoughts aside and continued his rush toward the central battlefield, only caring about finding Mu Hui Qing, everything else was trivial. ... In the sky not far from the central battlefield, a ck beam of light came to a stop, and as the light dispersed, an elder in a ck robe appeared midair. This was none other than Fang Yun Zhong, who had always remained in the mountains behind the Fang Family. The reason he hade out was that his great-grandson Fang Ren had been captured by the Indra Sky organization and subjected to experiments. Of course, his main concern wasn''t to rescue his great-grandson but to seize the mature Void Fusion Technique from Indra Sky; with it, he could stabilize his body and even potentially advance to the mid stages of the Xuan Ye Realm. By then, he would be invincible on Earth and could, like a Void beast, draw energy from the Void. Originally, with the dense Void scent on him, which could cause humans to mistake him for an enemy, he wouldn''t have easily revealed himself, but the emergence of the Ninth-order Void Beast had disrupted the entire world. The human armies couldn''t possibly spare the forces to deal with him, giving him a direct chance to attack and take the technology from Indra Sky. "Descendant of the Fang Family, hm? Our blood rtionship should be quite close," Fang Yun Zhong murmured as his aged pupils watched the distant sky, in the direction where Fang Ren had disappeared. However, he couldn''t possibly imagine that the young man he had just encountered was Fang Ren, who had been taken by the Indra Sky organization. His Divine Sense swept over the vast battlefield, and Fang Yun Zhong could sense the copse of Central Ind. However, he didn''t detect the presence of his descendant on the submerged ind, meaning Fang Ren and Indra Sky had been moved elsewhere. "That Bai Chaojin does know how to cover his tracks," Fang Yun Zhong mused as his figure once again turned into a ck stream of light plunging into the sea. Indra Sky wouldn''t have gone far from these waters, despite the battle having raged for a long time. Once he detected the presence of his descendant in the ocean, he would be able to locate the Indra Sky organization. Little did he know, his descendant Fang Ren, was actually close by. ¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª At this moment, the skies above the central battlefield were already joined by soldiers and generals from the various major battle zones. The District Chief of the First District, Bai Jinyun (Patriarch of the Bai Family), the Deputy District Chief of the First District Bai Jinyu (Second Elder of the Bai Family), the General of the First District Bai Jinhong (Third Elder of the Bai Family)¡­ The District Chief of the Second District Fang Zheng (Grand Elder Fang Ren), the Deputy District Chief of the Second District Fang Jing (Third Elder of the Fang Family), the General of the Second District Wang Shang¡­ Even Shang Han, the District Chief of the Ninth District, came to join the battle despite his injuries. With arge group of main-force generals arriving on the battlefield, coupled with Xia Mo''s use of "Doomsday Sunlight" earlier, which cleaved a direct path to the ck Giant Snake, all the main-force generals quickly broke through from the periphery to the central battlefield. The soldiers in the heart of the central battlefield, who were originally in utter despair, were filled with fighting spirit at the arrival of these main forces. As people around the world saw the arrival of these soldiers and generals, the tension that had been tightly wound in their hearts finally began to rx. "Set up the Formation first! Protect and retreat the wounded soldiers to the periphery!" Bai Jinyun took the lead in erecting a defensiverge formation with other generals to withstand the sweeping assaults of the ck Giant Snake, timely stemming the tide of human casualties. Mu Huanqing and Bai Chaojin, who had been at the forefront, fighting the ck Giant Snake, were already severely injured. With the emergence of this massive defensive formation, they too finally had a moment to catch their breath. "Qing''er!" Dressed in Silver Battle Armor, Mu Tianyuan rushed to Mu Huanqing''s side first, looking at her daughter covered in blood and with disheveled hair, and Mu Tianyuan''s heart ached as if it had been sliced by a knife. "Quickly, take this pill!" Mu Tianyuan urgently took out a Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pill and quickly forced it into Mu Huanqing''s mouth. As soon as the pill was ingested, the wounds on Mu Huanqing''s arms began to heal rapidly, but the depletion of True Qi inside her body could not be restored for the time being. After taking the pill, Mu Huanqing slightly frowned, "You shouldn''t have given it to me, Mother." In terms of pills, her storage ring contained over a dozen fifth-order recovery type pills given to her by Fang Ren, but she dared not take them just yet. She feared that if she used up all the pills and still failed to defeat the Giant Snake, it would be a waste. So she wanted to replenish her pills only when she was extremely weak; otherwise, it would be squandered. Although the alchemists in the Central Area could produce many pills daily, when distributed among the various battle zones, each general could only have at most two fifth-order pills, and some had even run out. "Silly girl! If you don''t take it, you''re going to die!" Mu Tianyuan couldn''t help but chide her. "It''s okay, I know my own limits." As she spoke, Mu Huanqing took out a few pills that emitted golden light from her storage ring and ced them in Mu Tianyuan''s hand, continuing, "These are True Essence Pills; they can restore arge amount of True Qi in a short time. You keep them, I still have a lot here." Mu Tianyuan looked at the pills in her hand, and then at Mu Huanqing''s ring, her face devoid of any relief, instead bing serious, "How has that boy treated you?" When Mu Huanqing had lost her cultivation level, Mu Tianyuan saw her silent and thought she might have suicidal tendencies, which is why she sought out Shang Han to bring Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing together. After all, a hidden boy from the Fang family and a girl from the Mu family, who was considered dead by everyone, seemed like the most suitable match in Mu Tianyuan''s view. But now, what Mu Tianyuan was most worried about was how Fang Ren treated her daughter, for she had only Mu Huanqing as her daughter. "Ah Ran?" Taking her mother''s question, a smile inevitably surfaced on Mu Huanqing''s face, "He treasures me like his life, Mother needn''t worry." Seeing Mu Huanqing''s expression and hearing her words, Mu Tianyuan was stunned for a moment. In her memory, her daughter rarely smiled and was always very meticulous with her words. If Mu Huanqing could say this, then the boy from the Fang family must truly cherish her daughter. "Then I''m at ease." Having said that, Mu Tianyuan turned to rush towards the edge of therge formation, but the sudden appearance of a figure made her stop in her tracks. "Qing''er!" Shang Han, carrying old wounds, still joined the central battlefield along with a legion of generals, but having previously unleashed a forbidden art, his realm had plummeted, and reaching here was almost a desperate struggle at the cost of his life. "Father¡­" Seeing Shang Han''s arrival, Mu Huanqing froze, then immediately became frantic, "Xiao Xuan didn''t go to find you?!" Xiao Xuan was the name of the female soldier entrusted with Mu Huanqing''s child. "Don''t worry, the child is fine, Xiao Xuan stayed behind to take care of her in the military district," Shang Han said as he came closer, assuring Mu Huanqing about her child''s safety. "That''s good, that''s good¡­" A weight lifted off Mu Huanqing''s heart as she learned her child was safe. "Child? What child?" Upon hearing the words "child," Mu Tianyuan became unsettled and immediately grabbed Shang Han''s ear, loudly demanding an exnation. Shang Han winced with his ears gripped by his wife, thinking that he, a District Chief of the Ninth District, was losing face during this great battle. "You''re going to be a grandmother, and you''re still so violent!" Shang Han pped Mu Tianyuan''s hand and whispered. "What did you say!?" Mu Tianyuan was thunderstruck, "Grandmother!?" Seeing her stunned, Shang Han quickly withdrew from her grasp and earnestly said, "Stop dwelling on it! How can we be concerned with affairs of children in the face of a great battle?" With that, he rushed towards the edge of therge formation to join the generals in bracing the Formation against the onught. Thankfully, his reflexes were quick, and hopefully, no one saw him being tugged by the ear by his wife¡­ Chapter 314 : 309: Song Mobeis Thoughts_1 Seeing Shang Han leave, Mu Tianyuan also knew that the battlefield truly had countless deaths and injuries every second, but she absolutely had to ask clearly about this title "grandmother". "Qing''er, don''t tell me that you... already have a child?" Mu Tianyuan''s exquisitely beautiful face showed an extremelyplex expression. She herself still looked so young, at most appearing to be in herte twenties; she didn''t seem like grandmother material at all. "En." Seeing that the surrounding injured soldiers had mostly retreated, Mu Huanqing quickly nodded; she didn''t n to talk about this issue at this time: "After the war is over, I''ll take you to meet the child." After speaking, Mu Huanqing didn''t say more and turned back into the battlefield. Mu Tianyuan, having received confirmation, felt it was quite abrupt and had a hard time epting it at first, but then she thought about her daughter''s age, which was also about the right time to get married and have children. Having a child out of wedlock was a perfectly normal thing. However, she found it strange. Mu Huanqing had been with Fang Ren for less than half a year without even enough time for a full-term pregnancy. How exactly had Mu Huanqing''s child been born? ... With most of the injured soldiers retreating to the periphery, the generals began to dissolve the Large Formation and took up their weapons tounch a fierce attack on the ck Giant Snake on the sea. Xia Mo, who had just arrived at the heart of the battlefield, had already learned about the ck Giant Snake''s strange aspects from Bai Chaojin. Seeing the troops attack fiercely with power that could be described as earth-shattering, the damage caused wasn''t substantially significant. Xia Mo immediately used his True Qi to amplify his voice: "Generals and soldiers, do not attack at will! This ck mist is extremely peculiar, and if you cannot break through it, you will not be able to inflict substantial damage on the Giant Snake!" As the Commander-in-Chief, Xia Mo''s words carried significant weight. Upon hearing him, the district leaders led soldiers from their respective battle districts to enter a defensive state and conserve their True Qi. "Listen to mymand, generals! Only light attributes can break this ck mist! Assemble light-attribute practitioners above us, go with a hundred Array Masters to assist! Use light-attribute Cultivation Techniques to focus on attacking one point in the ck mist! We must break through this defense!" "Other district personnel restrain the Giant Snake''s movements, try to harass its interference with the sky! Deputies of districts one to nine follow Commander Bai into the sea! Find that serpent''s fallen head! We can''t allow this beast to recover its nine-headed state!" "All soldiers from district two, except the district leader and deputy, who are above the rank of military general,e to me! Protect me as I gather Cultivation Techniques again!" Following Xia Mo''smands, tens of thousands of light-attribute practitioners began to rise into the sky, as hundreds of Array Masters deployed Formations to protect them. Deputies from each district also dived into the sea with Bai Chaojin, vying to snatch the Void Beast''s head. Arge number of soldiers from district two also came to Xia Mo''s side, and at this time, Xia Mo began to channel all the True Qi in his body, preparing tounch "Doomsday Sunlight" once more. Song Mobei, in the crowd, couldn''t sit still at this moment. In the face of a great war that the whole world was watching, he couldn''t allow himself to y a role just to distract the enemy. He, Song Mobei, was the main character; how could he settle for being a support? Then, Song Mobei also leaped up high with everyone, as his Tian Gang True Qi could also drive light-attribute Cultivation Techniques. Although it wasn''t as pure as Xia Mo''s light attribute, among the tens of thousands of light-attribute practitioners, he could shine brilliantly with his higher Realm, proving who the true main character was in this battle. Maybe, to others, this war was a vicious fight rted to the survival of humanity, but to Song Mobei, it wasn''t so. In his view, this war was a sure win, only that human deaths and injuries might be quite tragic, but he didn''t believe that all soldiers from every battle districtbined couldn''t kill a snake. However, the greater the crisis, the more it was a moment for him to showcase his strength. The more he disyed, the greater his prestige would be in the future among Humans. And he had a lot of confidence in his own talent; given enough time, he would be the pir of the human world. By then, the prestige he would have established would be enough to have people uphold him as the next Commander-in-Chief. Commander-in-Chief, that positionmanded absolute authority in the human world. If he could take that seat, aside from him, no one else would be worthy of Mu Huanqing and Bai Qi, these two iparably talented beauties. "He who loves power also loves beauty." This adage had always been the life motto of Song Mobei. One must have status, but even more so¡ªbeauty. As Song Mobei ascended into the sky, he saw that tens of thousands of light-attribute practitioners were looking up to him as their leader, surrounded by hundreds of Array Masters for protection, and the whole world watching this fight. Just for a moment, a boundless spirit of heroism surged in his heart, and he pulled out his Longsword and issued an order. "Light-attribute generals! Attack the same spot with me!" After speaking, Song Mobei released a beam of light from his sword toward the top of the ck mist. Hearing this, a group of soldiers followed Song Mobei''s attack on the top of the ck mist, and the scene immediately became thunderous again. With the concentrated attacks of the group of light-attribute practitioners, the Nine-headed Giant Snake on the sea suddenly went berserk. Ao! A deafening roar echoed as the space above the mist suddenly churned violently. Boom¡ª A massive ck light wave shot out from the ck mist, aiming straight for the group of light-attribute practitioners in the sky. "Strengthen the defense of the Large Formation!"manded Song Mobei. Hundreds of Practitioners immediately boosted the defense of the Large Formation to its Peak. The ck wave of light struck the Large Formation, pushing back over a hundred Array Masters in the sky by dozens of meters. Many Array Masters couldn''t withstand the destructive force of the impact and directly vomited blood before falling into the sea. Seeing the Giant Snake be enraged, Song Mobei grew increasingly excited and continued tomand, "Our attack is effective! Keep attacking! Additionally, we need more Array Masters! I hope the Second District can provide support!" Why specifically ask for Array Masters from the Second District? That was, of course, because the district chief of the Second District was Fang Zheng, and most of them were the Fang Family''s trusted lieutenants. He had not forgotten for a moment the incident when Fang Ren brazenly talked back to him, Song Mobei, in public. He hoped that as many of the Fang Family members died in this battle as possible, ideally bing so weakened from this war that they would never recover. That way, it would be much easier for him to take down Fang Ren in the future. Fang Zheng, who was leading the soldiers of the Second District to contain the Giant Snake, furrowed his brows upon hearing Song Mobei''s words: "Even at such a critical time, he still thinks of taking revenge on his own kin... I wonder what the head of the Tiandao Sword Sect would think if he knew of this." Even though Fang Zheng had been busy with affairs and had not returned to Tianjiang, he always paid close attention to the conflict that his son had stirred up with the Tiandao Sword Sect. The Second District''s battlefield was the furthest from the summit of the ck fog. Surely Song Mobei should be asking for reinforcements from those closer, instead, he specifically requested Array Masters from here. His petty motivations of mixing personal grudges with official duties seemed impossible to conceal. Although he knew of Song Mobei''s ulterior motives, General Fang Zheng had always been a person who considered the bigger picture. In this war of human survival, he wouldn''t choose to get angry with a youngster like Song Mobei. Otherwise, the morale on the battlefield would dissipate. That could lead to even more soldiers dying and might even cause the Void Beast to be fully realized... "All Array Masters from the Second District, heed mymand and head to the summit of the ck fog to protect the light-attribute Practitioners," Fang Zheng issued the order. "The head of Tiandao had lived an upright and noble life, yet to ept such a disciple, what a pity..." Fang Zheng couldn''t help but sigh inwardly for the old head of the Tiandao Sword Sect. ... With the reinforcement of arge number of Array Masters, the defensive Formation protecting the light-attribute Practitioners became impregnable. The mountain of ck fog shielding the Giant Snake was gradually dispersed by the light-attribute Cultivation Technique, revealing a small hole through which the body of the Giant Snake could be clearly seen thrashing in the seawater. "Hurry and strike it! Try to inflict heavy damage!" Xia Mo shouted. If he could have gathered the energy for "Doomsday Sunlight" right then, he would have undoubtedly shed at that hole without hesitation. However, this Cultivation Technique was simply too tedious to consolidate, and he didn''t dare use the Sunlight Sword that hadn''t properly formed yet. He must wait for a strike with absolute certainty. "You beast! Eat my sword!" Seeing the hole, Song Mobei became excited, immediately conjuring a hundred-meter golden Longsword in the air and forcefully spurred his True Qi towards the hole. "Creation of the Godly Essence Technique! ying Strike!" Before Song Mobei''s sword could strike, Mu Huanqing, enraged by her subordinates being killed earlier, had already thrust her silver spear into the hole. "Boom¡ª" A streak of silver light shed across the sky from Mu Huanqing''s hand; in the next moment, a thunderous boom erupted from within the ck fog, and the surrounding seawater shot into the sky as though boiling. The body of the Giant Snake within the ck fog began to twist violently, unleashing deafening roars. In a matter of moments, the blood from the ck Snake surged onto the surface of the sea around them. Pained, the ck Snake immediately pressed its exposed hole in the ck fog under the water, preventing humans from attacking again. At that moment, Song Mobei''s golden sword finally cleaved down from the sky, but the hole had already been submerged by the Giant Snake, and the strike only hit the ck fog, causing no substantive damage to the Giant Snake. All the soldiers, seeing the Giant Snake heavily injured, became invigorated. "The beast is injured! The method works! Keep containing it!" "Protect light-attribute Practitioners! Others, reduce the containment area! Wait until the ck fog around it disperses, then deliver a fatal blow!" "Madame Xuan and General Song''s cooperation this time was wless! Otherwise, who knows how many soldiers it would''ve taken to inflict such damage on it!" ... Listening to the rousing voices of the surrounding soldiers and floating in midair, Song Mobei couldn''t help but grit his teeth. His chance to shine had been stolen by Mu Huanqing! Although he didn''t think his sword strike was stronger than Mu Huanqing''s attack, in fact, her Hundred Martial Divine Weapon had greater destructive power than his Spirit Form. Still, he was very annoyed that all the glory that should have been his had been snatched away! Turning his head to nce at the immortally beautiful Mu Huanqing, Song Mobei''s face showed no expression, but his heart was filled with rage verging on madness. It was because of this woman that he had been relegated to second ce for who knows how many years. Everything was second¡ªTrue Qi, Spirit Form, Cultivation Level... Everything he prided himself on was overshadowed by this woman! "Mu Huanqing! Just wait for the day you marry me!" When Song Mobei''s inner fury was roaring, suddenly, Mu Huanqing cast a nce his way from midair, replete with supreme indifference. The moment he met her gaze, all of Song Mobei''s malicious thoughts involuntarily shattered. Every man who had seen Mu Huanqing felt this way. Her beauty instinctively made them want to possess her, tempting them to fantasize in their minds. But upon seeing the pupils of her eyes, they would also feel a sense of holiness that forbade vition, eventually shattering all their fantasies with this sense of sacrality. As for Fang Ren, he was an exception, for he never fantasized about his own wife. He was a man of action. Chapter 315: Chapter 310: Rushing into the Middle-level War Zone_1 In this battle, the inner disciples of the Tiandao Sword Sect were positioned near the middle-level war zone, because although their cultivation level was outstanding when viewed across the entirety of Earth, it was not a ce they could approach within the heart of the battlefield, where all the human powerhouses gathered. As the next in line to inherit the position of sect master of the Tiandao Sword Sect, Xia Fu Lan naturally also appeared in this war for human survival. However, at this time, she no longer bore the appearance of having been beaten into a pig''s head by Fang Ren as she did that day; instead, she was safe and sound, wearing a set of highly defensive golden-threaded clothes, unharmed andbating Void beasts in the middle-level war zone. After her duel with Fang Ren, all the meridians in her body had suffered immense damage, and even her pretty face had several broken bones. But as the little princess of the Tiandao Sword Sect, she was d in treasures given by her father from head to toe, nevercking in various healing-type pills. Even so, after the duel, she still used an expensive fourth-order Blood Essence Pill and an extremely rare fifth-order Bone Mending Pill, in addition to resting for a day and a half before she was fully recovered. Even though Tiandao Sword Sect was wealthy, the reserves of these two types of pills were not abundant. Thinking of the two pills that were used up, Xia Fu Lan felt an intense pain, and with it, a rising hatred for Fang Ren in her heart. Just now, the move Mu Huiqing executed in the central battle zone set Xia Fu Lan''s anger ame. The people around were all talking about how Brother Song and Mu Huiqing were a perfect match. What a joke! Brother Song was the man she liked; how could he be with another woman! In the beginning, she managed to ruin Mu Huiqing''s cultivation with the Anti-Void Array once, and this time as well, she could use this ck Giant Snake to ruin Mu Huiqing''s cultivation again! However, this time, what she wanted was not just Mu Huiqing''s ruined cultivation, but Mu Huiqing''s life. Because in her duel with Fang Ren, it was this very woman who had been protecting Fang Ren all along! Otherwise, Fang Ren''s hand would have been chopped off by her Brother Song! Looking at Mu Huiqing in the central battlefield, Xia Fu Lan''s gaze gradually turned sinister. This woman must die! Although this battle was critical for human survival, she felt that even without Mu Huiqing, her Brother Song could still lead humans to defeat that ck Giant Snake. "Buzz¡ª¡ª" A Void beastunched an attack at Xia Fu Lan, who without any hesitation, dodged toward the fellow disciples beside her. She was reluctant to use her True Qi on a Void beast now; after all, she still needed to find an opportunity to kill Mu Huiqing. "Brother Li! My meridians have not yet recovered, please help me!" Xia Fu Lan called out to a fellow disciple. "Junior Fn! I''ve got you!" A group of brothers from the Tiandao Sword Sect who were fighting Void beasts immediately came to Xia Fu Lan''s side and surrounded her with protection. Looking over the entire Tiandao Sword Sect, all disciples were already in tattered clothes with wounds all over their bodies, except for Xia Fu Lan, who remained immacte and not even a single drop of blood had reached her. ¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª At this moment, Fang Ren had already arrived at the outskirts of the battlefield at full speed. Here, second and third-order Void beasts were fighting with soldiers of low cultivation from the human side. asionally, fourth-order Void beasts would charge in, and once a fourth-order Void beast entered the outskirts, all the soldiers in the area would face grievous injuries, and it would cost the lives of at least a hundred people to eliminate it. Just as a soldier beside him was about to have his arm bitten off by a Void beast, Fang Ren immediately drew his True Qi to form a sword and shed at the Void beast that was about to bite the soldier. With a sh of Sword Qi, the head of the Void beast split from its body, and the soldier was saved. After releasing the Sword Qi, Fang Ren involuntarily paused, realizing that his Sword Qi had be over a hundred times faster than before. If he had not controlled it at thest moment, his Sword Qi might have identally sliced the soldier as well. The soldier who had just been saved did not thank him but turned around and pounced on another Void beast. His appearance was frantic; clearly, he had entered a killing frenzy. Fang Ren dispatched several strands of Sword Qi to y a few third-order Void beasts around him and then grabbed the soldier, who was covered in blood and lost in the killing intent, to ask, "Brother, how long has it been since the Pill Conve started?" The soldier turned his head subconsciously after being grabbed. He bit his teeth fiercely, his face so covered in blood that it was no longer recognizable. "What nonsense are you asking!" the soldier barked loudly. "With your realm, you should be defending the middleyer against the beasts, instead of wandering in the outskirts and having the leisure to chat!" After saying this, the soldier broke free from Fang Ren''s grasp and went on to support other soldiers. As Fang Ren watched the soldier rejoin the ruthless battle, he began to grasp the brutality of the war. Not even a regr soldier on the outskirts became like this, one could only imagine what kind of enemy humanity faced in the inneryers of the war zone. Looking around at the unbearable scene of carnage, Fang Ren turned and plunged deeper into the fight. Continuing to kill Void beasts while also remembering to inquire about the time with the soldiers, he yed a few hundred meters of Void beasts, yet none of the soldiers could tell him the date. They were all consumed by madness, none having the mind to respond to a question irrelevant to the war. But to Fang Ren, the question was extremely vital. As he fought and became covered in the blood of Void beasts, seeing that the ones around him were mostly fourth-order and asionally fifth-order, he knew he was approaching the middleyer of the battlefield. Just as he was about to break into the middle-level war zone to confront arge number of fourth, fifth, and even sixth-order Void beasts, his question was finally answered by a dying soldier. The soldier informed him that today was the official start of the Pill Conve, but the conve had not yet begun due to the invasion of the Void beasts. Upon learning this information, Fang Ren stood there stunned for a moment. "So you''re saying¡­ only half a day passed since I was taken away by Indra Sky?" Fang Ren felt a mix of emotions welling up inside him. He was relieved that he hadn''t been away from Mu Hui Qing for too long, and that the battle hadn''tsted for at least fourteen days, as he had imagined. But he was also stunned¡ªhow could Indra Sky be so certain that Bai Qi was pregnant with his child in just half a day? The sound of closebat in his ears kept Fang Ren from being dazed for too long, and he continued to charge towards the sea. He needed to swiftly make his way to the center of the battlefield to find Mu Hui Qing; he wanted to let her know he was safe, and he didn''t want her to worry about him while she was fighting the enemy. "Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat! Sixth level!" The red glow of the Killing Art enveloped him, and Fang Ren turned into a streak of light as he rushed into the middle-level war zone. As he delved deeper into the middle-level war zone, he saw fifth-order Void Beasts flooding the area like a tide, with sixth- and seventh-order Void Beasts mixed among them. Boom, boom, boom¡ª The sound of True Qi exploding was so loud it nearly burst one''s eardrums, and blood rained from the sky continuously. By the time he reached this point, Fang Ren was starting to struggle somewhat with the killing, especially when facing seventh-order Void Beasts, which forced him to use all his True Qi to counter. "Ahh!" Seeing a seventh-order Void Beast with a gaping mouth rushing towards a warrior, Fang Ren immediately activated Baiwu''s Ultimate Creation, conjuring hundreds of longswords behind him. "Sword Shield!" The swords flew from behind him towards a practitioner who was about to be devoured, swiftly converging to form a solid sword shield. The impact of the seventh-order Void Beast hitting the sword shield resounded with thunderous force. The warrior was flung by the blow,nding in front of Fang Ren. Although injured by the impact, he was at least alive. "Thank you, brother!" Bloodied, the man thanked Fang Ren in passing, then made his way towards another sixth-order Void Beast, but he nearly stumbled and fell into the sea. Fang Ren grabbed the warrior with one hand to prevent him from falling, while with the other hand he swung the huge sword shield, batting several nearby Void Beasts away. "You should retreat to the periphery!" Fang Ren suggested. "It''s nothing! I still have a pill!" With that, the man took out a pill from his chest and swallowed it. Fang Ren recognized it immediately¡ªit was a fourth-order Blood Essence Pill, capable of restoring some True Qi for a short time. But in the midst of the middle-level war zone, full of sixth- and seventh-order Void Beasts, this pill''s effect was unlikely tost even five minutes. After swallowing the pill, the man didn''t n to leave, instead choosing to continue fighting. It seemed he had decided to die in battle rather than retreat to the periphery. During a moment when Fang Ren withdrew his sword shield, a sixth-order Void Beastunched a surprise attack. The warrior immediately raised his longsword and cut towards the sixth-order Void Beast behind Fang Ren. "Don''t get distracted, brother! We are close to the central battlefield, and we might even encounter eighth-order Void Beasts! You must be extra careful!" After killing the Void Beast that was preparing to attack Fang Ren, the warrior didn''t forget to warn him. Fang Ren nodded his head, knowing full well that the sixth-order Void Beast couldn''t really hurt him, but the soldier''s actions still warmed his heart a bit. "Take this." Fang Ren casually took out a fifth-order Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pill from his Space Ring and tossed it to the warrior. Each warrior swearing to defend their homnd was worthy of respect. The soldier, seeing the pill Fang Ren threw to him, was momentarily stunned. The pill shone golden, evidently a top-tier fifth-order pill, which even few of the generals on the central battlefield possessed. Yet Fang Ren had casually given it to him. Taken aback, the soldier took a good look at Fang Ren before recognizing him: "Fa¡­ Fang Ren?" When the other man called out his name, Fang Ren didn''t pay much mind; after all, ever since his battle with Xia Fu Lan, there were too many who knew of him. "Don''t zone out." Fang Ren urged the man, then continued cutting down a group of seventh-order Void Beasts. However, there were simply too many of them, and he couldn''t break through quickly to reach the central battlefield. Seeing more and more Void Beasts surrounding him, the warrior swiftly swallowed the pill given by Fang Ren and earnestly shouted, "Thank you, Brother Fang! I am Xu Feng of the Tiandao Sword Sect! If I''m fortunate enough to survive this great battle, I''ll repay Brother Fang for your kindness with my life!" Learning that the other was from the Tiandao Sword Sect, Fang Ren didn''t feel any significant distance; in this great battle, everyone''s lives were tied together, and so naturally should their hearts be. Of course, that didn''t rule out the possibility of someone with treacherous intentions like Xia Fu Lan stabbing him in the back. But since this man chose not to retreat and continued fighting in the middle-level war zone even when his True Qi was nearly depleted, his resolve to protect his home was indubitably genuine. Chapter 316: Chapter 311: Central Battlefield_1 Tiandao Sword Sect can''t be all Xia Fu Lans. This elixir is for a warrior who has sworn to protect his family to the death, not for Tiandao Sword Sect''s Xia Fu Lan, courtesy of Fang Renran. Watching the Seventh-order Void Beasts grow increasingly numerous around him, Fang Renran continued to fight downwards, his dispersed Divine Sense already able to feel a patch of enormous dark fog a thousand meters away, where Mu Huanqing must be nearby. But in his current state, although he could fight off Seventh-order Void Beasts with the enhancement of the "life-taking" technique, faced with a beast tide like a tidal wave, it was still hard for him to move forward even an inch. Unless he resorted to the Asura ughter de, rapidly elevating his Asura Path by killing Seventh-order Void Beasts, he dared not use that thing unless absolutely necessary. After using it, not only would he be frenzied, but his identity could also be revealed by some soldiers from the Central Area who had participated in the Linglong Bay campaign. If someone happened to kill him on the spot because they identified him as a member of the Nightfall Organization, it would be a loss beyond redemption. "Xu Feng, do you dare to follow me into the central battlefield?" Fang Renran asked the Xu Feng fighting alongside him. Within just a short time, Xu Feng was again covered in wounds, but he roared with undiminished fighting spirit, "What''s there to fear! I, Xu Feng, came today to die in battle! If my life can take down one more High-Order Void Beast, it will save thousands of human Practitioners! It''s worth it!" Seeing his blood boiling with bravery, Fang Renran unhesitatingly took out another fifth-order elixir and threw it to him, "Since you never thought of leaving alive, eat this, and y a few more Void Beasts with me!" This elixir was indeed one he had concocted himself, a Xuan Realm Vital Qi Pill with effects simr to the Level 6 Annihtion Heaven Pill, which could raise a Practitioner''s Realm by one major level in a short time, but the consequence was the exploding of the physical body, with the lucky possibly ending up disabled for life and the unlucky dying on the spot. However, Fang Renran had no intention of harming Xu Feng. The elixir he gave Xu Feng was a lower-grade one, which at most would result in disordered meridians and pose no threat to his life. And as long as Xu Feng survived, Fang Renran also had ways to heal Xu Feng''s meridians. In all respects, he was providing Xu Feng with a greater chance of survival. Xu Feng, upon seeing Fang Renran giving him another fifth-order elixir, couldn''t help but feel shocked. He had doubted Fang Renran''s Alchemy skills before, but now he was convinced. Even generals from the Central Area couldn''t casually dish out two fifth-order elixirs like this, could they? Xu Feng did not immediately swallow the elixir, instead asking, "Brother Fang, if you have no alixirs left for yourself, I, Xu Feng, will not consume this one!" Fang Renran, upon hearing the other''s concern that he might not have elixirs for himself, casually took out a purple ughter Heaven Pill, "I''ve got plenty." Having said that, he swallowed the purple elixir, and in a sh, his Realm began to soar, leaping from the midterm phase of Yingyue Realm to the Peak of Xuanyang Realm. Although his Realm had risen by more than one major level in an instant, the result brought by this elixir was the explosion of his body, and if it reached his heart, he could die, and even the Asura Physique wouldn''t be able to recover. But he had a fallback n, even if his heart exploded, it wouldn''t be a big issue. "Purple¡­ elixir¡­" Xu Feng, witnessing Fang Renran''s soaring Realm, waspletely stunned. Purple Elixirs, something he had only heard of in human theories, were above the fifth-order elixirs and, to date, no human Alchemist had ever been able to concoct them. Moreover, it was estimated by the Master Alchemists of the Central Area that even if humans spent another few hundred years, they would still struggle to discover the methodology to concoct sixth-order elixirs¡­ But Fang Renran, a young man in his twenties, had them! An unprecedented genius of elixir concoction¡­ Now, as Xu Feng rethought the evaluations people had of Fang Renran, he felt like people had grossly underestimated him. And the fact that his junior Fn lost to him seemed all the more justified. If Fang Renran had used this elixir during yesterday''s duel, junior Fn would likely have been pped to death. Fang Renran, seeing him stunned, spoke up, "The elixir I have would mean certain death for you, consume the one in your hands with peace of mind." Xu Feng came back to his senses and immediately swallowed the elixir in his hand, "Brother Fang misunderstands! Xu Feng has already received too much help from you, how could I wish for a sixth-order elixir? It''s just that I am truly shaken by your Alchemy achievements!" After saying that, he suddenly felt like all the meridians in his body had caught fire, and his Spiritual Root began to pour out True Qi wildly; then his Realm began to climb steadily, his power skyrocketing from his current Peak Yingyue Realm to the same Peak Xuanyang Realm as Fang Renran. Although the elixir didn''t boost his power as excessively as the one Fang Renran held, Xu Feng was already at a high Realm, so it brought him to this level. "This¡­ is incredible¡­" Xu Feng felt his body undergoing earth-shaking changes. Just a moment ago, he had been severely injured by the Seventh-order Void Beasts, but now he felt he could snuff out these Seventh-order Void Beasts with a mere gesture. By the time he snapped back to reality, Fang Renran had already charged towards the Void Beasts below, and he quickly followed suit. With his current Realm, he could be of help even if he entered the central warzone. Whoom¡ª For a while, on the middleyer of the battlefield, two streaks of light could be seen shing quickly among the Seventh-order Void Beasts, sttering blood and flesh wherever they passed, saving many middleyer warriors on the verge of death at the hands of the beasts. "Peak Xuanyang Realm... Apart from severalmanders of the Central Area and Madame Xuan, someone else has cultivated to this level!?" "That! Isn''t that Brother Xu Feng from the Tiandao Sword Sect? How did he break through to the Peak of Xuanyang Realm?!" "The other one is... Fang Renran?! Wasn''t he just a Blue Sky Realm yesterday? How did he break through to the Peak Xuanyang Realm as well?!" "I must be going crazy! Am I hallucinating?" ... Fang Ren and Xu Feng fought their way towards the central battlefield, rescuing tens of thousands of practitioners along their journey. asionally, upon encountering a warrior on the brink of death, Fang Ren would toss them a recovery-type pill, leaving the surrounding human warriors ck-jawed in astonishment. Fourth-order elixirs were casually thrown around while only those close to death received fifth-order ones. "This... this is a top-level fifth-order elixir!" "Holy shit! Is this really a top-level fifth-order one for me too!?" "Dammit! Are you guys still in the mood to chat? Hurry up and take the pill, then help clear the way for Young Master Fang!" "Right! Swallow the pills and escort Young Master Fang to the central battlefield quickly!" "Brothers! Charge!" "Ao!" ... With Fang Ren and Xu Feng''s unbridled assault, the entire middleyer of the battlefield underwent a dramatic change. The seventh-order void beasts were nearly wiped out by the pair, and soldiers blocked all the sixth and fifth-order ones, leaving an almost unobstructed passage to the central battlefield. As they were about to enter the central battlefield, more eighth-order void beasts began to appear, but for Fang Ren at his current realm, dealing with them wasn''t too difficult, especially since he was enhanced by the ughter Decision, far surpassing an ordinary Xuanyang realm practitioner. However, it was challenging for a practitioner like Xu Feng without such reinforcing cultivation techniques to face eighth-order void beasts. An eighth-order void beast was almost equivalent to a mid-term phase practitioner in the Xuanyang realm. Even someone with peak Xuanyang realm strength would find it exhausting to fight against a group of eighth-order void beasts. A moment of inattention could result in a new wound. Fortunately, Fang Ren''s Baiwu''s Ultimate Creation allowed him to attack and defend over arge area, and with their coordination, Xu Feng barely got injured. "Brother Fang! We''re about to enter the center!" Xu Feng said after killing thest eighth-order void beast nearby, "There''s a void beast inside that surpasses the ninth order. We should try to coordinate with the warriors from Area One and Two as much as possible, or we might just be sending ourselves to an early grave without having killed many void beasts." "You go and join them. I have my own business," responded Fang Ren. Hearing this, Xu Feng continued to follow Fang Ren, "Then I will see you to your destination before going to meet up." "No need, I can handle it myself." As they spoke, the two rushed into the central war zone, breaking through to a scene of vastly expanding horizons. The central war zone also had many human warriors, and the number of void beasts was no less than outside, but the distance between each fighter had increased significantly. Practitioners and void beasts with higher realms had a very wide range of attacks, which could easily cause friendly fire. To avoid such idents, distances had to be maximized where possible. Above the sea was a huge mass of ck mist continuously twisting, surrounded by jets of destructive ck pirs of light. Above this ck fog, a group of light attribute practitioners intensively targeted their attacks, with Song Mobei in the forefront. Around the ck fog, the leaders from the major war areas led their soldiers, using their cultivation techniques to contain the fog''s movement, while tens of thousands of Array Masters supported barriers to protect the surrounding warriors. Not far away, an old man in a white robe was conjuring something with his True Qi, protected by many soldiers. The sea roared with the sounds of battle as the deputy area directors struggled with a giant snake under the lead of Bai Chaojin, trying to seek and wrestle its head. Meanwhile, a silver glow that kept moving around the ck fog in the sky was the Mu Huiqing that Fang Ren was looking for. The moment Fang Ren saw Mu Huiqing, his heart settled. Though she was injured, the power of her True Qi had not diminished, and for now, the ck fog could not harm her. However, the Divine Weapon floating behind her was a gruesome sight, covered with the carcasses of void beasts, its originally pure silvery light now veiled by their blood. Having seen Mu Huiqing, Fang Ren immediately activated his cultivation technique: "Empty Ming Sword! Open Heaven!" Hum¡ª¡ª A transparent giant sword, over a thousand meters long, formed above Fang Ren''s head and with a sonorous ring of the air, it shed down towards the ck fog. Boom¡ª¡ª The vast Empty Ming Sword crashed into the ck fog, creating an impact, but then it was swallowed up by the ck fog. "Brother Fang! This is a void beast that surpasses the ninth order! We must attack systematically; otherwise, we can''t inflict any substantial damage on it!" Xu Feng eximed. "Of course, I know that," Fang Ren replied with a smile, his gaze turning towards the silver glow dancing in the sky. His goal had never been to harm the creature in the first ce; he just wanted to be noticed by her. Chapter 317: Chapter 312: The First Experimenter of Void Technology_1 The enormous Empty Ming Sword had vanished, and Mu Huaqing in the sky also turned her head back. Empty Ming Sword Intent, this technique was unique to Fang Ren. Indeed, as she turned around, she saw at the edge of the central battle zone, Fang Ren, radiating red light, standing there watching her. He was unharmed! A great weight lifted from Mu Hui Qing''s heart. Bang¡ª With her spear, she broke the dark beam emitted by the Void Beast, and Mu Hui Qing immediately teleported next to Fang Ren, her expression cold and serious. "This¡­ Madame Xuan!" Xu Feng waspletely baffled. How did Brother Fang''s sword bring Madame Xuan here? And judging from her expression, she seemed angry. Xu Feng hastily spoke up, "Brother Fang has just arrived in the central battle zone and is not familiar with the situation. Please don''t me him!" Of course, Mu Hui Qing wouldn''t me Fang Ren; she was just putting on an act toe and check on him. Don''t miss chapters on m v l e m p y r "The battlefield is very tense right now, and this Void Beast is extraordinarily formidable. Stay behind the Large Formation and do not act alone!" Mu Hui Qing said with a stern expression. "Yes!" Xu Feng immediately nodded seriously. "All right, Madame Xuan," Fang Ren nodded, but he couldn''t help but let a smile slip through. Seeing Fang Ren with a ''joking smile,'' Xu Feng quickly tried to exin, "Madame Xuan, Brother Fang is only¡­" Before he could finish justifying for Fang Ren, Mu Hui Qing red at Fang Ren, slightly resentful as she scolded, "You moron! Be careful and protect yourself." Having said that, Mu Hui Qing returned to the battlefield, leaving Xu Feng with a bewildered face, looking at Fang Ren. The situation wasn''t quite what he had imagined; instead, there seemed to be some banterced with chastisement... "Don''t just stand there, let''s go meet up with the others," Fang Ren patted Xu Feng. Seeing Mu Hui Qing''s demeanor, she must really be a bit angry. After all, his sudden intrusion into the battlefield must have worried her. Being scolded by his wife, Fang Ren had no choice but to ept it. "Didn''t Brother Fang mention he had something to do earlier?" Xu Feng was puzzled. "It''s already taken care of." "Ah?" Xu Feng was somewhat confused. ---- ---- In the submarine, the soldiers Liu Qianqian had knocked out were now waking up. "Commander! Where is Fang Ren?" As the crowd realized the test subject was missing, they all started to panic. The female Commander sat in her chair with her fists clenched, gritting her teeth in anger, "He was snatched away by the Liu Family''s young miss." "Liu Qianqian? What does she want with Fang Ren?" "The Liu Family''s young miss..." A soldier suddenly spoke up, "There have been rumors in Tianjiang that Fang Ren and Liu Qianqian were in the same school, and they may have dated. Whether they are still together or not, it''s unclear." "What''s this now! Is the Liu Family trying to revolt, fighting with the princess for a man?" "Commander, what should we do now?" "What a stupid question! Aren''t you going to chase after him to the Liu Family! Have the Liu Family Head hand him over!" The Commander cursed. "But during this time of war, we don''t know where the Liu Family Head is..." "For a second-tier family like the Liu family, their head wouldn''t normally engage in battles. If the family head leaves the family, how will they defend against the invasion of the Void beasts?" "Understood! Heading straight for the Liu Family in Tianjiang immediately!" The soldiers promptly turned the submarine around and sped towards Tianjiang. Suddenly a soldier rushed into the control room and spoke up, "Commander, Princess Bai Xi is about to awaken, and our drugs do not affect those in the Xuanyang realm." The female Commander frowned, "If she awakes, let her. If not, once we get Fang Ren back, we can let them be awake to handle things." "Ah? But both of them might be unwilling, and the princess, she likes Song Mobei..." "What''s the use of that Song guy! Can he let the princess take a nap and break through her realm like Fang Ren can?" the Commander said angrily. "This¡­ You''d better exin it to the princess yourself." Boom¡ª As everyone was talking, the submarine suddenly shook violently. "What''s happening!" "It seems like we''ve been hit by something, but there shouldn''t be any dangerous reefs in this area." The female officer frowned, "Check the external shadow of the submarine..." Before she could finish her sentence, a dark figure suddenly shed in front of her and grabbed her neck with both hands. "Commander! The external imagery shows that we are already on the surface... Who are you!" The soldier who had just checked the imagery turned his head back only to see an elderly man in a ck robe with a gaunt face and a weird, sinister smile, holding the female officer by the neck. "Indra Sky?" Fang Yun Zhong spoke up. He had been tracking them underwater for half a day, the only submarine with the aura of his descendants; strangely, he had not seen Fang Ren there. "Knowing that we are from Indra Sky, you dare to intrude here! Are you trying to rebel?" the soldier roared, circting his True Qi. p¡ª Fang Yun Zhong waved his hand casually, and that soldier''s body turned into a skeleton, leaving behind a pool of fresh blood on the floor. "It seems I''ve found the right ce, but why can''t I see my dear great-grandson Ren?" Fang Yun Zhong looked at the female officer: "Where have you hidden him?" Looking at the old man, the female officer felt a chill in her heart. She couldn''t sense this old man''s strength at all, unlike Liu Qianqian, at least she could roughly understand thetter''s realm. The old man''s presence waspletely undetectable. Plus, the submarine had been deep underwater; how had this old man instantly brought the submarine to the surface without even triggering an rm? "Whoever you are, Fang Ren is not in my hands right now! If you want to find him, go to the Liu Family!" the female officer said. Fang Yun Zhong threw the female officer aside, seated himself in a chair, and continued, "Has your experiment seeded?" The female officer hesitated for a moment, her expression bing even more guarded: "You have the aura of the Void on you, have you also participated in experiments in Indra Sky?" Hearing this, Fang Yun Zhong couldn''t help but burst intoughter: "Hahaha! Kiddo, you''re correct, I have indeed participated in experiments, and I was not only the first subject of Void Fusion but also the pioneer of the Void Fusion experiment." "The Void Fusion experiment took ce over a hundred years ago, the first batch of subjects have long since died, and the founder has always been the Commander. I don''t remember there being amanding officer like you," the female officer said with a frown. "All that is what you''ve been able to learn at your age," Fang Yun Zhong replied. "Tell me, if your experiment is sessful, do you dare to reveal the truth to the people, saying how many of your own kind your experiment has killed?" "..." "The truth is only written by the winners, and that is what you like to enforce. But have you ever thought that what you hear now is all lies from the winners a hundred years ago?" Fang Yun Zhong said. "A hundred years ago, humans were united, and there was no infighting." "That''s all you would understand at your age. You haven''t seen the events of a hundred years ago; your grandfather was just a single cell back then," Fang Yun Zhong said. The female officer had no response because her grandfather was indeed just a single cell at that time. "Actually, my purpose ining here is not for my great-grandson; I just want to undergo the Void Fusion experiment again. I heard that your organization''s technology has matured," Fang Yun Zhong said. "How about taking pity on this old man, letting me break through my realm, and returning to the battlefield one more time?" Frowning, the female officer replied, "You keep mentioning your great-grandson, but anyone knows that the Fang Family''s great-grandfather has been dead for a long time. Aren''t you afraid that the Fang Family will kill you for impersonating an ancestor once they find out?" "Kiddo, you''re funny. Do you think that someone like me, who survived after being experimented on and can sense where Fang Ren is through bloodline, could be anyone other than Fang Yun Zhong from those days?" Facing this question, the female officer didn''t know how to respond. As far as she knew, the previous generation''s Indra Sky''s experiments had all died due to immature technology¡ªnot to mention the original subjects from even earlier days when Indra Sky''s technology was still exploratory; survivors among them were even less likely. But judging by the old man''s age, he must be a subject from several generations ago, and he was still alive with the aura of the Void on him. There was only one exnation: this old man truly was someone who had survived from the experiments long ago. "You say you were the founder of the Void Fusion experiment, but why is it that I was informed it was an old man named Bai Weiguo who was its creator?" the female officer asked. Fang Yun Zhong chuckled: "Kiddo, I can discuss these matters with you, but afterward, you must take me to your headquarters." "I promise you," the female officer said. However, the headquarters of Indra Sky had already been destroyed; she hadn''t even considered taking the old man there. She always felt that there was more to this old man than met the eye. Given how powerful he was to have survived experiments from generations ago, and since he wanted to experiment again, Indra Sky would surely do everything to amodate him; he only had to speak to Commander Bai Chaojin to get approval. But why did the old man choose toe here on the day of the Void beast invasion, and why didn''t he seek out Commander Bai? Seeing the female officer agree, Fang Yun Zhong decided to waste some more breath and continued, "Isn''t there an organization called Nightfall on Earth now? They quite enjoy opposing you, and they perceive their actions as just. However, a hundred years ago, there was also an organization that enjoyed opposing me. It was called Indra Sky." "What do you mean by that?" the female officer''s brow furrowed deeper. "Back then, the invasion of the Void was far more severe than now. Watching the suffering of countless lives, I suddenly discovered something significant: Though humanity was facing a catastrophe, we were also evolving. It was because of the invasion of the Void that humans gained the power of Cultivation, it was because of the arrival of the Void beasts that we learned to concoct elixirs... I realized that the Void was not a catastrophe but a blessing bestowed upon humanity by the heavens. Before the Void descended upon Earth, we always advocated the belief that opposing nature leads to self-destruction. Since the Void appeared on Earth, it was meant to be a natural urrence, so why should we resist it? Why not we integrate with the Void? Later, I initiated the Void Fusion experiment; I wanted to rescue my kin from Earth, one by one, to live in harmony with the Void race... But my experiment was opposed by the founder of your organization, namely Bai Weiguo." Chapter 318: Chapter 313: The Awakening of Bai Qi_1 The female officer listened to Fang Yun Zhong''s words, feeling incredulous. The Void was clearly a foreign invading species, yet this old man imed it was an irresistible force of nature, even the starting point for human evolution. "If it hadn''t been for Bai Weiguo''s obstruction, by now I would''ve had the capability to lead humans to coexist with the Void and obtain even better evolution. Why would we need to be ughtered by the Void like today?" Fang Yun Zhong''s tone carried a sense of righteous indignation, "Sadly, they could not understand the contribution I made to our race. They thought I would annihte humanity, so they killed me and spread the false news of my death on the battlefield. They took over my experiments, they wanted to improve upon my experiments to fight the Void, but they failed to realize that my experiment was the best from the start. The fact that I''m still alive proves this point." "I''m curious, what was the ideal oue of your experiment that met with such fierce opposition from the previousmander?" the female officer asked. "The process is not much different from what you are doing, but the result is a world apart. My ideal was to enable people to coexist with the Void, which naturally means turning humans into beings like the Void beasts. But your goal is to harness the power of the Void and continue to be its enemy. You are too arrogant, and you have no idea what the consequences of doing this will be." "The consequence of that will only ensure the continued survival of the human race." The female officer spoke earnestly, "And the result of your experiment is only to erase humans from this world and be ves to another race." "Survival of the fittest is something every human should understand." Fang Yun Zhong said. "You are simply a madman." The female officer frowned. To the old man''s thinking, that was to erase the human race from this world! "So, those of you who kill your own kind for experiments are not madmen?" Fang Yun Zhong stood up, with a fearless smile on his face, and said, "I''m saving our kind. You are just children who love to meddle in my work. You just need to give me the technology you are researching now, and then you can just sit back and wait to be saved by me." "Ha, the Centralboratory has already been trampled t by the Void beast! You might as well stop dreaming!" The female officer retorted harshly, though there were many other Indra Skyboratories on Earth, she certainly had no intentions of disclosing their locations to this old man. She believed that there must have been a reason the previousmander tried to stop this old man. Fang Yun Zhong stood up, realizing the female officer had no intention of taking him to theboratory, his face showing a hint of regret, "It''s a pity, I was hoping you would help me operate the devices. It seems that it''s not possible now." With that, Fang Yun Zhong''s withered hand was on the head of the female officer, and in the next instant, her eyes went dull. Subsequently, her muscles began to bulge as if her soul was about to be extracted. ... A few minutes earlier, at the moment the submarine was struck, Bai Qi opened her eyes in a certain room. Bai Qi, upon awakening, found her Realm had undergone a drastic change. She couldn''t sense where her Realm was at specifically, but an unprecedented power made her feel dangerously powerful. With every movement, she had the premonition she could tear her surroundings apart. Looking around, she realized she was no longer in theboratory. There was only a bed beside her and a wall that had been hit by something, and there was a trace of human blood on the floor. The scent of this blood caused a reaction with the small segment of the Spiritual Root within her body. Clearly, the blood''s owner was deeply connected to the gray Spiritual Root in her body. "Fang Ren!" She immediately realized something, hurriedly climbed out of bed, and rushed towards the door. But as soon as she stepped out, she saw the twisted steel in the corridor, and the remains of humans scattered on the ground. Blood was smeared all through the passageway, with bones stretching to the other end of the corridor. She became increasingly anxious. Although the Spiritual Root inside her could sense that none of these bones belonged to Fang Ren, Fang Ren had been here and had bled. She did not know what had happened. Hastening her steps along the corridor, she found that several rooms at the end of the passage were also filled with skeletons, identifiable as Indra Sky researchers and submarine soldiers by their clothes. At the end of the corridor was the submarine''s control room, but she didn''t enter right away, as she could hear an old man''s and a woman''s voices continuouslying from inside. Bai Qi peeked around the edge of the steel wall, seeing a total of three people inside: a woman in a military officer''s uniform, the old man in a ck robe, and amon soldier. Before she could take a closer look, she saw the old man turn the soldier into a ssh of blood. The soldier''s manner of death was identical to the others she had seen earlier, suggesting this old man was the prime culprit behind all these killings. Bai Qi wanted to intervene to stop the old man from killing any more, but his following conversation with the female officer shocked her profoundly. The man in the ck robe was actually the long-dead Patriarch of the Fang family? And a hundred years ago, he intended to turn humans into a Void species! What Bai Qi found hardest to ept was that the experiment her grandfather was conducting now had also resulted in the killing of countless fellow humans... Watching Fang Yun Zhong grasp the female officer''s head, seemingly using some strange Cultivation Technique to probe the other''s memories, Bai Qi was prepared to act. If this Patriarch of Fang family kept iming to save his own race but had killed all his kin on the submarine, and the person who had suddenlye back to life was suffused with such a strong scent of the Void, it all seemed very wrong. "Xuan Qing Seal!" Bai Qi''s palm shone with a dazzling imprint, illuminating the entire control room. "Who is there! I didn''t sense anyone!" Fang Yun Zhong, who had not noticed Bai Qi from the beginning, seemed somewhat taken aback by the sudden attack. He quickly released the female officer''s head, as True Qi surged around his body, forming a protective shield. The Xuanqing Seal hit Fang Yun Zhong''s protective True Qi, which had not yet fully activated, and in an instant, both Fang Yun Zhong and half of the submarine''s control room were sted away. As the control room was ripped open, the view outside suddenly became clear. It was the time of sunset, but the horizon in the distance was dark as night. A huge chasm had formed in front of Bai Qi on the ground, and the nearby sea had been split apart by her palm, revealing the mud beneath the water. Where her palm struck, the Xuanqing Seal transformed into a kilometer-long beam of light above the sea, like a giant, continuing to press Fang Yun Zhong towards the sky, where it finally exploded above the clouds, dissipating the surrounding darkness that shrouded heaven and earth. "Cough!" Above the clouds, Fang Yun Zhong''s aged face turned even paler, as he coughed up ck blood, and the ck robe on his chest burst open, revealing bones burned by the Xuanqing Seal. "How is this possible! How can someone possibly break through to the mid-stage of Xuan Ye Realm before me?" His disheveled face now showed an abnormally furious expression, shocked by that palm. He was absolutely certain that the girl who had hit him possessed a higher realm than his own! Higher than his... That was impossible, considering the Void Energy fused within him. No one could possibly have a faster realm breakthrough! Unless... the other party had also undergone Void Fusion experiments. "Could it be that she is the Bai family''s little girl who underwent the experiment?" "No wonder... Void Fusion is indeed immensely powerful!" "If this experiment could proceed ording to my theory, then wouldn''t it be possible to reach beyond the Xuan Ye Realm... No, that''s not right, it could even mean bing an Immortal is not impossible!" The more Fang Yun Zhong thought about it, the more exhrated he became. He had already extracted from the female officer''s memory the locations of several branchboratories of Indra Sky. If he could obtain the oues of Indra Sky''s current research and realize his initial dream... then perhaps he could be the ruler of this world! After giving the female officer a pill, Bai Qi immediately pursued Fang Yun Zhong into the sky. Today, she was vastly different from the day before, her scattered Spirit Marks already shattered. Having absorbed all the energy from the Ninth-order Void Beast Skull, and now that her realm had broken through to the Xuan Ye Realm, her Spiritual Root no longer needed suppression like Fang Ren''s and could be utilized to the fullest without fear of bacsh. In a moment, all the meridians in her body seemed to break their seals, and her formerly stunted Wood attribute physique finally grew into itsplete form. Even across distances of ten thousand meters, she no longer needed to use True Qi to fly; a mere thought seemed sufficient for her to arrive. However, the further this mode of travel, the greater the consumption of True Qi. On the beach, Bai Qi''s figure disappeared in an instant, her body carrying an overwhelming Wood attribute True Qi as she reached Fang Yun Zhong''s presence. The atmosphere around the sky waspressed, dispersing into the distance. The glow of the sunset shone around her, warped by the power of her True Qi. "Is Bai Chaojin your grandfather?" Fang Yun Zhong looked at the celestial-like Bai Qi, a tortured smile twisting across his face. "Indeed. Is Fang Ren your great-grandson?" Bai Qi''s gaze remained vignt the entire time. She still did not know how powerful she had be, and in facing the old man before her, she could only sense a realm even stronger than Sister Hui Qing''s, naturally requiring her full effort to respond. Fang Yun Zhong chuckled, "They tell me you should be my great-grandson Ren''s wife, so you ought to call me great-grandfather too, right? Hitting your great-grandfather like this isn''t very nice." "Why did you kill so many people?" Bai Qi frowned, ncing at the Void Hole in the far-off sky, and continued, "Over there, humans are sacrificing their lives for the survival of their race, yet you''re doing things thatpletely contradict what you preach." "By killing those who hinder me, I can save even more people." Fang Yun Zhong smiled, "Isn''t this consistent with your grandfather''s philosophy? Why then do you still treat me as your enemy?" As soon as she heard about her grandfather, Bai Qi''s emotions became extremelyplicated. Clenching her teeth, she said, "I would oppose him! And I oppose you just the same!" Chapter 319: Chapter 314: Seeing the Mother-in-Law Again_1 "So what are you going to do now? Kill me?" Fang Yun Zhong said. "You''ve killed so many people, you naturally must pay with your life!" Bai Qi said. "What about your grandfather?" Fang Yun Zhong said. "The number of people he''s killed isn''t any less than mine, plus, those people I just killed were from Indra Sky, how many of our own have they killed? I was just making them pay for their lives." "..." Bai Qi suddenly fell silent. What Fang Yun Zhong said wasn''t wrong; those people had also killed their own, they too deserved to pay with their lives... Seeing Bai Qi''s emotions waver, Fang Yun Zhong continued, "Back then, your great-grandfather, that guy Bai Weiguo, I considered him a brother. On the battlefield, I even lost an arm saving his life, but do you know what he did? He actually killed me, except he didn''t expect that he hadn''tpletely finished me off." Speaking, Fang Yun Zhong showed his own arm and continued, "This arm was bitten off by a Void beast when I saved him back then, andter, I reattached it through Void Fusion Technique." Bai Qi said, "Since you two were so close, if he could still bring himself to kill you, then your experiments must have been inhumane." Fang Yun Zhong: "You''re not wrong, he and I were indeed close, but he couldn''t understand me, and what I did indeed seems cruel in the eyes of you normal people. But I haven''t done anything wrong. If it wasn''t for being able to save more of our kind, do you think I''d like to do such things?" "Have you never considered that you might be blindly obstinate?" "Whatever the method, as long as it can save the human race, that''s fine." Bai Qi looked at the ck blood on the corner of Fang Yun Zhong''s mouth and spoke again, "I heard your conversation with the chief earlier. With your appearance now, you''re probably no longer human, right?" "Just because my blood is ck?" Fang Yun Zhong said. "Human blood is red." After saying this, Bai Qi waved the air beside her and drew a cut on her little finger, and from it flowed bright red blood. Bai Qi continued, "My current state should indicate a sessful experiment, but I''m still aplete human. I''m asking you, if I had epted your experimental theory back then, would I still look like this now?" Fang Yun Zhong smiled, "No, if the experiment had been carried out ording to my theory, upon sess, you''d be much stronger than you are now. Because the current you hasn''t mastered the power of the Void, you''ve just turned it into a booster for your realm. The power you possess is still only what you should intrinsically have. If the experiment results had been achieved ording to my theory, you would not only have your innate power, but also the power of the Void. At that time, your body would emanate the aura of the Void, and those Void species wouldn''t attack you. Just think, if all the humans in the world could ept my experimental theory, what would be the oue?" "Humans and the Void species living in peace?" Bai Qi frowned as she said. "Exactly, by then there would be no more wars, our kind would not only survive but also evolve," Fang Yun Zhong said earnestly. "Is my approach not the best redemption for humanity?" "If this method is as good as you say, then why did my great-grandfather stop you in the first ce? Why won''t you directly go to my grandfather for the experiments you want to conduct now? Why did you even kill people on the submarine and threaten the chief?" Bai Qi said, "I think the answer should be simple, there must be something terrifying hidden behind your experimental theory, and only my grandfather knows about it. That''s why you took the opportunity to sneak attack Indra Sky, using some means to make these ignorants submit to you, helping you achieve the experiment." After listening, Fang Yun Zhong''s smile gradually faded, "It seems no matter what I say, it''s useless with you, Bai Family girl. I can tell you, although you are strong now, no matter how you try to stop me, I will eventually seed." "Not only will I stop you, but I will also stop my grandfather." "Then you try." Fang Yun Zhong dropped these words and turned into a ck stream of light flying away into the distance. Bai Qi immediately circted her True Qi to sh through a thousand meters of space, positioning herself in front of Fang Yun Zhong. "Stop insisting on those cruel experiments, this era''s Void, I, Bai Qi, will break through!" Bai Qi''s True Qi surged, emitting waves of energy thousands of meters into the sky, the sea beneathpressed into a depression, and Fang Yun Zhong, who was very close, was directly knocked back thousands of meters. "Spatial jump? You think an ability possessed by all members of the Xuan Ye realm can stop me?" In a sh, Fang Yun Zhong reappeared ten thousand meters away from Bai Qi, continuing at full speed toward the Indra Sky branchboratory. Although Bai Qi had already broken through the mid-stage of the Xuan Ye realm, in terms of understanding the realm, she definitely wasn''t as high as him. He wasn''t sure he could defeat Bai Qi inbat, but if he wanted to leave, Bai Qi might not be able to catch up. The ability to utilize skills at will was his advantage. Watching Fang Yun Zhong escape, Bai Qi immediately utilized her strongest innate cultivation technique. Now her Spiritual Root no longer needed to be restrained, and her own Spirit Form was finally ushered into its first descent. "Rose Cross Sword!" Hum¡ª¡ª The sky let out a long cry; behind Bai Qi, a rose flower quietly appeared. With that, it began to grow rapidly, twisting and spreading, its roots turned into a wooden Cross Sword, and its crimson petals filled the de, dripping like fresh blood. "Thorns! Cover the sky!" Bai Qi grabbed the Rose Cross Sword behind her, frantically infusing it with her True Qi. In the next moment, like a wild tide, the roses on the Cross Sword covered the sky, barraging toward Fang Yun Zhong who had escaped thousands of meters away. The thorns tore through the sky, and in the blink of an eye, surged right in front of Fang Yun Zhong. But this time Fang Yun Zhong was fully prepared; he immediately threw the defensively array he had prepared behind him. Boom¡ª¡ª The shield was split by the thorns, and Fang Yun Zhong quickly countered with a Cultivation Technique, but his technique was not able to scatter the thorns in the sky at all; instead, his own Cultivation Technique was outright exploded by the thorns. The explosion''s aftermath knocked Fang Yun Zhong flying even farther, but this time with his guard up, he wasn''t severely injured. "Wood attribute can have such destructive power!?" Fang Yun Zhong was shocked and hurriedly made his full effort to escape. The power of Bai Qi''s cultivation technique had already been weakened by his defensive formation, yet he still couldn''t destroy those vines. In his era, wood attribute was always associated with support practitioners on the battlefield; how could it have such destructive power? Seeing Fang Yun Zhong fleeing, Bai Qi immediately chased after him. This was her first time using Spirit Form, and it was still too unfamiliar; if she were proficient, she was confident she could directly slice Fang Yun Zhong down from the sky. ¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª At the central battlefield, Fang Ren had joined forces with Xu Feng in the camp of the Third District, because it wasn''t too far from Mu Huanqing, so he could assist her in case of an emergency. There were many void beasts around, but Xu Feng''s presence helped alleviate some of the pressure on Fang Ren. "Brother Fang! I never imagined I could one day fight alongside the leaders of the major battle zones! In this battle, I, Xu Feng, would die with no regrets!" Xu Feng said excitedly, fully engaged in killing the enemy. Fang Ren had almost gotten calluses in his ears from hearing his words; the guy was simply a passionate youth, always shouting about dying without regrets and that a man should perish on the battlefield and the like. However, Fang Ren didn''t dislike such a person¡ªin fact, he rather enjoyed interacting with him. Hum¡ª Suddenly, a silver light darted over, sting an eighth-order void beast into pieces. Fang Ren and Xu Feng turned their heads in unison to see a beautiful woman in silver armor looking at them. "Mu... District Chief Mu!" Upon seeing the beautiful woman, Xu Feng became excited, as he had never been so close to these top generals before, immediately reverting to the fanboy state upon seeing an idol. Fang Ren knew the woman''s identity instantly; in this world, the only one who could resemble Mu Huanqing so closely was probably only the District Chief of the Third District, Mu Tianyuan. And he happened to be within the Third District''s area. "You,e over here!" Mu Tianyuan pulled Fang Ren aside with a cold face, dragged him a few hundred meters away, and waved to erect a soundproof barrier that enveloped them both. "Ah... Aunt..." Encountering his mother-inw again, although on the battlefield, Fang Ren still couldn''t help feeling a bit nervous. After all, his rtionship with Mu Huanqing wasn''t the same as before. "Nonsense!" Mu Tianyuan shouted, "You''ve made me a grandmother! Still calling me aunt?" "..." Facing his fierce mother-inw, Fang Ren was lost for words, subtly understanding why Uncle Han hadn''t been home for many years. He remembered that when his mother-inw personally handed Mu Huanqing over to him, she was a very gentle woman... "Tell me! Where exactly did you adopt from!" Mu Tianyuan demanded angrily. "It''s ours..." "Nonsense! How long have you two been together? Did you use your ass to give birth?" "Ours... It was sudden... After two months, she just gave birth..." Fang Ren exined. While they were still talking, suddenly a void beast charged over, and Mu Tianyuan dismissed the soundproof barrier, punching through the belly of the void beast. "Be more mindful of your own safety." With the soundproof barrier gone, Mu Tianyuan naturally wouldn''t continue that conversation but reminded him before rejoining the battlefield. But in her heart, she hade to believe that her daughter had truly given birth to a granddaughter for her. "Brother Fang! What did District Chief Mu say to you?" Xu Feng asked after knocking down a void beast and rushing over. "Oh, she was asking how we both improved our realms so quickly," Fang Ren fobbed off with a casual remark. Xu Fengughed and said, "Then they don''t know how strong Brother Fang''s alchemy skills are! I believe after this battle, there won''t be a soul in the world who would dare to question you!" Fang Ren just waved his hand, unconcerned with the praise, and continued to engage in the battle. After this great battle, who knows what tricks the Tiandao Sword Sect coulde up with to challenge him? But Xu Feng was a man of integrity, and Fang Ren didn''t want to burden him with those thoughts. Chapter 320: Chapter 315: The Center of Attention_1 ``` "It''s a Level Nine Void Beast!" "In the rear of the Area Two Battlefield! Array Masters, pay attention to the defense at the back!" "No good! We''re short-handed! The Array Masters from Area Two have all gone to support the top!" ... With the sudden arrival of a humanoid giant beast wielding a battleaxe at the rear of the battlefield in Area Two, the scene immediately became chaotic. Even though this was the central battlefield where Eighth-order Void Beasts were rampant, the appearance of a Level Nine Void Beast, which could only be suppressed by an Anti-Void Array, was truly rare. Moreover, if one or two Level Nine Void Beasts were to appear here, they would only be at the periphery of the defensive formation because that''s where the ck Snake was located. It was expected that Level Nine Void Beasts would choose to protect the ck Snake. Such a Void Beast that suddenly appeared behind the defensive formation, without any intention to protect the ck Snake and acting on its own, clearly possessed high intelligence and would not heed themands of the ck Snake. "Area Two needs reinforcement from Array Masters!" "Quick! Something''s off with this one! It''s attacking the soldiers at the periphery! It''s likely trying to break into the middle-level War Zone!" "Hold it back! We absolutely can''t let it get into the middle-level! Otherwise, the soldiers there are done for!" "Where are the Array Masters? Without the Large Formation''s blessing, going up there is suicide!" ... The humanoid giant beast was covered in pitch-ck spines, its head resembled that of a wild ox, its arms could stretch out to a hundred meters, and the battleaxe in its hands was sorge it spanned half the battlefield! Such a Level Nine giant beast rampaging at the edge of the central battlefield,bined with the weak defensive formations there and theck of offensive formations to reinforce them, meant that the surrounding soldiers simply couldn''t stand against it, losing ground continuously. "We can''t keep retreating! If we move back any further, it''s going to get out!" Ninth District Chief Fang Zheng immediately shifted from containing the Giant Snake to the rear, releasing thousands of wind des from his body all at once, barring the way around the Nine-headed Void Beast. "Soldiers and warriors of Area Two, abandon containing the Giant Snake! Everyone,e here!" Fang Zhengmanded, "Heads of Area One and Three! Please send someone to fill the gaps left by Area Two!" "You go ahead and do what you need to do!" Bai Jinyun led a group of soldiers to quickly fill the gaps left by the retreating Area Two warriors. Mu Tianyuan also dispatched soldiers to gather at the gap, preventing the Giant Snake fromunching a sneak attack. Meanwhile, Fang Zheng, along with countless soldiers from Area Two, immediately surrounded the Level Nine Void Beast. However, this humanoid giant beast was a Ninth Order monster. Fang Zheng''s own realm was merely in the mid-stage of the Xuanyang Realm, and although there were also several soldiers in the early-stage Xuanyang Realm under hismand, the majority were still Practitioners of the Yingyue Realm. Without the blessing of an Array Master, it was practically impossible for them to defeat this Level Nine Void Beast. To take down this beast, they would need at least a Practitioner in the peak of the Xuanyang Realm! Seeing this from the top of the ck mist, Song Mobei couldn''t help feeling somewhat pleased. "Heaven itself seems to be working in favor of my Tiandao Sword Sect!" Although a formidable enemy had reappeared on the battlefield, Song Mobei didn''t really want it to die too quickly. After all, this Void Beast had emerged within the camp of Area Two. He even hoped that the Void Beast would kill a few more from the Fang Family, causing them to weaken after the battle. With the emergence of this Level Nine Void Beast, the focus of Area Two''s battlefield shifted. The restraint on the ck Snake had greatly reduced, causing the snake to be more violent on the sea surface and affecting the soldiers who were striving to snatch its head from underneath the sea. "We can''t stop it at all!" "This fellow is even stronger than a regr Level Nine Void Beast! Could it be of the same rank as that ck Snake?!" Although Array Masters from various districts hade to reinforce, the encirclement of Area Two seemed virtually non-existent against this giant beast. The giant beast swept its battleaxe across the sky, instantly shattering the newly established defensive formation and ughtering hundreds of Area Two''s soldiers. Immediately after, it shot ck spines from its body towards the approaching Practitioners, piercing them through the air. "I refuse to believe we can''t kill you!" A General wielding a longspear rushed towards the head of the giant beast. True Qi surged throughout his body as the spear turned into a beam of light, thrusting with full force towards the neck of the beast. Yet before his strike couldnd, the giant beast''s head suddenly spun at high speed, opening its mouth that spanned tens of meters and swallowing the General whole. Witnessing the soldiers on Area Two''s battlefield dying in droves, Xia Mo grew increasingly frantic. If the Level Nine Void Beast escaped, the soldiers outside would likely be annihted by it within half an hour. But the Cultivation Technique he was currently channeling was intended for the ck Snake, leaving him with no way to assist. And while Mu Huiqing stood atop the mist, constantly waiting for the opportunity created by Practitioners with the light Attribute, even if she could temporarilye here to assist, it would be impossible to kill the Level Nine Void Beast in a short time. Aside from the Ninth District Chief Shang Han, all the other district chiefs were in the mid-stage of the Xuanyang Realm. At the moment, Bai Chaojin was leading the vice-district chiefs from various districts, struggling to snatch the Giant Snake''s head from the sea. Across the entire battlefield, aside from Xia Mo and Mu Huiqing, who else had the strength to deal with a Level Nine Void Beast? Boom¡ª With a thunderous explosion, the Level Nine giant beast broke through the outeryer of the encirclement, throwing the entire battlefield into disarray. "It''s over! This thing is going to break out of the central battlefield!" Seeing this, the district chiefs from all war zones could no longer worry about containing the Giant Snake and immediately rushed to support the encirclement in Area Two. As the giant beast was about to break into the middle-level War Zone, the other district chiefs couldn''t make it in time, and Fang Zheng immediately swallowed a Fourth Order Ascension Pill. ``` The efficacy of this elixir is akin to the ughter Heaven Pill that Fang Ren offered to Xu Feng, capable of rapidly enhancing True Qi within a short time. However, the degree of enhancement is very minor; for a practitioner like Fang Zheng, at most it could uplift him by a minor realm, ascending from mid Xuanyang Realm to the peak of Xuanyang Realm. Nheless, this elixir remains a mere Fourth Order pill, still inferior to the one Fang Ren previously gave to Xu Feng. The effects of this pillst for a very brief period, scarcely more than a dozen minutes, and yet the side effects are tremendously severe. After using it for just over ten minutes, the user will essentially be in a state of depleted meridians, and natural recovery would take at least half a year. But Fang Zheng could no longer worry about that; originally, he wanted to save this pill for when he was gravely injured since, once consumed, he would only be able to fight for about fifteen minutes before sumbing to the sea. However, if he didn''t use it now, it''s estimated that millions of practitioners outside would die. "Stay back from me!" As his realm advanced, the power of the True Qi surrounding Fang Zheng intensified. He retracted the wind des he had unleashed, and the sea of Qi in the sky poured into him like a waterfall before him. With a sweep of his hand, a barrier of air descended from the sky and thrust into the sea, blocking the advance of the Level Nine Giant Beast. The beast swung its battleaxe at the barrier, and a multitude of wind des burst forth, incessantly slicing at its arm in an attempt to sever it. But before the wind des could inflict much damage, the beast''s ck spines erupted, colliding with the countless des, severing the wind''s assault on its arm. With the wind des no longer slicing, the Giant Beast''s battleaxe tore through the air barrier, rolling down towards the unprotected Fang Zheng. Should I retreat? Fang Zheng knew he couldpletely dodge the blow, but if he did, the battleaxe would strike the Middle-level War Zone behind him, and who knows how many warriors would die. Moreover, by that time, the path for the beast to escape would bepletely open. He couldn''t retreat, he had to withstand this blow and buy time for the other District Chiefs to arrive. But could he really withstand it? At the moment, hecked the protective bolster from an Array Master, and there wasn''t an Anti-Void Array suppressing the Giant Beast''s movement here; he only had his Wind Attribute True Qi armor. An Xuanyang realm practitioner using protective True Qi to withstand a blow from a Ninth Order Void Beast¡ªit was either injury or death. Everyone watched as the Giant Beast''s axe was about to cleave Fang Zheng, yet at this moment, they were powerless to help. The battlefield was too vast; those with the ability couldn''t get there in time, and those without the ability were unable to prevent it no matter what. "The Pinnacle of Myriad Martial Techniques! Void Lock!" Whoosh¡ª Suddenly, myriad colossal transparent chains streaked through the air, flying from the Third Area''s battlefield toward the Giant Beast at lightning speed, surpassing the district chiefs who were en route to support, and urately entwined around the Giant Beast''s battleaxe. Fang Ren in Area Three, seeing the chains securely wrapped, immediately pulled with all his might, his body retreating backward. "Xu Feng! Help me!" "Rest assured, Brother Fang!" Xu Feng tossed aside his longsword and instantly grabbed the chains, exerting force alongside Fang Ren. Bang¡ª The chains were taut, and the Giant Beast''s battleaxe paused midair. "What... What cultivation technique is this? It hasn''t broken under the force of a Level Nine Void Beast?" Powered by m_vl_em_p_yr "Don''t stand there! Go help!" The surrounding warriors quickly reacted. They all rushed towards the chains, straining with all their might to pull. The Giant Beast''s battleaxe in hand was forcibly yanked back, and even the body of the Giant Beast began to tilt backward. "It stopped!" "Quick, go aid the Chief of the Second Area!" Fang Zheng, who thought he would have to withstand the strike, looked towards the end of the chains, where a young man with a fiery-red aura zed around him. Even from a great distance, unable to see the other person''s face clearly, he still felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. The sudden reversal left everyone unable to help but look askance. Whose chains are these? So steadfast that even a Level Nine Void Beast can''t break free! Moreover, the warriors were even more puzzled: Even if the chains wouldn''t break, how could they, with their collective strength, halt the advance of a Level Nine Void Beast? It would be good enough if the Void Beast didn''t fling them far away. "The peak of Xuanyang Realm...?" As everyone turned back, they saw two young men at the end of the chain, emanating immensely powerful True Qi. By their looks, the two were no older than thirty, but their realms left everyone in utter shock. Peaks of Xuanyang Realm before thirty? Their talent wasparable to Madame Xuan! Even among the younger generation of male practitioners with the highest talent, Song Mobei was only at the mid-stage of the Xuanyang Realm. How did these two, more astonishing than Song Mobei, suddenly appear? Chapter 321: Chapter 316: Some are delighted, some are resentful_1 ""Brother Fang!" While fully exerting himself to pull on the chains, Xu Feng suddenly yelled out to Fang Ren. "What''s up?" Fang Ren asked. Xu Feng looked at the soldiers watching them with fervent emotions, "To tell you the truth...I feel like I''m really showing off right now!" Fang Ren''s mouth twitched, not expecting this guy to also use trendy ng. "Look at you, so full of yourself!" Fang Ren said, "We have about ten minutes left of the medicinal effect that''s maintaining our realms. Aren''t you the one who isn''t scared of dying on the battlefield? Do you dare to join me in taking down this Ninth Order beast?" "Why wouldn''t I dare! Even if it''s a Twelfth-Order Void Beast today, I, Xu Feng, would dare to join Brother Fang in taking it down!" Xu Feng shouted. "Array Method Extreme! Void Spear!" Once again, Fang Ren activated his cultivation technique. The cyclone in the sky twisted, and hundreds of transparent longspears fell from the sky, piercing through the spaces in the chains and, with them, flying toward the sea surface. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡ª A series of sounds rang out as hundreds of longspears plunged into the seabed, pinning the chains that were pulling the giant beast. "Let''s go!" The two turned into streaks of light and dashed from the Area Two Battlefield to the outskirts. "Array Method Extreme! Empty Ming Sword!" Arriving in front of the giant beast, Fang Ren once again condensed a kilometer-long sword in his hand and hacked it down toward the giant beast''s battleaxe. The massive impact, along with the pulling of countless soldiers, caused the Ninth-order beast''s body to start falling toward the sea surface. "Tiandao Sword Intent! Prating Rainbow!" Xu Feng immediately moved behind the beast''s head as its body tilted, channeling the Tiandao Sword Sect''s ultimate technique. His longsword transformed into a spectrum, piercing towards the back of the beast''s neck. With one strike, a crack appeared on the beast''s neck, ck blood flowing out, while Xu Feng was sent flying by the powerful shock. "Brother Fang! This guy''s skin is too tough! You go on the attack! I''ll hold it back!" Xu Feng''s hands were numb from the shock and he immediately called out to Fang Ren. He knew well that Fang Ren''s cultivation technique was much more powerful than his. If he kept attacking, who knew how long it would take to kill this giant beast. The beast felt the threat and immediately shot ck spikes from its body, disrupting Fang Ren and Xu Feng''s attacks. As ck spikes swirled around, Fang Ren and Xu Feng''s attacks faced some difficulties, but the two together had no problem restraining the beast''s movements. They could even dominate the beast in the fight, only they couldn''t inflict much actual damage. As the two pushed the beast back into the central battlefield, the other Regional Leaders who had rushed over also breathed a sigh of relief. It was also because the two were close by that all the surrounding soldiers could see their faces clearly. "The Fang Family...Fang Ren?!" "Tiandao Sword Sect...Xu Feng?!" A surge of shock rose in everyone''s hearts, leaving them speechless with amazement. Just yesterday, Xu Feng was still a disciple in the midterm phase of the Yingyue Realm. How could he have be a Xuanyang realm peak powerhouse in just one night and half a day?! Even more astonishing was Fang Ren. He had fought the Tiandao Princess yesterday, and with the strength of the Azure Sky Realm, dominated the Yingyue Realm. But that wasn''t the main point. The main point was that just yesterday, he was only in the Azure Sky Realm too! How did he suddenly reach the Xuanyang realm peak?! Has the world gone mad? Or have Xuanyang Peak practitioners be asmon as cabbages? Also, shouldn''t Fang Ren be on bad terms with the Tiandao Sword Sect? Stay updated on m v l e mpyr Howe the two of them were calling each other ''Brother Fang'' and ''Feng brother'' so affectionately? Fang Zheng, who was ready to join the battle after being saved, was stunned in the air just by ncing at Fang Ren. He couldn''t believe that the young man in front of him, wielding the Empty Ming Sword and overwhelming the Ninth-order Void Beast, was actually the flesh and blood son he had been worried about for years. Back then, when Fang Ren was still a baby, to save the daughter of his close friend Bai Jinyun, he had transferred Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root to Bai Qi. Then, fearing Fang Ren would suffer in the major family without the ability to cultivate, he had entrusted Shang Han, who had once faced life and death with him, to care for Fang Ren. He wanted Fang Ren to stay away from strife and live out the rest of his days in peace... Who could have imagined that the infant who lost his Spiritual Root and couldn''t cultivate would be a Xuanyang Peak powerhouse that surpassed him... To be what he was, from a Mortal without a Spiritual Root that could not cultivate, how many hardships must he have endured? Now, Fang Zheng''s heart was filled with mixed emotions¡ªsorrow yet relief, but also confused. Such a child, would Fang Ren still be willing to acknowledge him as his father? asionally, he even took the time to secretly visit Fang Ren amidst his busy schedule, but he was afraid of meeting him and worried that Fang Ren wouldn''t be able to ept being ''abandoned''... Havinge over in a hurry, Mu Tianyuan nced at Fang Ren battling the beast, and then at Fang Zheng stupefied in the sky, a smile hanging at the corner of her mouth as she shook her head. She was also quite shocked. Fang Ren suddenly having such a high realm was a speed of progression that practitioners of this era couldn''t possibly achieve. However, she was also happy because this way, her daughter wouldn''t have to worry about being separated from the one she liked anymore. "The beast has been suppressed! Other Regional Leaders, return to your positions immediately! Continue restraining the ck Snake''s assault!" Xia Mo immediately issued themand. Upon hearing the order from the Commander-in-Chief, Mu Tianyuan concentrated a blob of True Qi on her fingertip and flicked it on Fang Zheng''s forehead, snapping him out of his daze. "Brother Zheng, stop daydreaming." Having said that, Mu Tianyuan rushed back quickly with the other Regional Leaders." Fang Zheng came to his senses and immediately followed Mu Tianyuan. Since the Commander-in-Chief had ordered them to return, it must mean that the situation with the ck Snake was getting even more tense. But as he left, he couldn''t help worrying about Fang Ren. "Junior Sister, where''s Little Han?" Fang Zheng asked. "He has sustained severe injuries, so I had someone take him to the Middle-level War Zone," Mu Tianyuan replied. "I still wanted to ask him some things about Ran''er." "You better not ask him. He probably doesn''t have a clear idea either. Just yesterday he was still in the Azure Sky Realm, and today he suddenly changed like this," Mu Tianyuan said. Just yesterday he was in the Azure Sky Realm? Fang Zheng was utterly confused. "Oh right, Brother Zheng. You''re about to be a grandfather," said Mu Tianyuan. Upon hearing those words, Fang Zheng became even more baffled. Grandfather? Ah Ran... has a child? After taking a nce at Mu Tianyuan, Fang Zheng said, "You seem quite happy about it, so... the child''s grandmother wouldn''t happen to be you, would it?" "Yes, inw father." "This..." Fang Zheng didn''t know whether to feel joyful or mncholic. He had thought that he would be inws with Bai Jinyun, but unexpectedly, it turned out to be with Shang Han instead. On one hand, was his lifelong friend, and on the other, a brother he trusted with his life and death... Truthfully, he was happy to be inws with either. But the problem was, his child and Bai Jinyun had an arranged marriage that had not yet been called off, and with Shang Han, the two children even had a baby together... As he returned to Area Two Battlefield, Fang Zheng shook his head and firmly chose to respect Fang Ren''s wishes. ... "Damn it!" Now that Fang Ren suddenly possessed the power of the Xuanyang Peak Realm, it was natural for some to rejoice and others to be enraged. Take Song Mobei for instance, the eldest senior brother of the Tiandao Sword Sect. Only yesterday, he was able to use his realm advantage to stand up for his junior sister. But he had never anticipated that in just one night, the youngster whom he could have easily crushed to death yesterday now possessed strength surpassing his own! How could he not be furious? At the time of this incident, the angriest person was actually not Song Mobei, but Xia Fn, who was at the edge of the Middle-level War Zone. Being beaten into a pig''s head by Fang Ren yesterday was an enmity she would remember for the rest of her life, and she was determined to find an opportunity to annihte the Fang Ren who had brought her shame! But suddenly witnessing this scene, Xia Fn was literally on the verge of a rage-induced death. The Xuanyang Peak Realm! This was the Xuanyang Peak Realm! Even her father would be powerless against Fang Ren! Moreover, she didn''t believe her father would stand up for her over such a matter. On the contrary, she suspected that with her father''s temperament, not giving her a beating would already be considered merciful. "I must quickly find a way to kill both him and Mu Huanqing! Otherwise, how can I, Xia Fn, ever show my face in this world again!" Looking at Fang Ren, who was evenly matched with a Ninth-order Void Beast, and then at Mu Huanqing, who seemed invincible in the sky, she no longer hoped anyone could help her. Suddenly, Xia Fn''s eyes turned towards the swirling ck mist, her gaze filled with spite: "You two will die today!" Without any hesitation, Xia Fn immediately addressed two fellow Tiandao disciples beside her: "Senior brothers, sisters, I am going into the sea to assist with the formation; please take care of things here for me." Having said that, Xia Fn flew straight into the sea. "Junior sister Fn?" one disciple was somewhat puzzled. Below the sea was a ce only deputy district heads could venture to. What formation was she going to assist with? "I always feel there''s something off about junior Fn." ... "Brother Fang! There''s something wrong with the spikes on its body!" While engaged in battle, Xu Feng yelled at Fang Ren: "As long as the ck spikes are on its body, its defensive power bes extraordinarily high! You must attack it when it uses the spikes to attack." Hearing Xu Feng''s words, Fang Ren quickly tried to attack twice. Indeed, the beast''s defense was very high when the ck spikes were on its body, making it difficult for him to inflict any damage. But once the spikes detached, with a single sword strike, he could slice off a piece of the beast''s flesh. Seeing this, Fang Ren immediately handed Xu Feng a piece of talisman paper and said: "When it attacks with its ck spikes, try to get close to it and activate this talisman." "Alright!" Xu Feng nodded. As he spoke, Fang Ren also took out a talisman paper of the same kind, waiting for the right moment. These two talisman papers were not ordinary Teleportation Talismans, but Istion Formations drawn by Mu Huanqing at the height of her Formation mastery. This formation was originally used to seal objects, but when used as a defensive formation, it also had a surprisingly strong effect. However, Fang Ren didn''t n to use it for defense this time. As soon as the giant beast shot out its ck spikes again, he would approach the beast and activate the Istion Formation. By then, the beast''s ck spikes would be isted outside for a short period, allowing him and Xu Feng to attack to their fullest extent. Chapter 322: Chapter 317: Killing Intent Everywhere_1 ``` Aooo¡ª The Ninth-order Void Beast that the two of them had suppressed had now be enraged. After all, it was a king among its kind; when had it ever suffered such humiliation? As the giant beast flew into a rage, the battleaxe in its hand began to shed ayer of ck rock. As the rock fell away,rge swathes ofva began to flow out from the battleaxe. Following that, the beast swung its arm, and the battleaxe cleaved through the sky. Lava flung from the battleaxe soared over a hundred meters, heating the surrounding air searingly hot, and instantly the previously dim sky turned a deep crimson. "Brother Fang, let''s step back!" Seeing therge expanse ofva dancing in the air, Xu Feng and Fang Renran immediately retreated. The power of the Ninth-order Void Beast was extraordinary, and standing their ground was not a wise choice. The scaldingva fell into the sea, causing the surrounding sea water to boil instantly, and huge amounts of steam began to surge into the sky, obscuring the giant beast''s figure. "What should we do?" Xu Feng looked at the vast expanse of steam and momentarily lost sight of his target. Although he also possessed Divine Sense, he had reached the Xuanyang Peak Realm solely by consuming elixirs. In terms of Divine Sense, he was still only a Practitioner of the Yingyue Realm, so it was impossible for him to use Divine Sense to detect the Ninth-order Void Beast. The beast seemed to know this was its chance; it immediately fired its ck spikes again, surging towards Fang Renran and Xu Feng, while the battleaxe in its hand again scatteredva, aiming to seal off their retreat. "Xu Feng, stay close to me!" Fang Renran yelled out and immediately used the Empty Ming Sword to slice through the weakest part of the ck spike swarm, charging towards the giant beast. Although Fang Renran was only a Practitioner at the Yingyue Realm, his Divine Sense was notparable to Xu Feng''s. Moreover, even if his Divine Sense could not detect it, he still had Soul Force to pinpoint the beast''s location. "Brother Fang, the enemy is hidden and we are exposed! Rushing in like this, are you insane!?" Xu Feng, watching the charging Fang Renran, panicked, but after only a brief moment, he quickly caught up with Fang Renran. After all, he had promised to stick with Fang Renran, even if they faced a Twelfth-Order Void Beast. "Go twenty meters to your left and crush the Talisman paper immediately!" Fang Renran instructed. "Twenty meters? But there''s nothing there!" Xu Feng was taken aback. "Just do it!" As he spoke, Fang Renran used the Empty Ming Sword to shield himself from theva falling above, batting it away. But even though he could defend against theva, he was powerless against the onught of ck spikes. A torrent of needle-like ck spikes assaulted him like a violent rainstorm, and Fang Renran concentrated his True Qi to protect his vitals. In an instant, his body was riddled with gaping bloody holes, but still, he faced the attack of a massive swarm of ck spikes and made his way to the back of the giant beast''s neck. This was his best opportunity to kill the giant beast. Because of the thick fog, the soldiers outside couldn''t see what was happening inside. He could use the iparably aggressive Blood Red Scythe without worrying about exposing his identity and giving the likes of Song Mobei a reason to attack him. "Xu Feng!" Stay updated with m-v le-mpyr As Fang Renran got into position, he immediately crushed the Talisman paper in his hand, and Xu Feng, hearing his voice, also hastily released the Talisman paper to create an Istion Formation. Boom boom... Two low sounds followed, and two Istion Formations, each over a hundred meters across, descended from the sky, swiftly encapsting the giant beast within. The giant beast sensed the danger and immediately tried to retract its ck spikes, but they collided against the Istion Formation and were bounced off one by one. "Aooo!" The beast roared angrily and raised the battleaxe in its hand, shing towards the Istion Formation. Without the ck spikes sticking to its body, its flesh was quite fragile. "This is the end." Fang Renran discarded his Empty Ming Sword and took out a silver sickle from his storage ring. This sickle was originally a part of Mu Huanqing''s Spirit Form, but when Fang Renran had no weapon, the sickle itself had chosen to follow him willingly. Now, the sickle had established a spiritual bond with Fang Renran and was integrated with various Asura Path cultivation techniques. It was no longer a Divine Weapon that could only be driven by immortal qi but had be a Reaper imbued with the Asura Taoist principles'' violent and deathly energies. "Asura ughter de!" Hum¡ª In an instant, Fang Renran''s back erupted with a vast sea of blood energy, turning the white fog blood-red, creating an ominous tension that surged in the hearts of the Practitioners outside the fog. Even the beasts outside were trembling slightly. The overwhelming blood energy gushed into the silver sickle like an insane tide, dyeing it blood-red and carving ancient imprints on the de''s edge, continuously emitting an ominous aura. "Realm of Myriad Martial Supremacy!" ``` Hum¡ª With the enhancement of the ultimate martial arts realm, the two-meter sickle in Fang Renran''s hand instantly split into hundreds of des. But then, the hundreds of des merged in a sh, turning into a hundred-meter giant sickle. Even a part of the sickle''s head peeked out beyond the mist, though those outside couldn''t guess what weapon it was. If it weren''t for the colossal size of the beast, making it difficult to destroy, he wouldn''t have resorted to this weapon. "Brother Fang! The Large Formation is about to break!" On the other side, Xu Feng, seeing a battleaxe about to fall from the sky, tensed uppletely. If the Formation broke at this moment, therge group of ck spikes outside would st the two of them into dust instantly. "de Dance!" The Large Formation could only be maintained for a short time; Fang Renran wasted no time, gripping the handle of the Giant Scythe with both hands as his red True Qi burned to its peak. In the next instant, the hundred-meter Giant Scythe danced across the beast''s nape like lightning. The air around was whipped into a hurricane, the mist surged like ocean waves, and a chaotic dance of bloodlight ensued as the sound of cutting flesh and bones exploded across the sky. "What''s going on? Has the Ninth-Order Void Beast mutated?" The surrounding practitioners, observing the red shes within the mist, felt an increasingly ominous sensation in their hearts. "Ran''er!" Fang Zheng, just back in the second zone, let go of his current entanglement and charged towards the mist once again. "This kid is on the battlefield for the first time! Entrusting such a gigantic beast to him was, indeed, too much a stretch!" Mu Tianyuan also hurried over to help. That was his son-inw; a mishap could leave his granddaughter fatherless. In the sky, Mu Huanqing, however, appeared quite calm, for she could feel the life force of the Void Beast rapidly decaying. Song Mobei was the only one whose mood starkly contrasted the others''. It would be best for Fang Renran to be killed; otherwise, it would be hard to rid himself of this deep-seated hatred and the world would bear another talent greater than him, even threatening his position as an eternal second-best. "Brother Fang! I can''t hold out much longer!" Xu Feng, engulfed by the mist, was exerting all his might to use his Cultivation Technique to stop the battleaxe from destroying the Formation. But after bearing the blunt force from the beast''s attack, he found himself pinned and immovable, bracing against it to ensure the safety of the Istion Formation. Boom! Suddenly, a roaring sound echoed as if something immense had plunged into the ocean, and the surrounding mist began to dissipate, bringing rity to the view. Then, Xu Feng felt the immense battleaxe above his head lose its strength, as if a simple movement could now flick it aside. "Brother Fang!" Xu Feng immediately pushed the massive battleaxe away and began to search for Fang Renran in the dissipating mist. "Ran''er!" A gust of wind, like a waterfall, swept by, instantly blowing away the already dispersing mist. As the mist cleared, the scene in the sky became vivid once more. Rushing to the scene, Fang Zheng and Mu Tianyuan froze upon witnessing the sight in the sky. Xu Feng, searching for Fang Renran, was even more horror-stricken, his pupils dting as he stared at Fang Renran, floating midair, his body involuntarily trembling. The colossal beast that had once floated on the sea was now kneeling in the ocean. Its immense hands were severed by something, its ck body behind it shed to a bloody mess, white spine bones exposed to the air, and its head separated from its neck. And there in midair, Fang Renran, shrouded in a blood-red aura, held arge ck object, utterly still. His body was riddled with bloody holes, and one of his arms hung by a thread of flesh, looking nearly skeletal. However, his face was expressionless and cold; his scleras were covered in blood, and his eyes flickered with a maniacal killing intent. Whether it was an illusion or not, behind him, in that sea of blood, countless skeletal figures seemed to be wailing and roaring, sending chills down one''s spine at a single nce... The ck object he held was none other than the colossal beast''s head. sping the beast''s horns with his skeletal arm, he continued to squeeze, seemingly not ready to let go of the head. In the eyes of the beast''s severed head, there was no longer the majesty of life; they were wide open, as if it had seen something terrifying before dying. "Brother... Brother Fang..." Xu Feng, seeing the blood-riddled Fang Renran, suddenly felt the man was somewhat unfamiliar. Hearing Xu Feng''s voice, Fang Renran snapped back to reality, then immediately tossed the beast''s head into the sea. He bit down hard, struggling to suppress the raging killing desire within him. He feared his emotions would spiral out of control due to this frenzied pleasure and that he might revert to the person he was during his time at the Asura Gate, unable to distinguish friend from foe, turning into a murderous lunatic. However, Qianye had once told him that once his Asura Path cultivation wasplete, he would be able to control this desire at will. Clearly, however, hecked the power to do so now. Chapter 323: Chapter 318: You Have Her Scent on You_1 ``` A ninth-order Void Beast, this really is a ninth-order Void Beast, and since it''s not influenced by the image of the ck Serpent in the sea, it must be even stronger than a typical ninth-order Void Beast. Even Madame Xuan, six months ago, needed the boost of the Anti-Void Array to battle a ninth-order Void Beast. How could it be that in this ce, without an Anti-Void Array, in less than a few minutes, the Fang Family''s eldest son, who had been exiled for over twenty years, had chopped it into mincemeat? Everyone watching Fang Ren, holding the giant beast''s head, felt an indescribable sense of shock wash over them. Originally, they had thought that even if Xu Feng and Fang Ren, both at the peak of the Xuanyang realm, fought the ninth-order Void Beast without the support of the Anti-Void Array, it would take them several hours to determine the victor. Yet this oue hadpletely overturned their understanding of realms. "Brother Fang..." "I''m fine." Fang Ren exchanged a few words with Xu Feng, hoping to distract himself by talking more. Xu Feng couldn''t help but swallow, "But... Brother Fang, you look like you''re in trouble." Fang Ren looked down at himself, practically full of holes, and one hand was reduced to nothing but bones¡ªjust looking at it was terrifying. "Ran''er! Eat this quickly!" Fang Zheng immediately flew over, taking out the only fifth-order recovery type pill he had and offering it to Fang Ren. Seeing Fang Zheng suddenly fly over, Fang Ren was somewhat perplexed; the middle-aged man wasn''t someone he knew, and calling him "Ran''er"... it was just too mushy. Moreover, although this man had a high realm, the pill he offered was a fifth-order pill. Fang Ren guessed that even themanders of the major battle zones probably had no more than one such pill on them at that moment. To give such a valuable thing to him at such a critical juncture must mean he cared about him deeply, right? However, Fang Ren certainly would not ept the other''s pills. He dismissed the middle-aged man with a wave, "Uncle, you should keep it for yourself." After speaking, he took out a top-grade Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pill and swallowed it. His wounds immediately began to heal at a rate visible to the naked eye, and fresh flesh grew on the arm that was only bone. "..." Fang Zheng, holding the pill in his hand, was dumbfounded. He had been nning to give his only recovery type pill to this kid, but the kid casually took out and consumed a fifth-order premium Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pill, which was far more powerful than the one he was offering. For a moment, Fang Zheng stood there with wide eyes, suddenly feeling that his fatherly love was rather pathetic... And what had his own son just called him? Uncle... Mu Tianyuan stopped when he heard Fang Ren call Fang Zheng "uncle", realizing Fang Ren didn''t recognize Fang Zheng and thinking it better not to approach now; this was not a fitting scene for father and son recognition. But still, she couldn''t help but be shocked; Fang Ren had managed to kill the Void Beast in just a few minutes, and his methods were extremely brutal. Moreover, she was somewhat worried about the horrifying appearance Fang Ren had just projected; she was certain that the ominous premonition in her heart all stemmed from the bloody aura behind Fang Ren. Which sect''s cultivation technique was this child practicing? It was said his Spirit Form was a small animal; that shouldn''t be his natal cultivation technique. After a brief stasis, Fang Zheng put away his pill and with a serious expression, he advised, "Battles are extremely perilous; you must take great care of your safety." Having said this, he turned and went back to the second district. ... Fang Ren bid farewell to the middle-aged man with his eyes, guessing at the man''s identity. By now, the bloody aura on his body had subsided considerably, and the ominous feeling in everyone''s hearts also faded. "Brother Fang," Xu Feng approached Fang Ren, starting with a look of confusion, "You called that man just now... uncle?" "Or what should I have called him?" Fang Ren was taken aback. "Aren''t you the Fang Family''s eldest son?" "..." With that said, Fang Ren no longer pursued the conversation, nced once more at Fang Zheng''s retreating figure, and then headed towards the third district, which was under the control of his mother-inw. Seeing Fang Ren fall silent, Xu Feng also closed his mouth and followed. He could somewhat understand; after all, Brother Fang had been raised by the Fang Family in a quite liberal manner, and he hadn''t even known he belonged to the Fang Family until he reached twenty-two years old. This was probably the first time Brother Fang had met his father... whatever the case, it was something difficult to ept for anyone. As the two flew toward the third district, Xia Mo, who had been observing the situation, couldn''t help but take a few more nces at Fang Ren. At the moment of the giant beast''s death, perhaps the surrounding practitioners didn''t understand what had happened, but for Xia Mo, who was at the early stage of the mysterious night realm, he had seen the entire process without missing a detail. "It seems Brother Bai had miscalcted from the beginning," Xia Mo couldn''t help but recall the words Bai Chaojin had said to him. ---- ---- With the ninth-order Void Beast taken care of, the soldiers once again focused all their energy on dealing with the ck Serpent. At the top of the ck fog, a group of light attribute practitioners sted another gap into it, and upon seeing this, Mu Huanqing delivered another heavy strike. ``` But this time, there was no blood of the Void beast flowing out of the ck fog. "What''s going on?" "It seems like we didn''t hit it, it dodged?" "It appears that this creature has figured out a way to deal with our strategy. If we don''t figure out how topletely dispel this ck fog all at once, no matter how many times we attack, it will dodge!" "But how can we clear this ck fog in an instant? All of our light-attribute practitioners together can''t do it!" "Dragging this out isn''t a solution! It seems we can only pin our hopes on the snake head beneath the sea!" ... While everyone was discussing, Mu Huanqing shed to Fang Ren''s side once more. She had just attacked the gap in the ck fog, and in the short time that followed, the light-attribute practitioners couldn''t create another opportunity for her to attack, so she took this brief respite to ask Fang Ren some questions. Wong¡ª A soundproof barrier was erected by Mu Huanqing, wrapping herself and Fang Ren inside, leaving Xu Feng somewhat confused. He turned around and continued to kill the surrounding demon beasts. "What is going on with your realm?" Mu Huanqing opened with a question that was difficult for Fang Ren to answer. Thest time Mu Huanqing came to see Fang Ren, he felt fortunate she hadn''t asked him that question, but what was inevitable always seemed toe, and finally, she came to ask. However, Fang Ren really didn''t n to talk about such an awkward topic now. Under no circumstances could he directly tell Mu Huanqing that he had been forced to have "pia pia pia" with Bai Qi. Who knew how angry she would get, and it might even affect her mental state in battle. The battlefield was so tense that a moment of distraction could prove fatal. He decided he would exin everything to Mu Huanqing after the battle, as he had no intention of deceiving her. "Nothing much, just ate a new type of elixir," Fang Ren said. "Elixir?" Mu Huanqing frowned. "What kind of elixir could enhance so immensely?" Fang Ren forced a response: "I''m not clear on the details, Qianye suddenly gave it to me... after I ate it, it fell into a deep sleep. It seems it must have refined something into the elixir for me." As soon as Mu Huanqing heard "Qianye," her brows rxed. She never doubted the wonders of Qianye; after all, she had only eaten one of Qianye''s fruits and learned so many formations. Since the elixir came from Qianye, it must indeed be a treasure of the world, and she could understand such a significant enhancement. With a reasonable exnation, Mu Huanqing let go of her concerns. She was only worried that Fang Ren had used some dangerous method to achieve all this. "If another Void beast like the one just now appears, don''t go fighting it alone again, you hear me?" Mu Huanqing said with concern. Previously, when the white fog had dissipated, she saw Fang Ren, covered in blood holes, standing in midair and was nearly scared into fainting. Fortunately, Fang Ren healed himself in time with elixir, or she would have lost the will to continue fighting. Continue reading at NovelBin "It''s fine," Fang Ren said with a smile. "Fine? You almost died just now, did you even realize that?!" Mu Huanqing became angered seeing him dismiss her words as nonsense. "We''ve shared a bed for so long, you know what my constitution is like," Fang Ren still had a smile on his face. "You''re infuriating!" Mu Huanqing, miffed, gave him a light kick. "Hey, hey, people are watching, aren''t you afraid of being seen?" Fang Ren immediately reminded her. "Let them see, it doesn''t matter now, no one can do anything about it," Mu Huanqing said angrily. Seeing her looking so indignant, Fang Ren felt a warm tenderness in his heart. Just when Fang Ren thought Mu Huanqing was about to deactivate the soundproof barrier and return to the battlefield, her brows furrowed once more. "Aside from the smell of blood, why is there a scent of a woman on you?" Mu Huanqing''s expression suddenly turned serious. This seriousness was even more intense than her demeanor on the battlefield. "How... how could that be possible!" Fang Ren waspletely perplexed; he hadn''t expected that a woman could be so sensitive to the scent of another woman. Seeing Fang Ren''s diposed look, Mu Huanqing''s intuition grew even firmer. However, now was not the time to press the issue; a gap in the ck fog was about to be opened again, and she needed to hurry back. "We''ll settle this at home!" Mu Huanqing, still miffed, left those words behind as she turned and flew back toward the top of the ck fog. As she left, Fang Ren''s smile slowly faded. This matter weighed too heavily on him. If he could not gain forgiveness, how would he face the future? Moreover, regardless of whether he was forgiven or not, how was he supposed to face Bai Qi? And then there was the child in Bai Qi''s womb... Looking back, the simple life he had hoped for had already be distant... Chapter 324: Chapter 319: Seizing the Skull_1 Beneath the sea, the waters, no longer a clear blue, were muddled with blood and corpses. Practitioners led by Bai Chaojin were searching for the Giant Snake''s head within the ruins of the Central Area on the seabed, but the area was surrounded by the violent Void aura of the Giant Snake, making it extremely difficult to approach. Fortunately, those Bai Chaojin had brought down were Deputy District Chiefs from various battle zones, who could barely manage to rush into the area with the protection of their True Qi. However, even if they could reach the ruins, searching for the head was extremely difficult. In that mass of ck mist hanging in the seawater, thousands of ck rays were also searching for the head. In the process of searching for the head, the Deputy District Chiefs had to contend with these rays, and a single misstep could easily result in bing a dead body in the vast sea. "Commander! The beast has started searching the ruins to the east!" a Practitioner''s voice spread through True Qi. "We''ve turned over everything around! Only that side is left!" "This creature must have sensed something!" "Everyone, immediately follow! This time we''ll directly try to cut off its rays! We must find the head before it does!" With these words, Bai Chaojin led a group of Deputy District Chiefs toward the ruins in the east. Thousands of ck rays prated the buildings of the ruins, sweeping through the surrounding structures non-stop, moving noticeably faster than before. "This beast seems to be getting anxious! Quick! We need to sensibly cut off its rays!" The Chiefs immediately used their strongest Cultivation Techniques. At this critical moment, life and death were of no importance, even if they had to exhaust all their True Qi to cut off these things! The seawater exploded under the operation of various Cultivation Techniques, with many ck rays being severed by the group. "Something''s not right! These things can regenerate! Cutting them off is useless!" As the group cut through them, the ck mist continued to regenerate endlessly, impossible to extinguish. Hum¡ª Just as the group was at a loss, suddenly the ck mist above the sea began to churn violently. Following that, all the ck rays started to converge on one point in the ruins at a very fast speed. People above the sea also felt the trembling of the ck mist and stepped back a bit, ready to umte power for a strike. "Could it be that it''s been found!" Bai Chaojin panicked, "Everyone, follow me! We must retrieve it at all costs!" "Yes!" The group chased quickly, but it was toote. They saw a ck ray in the ruins pulling out a huge ck head. At that moment, the head no longer had any Void aura, as all of its energy had been absorbed by Bai Qi. But still, should the Giant Snake obtain this head, the consequences were unimaginable. This was originally a part of the Giant Snake''s body, which could easily regain peak condition after being reattached and given some adaptation. Bang! Another loud noise erupted as a huge ck shadow suddenly burst from the ck mist beneath the sea, racing toward the lifted head. Upon closer inspection, the group saw it was a snake body with no head! "No good! It''s that beast''s severed neck from before!" "It''s over! It''s going to attach the head!" Seeing things hade to this, Bai Chaojin immediately took out a pill and swallowed it. "Get moving!" "Commander! You''re going to die!" Seeing the pill Bai Chaojin had swallowed, everyone couldn''t help but shout out. Bai Chaojin had just consumed a pill called st Pill, which had an effect simr to the ughter Heaven Pill, temporarily raising one''s Realm. But no Practitioner would typically consume it, because everyone who had, died. Only Fang Ren, with his Asura Physique, had survived consuming it once, though he was left with only a heart after the incident at Linglong Bay. Moreover, the effect of this pill was extremely short, only inting a Practitioner''s meridians for a few dozen seconds before resulting in body explosion and death. Clearly, Bai Chaojin was prepared to die. As the st Pill was swallowed, Bai Chaojin''s Realm surged abruptly. With a sh, he charged in front of the Giant Snake''s body, the white light surging over him as he kicked at the headless snake body, sending it retreating a few steps. Immediately after, he hesitated no longer in abandoning his defense, and with a handful of white light, he exploded it on the ck ray dragging the snake head, severing several of the surrounding rays. But this Giant Snake was beyond even a level nine existence. The moment Bai Chaojin turned around, the severed snake''s body viciously struck him on the back. In an instant, the flesh on Bai Chaojin''s back exploded, and the intense pain nearly knocked him unconscious on the spot. "Take it and run!" Bearing the pain, Bai Chaojin grabbed the head and threw it toward the crowd, then he turned back to entangle with the headless snake''s body. "Father!" Upon seeing this, Bai Jinlong, the Deputy District Chief of the second area, turned to assist Bai Chaojin. "None of youe here! Take its head and go!" The other District Chiefs immediately restrained Bai Jinlong: "Deputy District Chief! Focus on what''s important! Now''s not the time for rash actions!" "You all go first!" During this brief struggle, suddenly the ck fog began to tremble anew. Boom¡ª In an instant, three ck Giant Snakes burst forth from the fog, opening their bloody maws to chase after the deputy district chiefs. "Run! We can''t hold off this thing!" Seeing this, the deputy district chiefs instantly began to panic. This ck Snake was a Void Beast that surpassed level nine, and without the protection of an Array Master at the bottom of the sea, they were in extreme danger. "Roar!" However, their retreat was a bitte. The ck Snake roared angrily with its three heads andunched ck beams from its mouth. The deputy district chiefs didn''t have time to dodge and could only use their Cultivation Techniques to resist this attack. Boom¡ª Several deputy district chiefs were sted to the sea surface, each sustaining severe injuries from the impact. Before they could gather their wits, the ck fog suddenly dissipated, revealing the massive ck Eight-headed Snake to everyone''s eyes. ck energy began to gather on its thousand-meter-long body, and in a sh, it surged towards the deputy district chiefs once again. "The ck fog has cleared! Attack it now!" Above the sea, Mu Huanqing, Xia Mo, and the various District Chiefs, seeing this, bypassed the Void Beast Group andunched an attack on the ck Eight-headed Snake that had lost the protection of the ck fog. At that moment, although the Cultivation Technique in Xia Mo''s hands had not fully condensed, the opportunity was too good to miss. He shed down with "Doomsday Sunlight," and his Sunlight Sword descended, turning the whole sky into daylight. The impact caused the Giant Snake''s body to topple, and the ck light from its mouth also veered off its intended path. Experience more content on NovelBin This beam did notnd on the deputy district chiefs, but it struck the surrounding defensive formations instead. In an instant, thousands of Array Masters could not withstand the impact, vomiting blood and perishing, and the solid defensive formation was shattered to pieces. "Quick, take the head and run!" Seeing this, Third District Deputy District Chief Mu Tianyang, despite his acute pain and spitting out a mouthful of blood, grabbed the giant beast''s head and flung it towards the distant sky. A warrior immediately flew to catch the head and turned to dash out of the battlefield. "Roar!" Seeing its head being taken away and suffering various strikes from Cultivation Techniques, the Giant Snake roared furiously to the heavens, shaking the clouds. "Quick! Take this chance to kill it!" Countless Cultivation Techniques rained down, and the whole sky trembled as if witnessing a scene of annihtion. The Giant Snake''s scales were sted off, and its ck blood scattered across the sky. Despite this, it fiercely fought back, its eight heads sting columns of light that, in an instant, imed the lives of countless warriors. At this moment, Fang Ren and Xu Feng also used thest moments of their pills'' effects to make an all-out rush at the Giant Snake. Xu Feng unleashed all his Cultivation Techniques, while Fang Ren kept back only the Asura ughter de to avoid revealing his identity. The attacks grew increasingly fierce, and soon, the Giant Snake no longer spewed ck beams. When everyone ceased their assault, all that could be seen above the ocean were thick clouds of smoke mixed with steam. "We... won?" "Stay alert! This creature is not just any level nine Void Beast! Its exact level is still unknown!" Chapter 325: Chapter 320: Void Beasts Go Mad_1 "I think it should be destroyed by now, it has no protectiveyer anymore, Commander-in-Chief''s strike was enough to mortally wound it. Plus, with Madame Xuan''s assault, even a Tenth-order Void Beast would be scattered to the winds!" "That beast''s head has been taken, if it''s still alive, it would definitely be chasing after its own head by now, how could there be no sign of it whatsoever?" ¡­ Just as a glimmer of joy began to surface in the people''s hearts, Fang Ren, floating midair, suddenly furrowed his brow. His Divine Sense was far stronger than that of an average practitioner, and with the perception of his Soul force, he was absolutely certain that the mass of ck fog within the range of his inner vision was proof of the ck Snake''s survival. Simrly troubled with furrowed brows were Xia Mo and Mu Huanqing, whose Divine Senses were also beyond ordinary. Even though their vision was obstructed by the smoke, they could still feel the presence of the Void within it. Meanwhile, Song Mobei in the sky bit his teeth fiercely, not expecting that after all this battle, he would end up merely being support. He had thought he was going to deal the final blow to the Void beast. The limelight was instead taken by that guy Fang Ren. And what bothered him the most was Mu Huanqing''s private conversation with Fang Ren, needing to have a talk away from the crowd and even using a soundproof barrier! "Everyone, be cautious!" Just as most were letting down their guard, Xia Mo suddenly shouted out loud. Before his words had evennded, a ck beam of light unexpectedly sted out from within the smoke without warning. The power of this beam was evidently notparable to the previous attacks, it was wrapped in the aura of thunder and lightning, directly striking the group of light attribute practitioners in the sky above the ck fog. "Quick! Defense formation!" Song Mobei, who had just rxed and was feeling inwardly dissatisfied, was now panicking, he hadn''t yet had time to operate his Cultivation Technique when the pir of light struck the camp he was in. Boom¡ª The light pir prated the sturdy barrier, instantly turning thousands of Array Masters into blood and gore, and with this beam piercing through, over a thousand practitioners of the light attributed camp perished. "What''s happening! Even if that creature isn''t dead, shouldn''t it be gravely injured! Why does it still possess such tremendous destructive power!" All practitioners became even more panicked at this moment. Just before, everyone had utilized all their learnings, and the district leaders even used their finishing moves, on top of Commander-in-Chief Xia Mo''s attack, that was the energy umted by a practitioner at the early stages of the Xuanyang realm unleashed in a single blow, ah! Almost reaching the level of heaven and earth-shattering, yet it still didn''t kill this Giant Snake! "Quickly organize the defenses! Don''t stay near the smoke!" As Mu Huanqing spoke, she grabbed the Hundred Martial Divine Weapon from her back and threw it into the smoke, whereupon it transformed into a huge shield in front of the practitioners. Boom¡ª At that moment, earthquake-like noises came from the sea. The next moment, a massive cloud of ck fog began to emerge from the chaotic sea, chasing after the practitioner carrying the head. "Could it be that while we were attacking, it released the ck fog again?" "No, something''s off, this creature is very strange. We clearly hit it hard enough for blood and flesh to scatter! But it seems to be getting stronger instead!" "It''s the Thunder attribute! This Giant Snake''s body possesses the Thunder attribute that can counteract the five elements! At least 80% of our broad attacks were blocked by its Thunder attribute!" "Damn it! Why didn''t Commander-in-Chief''s sword kill it!" "It must have been blocked by the beast''s ck fog!" ¡­ Seeing the massive ck fog moving faster and faster, Xia Mo immediately shouted, "Block its path! Don''t let it escape!" Upon hearing this, all the soldiers positioned themselves in front of the ck fog and once again set up a Formation to block the advance of the ck Snake. At this moment, the practitioner holding the Giant Snake''s head, upon seeing this scene, began running towards the outer edges of the battlefield with all his might. As long as the ck Snake couldn''t get its head back, it would be a tremendous help to the entire battlefield. While running, he also tried to use his Cultivation Technique to destroy the head, in that way the Giant Snake would have no chance to snatch it back. But even as he utilized all his True Qi to cause destruction, the enormous snake head remained unscathed. ... The human warriors suddenly transformed from being surrounded to forming a unteral human wall, with all the major battle zones converging, instantly concentrating theirbat power. As a result, the ck Snake was temporarily unable to cross the defensive line erected by everyone. "Roar!" A deep roar echoed from within the ck fog, and in the next instant, all the Void beasts on the battlefield charged like mad, ignoring any other practitioner''s obstruction, and headed straight for the practitioner carrying the head as he fled. "Stop those Void beasts!" Xia Mo bellowed, his True Qi nearly depleted due to his prior concentration of his cultivation technique, leaving him unable to fight any further aside from givingmands. Moreover, having just emerged from seclusion and immediately entering the battlefield, he had not prepared even a single recovery-type ammunition. As the Eighth-order Void Beasts in the central battle zone desperately chased to the periphery, the surrounding encirclement was instantly breached by a massive wave of high-order beasts. "It''s over! The Eighth-order Void Beasts have reached the perimeter! What do we do now!" "We already have no more troops to spare for the perimeter! Even just containing this ck Snake is already a stretch!" "Damn it!" Seeing this, Xia Mo clenched his teeth in anger, "If only my True Qi could recover to its peak, then I could spare some forces¡­" Fang Ren watched helplessly as the furious ck fog continued to kill the human Array Masters on the sea; though the ck Snake couldn''t break through their defenses quickly, dragging on like this was certainly not a solution. Besides, the head at the rear was now in imminent danger, and a powerful figure capable of subduing arge number of Void beasts was absolutely necessary. "I will go!" With an angry roar, Bai Chaojin''s meridians swelled as if they might explode at any moment. He was very aware that he had less than ten seconds to live; even if he stayed to block here, at best he could only y a small role. It would be more worthwhile to kill a few high-order Void beasts trying to snatch the head at the rear. But before he could fly out, suddenly a figure appeared beside him. "You... you kid, what are you doing here!" Bai Chaojin almost exploded with rage at the person who shed before him. Fang Ren, he was actually here! Doesn''t that mean his fire seed n had failed? Bai Chaojin felt like he was going mad and shouted at Fang Ren, "Can''t you be more careful! Do you know how much I''ve sacrificed to ensure both of your safeties..." Before he could finish, Fang Ren directly tossed a Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pill into his mouth. "What the hell did you give me!" Your next read awaits at m,v -NovelFire Fang Ren looked at him coldly and spoke, "After this battle! Go to the grave of the martyrs who died in the experiments! And atone with your death!" After that, Fang Ren threw another pill to the True Qi-depleted Xia Mo, saying, "I will pursue the head; you hold the defense." "Fang Ren! Get back to the submarine at once..." The infuriated Bai Chaojin was about to yell at Fang Ren, telling him to get back on the submarine, but in the next moment, Fang Ren had vanished before his eyes. "Xuanyang realm... Peak! This shouldn''t be..." Bai Chaojin stood dumbfounded. If his experiment had gone ording to n, Fang Ren''s realm would have decreased as he transferred his talent to Bai Qi. Yet, Fang Ren''s realm had instead skyrocketed directly from the Blue Sky Realm in a spectacr rise! Furthermore, what astonished him was the sensation of his meridians, which were on the verge of copse, started to stabilize. "That pill just now was..." Xia Mo, taking the pill that Fang Ren tossed, became excited. This was a top-grade Fifth-order Reversing Spirit And Qi Forming Pill! This pill represented a challenge that many Master Alchemists hadn''t been able to conquer over the years, producing only semi-finished products. Earth should not have a singlepleted product; where on Earth did this kid get it? Chapter 326: Chapter 321: The Diffusion of Blood Qi_1 "What did this kid give me..." Bai Chaojin felt the changes in his body and was increasingly shocked. What kind of pill could suppress the effect of an exploding pill? "Commander Bai! Let him pursue the Void beasts! Cover for me for a moment!" Xia Mo, too, was rapidly recovering thanks to Fang Ren''s pill, but to rejuvenate the meridians that had just been depleted, he still needed a bit of time. Bai Chaojin quickly refocused on the battlefield, feeling rtively at ease leaving the group of Void beasts to Fang Ren. After all, the kid had the strength to defeat someone from the Yingyue Realm while he was only in the Blue Sky Realm, and now that he possessed the strength of Xuanyang Peak, even if he couldn''t defeat those Eighth-order Void beasts, he would still be able to snatch their heads. ¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª At this moment, Xia Fu Lan, who had been under the sea, emerged to the surface. Seeing the head of the giant snake being carried away by a practitioner whose cultivation level wasn''t very high, a cold smile crept onto her face. "Mu Huanqing! You just wait!" Having spoken, she swiftly circumvented the beast group and chased after the swiftly fleeing practitioner. Meanwhile, Fang Ren was pursuing a group of Eighth-order beasts. There were too many Void beasts on this side; he couldn''t directly bypass them to help the practitioner who was escaping with the snake''s head. Actually, he hadn''t nned on ying the rescuer; after all, being with Mu Huanqing was where he felt most at ease. But he suddenly thought of something Qianye had once told him. It said that a massive group of beasts would soon descend from the Void, and his Asura path could reach aplete state by ughtering these creatures, and his Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat would further be perfected. His Realm would soar as a result. If he could use the Asura ughter de to y such arge group of Void beasts, indeed, his Realm could rapidly increase. And now was the opportunity. He could rush to the outskirts where no senior soldiers were present, and no one would discover he was a member of the "Nightfall Organization" from Linglong Bay. Because he couldn''t employ the Asura ughter de, dealing with the vast beast group was tricky, and quickly breaking through the encirclement was nearly impossible. Asrge swaths of high-order Void beasts left the battlefield, the human practitioners found a moment to breathe. As the distance from the center of the battlefield grew, the presence of human senior soldiers faded from Fang Ren''s Divine Sense. With the battlefield''s perimeter over ten thousand meters away and so many human soldiers obstructing the view, it should be safe enough. He roughly estimated the remaining time of the ughter Heaven Pill''s effect in his body and hesitated no more. The sea of blood behind him spread once again across the sky, and with a leap, he charged from the rear of the Void beast group straight into their midst. "de Dance!" Hum¡ª A hundred-meter-long Giant Scythe rose up in the midst of the beast group, spilling blood across the sky. Before this Blood Red Scythe, all defenses of the Eighth-order Void beasts were as frail as paper. As soon as they were touched by the bloody radiance, they would be sliced in two in an instant. Fang Ren, who had charged into the beast group, was also severely wounded by the high-order beasts'' counterattack, his chest a bloody mess. However, this pain was practically negligiblepared to the suffering he endured while practicing the Asura path. That was truly grinding flesh and scraping bones countless times! For a moment, the sky was filled with the roars and wails of giant beasts. But these wails and angry roars, to Fang Ren''s ears, only served to heighten his excitement. As the ughter began, more and more Void beasts fell to the sickle, and Fang Ren felt the madness in his brain was about to burst. His eyes slowly became covered by a mist of blood, and the flesh on his face twisted into a visage of terror. Heughed wildly, hacking away without the slightest fear, with only one thought of ughter left in his heart. Just as when he fought amidst corpses on the Asura path, even if only a single bone was left of him, he would not hesitate to use it to pierce his enemy''s skull. The red radiance cut through all the beasts blocking his way. His sickle dripped with the limbs of a Void beast, and in his other bloody hand, he held the head of a tiger-shaped beast. The blood-red aura behind him grew stronger, and the terrifying aura of resentment and death caused some of the surrounding Void beasts to tremble. Explore stories on m,v l-NovelFire For a while, the beast group that surrounded him stopped their assault, beginning to retreat. Their intelligence was not low, and they each had a heart unafraid of death, but no matter how resolute they were, their bodies involuntarily shrank away when faced with that sea of blood. Just like the leader of the giant snake, they were irresistible. "Come...e!" Fang Ren''s hideously smiling lips murmured softly, his inner madness making him unable to help but let out a skyward howl: "Ahh!" The Giant Scythe danced again, with countless more giants turning into a spray of blood in an instant. "Hahaha! Die! All of you die! Not one left!!" His scream was piercing, sounding nothing like a human, but like a demon from the depths, making one''s flesh crawl. The surrounding Void beasts quickly stopped attacking him because this creature was too eerie, as if it would never die no matter how many wounds it suffered. Their brains wouldn''t let them continue fighting this entity, they had to follow the giant snake''s orders and chase after that head! A massive number of high-order Void beasts that had set out to kill Fang Ren, at that instant, all began to flee towards the distance, while Fang Ren, like a demon from hell, chased after them, never ceasing to strike. No matter how he hacked, not a single beast in front of him dared to look back. If one were to look up at the sky from the ground, they would see the sky covered by a massive, sweeping shadow that looms over everything; and behind this grand array, a smaller shadow could be seen frantically pursuing them, as if it were their natural predator, instilling fear in them. As Fang Ren killed more and more, the Realm strengthened by Dan medicine also became more stable due to his continuous enhancement of his Cultivation Level through ughter. Before entering the battlefield, his true Realm was at the midterm phase of Yingyue Realm, but now, he may have reached the Peak of Yingyue Realm. Along with his killings, what also changed was the blood qi behind him, which like a greedy abyss, kept absorbing the essence of the ascended spirits killed by Fang Ren, growing more gigantic with each absorption. When the blood qi expanded a hundred meters wide, indistinct shadows could be observed inside, twisting and dancing about. These shadows, with their gaping maws, were churning violently within the blood qi, tearing and biting as if demons about to crawl out of the abyss. ¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª Meanwhile, the Practitioner at the very front, who clutched the head of a Giant Snake, was nearly exhausted of his True Qi. He was just a Practitioner of the Yingyue Realm, and the fact that he managed to flee this long with arge group of Void Beasts in pursuit was already an incredibly difficult feat. Thump! Suddenly, his meridians pulsed, and he knew his True Qi had beenpletely depleted! "It''s over!" As his True Qi ran dry, the Practitioner fell straight from midair and crashed onto the ground. He turned back to look at theing tide of Void Beast Group, clenching his teeth fiercely as he bashed the snake head he held with his hands. Even before, when he used his Cultivation Technique, he couldn''t destroy this snake head; now with just the physical strength of his hands, how could he cause even the slightest damage? But he couldn''t bear to give up! He broke his own arms, then kicked with his legs, bit with his teeth, hoping to destroy even just a bit of that snake head. "Give me the head fast!" Just as the soldier was in the grips of despair, suddenly a voice rang out; he lifted his head and immediately became excited, "Princess Fn! Take this head and run! Try to destroy it if you can!" The soldier handed over the head to Xia Fu Lan without hesitation, and Xia Fu Lan fled immediately without even finishing hearing the soldier''s words. The approaching beast group closed in from behind, and the soldier knelt on the ground, smiling as he watched the snake head sessfully taken away. Finally, he hadpleted the mission assigned by the district leader. Schlick! A Void Beast flew by, and the soldier was smashed into a puddle of blood. Even in his dying moment, he never imagined that he had entrusted the head to the wrong person. Having obtained the head, Xia Fu Lan sprinted away; of course, she had not destroyed the snake head as the soldier had suggested, as it was the weapon she nned to use to kill Mu Huanqing. Although she had the head, Xia Fu Lan couldn''t return to the battlefield because the Void Beasts chasing her obscured the sky. "Damn it! It looks like I have to use that talisman!" Xia Fu Lan gritted her teeth and crushed the escape talisman her father had given her. Whir¡ª¡ª A beam of light shed, and Xia Fu Lan''s figure vanished within the light. The next moment, she appeared on the ruins somewhere within Tianjiang. The talisman her father gave her was a very precious remote Teleportation Talisman, capable of reaching a predetermined location within a hundred miles. The designated teleportation location for her talisman was her hotel, but by now the hotel had copsed into ruins after therge-scale invasion of the Void Beasts. "Finally escaped! Now I just need to find a way to bypass the beast group and reach the battlefield! Mu Huanqing..." Xia Fu Lan''s face showed a triumphant excitement and a cold resolve: "Last time, I made you fail! This time, I''ll make sure you die!" ¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª As Xia Fu Lan disappeared with the head of the Giant Snake, the vast beast group instantly became restless. The target had slipped away! The Giant Snake had given them a death order! If they couldn''t bring the head back safely, they would definitely all be devoured by the Giant Snake after the grand battle! "Roar!" After a brief agitation, the vast Void Beast Group started to disperse in the skies, some bursting into Tianjiang, some plunging into the sea... all scattering to search for the lost head. Chapter 327 : 322: Third Class Rushing to Fang Family_1 With most of the Void Beast Group having invaded the skies of Tianjiang, the already-ravagednd appeared even more as a living hell. "Hurry and take them away!" At that moment, the students from Medical ss Three were still fleeing everywhere in Tianjiang. Void beasts were everywhere, and most of Tianjiang''s soldiers had gone to the central battlefield, leaving only a small number of soldiers behind. However, these soldiers were close to death and utterly incapable of stopping such a massive swarm of void beasts. Liu Qianqian stood in the sky above Medical ss Three, fighting against the void beasts to protect her ssmates, and she was already covered in wounds. Without her Sacred Body, the strength of her Heaven and Earth''s Qi had significantly decreased, and once she used Heaven and Earth''s Qi, it could not be restored. If the Void Beast Group kepting like this, her inner Heaven and Earth''s Qi would bepletely exhausted within two to three minutes. By then, she would be like any ordinary person, albeit with a slightly stronger physique. "Liu Qianqian! Stop being stubborn! Hurry up and leave! Saving even one is better than none!" Teacher Huang shouted at Liu Qianqian in the sky. Liu Qianqian had already done too much to protect them. Originally as delicate as jade, the girl was now a blood-soaked figure. Anyone could see she was pushing herself beyond limits. Every time sheunched an attack, blood would scatter like rain, dripping onto the faces of the students from Medical ss Three. This blood was red, warm, and belonged to Liu Qianqian herself. "ss President! Stop worrying about us! Save yourself! Otherwise, we''ll all die!" "The teacher is right! ss President, you must go! We''ve held you back enough!" "If you don''t leave now! I''ll kill myself!" ... A group of students shouted desperately. They were already close to death, all having been forcibly saved from the jaws of the void beasts by Liu Qianqian. But as a result, they all became a burden on Liu Qianqian. "Hold on a little longer¡­ just a little longer¡­ Fang Family is just ahead¡­" At that moment, Liu Qianqian was already somewhat delirious. She was using almost all her strength to knock away the surrounding void beasts, her gaze fixated on the Fang Family Estate a thousand meters away, constantly chanting in her heart, "As long as we reach the Fang Family, there will be salvation..." Now that the great war had broken out, all the soldiers were deployed, including those from Tianjiang, but some Family Heads chose to stay within their own ns, aiming to protect their kin and the centuries of umtions of their entire family. Among these Family Heads, Fang Yuanhao was one of them. The reason Liu Qianqian was still standing despite everything was that they were nearing the Fang Family. As long as they got there, Fang Yuanhao would help them. And at that moment, floating above the Fang Family Estate, Fang Yuanhao, along with over a hundred Fang Family practitioners, was in the air, defending the Fang Family''s territory. Joining him in remaining behind were the Fang Family''s second elder, Fang Ye, Fang Liqun, Fang Lizhong, Fang Tong... The direct descendants of the Fang Family at the battlefield were only the eldest, Fang Zheng, the third uncle, Fang Jing, and Fang Ren... The reason Fang Ye, the second elder of the Fang Family, didn''t go to the battlefield was that, as an alchemist, his cultivation level was virtually insignificant on the battlefield. He was well aware that going there would be akin to courting death. Besides, he had never once thought of going to the front lines. After all, what he most wished for was a disastrous defeat for humanity in this war. "Grandfather, look over there!" Fang Liqun looked at the distant sky being engulfed in darkness, breaking out in a cold sweat from fear. Following his line of sight, Fang Yuanhao was shocked, "How could there be so many void beasts!" "Father! Quick, activate the Family Array! Otherwise, our entire n will be doomed!" Fang Ye was stunned by the sky full of Void beasts and hurriedly grabbed Fang Yuanhao''s arm and shouted. "Activate the Family Array immediately! Everyone put all your effort into maintaining the integrity of the Large Formation!" Fang Yuanhao issued themand at once. The next moment, a golden light rose above the Fang Family Estate, transforming into a massive barrier that slowly spread to cover the entire area around the estate. "Grandfather! Wait!" Fang Tong immediately ran to Fang Yuanhao and pointed to the distant ground, saying, "Look there! There are many people running towards us! Let''s pause the Large Formation first, and wait for these people to get in and then..." "Nonsense!" Fang Ye immediately shouted. "What if by waiting for these people to get in, our Large Formation fails to activate in time? Then wouldn''t our Fang Family all end up in a mass burial!?" "Uncle... but they''re humans too! Are we just going to stand by and watch them die?" Fang Tong pleaded. "At least we can send some people out, hurry to bring them in, and there will still be time." "Tongtong!" Fang Yuanhao also exploded in anger, "Do you realize that you''re gambling with the lives of over a hundred of our Fang Family members! I cannot agree to this." "Exactly, sister Tong, stop feeling sorry for outsiders; pity us first," Fang Liqun said at this moment. At that time, a woman rushed out of the room and called out to Fang Tong in the sky, "Tongtong,e here." The beautiful woman, named Kong Yingshu, was Fang Zheng''s wife and mother to both Fang Tong and Fang Ren. She was an outstanding Alchemist from Tianjiang, but her Cultivation Level talent was slightlycking. When she and Fang Zheng got married, she faced no small amount of opposition. People had hoped Fang Zheng would marry a wife with extremely high Cultivation Level talent, not someone with her high Alchemy talent. Despite this, Fang Zheng ultimately chose her and their journey together was fraught with peril. Fang Zheng nearly resigned from his position as District Director and even faced the possibility of having his meridians destroyed because of the controversy. However, the oue was happy as they made it through together. Once part of the family, Kong Yingshu, though dearly loved by Fang Zheng, was not well-received by others in the Fang Family, who med her for both holding back Fang Zheng''s progress and believed Fang Ren''s inability to cultivate was her fault as well. Over the years, Kong Yingshu faced the cold words and treatment of the Fang Family with silence. Deep down, she knew all too well the rarity and uniqueness of her son''s talent, but all she hoped was for Fang Ren to grow up healthy, without suffering too much injustice. She didn''t want anyone to argue over anything else. For this reason, whenever Fang Zheng returned from the battlefield, he would dote on her like a treasure, knowing the hardship she endured at home. Your next chapter is on m v|l-e''m,p| y- r "Mom, I have to save them," Fang Tong said, ncing at her mother on the ground, determination in her eyes. With those words, Fang Tong rushed straight out towards the exterior of the Fang Estate. "Tongtong!" Seeing this, Kong Yingshu immediately wanted to fly up and catch Fang Tong, but her Cultivation Level was too weak to catch up. As Fang Tong suddenly flew out, Kong Yingshu also ran outside, leaving Fang Yuanhao infuriated to death, "Nonsense!" He didn''t care about the survival of his eldest daughter-inw; in fact, he quite disliked her, but if Kong Yingshu died, once Fang Zheng returned, he would likely turn the entire house upside down. As for Fang Tong, he held a softer spot for his granddaughter, not to mention her high talent and promising development in the field of alchemy ¨C she often made him proud as her grandfather. Of course, he did not want Fang Tong to die outside. Fang Yuanhao originally nned to go out and pull back the mother and daughter, but considering the beast group that was quickly approaching, he chose to give up. If he went out now, once the Large Formation closed, they would never be able to get back in! Chapter 328 : 323: Am I Really Going to Die Like This?_1 Fang Ren, who was at the rear of the formation, had lost count of how many void beasts he had killed by now. His attacks were nearly unstoppable, like a reaper''s harvest, and even though the void beast group was so vast it could cover the sky, under his rapid onught, at least half of them had already perished. Engulfed in this massacre, his realm surged rapidly. The number of void beasts that had died under his sickle was close to a million, if not over. The vast death aura of such arge number of creatures had expanded the sea of blood behind him to tens of thousands of meters. It looked like a bloodstained mouth opened by the heavens under the setting sun, eerily horrifying. Because he had killed so many void beasts, his realm had climbed to a solid mid-stage Xuanyang realm. The side effects of the ughter Heaven Pill on his body could no longer ur at his current realm, which meant he didn''t have to worry about his body exploding after the effects of the pill wore off. However, the drawback that came with this was that the boost to his realm from the ughter Heaven Pill was no longer as substantial, and with the effect of the pill nearing its end, his realm would quickly fall from the peak of the Xuanyang realm to the mid-stage. If he were to consume another pill, his realm would probably only be elevated to the peak within the mid-stage of the Xuanyang realm; the Heaven Pills were useless for stepping into the next stage. Real strength was required for such advancement. Countless corpses fell from the sky, and in a moment of madness, Fang Ren suddenly felt as if his consciousness had somewhat cleared. He was now able to control the manic expression on his face. With the recovery of his consciousness apanying the increase in his enemy kills, his rity grew stronger. He felt the frenzy within him gradually subside; his body became more controlled. Each move was no longer as chaotic and desperate as before. Now, every strike was controlled just enough to y the void beasts without wasting any excess energy. "It seems like the Killing Art has broken through again." The return of his consciousness in such a state made it obvious that he had reached the Seventh Level of the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat, allowing him to control his emotions. "The Seventh Level!" With another breakthrough, using the Seven Levels of the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat to bolster himself, hisbat strength became even more formidable before the effects of the pills dissipated. But he could also distinctly sense that he could notpletely control his consciousness yet; sometimes he still couldn''t resist going on a frenzied killing spree, his attacks reverting to being disordered and his offensive methods even more ferocious. After all, it was only a recent breakthrough, and it would take a lot of time to stabilize. ¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª Above the sky, two hundred meters outside the Fang Family Estate. Liu Qianqian had exhausted the Heaven and Earth''s Qi within her body, and she was still fighting several void beasts in the sky. Devoid of any Heaven and Earth''s Qi, herbat now relied solely on thest vestiges of energy left after her Spirit Embryo shattered, but this energy was supposed to protect the integrity of her body now missing its Spirit Embryo. Being born with her Spirit Embryo, without it, she was no longer whole. But if thisst bit of energy meant to protect her body was also gone, then she would die from her internal organs shattering. "Ah!" She screamed, her fists pounding against the head of a void beast ¨C her eyes continuously bleeding, theplete image of a madwoman. The energy was about to deplete, and her internal organs would start rupturing from the head down; she was on the verge of cerebral hemorrhage. "Teacher! We''re almost at the Fang Family''s territory!" a student yelled, looking towards the Fang Family Estate not far away. "Thank goodness! We''re saved!" "Everyone, run for your lives! Don''t fall behind!" Teacher Huang shouted, "Liu Qianqian, go to the Fang Family! Don''t hold on any longer!" While the group frantically fled, they kept calling out to Liu Qianqian behind them to get moving, but Liu Qianqian continued to fend off thest two void beasts nearby. Once these two were killed, everyone could safely enter the Fang Family Estate. But contrary to her wishes, just as she saw hope, the void beast she had nearly beaten to death suddenly caught up from the ground, opened its maw, and lunged for her shoulder from behind. At this point, she no longer possessed the mobility she had before and couldn''t afford to defend herself. As she was about to have her shoulder bitten off by the void beast, a wind de sliced through from afar, turning the two void beasts in front of her into a mist of blood. Buzz¡ª A figure arrived on the wind, catching the blood-soaked Liu Qianqian. "Sister Liu?" Fang Tong caught the woman drenched in blood, and only then did she realize this person, who had been protecting the students below all this time, was none other than the eldest miss of the Liu Family. After seeing the person who had caught her, Liu Qianqian''s mind instantly rxed. They were all going to be saved. "Thank you..." Liu Qianqian swallowed a mouthful of blood before barely managing to utter two words. "Don''t talk, I''ll get you all to safety," Fang Tong said, tossing out a current of wind that formed a barrier about a dozen meters wide on the ground. She shouted to the students below, "Quick, get on!" Everyone saw this and immediately ran toward the small barrier. Fang Tong looked back at the sky filled with the Void Beast Group, which was only a few hundred meters away from reaching their side. She had never been on a battlefield before, nor had she seen such a bloody and cruel scene. At this moment, her hands trembled with fear. People quickly climbed onto Fang Tong''s small barrier, and Fang Tong immediately circted her True Qi to fly desperately toward the Fang Family Estate. The speed of the Void Beast Group behind her was too fast, and she felt she could be bitten into corpses at any moment. However, what made her even more nervous was that the Large Formation of the Fang Family Estate not far away was about topletelye down. If she couldn''t get into the Formation before it fell, she would be doomed. "Ah..." Just then, several students standing on the barrier suddenly lost their footing and were swept off by the rapid airflow. Fang Tong saw this and urgently turned around to grab the students. "Everyone hold on tight! Don''t fall off!" After tossing the few students back onto the barrier, she turned her head and continued to fly toward the Formation. Boom¡ª But before they could fly a few dozen meters, a loud bang suddenly came from inside the Fang Family Estate. With the sound of that bang, Fang Tong''s entire being became chaotic. She paused for a moment, staring nkly at the Fang Family Estate, her face ashen. The Fang Family''s Large Formation... had fallen! They could no longer enter. Feeling the barrier''s pause and ncing once more toward the Fang Family Estate, they could see that it was nowpletely covered with ayer of golden, transparent barrier. "This... are they not letting us in..." a student slumped to the ground. "How can they do this... isn''t the young miss of the Fang Family still out here? They won''t even save their own now?" "There was still time... why do this..." ... Upon seeing the situation, everyone had given up hope; theirst glimmer had gone. Fang Tong quickly brought everyone to the front of the barrier, and she desperately pounded on the Formation''s barrier, crying out, "Grandfather! Open the barrier quickly!" "Tongtong!" Kong Yingshu cried as she ran to the edge of the barrier. Her realm was too low, and she hadn''t been able to run out of the estate when the barrier fell. She could only stand at the edge of the barrier, watching her daughter''s anxious appearance, her heart like it was being cut with a knife. "Father! We mustn''t open this barrier!" Fang Ye, seeing this, quickly said to Fang Yuanhao, "The beast group is already so close! There''s simply not enough time if the Formation opens and closes! Please prioritize the greater good!" "Grandfather! Please prioritize the greater good!" Fang Liqun also immediately said. Fang Yuanhao at this time was frowning and bowing his head, silent. Fang Tong, seeing her second uncle and second brother, knew she couldn''t count on them and immediately shouted toward Fang Lizhong in the distance, "Third brother! Your fianc¨¦e is also here! Qianqian is here too! Open the Formation!" Fang Lizhong inside, upon hearing this, subconsciously looked toward the woman in Fang Tong''s arms¡ªthat was Liu Qianqian. However, Liu Qianqian was now disheveled, her hair in disarray, blood flowing from her seven orifices, barely breathing heavily, and looked extremely terrifying. Seeing this, Fang Lizhong immediately turned his back to everyone, simrly frowning and remaining silent. Although not saving these people would make him feel guilty, whenpared to his own life and the lives of so many in the Fang Family, what were these people? Besides, his fianc¨¦e, Liu Qianqian whom he, Fang Lizhong, had almost never interacted with¡ªwhat fianc¨¦e at this moment? He had no intention of paying any attention to her. Watching Fang Lizhong remain silent too, Fang Tong waspletely despondent. The once close blood ties now seemed so indifferent and cold. Stay tuned to m-v l|e''m,p| y- r Kong Yingshu inside the barrier saw the Void Beast Group swiftly approaching and felt on the verge of fainting. Her daughter was on the outside, and in the next moment, she could be trampled into a bloody mess by a swarm of Void beasts. As a mother facing such a scene, she was nearly crying to death. Liu Qianqian, held by Fang Tong, looked at the people inside the Fang Family Estate and felt no surprise. To her, the Fang Family, just like anyrge n,cked a sense of humanity. She turned her head and nced at Fang Tong, who was kneeling on the ground with a despairing expression, and murmured, "I''m sorry for dragging you down..." Fang Tong looked at her but said nothing, only thinking to herself, Was it also a mistake to have saved someone¡­ Liu Qianqian, watching the plethora of beasts in the sky, smiled and said at the end, "I should never have been so willful with your brother... I should have understood earlier, since I loved to the point of obsession, I should have been fearless in death¡­" "Are you talking about Fang Liqun?" Fang Tong scoffed coldly. Liu Qianqian smiled and shook her head, her voice hoarse, "His name is Fang Ren¡­" If everything had started with her and Fang Ren being together, there wouldn''t have been so many sad departures, and he wouldn''t have ended up with Mu Huanqing. She believed that, with Fang Ren''s personality, once she had agreed to him, he would never have betrayed her. After hearing this name, Fang Tong turned her head and nced at the Void beast opening its gaping maw toward her, her expression deste, "Fang Ren, huh¡­ I never got to call him brother even in death¡­" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 329: Chapter 324: Class President! Stay Calm!_1 ``` Roar!! A cacophony of roars swept across the sky as an endless horde of beasts blotted out the sun and the sky. At the perimeter of the Fang Family Estate''s Large Formation, all that the medical academy students of ss three could do was stand in ce with their eyes clenched shut, gritting their teeth as they awaited the arrival of death. In these final moments, Liu Qianqian felt her head heavy and dizzy, with everything before her eyes a blur. "Perhaps he will never know who the woman who shared his joy today was¡­" If she said there were no regrets in her heart, that would be a lie. Even though they had shared intimate moments, she still felt some discontent. Some say the greatest way to love someone is to let them go, and she agreed with that saying, but she just couldn''t get over this particr rtionship. At the beginning, the two of them liked each other so much, she only refused because she was afraid he would get hurt. Why did it end up like this¡­ Why, even in the end, didn''t she have the chance to tell him that he was her first man¡­ Is this how she was going to die? She felt so unwilling! If there were reincarnation, she would definitely take her memories with her and never miss the chance again. She now understood very clearly that everyone will eventually die¡ªwhat''s there to fear? If there was another chance, not to mention Mu Hui Qing, even the world wouldn''t be able to stop her¡­ The howl of death was already close at hand, and the stench of blood from the Void beasts could already be smelled in her nose. Tears finally trickled down from the corners of Liu Qianqian''s eyes¡ªnot because she was afraid of death, but because she was afraid of dying like this. He knew nothing, and if she died like this, would he still remember her¡­ Bang! It was the sound of a Void beastnding. Howl! It was the roaring of a Void beast as it opened its maw wide. Would she be devoured to the point that not even her corpse remained¡­ Shick-shick¡ª Strange slicing noises started to ring in her ears, the strong turbulence in the air drying the tears at the corners of her eyes. Thump thump thump¡ª A series of sounds of giant creaturesnding followed. Howl!! Their voices no longer seemed savage, but like... the struggle before death. Ten or so seconds passed, the surging air around her still not having subsided, the slicing noise growing even more ferocious. Liu Qianqian slowly opened her eyes. Blood, the corpses of Void beasts, so much blood, so many corpses¡­ The sky filled with Void beasts... they were all retreating, their movements fast as if they had seen something terrifying and were fleeing. A person, there was a person standing in front of them, ceaselessly killing the Void beasts, his movements incredibly fast, almost leaving afterimages. But even so, there was a pause for just a moment that caused Liu Qianqian''s pupils to widen in shock, those dim eyes filled with light. How familiar that silhouette was¡­ He was still wearing the clothes from their intimate encounter that morning... Ah¡­ Can one still feel so blessed after dying? To dream of one''s beloveding to their rescue? Hum¡ª A sweeping motion passed, and a thousand low-tier Void beasts were bisected, the sky teeming with Void beasts that began to scatter and flee. Fang Ren stood in front of his ssmates without chasing any further; the moment he regained consciousness, he immediately used his Cultivation Technique to cleave a direct path through the horde towards the front lines. Since the Void beasts were all pursuing this direction, it meant the Nine-headed Serpent''s head must be on this side. But what he didn''t expect was, instead of finding the serpent''s head, he was met with such a scene from the Fang Family. Innumerable soldiers in the battle zone were sacrificing their heads and shedding their blood; even someone as evil and heinous as Bai Chaojin took suicide-inducing pills to protect more people for the Human Race. Yet, within the Fang Family Large Formation, these people chose to abandon their kin, seeking only their own safety. In that instant, Fang Ren became even more resolute in his purpose. There were too many pests in humanity that needed to be eradicated, and he still needed to kill these bastards. Not even blood rtions would get an exception! "Ran... Ranzi... is that you?" Jing Haichuan was the first to snap out of it; he had been at the very end of the group, and Fang Ren was just one meter away from him, swinging his scythe. He knew his friend, one of the trio, all too well¡ªthat silhouette was definitely Ranzi! "Holy shit... Ranzi!?" Li Xingwang pushed aside a Void beast corpse that was pressing down on him. Looking at the familiar figure before him, his heart suddenly swelled with indescribable excitement. Fang Ren heard the two voices, turned around, and saw his ssmates covered in blood. A surge of anger rose within him. "You''ve had it rough, brothers!" "Goddamn, it really is Ranzi!" Jing Haichuan and Li Xingwang immediately leaped up, jumping onto him without caring about the stench of blood on Fang Ren, rubbing their tear-streaked faces against his clothes. "Fucking hell! I knew you weren''t heartless, you damn dog!" "It wasn''t in vain that I stole my dad''s collected herbs for you back then! You son of a bitch! You almost scared me to death just now!" The two of them cursed while they cried. "Fang Ren... It''s Fang Ren!" "Ranzi! Dammit, Ranzi''s back!" "Motherfucker! I''m not dead!" ... A female student helped up Teacher Huang, whose sses were askew, and excitedly pped his back: "Teacher! Look quick! It''s Fang Ren! We''re not dead!" Teacher Huang had already suffered a chest explosion in the previous battle. When the student pped his back, he vomited a mouthful of old blood: "Cough cough cough... Zhang Xiaoxi¡­" ``` Thwack thwack¡­ "Cough cough cough! Zhang Xiaoxi, ssmate¡­" Thwack thwack¡­ "Zhang Xiaoxi, ssmate! Stop pping! You''ll kill me with your pping even though I''m not dead yet!" "Ah? I''m so sorry, teacher... I was just too excited!" Zhang Xiaoxi hurriedly withdrew his arm that weighed over forty pounds. "Would you hurry up and help your teacher up!" Fang Ren then checked the injuries of the two guys sprawled on top of him and found that they had multiple fractures. It was amazing that they could still be so noisy. He immediately took out several recovery type pills and stuffed them into the mouths of the two, then dragged them off his body. "Swallow these pills quickly." Fang Ren then took arge quantity of low level recovery type pills from his ring and distributed them to his ssmates. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to give them higher level pills, but their ordinary human bodies couldn''t handle such intense energy. "Come over quickly and look at Qian Qian! She''s almost done for!" Suddenly, Li Xinyue''s crying voice rang out. "Yes! Ranzi! Hurry over and check on the ss leader! She''s almost dying protecting us!" "ss leader, you have to hold on!" "ss leader, you''ll be fine! Ranzi is now the greatest Alchemist in the world! You''re going to get better!" ... Amidst the crowd''s words, Fang Ren then quickly ran over to Liu Qianqian''s side. At this moment, Liu Qianqian was being hugged by a girl he didn''t recognize, and this girl kept staring at him with undivided attention, very focused. "Hand her over to me!" "Oh¡­ Oh!" Fang Tong was stunned for a moment, then handed Liu Qianqian over to Fang Ren then. Holding Liu Qianqian, Fang Ren then looked at her mangled appearance and his rage burned even more fiercely, feeling as if his throat was about to be scorched by the anger! The current Liu Qianqian had no intact skin on her eyes, nostrils, ears, mouth, forehead... all were continuously bleeding. It was hard to imagine what kind of cruel battle she had gone through to end up like this. Fang Ren then urgenty looked for Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pills. Ordinary people couldn''t withstand these pills, but Liu Qianqian, who had the Sacred Body, surely could. "It doesn''t seem like I''m dreaming..." Lying in Fang Ren then''s arms, Liu Qianqian suddenly smiled. She could still feel pain; she wasn''t dead yet. The person in front of her, the one she cared about, was real. Just as Fang Ren then took out the pills, seeing Liu Qianqian smile at this moment, he frowned, "You can still smile! Do you not realize you''re nearly dead?" "I know¡­" Liu Qianqian heard him scolding her, and her smile deepened. He must really care about her... "Swallow it," Fang Ren then stuffed the Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pill into her mouth. Liu Qianqian kept her eyes on him, smiling even as she ate the pill. Fang Ren then felt a bit weird being watched and smiled at throughout: "What are you looking at me for?" Liu Qianqian didn''t say anything. She just grabbed Fang Ren then''s arms even tighter, the smile on her face growing broader as if... a sense of happiness was overflowing. Fang Ren then quickly diverted his gaze and used his True Qi to inspect her body. Because of the Spirit Embryo''s resonance with the Sacred Body, Fang Ren then could always feel a strange aura on her. But now, he didn''t feel that aura on her, which was odd. Perhaps she received an even more serious injury, possibly even damaging the essence of the Sacred Body. Indeed, as Fang Ren then inspected her, he feltpletely unnerved. The Spirit Embryo! Her Spirit Embryo was gone! "Where''s your Spirit Embryo!" Fang Ren then became anxious. There were no pills that could mend a Sacred Body''s Spirit Embryo! Moreover, once Liu Qianqian lost her Spirit Embryo, she would be an ordinary human! Besides, the more pressing issue was that he had just fed her a Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pill, and without her Spirit Embryo, such a thing could kill her! He had to quickly use his True Qi to help her dispel the pill''s power, or else she would be sted to death by the pill without even dying from her injuries. Without further ado, Fang Ren then began to channel his True Qi into her through her pulse, dispersing some power of the Blood-Returning Flesh-Forming Pill into himself. Seeing his frantic state, Liu Qianqian gripped him even tighter: "Would you believe me if I said it''s inside you?" "Don''t talk now, the situation is very critical!" Fang Ren then ignored her words and continued with what he was doing. But after just a second or two, he suddenly froze, looking at her with an incredulous expression. What the!? Inside me? "What nonsense are you talking about..." Fang Ren then had just about to scold her when suddenly Liu Qianqian''s body moved. She pulled on his arm for leverage and pressed her cherry lips forcefully against his mouth. The kiss was intense, and her grip was just as strong. "..." Fang Ren then waspletely stunned. "Holy shit! What the hell is this situation?!" Everyone else was also stunned. Although they often teased the ss leader about climbing up in position, that was all in jest! How could this suddenly turn real!? "Mother of god! Could it be that I''m seeing things because I''ve barely survived?!" "ss leader! Calm down! Do you even understand the situation?!" "Yeah! Madame Xuan is going to kill you!" "It''s all over, all over... We just brought the ss leader back, and now she''s courting death herself! What a sin!" Chapter 330: Chapter 325: The Crime of Flirting with a Younger Sister-in-Law_1 Faced with Liu Qianqian''s unexpected kiss, Fang Ren was momentarily stunned but soon snapped back to reality by the expanding medicinal effects within her body. If the medicinal effects didn''t dissipate soon, her blood vessels would burst. Fang Ren twisted his head, avoiding her kiss and continued to focus on dispersing the medicinal effects within her body. "Did you hurt your head?" Fang Ren asked with concern. Apart from the notion that there was something wrong with Liu Qianqian''s head, he couldn''t think of any other exnation for her actions. Liu Qianqian, seeing him turn his head away from her lips, once again felt a familiar sense of loss in her heart. She hated this feeling; every time it emerged, scenes of her past interactions with Fang Ren shattered before her eyes as if those fond memories had never existed. "I''m very clear-headed," Liu Qianqian said. "..." Hearing her response, Fang Ren''s brow furrowed slightly. "I''m very clear-headed!" Liu Qianqian threw out the words again and then tried to kiss him again. Seeing this, Fang Ren hurriedly ced her on the ground. Her injuries had not yet healed, and without the ability to stand, she wouldn''t be able to reach him with a kiss. "She must have been severely injured." Fang Ren turned and spoke to the others. In reality, it was just a way to save face for Liu Qianqian. After examining her head with True Qi, besides some external bleeding, her brain was not damaged. As Liu Qianqian herself had said, she was very clear-headed. "I knew it, how could the ss president have anything to do with Ranzi," Li Xingwang hurriedly spoke up to relieve the awkward tension, since it was clear to everyone that Liu Qianqian was serious this time. Jing Haichuan immediatelyughed it off and said, "Hahaha, exactly, let''s not spread rumors, guys. It must''ve been an unintentional act by the ss president. Don''t take it too seriously, she really was severely injured. We must take good care of herter!" "Hey, isn''t it obvious? It was an unintentional act due to severe injury. Even Madame Xuan would surely understand if she were here." "We always joke around, but if the ss president did this while she was clear-headed, I really wouldn''t believe it!" ... Everyone went on and on, except for Li Xinyue, who didn''t say a word. She knew Liu Qianqian too well; she was indeed serious. While everyone wasughing and trying to diffuse the awkward situation, Suddenly, Liu Qianqian shouted out with great heaviness in her voice. "Fang Ren!" She shouted very loudly, and anyone could hear theplex emotions in her voice. There was some anger, some grievance, some recklessness... Completely different from the gentle and elegant girl she usually was in ss. All attempts to alleviate the tension abruptly stopped. Fang Ren stared at her nkly. She gritted her teeth, the whites of her eyes filled with bloodshot veins, and he knew that with the onset of the medicinal effects, the blood vessels in Liu Qianqian''s body had mostly been repaired. The bloodshot in her eyes couldn''t be from the fatigue or pain of the battle. It seemed as if there was a surge of emotion inside her heart, wreaking havoc and on the verge of bursting forth. Liu Qianqian''s hand fiercely grasped Fang Ren''s arm, struggling to sit up from the ground. Crack! The medicine had yet to repair her muscles and tendons, and such forceful movement caused a cracking sound in her shoulder. "Don''t move around," Fang Ren said. He pulled out his other hand to steady her newly injured bones with True Qi, waiting for the effects of the medicine to spread, while his other hand was holding her wrist, steadily extracting the excessive medicinal load. Liu Qianqian paid no attention to him; her eyes, red, kept pressing against him, her facial expression stubborn. Even when her arm was being held, she still used the strength of her waist to lift her upper body. Crack, crack, crack... As a series of bone-shattering noises came from her waist, Fang Ren was thrown into disarray. He could sense her spinal bones bing misaligned, and if she continued, she''d twist her entire spine. Looking into her reddened eyes, which were unwaveringly fixed on him, it seemed as if she didn''t care about anything else; as if she would copse into pieces just to be close to him. "What''s wrong with you!" Fang Ren''s brow was tightly furrowed. Fang Ren couldn''t understand where she got the strength to perform such actions with her severe injuries and without her Spirit Embryo; why did she insist on throwing herself into his arms at this moment? Couldn''t she feel the pain? That was her spine! "Fang Ren! This is what you owe me!" Liu Qianqian shouted out again, her emotions running high. As her voice fell, her nose became red and swollen, and tears streamed from her eyes, her body leaning even harder against Fang Ren. Groan... There was another sound of bones. Fang Ren looked at this scene, panicked. He didn''t understand what she meant, but seeing her cry, he couldn''t help but feel that he must have done something wrong. He hurriedly let go of his hands, no longer pressing on her shoulders, fearing that if he continued to hold her, he might just break her corbone. As Fang Ren let go, Liu Qianqian flung herself onto him. Her cheek buried in his shoulder, one arm wrapped tightly around his neck, locking onto him. "Woof!" Suddenly, she began to sob uncontrobly. Not caring where she was, nor how many people were watching her, nor the fact that she was someone''s fianc¨¦e, or that he was someone''s husband. Without caring about her image, she abandoned all her reputation and self-respect; recklessly, fearless of being called a slut, a whore... For a while, outside the Large Formation, her loud crying was the only sound, and no one knew what to say, they just stood there, silently watching the tear-streaked figure releasing a flood of intense emotions. Liu Qianqian''s head was buried in Fang Ren''s shoulder, her lips close to his ear, her voice the clearest to him, filled with grievance, mixed with a thread of anger and relief. Soon, apanied by her cries, Fang Ren dispersed the effects of the medicine that were beyond the human body''s tolerance, and he let go of Liu Qianqian''s other hand. But Liu Qianqian did not let go; instead, she wrapped her other hand around his back, holding him even tighter. Fang Tong, who was standing beside them, felt just as chaotic as Fang Ren. Before her eyes, her third brother''s fianc¨¦e was embracing and crying on her own brother, and during this, there had even been a forceful kiss... What''s more, this entire scene was being watched by everyone inside the Fang Family Estate. "Father! Look at this! What a disgrace!" Fang Ye immediately snapped back to reality and shouted loudly to Fang Yuanhao next to him, "Liu Qianqian is to be Li Zhong''s wife! How could Fang Ren seduce his own brother''s bride! It''s simply a sin!" Fang Ye was not foolish; Fang Ren had just single-handedly repelled the invading beasts, and his strength far surpassed what Fang Ye had imagined! And he had always been intent on killing Fang Ren; this was surely clear in Fang Ren''s mind. If the Large Formation were opened for Fang Renter, Fang Ren would most certainly take his life first! He had to find a way to suppress Fang Ren! Fang Liqun was of course aware of this and immediately said to Fang Yuanhao, "Grandfather! Fang Ren''s behavior is simply criminal! It''sparable to chaos! Li Zhong is his own cousin! He even dared to mess with his not yet married bride! I strongly demand we enforce the severest family punishment and cripple his Cultivation Level!" Hearing his father and son speak, Fang Yuanhao''s heart was in turmoil. After all, Fang Ren was a member of the Fang Family, and moreover, the biological son of Fang Zheng! His strength had now reached such a formidable level, so how could he deal with Fang Ren using familyws? He feared that Fang Ren would not consider him a grandfather at all. If there were any conflictster, Fang Ren might very well cripple him! Seeing Fang Yuanhao remain silent, Fang Ye immediately said to Fang Liqun, "Cousin Li Zhong! Can''t you see? This Fang Ren''s lust knows no bounds! He doesn''t even spare your wife! Kissing and hugging your wife right in front of you! Can you really endure this?" Upon hearing Fang Ye''s provocative words, Fang Liqun, who had already been agitated by the scene outside the Large Formation, was nearly driven mad with anger. In front of so many people, his fianc¨¦e had dared to publicly get involved with his cousin! The resentment in his heart couldn''t even be described by the vastness of the Hulunbuir grasnd! But he had seen very clearly the scene outside the Large Formation just now, which was not at all as Fang Ye described. Instead, it was Liu Qianqian who had seduced Fang Ren. Naturally, he didn''t dare vent his anger on Fang Ren, because he was truly unsure whether a person who had been abandoned by his family for twenty-two years would, in a fit of rage, kill him, his cousin. "Liu Qianqian! You bitch!" Fang Liqun roared, "You damn actually dared to seduce my elder brother! I''ll kill your entire Liu Family!" In reality, everyone knew that the only reason Fang Liqun could address Fang Ren as ''elder brother'' was because of Fang Ren''s overwhelming strength, which Li Zhong didn''t dare to provoke. Find more chapters on m_v l|e-NovelBin If Fang Ren didn''t possess such strength today, Fang Liqun would probably have rushed out of the Large Formation and killed Fang Ren on the spot. Kong Yingshu, inside the Large Formation, hadn''t had the chance to take a good look at her biological flesh and blood, whom she hadn''t seen for over twenty years, when this incident suddenly erupted. She was immensely confused, and with Fang Zheng not by her side, the Fang Family didn''t really respect her, and her words didn''t carry much weight. But as a mother, her instincts were to protect her child. "Second brother! The entire Tianjiang is in chaos! Is this the time to turn against one''s own family members with a knife?" Kong Yingshu said angrily. Fang Ye snorted coldly, "Eldest sister-inw, your son is seducing your nephew''s bride! Aren''t you ashamed? And you still have the face to speak here! A wild seed that has been unattended for over twenty years! You as a mother have responsibility too! You should be punished alongside him!" "You beast! Who are you calling a wild seed?" Upon hearing those words, Kong Yingshu became utterly distraught with anger. The gentle, calm, and forbearing figure that she used to be suddenly turned into a woman crazed with rage. Chapter 331: Chapter 326: Kill Fang Ye_1 The Large Formation was suddenly filled with the smell of gunpowder. A group of servants couldn''t help but be very surprised because no one had ever seen Kong Yingshu with such a face before. She always swallowed her grievances silently, treated people very gently, and never used foulnguage. But looking at the current situation, it seemed that it was not Fang Ren''s fault at all. The young master was just trying to save someone, and Liu Qianqian''s behavior was her own initiative. To speak of seducing the third young master''s fianc¨¦e...it was truly a false usation. Fortunately, the elder was not here right now, otherwise, the second master would never dare to speak to Kong Yingshu so presumptuously. "Am I wrong!" Fang Ye said coldly. With that, he pointed at Liu Qianqian who was clinging tightly to Fang Ren outside the Large Formation and angrily said, "If there was nothing between that bastard Fang Ren and Liu Qianqian, how could such a disgusting scene have urred!" "Shut up!" Kong Yingshu was furious to the extreme, conjured an ice de in her hand, and fiercely threw it into the sky at Fang Ye. "Hmph!" Fang Ye casually swung his hand to break the flying ice de, and the True Qi around his body began to burn, "Big sister-inw, you were the one who made a move against me first!" Having said that, Fang Ye charged from the air towards Kong Yingshu. "Ah Ye! Stop it right now!" Fang Yuanhao immediately shouted, he was well aware of Kong Yingshu''s status in Fang Zheng''s heart. If Kong Yingshu was injured during the time that Fang Zheng was not at home, the first person Fang Ye would me would definitely be him, the Family Head. But at this moment, how could Fang Ye possibly listen to Fang Yuanhao? If the Large Formation was opened, he would undoubtedly die, better to exacerbate the conflict to the peak and inflict heavy damage on Kong Yingshu now, but not take her life. Later, even if Fang Zheng returned safely from the battlefield, Fang Yuanhao would have no choice but to keep the Large Formation closed for the sake of preserving Fang Ye''s life. After all, he had not killed Kong Yingshu, Fang Yuanhao would surely choose to protect his second son. As long as the Large Formation was not opened, they could dy until Fang Yun Zhong returned. As long as Fang Yun Zhong was there, Fang Ye didn''t believe Fang Zheng would dare toy a hand on him. "Second Uncle! Stop it!" Fang Tong, outside the Large Formation, saw this scene, her True Qi surged and she desperately attacked the barrier of the Large Formation. In this moment, Kong Yingshu could only stand still. Facing Fang Ye who possessed the strength of the Yingyue Realm, she, a Practitioner of the Blue Sky Realm, had no means to fight back. "Brother! Quickly think of a way to save mom!" Seeing that Kong Yingshu was about to be in trouble, Fang Tong grabbed Fang Ren''s arm with a tearful face. At this moment, her only hope was this long-lost biological brother. Watching everything unfolding before him, Fang Ren had not said a word from beginning to end, but his anger towards Fang Ye had already exploded in his heart. Before, Fang Ye asked Fang Yuanhao not to open the Large Formation, intending to watch Fang Tong die because she was rted to Fang Ren. Now, he also made a move against Kong Yingshu because she was rted to him. It seemed as if everyone rted to him, Fang Ye was trying to eliminate. Watching as Fang Ye''s figure was about to reach the edge of the Large Formation, Fang Yuanhao in the sky was also making a move to stop him, but it was clearly toote to prevent him. "It''s because of the bastard you bore that our Fang Family has been disgraced!" Fang Ye shouted, his palm holding a giant fireball and smashing it towards Kong Yingshu''s head. Blood Sea! Just as Fang Ye was about to seed, the air within the Large Formation suddenly vibrated. Next, the sky was overtaken by bursts of red light that shot out from behind Fang Ren, breaking through the Fang Family''s Large Formation and covering the whole sky. As the red light seeped into the Large Formation, Fang Ye felt his pores explode, his scalp numb, and his body being oppressed by an indescribable fear. He was frozen in mid-air, his eyes trembling, yet the fireball in his hand just couldn''t smash onto the top of Kong Yingshu''s head. "What is that thing... behind me..." Fang Ye bulged his eyes and looked back. He saw the sky behind him covered in blood that ceaselessly churned, clearly disying the heads and bones of various creatures within it. Even more terrifying, amongst the heaps of corpses, countless unknown creatures were staring at him, ceaselessly crawling towards him from the sea of blood. The stench of blood filled his nostrils as if a demon within his body was clutching his trachea. Any slight move, and he would be dead in an instant. "What is this! Why can''t I move!" At this moment, Fang Ye was extremely frightened. His inner fear urged him to look away from the sea of blood, but his body wouldn''t obey and was unable to move. "Damn it! Move!" Fang Ye bit down hard on his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly that his fingernails dug into his flesh, but the pain still couldn''t grant him control over his body again. The extreme horror spread across the entire sky. Not only Fang Ye, but everyone in the sky above the Fang Family Estate was looking up, their pores exploding, pupils dting, and constantly trying to flee to the ground below. "The pinnacle of Wanwu mastery." Uttering the words, Fang Ren''s hand conjured a Void Spear out of nowhere. The spear tip turned into thunder, piercing the defensive barrier of the Large Formation. Boom! The entire Large Formation trembled, and dust began to rise around the Fang Family Estate. A gap began to appear on the edge of the Large Formation. "The Large Formation... shattered... it shattered!" "How is that possible! Even a peak Xuanyang Realm Practitioner shouldn''t be able to break through this Large Formation!" "Could it be... he has reached that legendary Realm!?" The servants within the estate watched the tip of Fang Renran''s spear, still not awakened from the terror of the blood sea, now panicked by the breaking of the Large Formation. Seeing that the Large Formation had a small breach, Fang Renran withdrew his long spear. cing his palm at the crack, he began to tear the Large Formation apart bit by bit until it was wide enough for a person to pass through before he stopped his actions. "Fang Ye." Fang Renran stepped into the Large Formation. At this moment, Liu Qianqian was still clinging to him, ceaselessly crying. The blood sea hadn''t affected her because her Spirit Embryo was inside Fang Renran''s body, the blood sea perceived her and Fang Renran as a single entity. Watching Fang Renran step inside the Large Formation, Fang Ye, who was unable to move in midair, waspletely freaked out, and his hair stood on end. "Fang Renran! I am your second uncle!" Fang Ye roared tremblingly. Fang Renran came before Fang Ye in midair, one hand pinching his temples, and a slight smile appeared on his face, "Second uncle, tell me, who is the bastard?" Fang Ye bellowed, "I said you are..." Before he could finish his sentence, he saw in Fang Renran''s pupils everything behind himself¡ªa countless number of skeletons. These skeletons ceaselessly opened their huge jaws behind him, spurting blood, their ws ceaselessly scratching at his flesh, and slowly consuming him bit by bit. "I! I am the bastard! Please, please let me go! Fang Renran! I promise I''ll never go against you again! I promise!" Fang Ye''s eyes turned red with extreme fear, and tears swirled in his sockets. As long as he could survive, everything else could be discussed, just as soon as the patriarch returned, Fang Renran would still die! Giggling... "Ah!!!" Fang Renran pressed his fingers on Fang Ye''s temples, causing Fang Ye to emit a piercing scream; his head began to distort, his brain bursting apart. Crack... Fang Ye''s entire body exploded. The next moment, the blood and bones from his body were dragged into the blood sea by the myriad of skeleton soldiers. As Fang Ye died in an instant, the blood sea in the sky dissolved into nothingness, and the sky reverted to dusk once more. Liu Qianqian was stilltched onto him, weeping incessantly, as if unaware of everything that had just happened. The Fang Family members on the ground were still trembling nonstop, and the students outside the Large Formation were also somewhat afraid; this person didn''t seem like the Ranzi they knew... he seemed more like a demon. "Ran''er..." Only in Kong Yingshu''s heart was there a sense of warmth at this moment. "Grandfather!" Fang Liqun, who was terrified to the point of nearly wetting himself, immediately ran crying to Fang Yuanhao''s side, pointing at Fang Renran and sobbing, "He! He''s simply a demon! He killed my father!!" Humming¡ª "Ah!!" A streak of silver light crossed the sky, and Fang Liqun suddenly let out a hoarse scream. His back was seen to be prated by an Empty Ming Sword, which kept shing his flesh. Until his entire body was cleaved in two. Fang Yuanhao''s eyes widened; he turned shakily, only to see his grandson had already be a corpse. He only felt a cold wetness at his back; he hadn''t even seen the strike that had just passed. If that sword had pierced him, he probably would have ended up like Fang Liqun. He was now quite certain that Fang Renran''s strength far surpassed his, to the extent that he could easily kill him. "You... why go to such lengths..." Fang Yuanhao said, his face covered in cold sweat, looking at Fang Renran who was slowly speaking. Fang Renran gave a faint smile, "Why go to such lengths? Back then, when I was in that small market area of Yangming, it was your dear second son who sent assassins to put me to death. If it hadn''t been for Old Lin''s help, my bones would be rotten by now." Fang Yuanhao was taken aback; such a matter he had never heard before. However, he was somewhat aware of the strife between his eldest son and his second son, but he felt, Fang Ye wouldn''t go so far as to want to kill Fang Renran. Fang Renran''s gaze swept over the Fang Family members and he spoke out, "Your Fang Family, except for Fang Zheng and Fang Jing whom I encountered on the battlefield, there is not a single one of you with a backbone! Fearful of death, you do not aid those in danger; countlesspatriots are shedding their blood and giving their lives outside, while you cower like bugs under dark stones! Clinging to life!" "You are also a Fang Family person!" Fang Yuanhao said. "A Fang Family person? What if I were a good-for-nothing? Would you then say I was a bastard?" Fang Renran retorted coldly. "Ran''er!" Kong Yingshu shouted, "No matter what, you are still my son!" "Bullshit! Who''s your son!" Fang Renran suddenly burst with rage. He didn''t know why, but every time he saw this woman, Kong Yingshu, a mix of emotions would well up inside him. Anger, bitterness, iprehension, resentment... "Without you! I''ve lived just fine for over twenty years!" Fang Renran shouted, but in his heart, he didn''t feel quite so assured. In fact, he was very clear that if Fang Zheng hadn''t sent Lin Bozhong to protect him, he would have died a long time ago. If Fang Zheng hadn''t arranged for Shang Han to raise him, he wouldn''t have met Mu Huanqing. If Kong Yingshu hadn''t sent him away from the family, he really would have been bullied within the family. But he was just so furious, and he didn''t want to let Kong Yingshu easily call him son. Chapter 332: Chapter 327: The Death of Fang Lizhong_1 A sudden sentence pierced her heart like a sharp silver needle. Kong Yingshu''s eyes reddened, and she couldn''t control her emotions as she burst into tears. Fang Tong ran over tofort her, looking at the unfamiliar brother in the sky, she didn''t dare to speak. She could feel that this brother, whom she hadn''t seen in over twenty years, harbored very deep andplex emotions. But since he''d just saved their mother, it meant that his heart still held a ce for their family. "Big... Big Brother!" Fang Lizhong on the ground suddenly spoke up to Fang Ren, his face filled with panic. He was now afraid that Fang Ren would y him with a sword as well. "This woman, Big Brother, if you like her, you should''ve told your little brother sooner... I would''ve torn up the marriage agreement without a second word," Fang Lizhong swallowed, trying to curry favor with a sycophantic tone. Fang Ren swept his gaze across Fang Lizhong, feeling no fondness for the man. He vividly remembered that when the beast horde arrived, Fang Lizhong looked at the blood-stained Liu Qianqian with nothing but disdain in his eyes. He had never spoken a word in Liu Qianqian''s defense; if he had truly regarded Liu Qianqian as his fianc¨¦e, he would have at least felt sad for her. But he didn''t, instead, he agreed with his second uncle''s approach¡ªlocking Liu Qianqian out of the Large Formation. "Is Fang Jing your father?" Fang Ren asked. "Yes..." "If you had even one percent of your father''s backbone, you wouldn''t be able to say such things. You wouldn''t lock your fianc¨¦e outside and leave her to be devoured by beasts." "..." Fang Lizhong didn''t know what to say for a moment. He was a bon vivant who loved to drink everywhere; nothing like his father who often fought on the battlefield. His cultivation level was mostly nurtured by medicinal pills. He would never have agreed to the engagement with Liu Qianqian if he hadn''t heard that her Spirit Embryo could aid in cultivation. With so many beauties in Tianjiang, he had always nned to discard Liu Qianqian after taking her Spirit Embryo. He wouldn''t forsake an entire forest for a single flower. "Let go of me." Fang Ren looked at Liu Qianqian; she was holding on too tightly, and he simply couldn''t pull away. He didn''t understand why Liu Qianqian had suddenly be like this. In broad daylight, and with Fang Lizhong right there, she couldn''t possibly be unaware. Yet, she was still kissing him in front of Fang Lizhong. What had given her the courage to disregard everything? "I won''t let go!" Liu Qianqian cried out, "Are you going to make me marry a man who doesn''t care whether I live or die, who wants to treat me like an object and give me to you?" "If you don''t want to marry him, then just dissolve the engagement," Fang Ren said, frowning. "You ask him yourself! When the Liu Family came to call off the engagement, what did he do to them?" Liu Qianqian grew more agitated as she spoke: "He said I didn''t have to marry, but I must give him the Spirit Embryo! And that whenever he wanted, I had to be like a ve at his beck and call! Otherwise, he would kill everyone in the Liu Family!" This event traced back to when Fang Ren, under the name Qing''an, posted an article online about the "Sacred Body." By that time, the Liu Family had already begun nning for Liu Qianqian to focus on her cultivation instead of getting married. After all, once the Spirit Embryo was lost, she wouldn''t be able to practice cultivation anymore. The Liu Family prioritized interests; however, it was clear that Liu Qianqian cultivating would bring better results than an arranged marriage. And the Liu Family wasn''t foolish, they knew very well what kind of person Fang Lizhong was. They knew he treated Liu Qianqian merely as a tool to be used and discarded at any moment. But the Liu Family''s attempt to call off the engagement went as Liu Qianqian described: Fang Lizhong agreed to call it off, but only if Liu Qianqian served him like a ve. Seeing Liu Qianqian''s such grief made it clear how much she had been humiliated by this matter. "Big Brother! Please spare me!" As soon as Fang Lizhong heard her words, he hurriedly said, "I just want to live my own little life! I definitely won''t bother you! The marriage agreement... I''ll tear it up right now! Please don''t kill me!" Fang Lizhong had just finished speaking. "No! Kill him!" Suddenly a girl in a dress began to cry and shout from the side. Fang Ren didn''t recognize the girl, but she was crying vehemently, not seeming scared by the scene that just unfolded, rather her wails were filled with resentment. "Linlin?" Fang Tong recognized the girl. She was the daughter of Fang Lizhong''s mother''s sister, Fang Lizhong''s aunt. Since her parents had gone missing on the battlefield, she had no choice but to live with her brother in the Fang Familypound year-round. "Xu Linlin?" When Fang Lizhong saw the young woman, he became agitated and quickly scolded her, "What are you doing out here! Go back inside!" "Young Master Fang!" Xu Linlin suddenly ran over to Fang Ren''s side, knelt down hard on the ground, her knees bleeding: "Please kill him! I beg you! Kill this beast for me!!" She pointed at Fang Lizhong, screaming as if mad, teeth clenched: "This beast! He wouldn''t even spare his cousin! I even suspect that my parents'' disappearance back then was orchestrated by him!" "Xu Linlin, what rubbish are you talking?!" Fang Lizhong suddenly charged up, sending True Qi towards Xu Linlin with a sweep of his hand. Seeing this, Fang Tong immediately ran over to pull Xu Linlin to her side, ring at Fang Lizhong as she shouted, "Third Brother! What can''t you let her say? Could it be that you really did something despicable to her?" "Fang Tong! She''s crazy! You believe her?" Fang Lizhong clenched his teeth, his emotions bing more and more intense, nothing like his previous cowardly pleading. "You''re talking nonsense!" Fang Tong yelled angrily: "Even if Linlin has depression, it doesn''t mean she''s crazy. She often goes to school with me; I understand her very well!" "You know she has depression! How could her mind possibly be normal!" Fang Lizhong bellowed in anger. "Fang Lizhong! I am your own cousin! To hide your own crimes, you forced me to have so many abortions! How could I not be depressed!" Xu Linlin was even more hysterical. "You''re still spouting nonsense!" As Fang Lizhong circted his True Qi and was about to strike again, Fang Tong suddenly turned around and kicked him. Due to years of being hollowed out by wine and women,bined with Fang Tong''s exceptional talent, Fang Lizhong was no match for Fang Tong at all. "Did he really do these things to you?" Fang Tong looked at Xu Linlin in shock. "This beast has been torturing me day and night!" Xu Linlin''s voice grew shriller, as she kept screaming, "I wanted to expose his crimes to the Family Head! But he threatened me saying that the Family Head would only protect the Fang Family''s honor and choose to protect him! All these years! Every time I ran away, he would catch me and degrade me like an animal! Discover hidden tales at m,v l''e-NovelBin He even threatened my life by holding my brother''s life over me!" By the end of her screaming, her voice had be hoarse. A series of shrieks cast a shadow over the entire family. Fang Yuanhao''s face also broke out in more cold sweat. Xu Linlin is indeed Fang Lizhong''s own aunt''s daughter. If he could do such a thing... Watching this scene unfold, Fang Ren now fully believed what Liu Qianqian had just said; if he did not intervene in this matter, Fang Lizhong might indeed treat Liu Qianqian like a ve. Otherwise, he would lead people to kill all the members of the Liu Family. Fang Tong hurriedly used her True Qi to check Xu Linlin''s physical body. Secondster, she waspletely dumbfounded. Xu Linlin''s lower abdomen was no longer what a young girl should have, covered in scars, blood vessels swollen, marked by countless abortions that had degraded a young girl to this state. "Fang Lizhong!" Fang Tong was furious, "Those sleazy boys at school have been spreading bad rumors about you, I never thought they were true!" "Tongtong! Don''t believe her! This cheap slut was catting around with men on her own! What does that have to do with me!" Fang Lizhong shouted. "Young Master Fang! I beg you, kill him! Please! Otherwise, my brother and I will both die at the hands of this beast!" Xu Linlin suddenly knelt down towards Fang Ren, banging her head against the ground with such force that it immediately drew blood. She looked as if she intended to head-bang herself to death on the spot. Fang Ren instantly sent out a stream of True Qi to protect Xu Linlin''s forehead, his gaze turning towards Fang Yuanhao. "Family Head Fang, you couldn''t possibly be unaware of this affair, could you?" Cold sweat broke out even more urgently on Fang Yuanhao''s forehead. Xu Linlin had truly run to him and cried about these things before, but he chose to ignore them. After all, in his eyes, the Fang Family could not afford such a scandal, and he couldn''t bear to punish his own dear grandson. He could only berate Fang Lizhong a few times and then expel Xu Linlin from the Fang Family. Who would have thought that Fang Lizhong would end up capturing Xu Linlin again and even told him that letting Xu Linlin go might result in her further tarnishing the Fang Family''s reputation outside. Ultimately, things turned out this way. At this moment, he really didn''t dare to say another word; to speak falsely might result in Fang Ren killing him with a sword, and the truth could lead to even more trouble. Seeing Fang Yuanhao''s demeanor, Fang Ren knew in his heart that Fang Yuanhao had covered up the affair. "The Fang Family is indeed riddled with a thousand wounds; no wonder it''s split into two factions." After saying this, Fang Ren''s hand holding the Empty Ming Sword directly severed the legs of Fang Lizhong who was on the ground. Buzz¡ª Blood gushed everywhere. For a moment, Fang Lizhong rolled on the ground, continuously begging for mercy, "Brother! Brother! I was wrong! Don''t kill me! I''ll change!" "A three-year-old child, who can change after making a mistake, is a good child," Fang Ren said. After finishing his words, he threw the Empty Ming Sword to Xu Linlin: "Take care of your own affairs." Xu Linlin looked at the Empty Ming Sword that fell beside her, then turned to look at Fang Lizhong who had lost his legs. Without hesitation, she picked up the Empty Ming Sword and pounced on Fang Lizhong. She kept chopping at him, her hoarse voice shouting unintelligibly, no one knew what she was saying, but everyone could see just how crazed she had be. Chopping, incessantly chopping. Until Fang Lizhong ended up a pile of bones, she kept chopping while crying. Finally, exhausted, she stopped. She looked up to the sky and cried. Years of hatred were finally released in that moment. Fang Ren looked at Fang Yuanhao and spoke, "If you wish to seek revenge for your son or grandson, remember to find me. But by then, apart from a few people in the Fang Family whom I consider decent, I will have exterminated the rest." Fang Yuanhao disyed a wry smile, "Aren''t you a member of the Fang Family too?" "I am not." Fang Ren turned away as he said this, True Qi gathering around his body to form wind, which coalesced into a hundred-meter nk on the ground. With Fang Ye dead, it was time for him to leave. But before going, he wanted to ensure his ssmates were taken care of. He had no intention of leaving them in this disgusting ce. Chapter 333: Chapter 328: Irreparable Guilt_1 "Everyone,e up; I''ll take you to another ce," Fang Ren beckoned to his ssmates. He had already used his Divine Sense to scan the vicinity of the Fang Family Estate and did not detect the presence of the snake''s head, uncertain where that head had been taken. The crowd did not hesitate to step onto the hundred-meter windboard, as no one wanted to remain at the Fang Family''s ce for long. Fang Ye''s callousness and Fang Lizhong''s sleaziness made everyone feel there was not a single trustworthy peer in the Fang Family. Of course, Fang Ren and Fang Tong who hade to rescue them were the exceptions. Just as Fang Ren was about to leave, he turned his head back to look at the girl named Xu Linlin. She had already stopped crying, holding the Empty Ming Sword given to her by Fang Ren, and was moving it towards her own neck. Fang Ren immediately turned the Empty Ming Sword into air, preventing Xu Linlin''s suicide. Xu Linlin stared at Fang Ren with a nk expression: "Why... My life is clearly meaningless now." "Is your brother not alive anymore?" Fang Ren asked. "..." Hearing about her brother, Xu Linlin''s expression became pained again. Yes, if she died, what would happen to her brother? He was still so young, would she really just abandon him at the Fang Family? "Young Master... can you take us with you?" Xu Linlin asked. "Bring back your brother." Hearing Fang Ren''s words, Xu Linlin quickly wiped the tears off her face and dashed into the house. "Ran''er..." Seeing Fang Ren about to leave, Kong Yingshu felt an immense sense of reluctance. They had only just met for a few minutes, and they were already parting so soon. She hadn''t even had the chance to have a proper conversation with him. Fang Ren slightly furrowed his brows and turned to look back at Fang Yuanhao: "It''s time for you to fulfill your duties as the Family Head. I hope we won''t be enemies." After speaking, he saw Xu Linlin running onto the windboard with her brother, who looked about four years old. Fang Ren did not linger any longer and took everyone with him, flying in another direction towards Tianjiang. Not until his figure disappeared did the tense atmosphere among the Fang Family members slightly rx. Fang Yuanhao wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, understanding Fang Ren''s final words. They were a warning to properly protect Kong Yingshu and Fang Tong. If something happened to them at the Fang Family, Fang Ren would be his enemy. ---- ---- At this very moment, the soldiers at sea had already inflicted considerable damage on the Giant Snake, but they still could not stop its movements. "There''s no choice left! If it advances, it will reach the edge of Tianjiang! Quickly activate the Tianjiang Coast barrier formation!" Bai Chaojin shouted. "Although the barrier formation is sturdy, given the power of this Giant Snake, it''s estimated that it will break in a few hours!" a General said. "It''s better than nothing! As long as we hold out, this beast will definitely die!" Xia Mo shouted, "Activate the coast barrier formation! Notify all major families in Tianjiang to evacuate immediately! This Giant Snake will crush arge area of Tianjiang within two hours!" "Right! What about the Giant Snake''s head? Has Fang Ren note back yet?" Bai Chaojin asked. "He''s not been seen yet!" a soldier said, "But the beasts have not returned yet. Presumably, Young Master Fang has managed to hold them off." ... At the edge of a forest by the Tianjiang Coast, Xia Fu Lan was hiding in a thicket with the enormous ck snake''s head, quietly observing everything before her. "It seems they''re going to use the coast barrier formation," Xia Fu Lan sneered, "Well, in that case, Mu Huanqing will surely protect the other soldiers and enter the formation first. When I transport the head underwater, Mu Huanqing will certainly die outside the formation!" As the Giant Snake''s body drew closer and closer to the barrier, arge number of soldiers in the sky began to retreat. Only the highest-ranking officers in the Xuanyang realm and above held the front line. Seeing this, Xia Fu Lan immediately jumped into the seawater, flying towards the Giant Snake. The moment the Giant Snake''s head touched the water, the eight heads of the distant serpent attacked the soldiers frantically, as if they had gone mad. "As expected, as long as it can sense the head, it wille this way," Xia Fu Lan thought, feeling the distant battle. She was ted, knowing she could now use the snake head to change the direction and control where the Giant Snake would go. "As long as I keep the Giant Snake always chasing Mu Huanqing''s position, then there''s no fear that she can escape!" ---- ---- Meanwhile, Fang Ren led the group to the skies above the Mu Family Manor. The area was currently under attack by hordes of Void Beasts while the soldiers of the Mu Family, led by Mu Qing Mountain, fought against the beasts and rescued the wounded from outside. Indeed, there was a stark contrast with the Fang Family. "We''re about to go into battle; it''s time to let me go," Fang Ren gave Liu Qianqian''s shoulder a pat. "You almost left me to someone despicable!" Liu Qianqian eximed loudly. She was still crying, from the moment she met Fang Ren up until now. Fang Ren exhaled deeply, understanding she must have been terribly frightened by the previous events. It was indeed true if Fang Lizhong hadn''t died, he would have found a way to threaten her, regardless of whether she annulled the engagement or not. "Isn''t everything alright now?" Fang Ren said. "It''s not! You have to take responsibility for me!" Liu Qianqian insisted firmly. "That thing... you know it''s not possible," Fang Ren replied, at a loss for words. How was he supposed to take responsibility for something he never did? He and Hui Qing already had a child. "If you don''t want to take responsibility, then give me back my Spirit Embryo! No... even if you gave it back to me, you''d still have to take responsibility!" Liu Qianqian bit her lip, her temper ring as she punched his shoulder hard, tears flowing nonstop. Fang Ren really didn''t understand what she was talking about; her Spirit Embryo was gone, but he hadn''t done anything to her, so why was she acting as if he had wronged her in some way? "What exactly happened to your Spirit Embryo?" Fang Ren was eager to know the details of the matter. ``` Without the Spirit Embryo, Liu Qianqian can only be an ordinary person from now on. "I gave it to you!" Liu Qianqian cried. Fang Ren sighed, he nned to wait until Liu Qianqian''s emotions had calmed down before asking her about it. "You are too tired, take a rest." Fang Ren raised his hand, intending to knock her unconscious. "I don''t want to!" Liu Qianqian buried her head in his shoulder again, her voice beginning to soften: "Don''t knock me out, I don''t want to wake up and not see you again..." "Then get down." "Understood." Seeing that he was about to use force, Liu Qianqian could onlyply. But before getting down, she still fiercely kissed Fang Ren on the lips. Fang Ren quickly dodged, and Liu Qianqian wiped her tears, looking like a little girl before she finally got off him. Seeing that she finally got down, Fang Ren once again unleashed the sea of blood behind him, picked up the sickle and charged towards the Mu Family Manor. Liu Qianqian had justnded on the air board when her female ssmates immediately crowded around her. "Hey, Qian Qian! Did you get knocked silly from fighting! He''s even been in the same bed with Madame Xuan!" "Exactly! Where''s your usual poise! Why are you acting like you''re desperately throwing your life away!" "What exactly did he do to you! Must you take responsibility? You couldn''t possibly have really done it with him, could you!?" "Do you know, Madame Xuan really will kill you!" ... The girls around her spoke one after another, but Liu Qianqian did not care much; she just watched Fang Ren below, saying nothing. When she faced the moment near death, she decided to be reckless. Would Mu Huanqing really kill her? She didn''t know, but she wasn''t afraid either; although she had lost the Spirit Embryo, it had given her an unprecedented courage. "The ss president is screwed," Jing Haichuan sighed beside her: "Ranzi is probably screwed too, Madame Xuan will definitely go to Jing Style Shop to buy a small whip, and whip Ranzi non-stop every night." "Damn, that image... Can Ranzi withstand it?" Li Xingwang couldn''t help but let his imagination run wild. The dense scent of death pervaded the sky, and soon Fang Ren had driven back the beast horde. He had killed tens of thousands, but this number was still smallpared to the vastness of the beast tide. These Void beasts were very afraid of him; within half a minute of his entering the battlefield, the beasts had already begun to flee upon seeing him. Watching the retreating beast horde, Mu Qing Mountain, covered in blood, breathed a sigh of relief. He originally thought that the Mu Family Estate would be done for, but upon seeing the sudden descent of the red light from the sky, as if an invincible deity hade down to earth, he suddenly felt very emotional. Initially, Fang Ren was just a boy who couldn''t even cultivate, but now, with a wave of his hand, he had killed tens of thousands of creatures. His growth had been too fast. In fact, he should have known long ago, how could an ordinary person with no cultivation manage to shatter the Sun Stone just by testing his talent? "Mu Family Grandfather, my ssmates have no ce to take refuge, I''d like to ask for your help," Fang Ren retracted his aura and spoke to Mu Qing Mountain. Mu Qing Mountain retracted his True Qi, shook his head and smiled: "You saved tens of thousands of lives in my estate, how could I not agree to your request?" "Thank you, please take good care of them," he said. With that, Fang Ren let down a group of students from the sky. "This is... the Mu Family Manor? The family of Madame Xuan?" Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin "My God! I never thought I''d see the day when I coulde to the Mu Family Manor! It feels kind of dreamy!" "Girls! Hold down the ss president! Don''t let her act impulsively again!" Teacher Huang immediately ordered. This was the ce where Mu Huanqing''s elders lived, if Liu Qianqian did something out of line, the consequences would be unimaginable! "You must have been to the central battlefield, right? How''s the situation now?" Mu Qing Mountain asked. "Gruesome," Fang Ren said: "But we have control over one of the serpent heads, I believe the situation is turning around." Mu Qing Mountain sighed: "How are Qing''er and Tianyuan?" "When I left, they were still temporarily out of danger," Fang Ren did not dare to guarantee their current situation. "Then you better get back there." Mu Qing Mountain frowned: "I need to hurry and help the other families." The situation was urgent, and Fang Ren did not linger any longer, turning towards the sky. "Fang Ren!!" she shouted. As he was leaving, he saw Liu Qianqian on the ground, held by several of her female ssmates. She was still crying, watching him, and continuously saying something. But he was already far away, only hearing her shout his name. That heartbreaking feeling, that reluctance... what was wrong with her? She said the Spirit Embryo was inside his body... Fang Ren couldn''t help but reflect on the past events. Suddenly, he stopped, standing there stunned. Guilt! An intense guilt, an unamendable sense of guilt! It burst open in his heart. ``` Chapter 334: Chapter 329: Only Half a Body Left_1 When he was struggling on the submarine because of the drugs, he clearly remembered sending a message on his phone. And the recipient of that message was, without a doubt, the crying Liu Qianqian. Did the Ember n release him in such a short time? Why did he wake up on the beach of Tianjiang? Why wasn''t the talent grafted onto Bai Qi? Why was his strength even greater now? In the void space, the purple light that little Qianye was holding? Liu Qianqian behaving so abnormally? ... In an instant, everything became clear. He hadn''t carried out the Ember n with Bai Qi; it was Liu Qianqian who had brought him from the submarine to the beach. And the uncontrolled desire he had, he had vented it all on Liu Qianqian. It was he who had taken Liu Qianqian''s Spirit Embryo; it was his actions that almost led Liu Qianqian to die protecting her ssmates. Had she had the Spirit Embryo, she wouldn''t have been so vulnerable... And before, when he had treated Liu Qianqian, thatrge red mark on her neck¡ªhe had thought it was an injury from battle, but now that he thought about it, he must have been kicked in the head by a donkey! If a strike from a Void beast hit the neck, most humans would have no chance of surviving; even if they did, their neck would explode into a mass of flesh and blood. That was obviously a mark left from frenzied intimacy. Fang Ren''s mind became chaotic; he was relieved he hadn''t done that with Bai Qi. But taking away Liu Qianqian''s cultivation level, that saddened him far more than if something had happened between him and Bai Qi. That was something she only had one of in her life, even fatally precious, and she had given it to him along with her body. What was she going to do now? As the young miss of the Liu Family, which always put interests first, without the Spirit Embryo to cultivate, she would definitely be a tool in a political marriage again. Without the ability to cultivate or Spirit Embryo to enhance another''s cultivation level, even if she married someone decent, she wouldn''t be treated very well. If she married someone bad, like Fang Lizhong, what would her future be like? Moreover, the Liu Family would never let her marry amoner. As long as the marriage could benefit the Liu Family, they would rather force her to be an underground mistress for a man from arger family. How could any aristocratic son be willing to marry a woman without cultivation? Go back! He must go back and apologize to her! Fang Ren''s head was about to explode; the more he thought about it, the more he felt he had ruined Liu Qianqian''s life. A red streak cut through the sky, but just as it was about to reach the Mu Family estate, it stopped suddenly. Apologize? What would he say going there? In front of Mu Qingshan, what was he to say to Liu Qianqian? To have Mu Qingshan watch while another girl beside his granddaughter kissed him? Wouldn''t the entire Mu Family estate be turned upside down? "Damn it!" After cursing himself, Fang Ren still chose to fly towards the central battlefield. With the battle so intense, he hadn''t found the head yet; what if some Void beast took it back! ¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª "Why does this guy''s actions seem a bit strange?" Bai Chaojin looked at the movement direction of the Nine-headed Serpent and felt increasingly that something was wrong. "It seems very anxious and is trying to break through the defensive line to the shore," Xia Mo said. "Could its head have been stolen?" "Impossible, right? Fang Ren''s strength is simply stronger than all the District Chiefs present! How could it be so easily stolen?" Xia Mo nced at the coast, where there was nothing. "Pay extra attention to the coast! But with this beast throwing its formation into disarray, it''s a good opportunity for us to attack! We can''t miss out!" With that, everyone put aside the step of dragging into the coast Barrier Formation and instead focused on attacking the ck Snake. Mu Huanqing was the most aggressive de present, and in this intense attack, she was bound to charge at the forefront. Just as everyone was fighting fiercely, suddenly a soldier from behind shouted, "Look at the sky above the shore! It seems to be Fang Ren!" In the distance near the coast, Fang Ren was using all his cultivation techniques to desperately rush towards the central battlefield. As soon as he returned to the battlefield, he sensed the aura of that snake head near the coast, but it wasn''t quite precise. However, as he continued to approach the battlefield, he suddenly detected from the edge of his mind''s eye that a woman underwater was holding the Giant Snake''s head and speeding toward the Giant Snake. This woman wasn''t nning to give the snake head to someone else but to the Giant Snake itself! "Below the sea! Watch out for the waters below! There is a traitor!" Fang Ren used his cultivation technique to amplify his voice, hoping someone on the battlefield could react. But by then it was already toote. Xia Fu Lan had already broken through the edge of the Formation and arrived at the feet of the Giant Snake. "Mu Huanqing! You go to hell!" Xia Fu Lan threw the head in her hands forcefully at the Giant Snake. The next moment, a section of the snake body, broken off at the sea''s surface, suddenly plunged into the water, and the crack of the severed head entwined with the snake head thrown by Xia Fu Lan. "Roar!" The Giant Snake got its head and began to bellow to the sky,pletely ignoring the attacks of the people on it. "What''s wrong with this guy?" Everyone was on alert, with Fang Ren having just mentioned a traitor under the sea. No one had time to look underwater, and suddenly the Giant Snake was acting like it had gone mad, dropping its defenses. Bang! Just as everyone was perplexed, the sea suddenly exploded. The Giant Snake''s ninth head shot out from the water. In an instant, the sky and earth changed color again, the dusky sky was overshadowed by dark clouds. Even the vast Tianjiang Continent was covered by the dark clouds. "The...the ninth head... is connected!?" "Retreat! Forget everything and activate the Large Formation!" "Hurry up! Everyone, get back here! Don''t just stand there!" ... The footsteps of the human warriors were in disarray. Just as all the soldiers were evacuating, Mu Huanqing suspended herself in the sky. She looked down at Xia Fu Lan under the sea, a surge of rage uncontrobly welling up within her. "Xia Fu Lan! You traitor!" Mu Huanqing, disregarding the giant snake in itsplete form, turned around and charged into the sea. She could no longer contain her anger. So many warriors of the Tianjiang Continent had died tragically to kill the giant snake, and yet Xia Fu Lan had betrayed them all¡ªturning the snake into itsplete form! Today, Xia Fu Lan must die! Years ago, so many of her sisters from the Nine Heavens Corps were left boneless because of Xia Fu Lan''s betrayal! And now Xia Fu Lan was once again attempting to kill her kin! Mu Huanqing was driven to madness. Seeing that Mu Huanqing had discovered her, Xia Fu Lan started to flee towards the distance. "Qing''er! Come back quick!" Mu Tianyu suddenly shouted out from outside therge formation. Just then, outside the formation, the nine-headed serpent had gathered a purple orb of light in its nine heads, aiming it straight at Mu Huanqing flying towards the sea floor. "Qing''er!" Shang Han, in the distance, was utterly petrified with fear, his forbidden technique activated at full power to enhance his cultivation level, as he rushed out with a belief that he must face certain death. Mu Tianyu, who was closer to the formation, instinctively rushed out to pull Mu Huanqing back. But she was quickly restrained by several dozen soldiers around her. "Chief Mu! You might die if you go out there!" "Chief Mu! Be calm! You could die if you rush out! You might even impede her!" "Hold back the Ninth District Chief! He''s gravely injured! Don''t let him go out! The Barrier Formation might be activated at any moment! Then you won''t be able to get back in!" ... The crowd sessfully restrained Shang Han and the husband-and-wife duo, Mu Tianyu. They were all too aware that Mu Huanqing''s cultivation level was stronger than both of theirs. With Mu Huanqing''s level of cultivation, she might still manage to escape back inside the formation at the critical moment, whereas the couple might instead be a burden to her. In the distance, Fang Ren could no longer care about anything else and took out all the ughter Heaven Pills from his ring. He swallowed thirteen ughter Heaven Pills in one go. Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin Hum¡ª A purple glow suddenly covered the sky. The giant purple orb in the mouth of the nine-headed serpent rushed towards Mu Huanqing. Just as Mu Huanqing was about to kill Xia Fu Lan, she was suddenly overwhelmed by a suffocating purple qi in the air around her, pinning her in ce, unable to move. She turned her head to see a massive purple light beam charging towards her, while her True Qi felt suppressed and immobile. "Huanqing!" A beam of red light burst forth from the human army. No one could stop Fang Ren; he moved too fast, all his cultivation techniques activated at once, having swallowed all the ughter Heaven Pills. He had to save Mu Huanqing! "Asura ughter de!" Peak Martial Prowess! Sevenfold of the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat! Mental Attack! All offensive cultivation techniques were reinforced in an instant. With the enhancement of Peak Martial Prowess, the Blood Sickle in his hand extended for kilometers, with an ocean of blood surging behind him. Boom!!! The massive sickle collided with the purple light beam. The huge shock blurred everyone''s vision. But Fang Ren knew best that the purple light beam had not been stopped by him; it was still sweeping towards them. Realizing that it would soon be pierced by the purple light beam, Fang Ren immediately hit Mu Huanqing with a cultivation technique, sending her flying back to Mu Tianyu''s side. A thunderous sound erupted. The Barrier Formation activated, enveloping everyone but Fang Ren within its protection. Fang Ren rxed as he saw Mu Huanqing falling inside the formation. He began to turn and flee; the full-strength beam of the peak-condition nine-headed serpent was something he could not withstand. But the light beam was too fast; he wouldn''t make it. Hum¡ª The light beam pierced through half his body and mmed against the formation. Endless thunderous roars shattered the eardrums of countless lower-level practitioners, some even vomiting blood and dying on the spot. But fortunately, the formation withstood the peak-condition strike of the nine-headed serpent. Outside the now-active formation, smoke was everywhere. The roaring of the nine-headed serpent continued, triumphant and proud as if it were a victor. Mu Huanqing stood there, dumbfounded, as she watched the scene outside the formation, her heart feeling as though it had been ripped in half. When the smoke dispersed... A human figure, now only half a body, floated motionless in the air. In his one hand, he still clutched the Blood Red Scythe. This image lodged itself in Mu Huanqing''s throat like a fishbone. She opened her mouth but couldn''t breathe, nor could she cry out his name. Tears flowed endlessly from her eyes as she trembled, her hands digging into her own palms, blood constantly flowing. It was only after a few seconds. She broke down in tears. "Ah Ran!!!" Chapter 335: Chapter 330: Nightfall Returns_1 In that instant, Fang Ren had chosen death to protect Mu Huanqing. No one expected that at thest moment, they managed to stop Mu Tianyuan and Shang Han, but not Fang Ren. Standing among the crowd, Song Mobei watched the sky where only half of Fang Ren''s body remained and could only bitterly curse, "Serves him right!" In truth, he had wanted to find an opportunity to save Mu Huanqing too, for after all, these kinds of acts that made one stand out and win a beauty''s favor were what Song Mobei enjoyed risking it all for. But regrettably, the fear that the Nine-headed Serpent instilled in him was simply too overpowering, and in the end, he gave up on saving Mu Huanqing. However, after Fang Ren rushed out, he began to feel relieved about his decision. To sacrifice his own life for a woman was an act of folly Song Mobei would nevermit. After all, Mu Huanqing would only marry a man who is alive. ... While everyone was still reeling from the shock of what had just transpired, Boom! A thunderous explosion reverberated. Within the Barrier Formation, Mu Huanqing''s Spirit Form soared to the sky. The aura emanating from her becamepletely wild, striking countless human warriors and sending them flying away. "I''ll kill you!!" Her voice was hoarse with furious screaming, the extreme anger and sorrow causing her to lose all reason. The gigantic silver Hundred Martial Divine Weapon in her hands was ferociously mmed onto the Barrier Formation. Bang! In an instant, the sea flew into the sky, and more human warriors were repelled a mile away. "Ah! Ah!!!" She screamed, using all her strength to continuously drag the massive Divine Weapon across the barrier. She had gone entirely mad. She wasn''t considering how the warriors behind her would survive once the Large Formation shattered, nor did she care what would be of the human world without the barrier. She didn''t even think about whether she was a match for the Nine-headed Serpent. At this moment, her heart was filled with endless hatred. She wanted to kill the beast that had harmed Fang Ren! By whatever means necessary! No matter how much blood was shed! No matter how many lives were sacrificed! The life of Fang Ren! She must make this beast pay today! Mu Huanqing''s sudden descent into frenzied madness was something that no one could have anticipated. Everyone was stunned. She was Mu Huanqing, the warrior known as Lady Xuan on the battlefield, almost god-like. Even in the most brutal wars, she would never lose her sanity, and no matter how many warriors died, she would still make decisions to protect more people with a calm mindset... But what had happened to her now? What had driven her to such madness? What could make her disregard the lives of so many warriors behind her? Was it all just for a Fang Ren? But this is a battlefield, where countless warriors like Fang Ren have already fallen. She shouldn''t be acting like this. "What''s wrong with Lady Xuan? Hurry and stop her! If the Barrier Formation breaks, the consequences are unimaginable!" "We can''t get through! She seems to have lost her will to live! Anyone who goes near will get hit by mistake!" "We can''t just watch her continue like this! Even if the Barrier Formation isn''t destroyed, she will lose her fighting strength due to exhaustion of True Qi!" ... In the midst of themotion, Mu Tianyu, who was Mu Huanqing''s mother, was the first to attempt to stop her. But soon she retreated. The range of Mu Huanqing''s attacks was too wide, and she couldn''t get close. Moreover, Mu Huanqing, like a reckless madwoman, was not responding to her calls. "Shang Han! You damn let go of me!" On the other side, the heavily injured Fang Zheng, who was not much better off than Mu Huanqing, had bloodshot eyes, like a wild beast that had lost its mind. His own son was killed right before his eyes; he must make the enemy feel pain today, even if it meant death. But his injuries were too severe, and coupled with the strong restraint from Shang Han and his group, he did not attack the Large Formation like Mu Huanqing did. "Brother Zheng! Calm down! If you die, what will happen to your wife and Tongtong? And who will protect Tianjiang?" Shang Han was also emotionally stirred. Fang Ren was the child he had raised for twenty-two years. Now that he was dead, how could his heart be at ease? But if he, too, lost his sanity like Fang Zheng now, then Tianjiang would surely fall! "If you don''t let go, do you believe I would chop you down?" Fang Zheng raised his red eyes and bellowed at Shang Han! Bang! Suddenly, Xia Mo appeared behind him and struck his neck with a palm. Fang Zheng lost consciousness and slumped down. "Take him to the rear of the battlefield!" Xia Momanded: "The rest of the Array Masters,e with me! We have to find a way to restrain Mu Huanqing''s movements! We must not let anything happen to her!" "Yes!" Suddenly, Xia Mo led thousands of Array Masters towards the vicinity of Mu Huanqing under her barrage of attacks. The Array Masters began to use their Cultivation Techniques to weaken the flow of Mu Huanqing''s True Qi, hoping she would tire more quickly and regain herposure. But they miscalcted. At this time, Mu Huanqing was even willing to attack them! "Today, nobody can stop me!!" At this moment, she became a madwoman, grabbing the Hundred Martial Divine Weapon and smashing it against the Large Formation in front of Xia Mo. Seeing this, Bai Chaojin hurriedly shouted, "Mu Huanqing! Even if you break open the Large Formation, it''s impossible to take revenge for Fang Ren! If you really want to avenge him, you should first calm down!" But Mu Huanqing simply couldn''t listen to any of this now. In her eyes, the worst-case scenario was to die alongside Fang Ren. "Qing''er! Stop it right now!" Mu Tianyuan saw that Mu Huanqing was out of control and knew that probably only that matter could bring back her sanity. She rushed into Mu Huanqing''s attack range, shouting at her, "You foolish girl! If you die, what about your child? She has just been born! Do you want her to grow up without a father or a mother?" Hum¡ª¡ª The Hundred Martial Divine Weapon suddenly stopped in the sky. This sentence, like a needle piercing Mu Huanqing''s heart, made her want to continue breaking out of the Large Formation to avenge Fang Ren, but the pain in her heart kept reminding her that her child had just been born. If she died like Fang Ren, then the child would indeed have neither a father nor a mother. Thump! The enormous Hundred Martial Divine Weapon fell from her hands and dropped into the vast sea. The expression on her face became incrediblyplicated, full of sadness, grief, anger, heartache... All turned into tears covering her cheeks. "Wuuuah..." Mu Huanqing clutched her arm with one hand, her shoulders constantly jerking as she cried uncontrobly. Mu Tianyuan could only hold her in her arms, her eyes reddening. Nobody expected that Madame Xuan, so crazed just moments ago, would suddenly stop because of Mu Tianyuan''s words. But the weight of that sentence to a mother was truly as heavy as a mountain. The child. You simply can''t ignore a child. Everyone was both shocked and moved. The Mu Huanqing who was like a war goddess on the battlefield, one who had never been close to a man, actually had a child. Who could be the father of her child? To be with a woman like Mu Huanqing? Such envy. But it wasn''t difficult for anyone to discern from Mu Tianyuan''s words that the father of Mu Huanqing''s child was already dead. If Mu Huanqing died, the child would indeed be left without parents... As the Commander-in-Chief, Xia Mo had no time to be concerned about these matters at the moment. He looked outside the Large Formation at the Nine-headed Serpent, which had suddenly stopped attacking and curled up into a ball, writhing and twisting its giant body. "Regroup and reorganize the Formation! It''s changed its course of action again!" Xia Mo shouted. "What is this creature doing?" Onlookers couldn''t help but look toward the sea. They saw the Nine-headed Serpent coiled up, writhing continuously as if several heads were fighting each other. "This beast... seems to be devouring itself..." Seeing this, Bai Chaojin''s pupils dted as he shouted, "Transforming into a dragon! This creature is ascending to be a different life form!" "Transforming into a dragon?!" "I''ve studied Void beasts for over a hundred years at Indra Sky and have seen many that can evolve! ording to various experimental data, once the Nine-headed Serpent bes strong enough, it will integrate its scattered body into one, turning nine heads into one!" "What! Then what are we hiding for? We must take the opportunity while it''s evolving to find a way to kill it! Otherwise, it''ll be even stronger!" "Should we open up the Large Formation again? What if the beast suddenly gives up on evolving? Won''t we suffer heavy casualties?" ... "Open the Large Formation! We have a way to deal with it!" Just as everyone was conflicted, Thousands of dark shadows flew from the distant horizon. That voice belonged to the leading shadow. Upon hearing this, everyone turned their heads and saw tens of thousands of dark shadows flying towards them with a massive Formation. The enormous Formation, entirely white, constantly absorbed energy from its surroundings, acting like a bottomless pit. "The Nightfall Organization!?" "Why have theye at this critical moment! Are we sandwiched by an attack from the rear now?" "No, judging by their leader''s words, it seems they''vee to help us." "Help us? You expect that evil organization to help us?" ... As everyone was gripped by panic, only Xia Mo and Bai Chaojin''s faces revealed a hint of relief mixed with a wistful smile. "As expected, in the end, we are all part of the same Human race. When a natural disaster approaches, we inevitably unite," Xia Mo said. "I hope that girl can surprise me," Bai Chaojin sighed, "If we win this battle, she can even take my head if she wants." Watching the Nightfall Organization approach with the Formation, soldiers around braced themselves. Xia Mo immediately ordered, "Stand down from our allies behind! Activate the Large Formation!" The soldiers hesitated, but since the Commander-in-Chief had dered them allies, it seemed unlikely that Jiang Ling would betray them at this moment. Jiang Ling appeared in front of Bai Chaojin and Xia Mo in a sh, speaking coldly, "I hope that after this great battle, you will make the truth known to all." Bai Chaojin nodded gravely, "That matter, I have long nned to atone for it with my life. The most pressing issue now is to find a way to kill this Void beast; otherwise, it will evolve again." "Cover us." Having said that, Jiang Ling returned to the ranks of the Nightfall Organization. "Activate the Nine Yin Gathering Spirit Array! Prepare to infuse True Qi and activate it!" "Understood!" Chapter 340: Chapter 335: Pointing at the Heavenly Dao_1 Fang Ren is dead... How could this be? In a daze, a familiar feeling over the sea made Bai Qi slowly turn her head, her gaze looking towards the distant ocean. That was a gray giant tree reaching into the sky, hanging with countless bodies of void beasts. "Little Qianye..." Within Bai Qi''s body was half of Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root, and she could feel most of Little Qianye''s emotions. At this moment, she felt an ineffable sorrow from the giant tree. She believed it, Fang Ren was truly dead. "Why did this happen..." Bai Qi stared nkly at Little Qianye, which had turned into the giant tree, muttering to herself. "I''ve tried so hard... I''ve be strong enough to protect you... Why did it still end up like this..." Readtest chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin Her eyes suddenly became red, and tears lingered at the corners of her eyes. Seeing Bai Qi''s vines loose their grip on Mu Huanqing''s Hundred Martial Divine Weapon, Song Mobei immediately hid behind Bai Qi and said indignantly, "Junior Sister Qi''er! For Madame Xuan to nder without evidence, shouldn''t you detain her first?" Bai Qi ignored him, just staring nkly at Little Qianye turned into a giant tree, letting the anger and sorrow in her heart swell uncontrobly. As the Commander-in-Chief, and as the elder of Mu Huanqing, Xia Mo was still trying to persuade her, "Hui Qing, calm down first. We''ll follow you to Tiandao Sword Sect. If things are really as you said, then you won''t even have to act; the Sect Master of Tiandao will execute his own daughter publicly." "What I want is not just Xia Fu Lan''s death; I want every person in Tiandao Sword Sect to join him in death!" shouted Mu Huanqing. With those words, Mu Huanqing''s Hundred Martial Divine Weapon began to activate once again. Seeing Bai Qi distracted and unreliable for protection, Song Mobei turned and fled in another direction. Seeing Mu Huanqing looking like she was going to kill Song Mobei, Xia Mo quickly moved to stop her. But Xia Mo''s True Qi was already running low, only able to barely block Mu Huanqing''s attacks. "Hui Qing! You must not be a demon who ughters innocently!" Xia Mo shouted, hoping Mu Huanqing would regain some sense, even if just a sliver. "The rest of you, help out! First, let''s stabilize her! Remember not to hurt her!" The other warriors and Array Masters hastily contributed their meager efforts to finally gain temporary control over Mu Huanqing again. Bang! Suddenly, a sword shadow struck Xia Mo from within the crowd. Xia Mo blocked the attack and turned in shock, only to see the attacker was a female soldier d in Silver Battle Armor. One of the Nine Heavens Corps. "Are you going to be reckless with her as well!" eximed Xia Mo, utterly exasperated. He could sense that the female soldier had held back, her purpose merely to express her stance. "Everyone! Stop interfering, or the civil strife within our own race will be of your own making!" As the female soldier''s voice fell, tens of thousands of Silver Armor female soldiers ascended into the sky, arriving behind Mu Huanqing. "Swear to follow Madame Xuan to the death!" Following that, longswords were drawn, pointing at everyone who tried to stop Mu Huanqing, the sound of shing swords echoing to the heavens. Seeing this, the warriors all stopped, for their intention was to calm Mu Huanqing down; fratricide was unthinkable. However, no one had expected Mu Huanqing to be angered to such an extent. "You girls are also behaving irrationally!" Xia Mo was so frustrated that he almost stamped his feet. "Commander-in-Chief! In this matter, please forgive us for not being able to follow your orders." Jiang Ling, who was about to retreat, stopped in his tracks at the sudden esction of events. If Fang Ren''s death was indeed as Mu Huanqing said, due to Xia Fu Lan''s betrayal, then he also wouldn''t let the matter rest. After all, Fang Ren was at the very least a member of Nightfall, and besides, he was the one who had saved his life. "Leader! We have to meddle in this affair!" A member of Nightfall who participated in the Linglong Bay battle suddenly stood up and called out, "Fang Ren was also one of us at Nightfall! If his death has a hidden perpetrator, how could we at Nightfall just let it go?" "That''s right! Since big brother said there was a traitor before he died, we must drag out that traitor and kill him! Otherwise, I damn well can''t face big brother who saved my life!" The man who Fang Ren once called "f*ck" also stood up at this point. His life had been saved by Fang Ren, who he always viewed as his big brother. "Leader! Let''s go along with Lady Xuan as well!" another member shouted. "Let''s go," said Jiang Ling, his expression darkening. Turning around, he ordered: "Anyone who obstructs us will be in without mercy." As his words fell, tens of thousands of Nightfall Members in ck cloaks ascended into the sky and joined the ranks of the Nine Heavens Corps. Jiang Ling drew his ck long knife and came to Mu Huanqing''s side, hacking apart the formations surrounding her. "Commander Xia, it''s time for you to uphold justice," said Jiang Ling as he looked at Xia Mo. "s!" Xia Mo, looking at the myriad figures in the sky, could only let out a deep sigh. He turned and discarded his Sunlight Sword in his hand, and said bitterly, "You two girls promise me, once we get there, at least rify everything before you act. Xia Yuntian, he has contributed much to the Human Race in his life, an upright person, a hero." Without a word, Mu Huanqing turned and flew towards the direction of the Tiandao Sword Sect. Behind her followed a massive army of thousands, a mix of ck and white, vast and formidable. Xia Mo shook his head and turned to follow as well. Jiang Ling wanted him to officiate justice, which actually just meant making everything look more respectable. As long as he, the Commander-in-Chief, was present, whatever Mu Huanqing did would be the right thing. Because if Mu Huanqing did something wrong, with the Commander-in-Chief of the Central Area present, wouldn''t the Commander-in-Chief have the power to stop it? Simrly, if the Commander-in-Chief didn''t stop it while present, it meant Mu Huanqing hadn''t done anything wrong. "We should follow too. When the Nine-headed Serpent''s full form appeared, it was Fang Ren who bore it all alone. Investigating his cause of death is the responsibility we owe him!" A general in the sky spoke up and then followed Xia Mo toward the distance. "General Liang, wait for me; let''s go together." In just a few words, a group of warriors also swiftly followed behind Xia Mo. Bai Chaojin was powerless despite his willingness to help; that blow from Mu Huanqing still caused his blood to surge, and if he were to fly to the Tiandao Sword Sect from here, he''d probably faint from spitting blood halfway there. Moreover, he had very important matters to attend to tomorrow, so he must rest well today. This rest might well be hisst... After all, once the matters of Indra Sky were made public, he would certainly have to redeem himself with death. "Qi''er, are you going as well?" Bai Chaojin''s heart clenched with unspeakable bitterness as he watched his granddaughter standing dazed in the sky. Af all, Fang Ren was her official fianc¨¦ and future grandson-inw of Bai Chaojin. He hated the traitors who betrayed the Human Race and caused Fang Ren to die in battle, but he had no capacity to go to the Sword Sect. "Go! I must go!" Bai Qi suddenly turned her head, and the pressure around her dispersed once again. A surge of unbearable emotion violently erupted. Seeing his granddaughter''s clenched teeth and red eyes, Bai Chaojin finally understood why she was so determined to conduct the experiment this morning ¨C it was all for that Fang Ren. "Yes." Bai Chaojin nodded, suddenly having so much he wanted to say to his granddaughter, but at that moment, he could not find the words. He didn''t want to tell Bai Qi that he was a demon, nor did he want her to know that his experiments resulted from the lives of many warriors. He wanted her to understand that everything her grandfather did was for the Human Race, but he felt that he had no right to say such things. For over the sea, the Spirit Form of Fang Ren that pierced the sky seemed to be constantly telling him¡ªhe had been wrong all along. None of the oues were rted to thews of marriage. Eventually, Bai Chaojin remained silent. He turned around and led the heavily injured generals in the sky towards Tianjiang, which was now roughly eighty percent destroyed. As everyone left, only Bai Qi and the giant gray Spirit Form on the sea''s surface remained in the sky. "Through fire and water..." Looking at the young Qianye before her, memories of Bai Qi''s past flooded her mind like a tide. That day, on the noisy street. It was noon, and the sunlight was a bit harsh. In the crowded crowd, she stepped in a pair of broken white canvas shoes, clutching tightly to a stack of cash Fang Ren gave her, while twenty meters away on the roadside was the figure of Fang Ren with the young Qianye. The street, twenty meters wide, bustled with peopleing and going. Her view was obstructed by the throng, and she couldn''t see Fang Ren clearly. She would never forget how she felt at that time. She was so delighted. Because she was finally free, her marriage no longer bound. She could confidently pursue the person she wanted to spend her life with. But now, looking back, she realized how na?ve she had been. She even arrogantly thought that Fang Ren, upon seeing her beauty, would resolutely refuse to break off the engagement. But now she knew that she looked dirty at the time, how could she have caught Fang Ren''s fancy? And back then, Fang Ren, like a nice guy, knew she was there to break off the engagement but still took her out to eat and gave her money for the trip home. Every time she thought of his face standing by the roadside, her heart ached for a long time. What she thought was within easy reach, reality had taught her that the hearts of two people could be so far apart. "I, Bai Qi, am willing to go through fire and water for you!" That was the most resolute thing she ever said, standing on the street under the zing sun in her life. At the time, she was just too excited about the annulment of the engagement and acted rashly. She never imagined that she would take this impulsive promise so seriously today. ¡­ Behind her, the Rose Cross Sword slowly emerged on the sea''s surface. The roses on it were so enchanting. But they could notpare to the redness of her eyes at that moment. Chapter 341: Chapter 336: Before the Tiandao Sword Sect _1 Bai Qi''s figure skimmed across the sea surface, with the Rose Cross Sword behind her piercing into the water. As she flew swiftly, the ocean split into two. The gray giant tree was still within her range of perception, and her thoughts had yet to emerge from the memories. Stay connected via m-v l|e''-NovelBin The sudden departure of a loved one always leaves one feeling dazed and lost. She would rather believe that everything she was seeing and hearing was just a dream. She wished time could rewind, back to those peaceful days before she proposed the idea of meeting Song Mobei. She wanted the first thing she saw upon waking to be that familiar ssroom, and the desk that belonged to her. On it would surely be the buns that Fang Ren bought for her that morning. ¡ª¡ª Half an hourter, news of the human army''s victory dominated the headlines on major radio stations, microblogs, short video apps... Cheers spread to every corner of the world, and people, overwhelmed with indescribable excitement, rushed to share the news. The normally quiet Dongjiang at night became sleepless due to this news, as people couldn''t help gathering to celebrate. In the Western Regions, where it was still noon, the streets, silent since the start of the war, finally regained their usual hustle and bustle after the battle ended. However, at the same time, another news section ced just below the victory update also attracted innumerable people''s attention. "Humans Have a Traitor!" "The Nine Heavens Corps rush to the Tiandao Sword Sect!" "Traitor," such a jarring word. Generations of ancestors had bought even this slight peace with countless lives, and in this very war, numerous warriors had bravely fought and shed their blood, yet amongst humans there could be traitors! This sudden piece of news angered everyone in the world. Within ten minutes, all major news and social media tforms were flooded with calls to "execute the traitor at all costs." ¡ª¡ª Meanwhile, the medical school ss three at Mu Family Manor, upon hearing that Fang Ren had fallen in the battle zone, first remained silent, then was enveloped by a wave of inexplicable sorrow. "Qian Qian, don''t cry. He... he died a glorious death, he is the pride of everyone in our ss..." Li Xinyue, sitting beside Liu Qianqian, watched her cry uncontrobly and didn''t know how to console her grieving heart. Although she was not always too kind to Fang Ren in ss, he was still her ssmate for many years, and just minutes ago, Fang Ren saved the lives of the entire ss. A living person, suddenly perished on the battlefield, made her very sad too. But this sadness,pared to that of Liu Qianqian beside her, was insignificant. At that moment, Liu Qianqian sat on the ground, her hands covering her head and buried in her knees, continuously crying. Li Xinyue felt that whateverforting words she said now seemed so pale and weak. After all, Fang Ren would never return. "Why did this have to happen..." Liu Qianqian looked very pained, her fingernails harshly digging into the hair beside her ears, her eyes shut tight, her teeth clenched. She seemed to want to cover her ears, not wanting to hear any words offort. She had thought that when she died, Fang Ren would never know about the things between them, but as it turned out, Fang Ren died never knowing what she had given him. Outside the Fang Family''s Large Formation, where Fang Ren had saved her, she finally mustered the courage not even death could deter to have him. She thought that now she finally had the courage, no great difficulty could stop her, only to find that the world didn''t give her a chance. In the blink of an eye, everything was destroyed. Thoughts as vast as rivers flowing into the sea, emotions as multi-threaded as silk, filled with countless joys and sorrows, all could not withstand the cruelty after the withering of life. Seeing this, Teacher Huang hurried over tofort her: "Student Liu Qianqian, no one wants to see this kind of thing happen, but as Li Xinyue said, the death of Fang Ren is worthy of respect from everyone, it is honorable. Even if after a few years, when our ssmates all go their separate ways, even after decades of marriage and having children, I believe none of us will forget what he did for our race." On the other side, Li Xingwang, Jing Haichuan, and a few other guys were also crying a mess. "Ranzi... How could that kid Ranzi just go like that!" "Ranzi was so strong! He could scare away hundreds of thousands of Void beasts! How could he die? This is definitely fake news!" "Whose fucking report is this! I''m banning that reporter''s whole family''s sets tomorrow!" ... The men expressed their sorrow rarely with tears, usually cursing while shedding them. ¡ª¡ª From Central Ind to the Tiandao Sword Sect, it was an extremely long journey. Recalling the Pill Competition, disciples of the Tiandao Sword Sect left three days in advance, traveling at full speed during the day to reach Tianjiang on the opening day. Yet, such a distant journey was traversed by Mu Huiqing in just two hours. The giant valley shrouded in clouds was the entrance to the Tiandao Sword Sect. At this moment, the valley was covered with ayer of golden aura, which isted it from all contact with the outside world, allowing only light to pass through and reveal the views inside and outside the valley. Mu Huiqing dragged the Hundred Martial Divine Weapon behind her, her frantic and disordered anger driving her to relentlessly destroy the Formation that barred her way. The sh of the Divine Weapon with the golden aura caused the forests and earth inside and outside the valley to start copsing, and thement from the air bursting traveled throughout the valley. Atop the peaks of the Tiandao Sword Sect, countless disciples watched the valley trembling in the distance, their faces showing uncertainty. That widely followed piece of news, they too were well aware of it. In all the information from the news, they could only discern two things. Victory, and a traitor. The battle was won, but their Little Princess of the Tiandao Sword Sect was branded a traitor. For the Tiandao disciples who were clueless about the actual situation on the battlefield, their current state of mind was one of confusion, and all they could do was to watch and wait. Watch the Sect Master''s actions, wait for the Sect Master''s words. Just over ten minutes ago, Xia Fu Lan had returned here through a Teleportation Talisman, but upon her arrival, she went straight to the Sword Repository where the Leader of the Tiandao Sword Sect was. Without a word to her fellow sect brothers and sisters, her expression was one of panic,cking the pride and arrogance that the world had bestowed upon her. After disappearing into the repository for over ten minutes, no one knew what she had discussed with the Sect Master. Since Mu Huiqing''s arrival, the roar of the valley hadn''t ceased for even a second. The tremors in the valley seemed to carry not the vibration of air, but rather the hatred she would carry to her grave. As the valley echoed with hundreds of sounds, a white figure finally descended from a tall building in the center of the Sword Sect. That figure slowly, directly, flew toward the source of the valley''s tremors. This figure no longer had the mighty and upright presence of justice and integrity once expected of the Leader of the Tiandao Sword Sect, the presence that stood tall and imposing. Xia Yuntian wore a white Taoist robe, his features aged beyond their appearance earlier that morning. The spine that had been straight since his youth finally bent like that of an old man after his conversation with his daughter. Arriving at the edge of the valley, Xia Yuntian looked at Mu Huiqing who was continuously hacking at the Large Formation outside the barrier, his figure paused mid-air, not moving a step further. At the instant of Xia Yuntian''s appearance, the Hundred Martial Divine Weapon in Mu Huiqing''s hands abruptly stopped, and her bloodshot eyes gradually turned icy. She saw no indication from the old man that he would let her in. Over half an hour had passed since the battle''s end, and although the Tiandao Sword Sect was situated in a valley,munication was never neglected. There''s no way Xia Yuntian would still be oblivious to the situation now. Moreover, Xia Fu Lan must have already returned here through some means; she was definitely already inside the Sword Sect at this moment. Looking at Mu Huiqing, disheveled and brimming with inexorable rage, aplex expression emerged on Xia Yuntian''s aged face, filled with guilt and regret... "How many of us died?" Xia Yuntian''s voice trembled as he spoke. He knew that the number of warriors who died on the battlefield could not be tallied in such a short period of time. But at that moment, aside from those words, what else could make the conversation with Mu Huiqing slightly more dignified? Hearing Xia Yuntian''s words sparked an eruption of hatred in Mu Huiqing''s heart that could not be contained. Her blood-stained face clenched her teeth, and she startedughing coldly, "Why don''t you go ask your daughter with those hands stained with human blood?" Xia Yuntian spoke again, "How many people did she kill?" Bang! Mu Huiqing punched the barrier, and her coldughter instantly turned into raging fury. "All of your Tiandao Sword Sect deserve to die ten thousand times over!" Xia Yuntian''s aged cheeks drooped slightly, "What do you wish to do?" "Kill you as well!" Mu Huiqing stated without hesitation. Xia Yuntian''s hands clenched into fists behind his back. Mu Huiqing was considered a genius of her generation; almost all of the world''s older generation of top practitioners had been in contact with her. As Leader of the Tiandao Sword Sect, Xia Yuntian himself had mentored Mu Huiqing in her youth at Mu Family Manor, which made him somewhat of a half-teacher to her. Now that Mu Huiqing wanted to kill him, the pain in his heart was still inevitable. But he did not me Mu Huiqing; he knew she was right. If he had not provided Xia Fu Lan with her privileged status, if he had not shielded and indulged Xia Fu Lan in everything, allowing her to be brazen, then today''s situation would not have arisen. "Aside from me, do you also want to kill the other disciples of the Sword Sect?" Xia Yuntian asked. "They deserve to die ten thousand times over!" Mu Huiqing affirmed her statement once again. "They are innocent." "Everyone killed by the Void beast with your daughter''s help is innocent!" "The fault lies with Fu Lan and with me, but certainly not with them." "Shut up!" Mu Huiqing raised the Divine Weapon again, looking as if she would continue with her assault on the Formation. Seeing this, Xia Yuntian said, "Wait a little longer." "Don''t even think about it!" Mu Huiqing said as she struck the barrier with the Divine Weapon. She knew what Xia Yuntian was waiting for. He was waiting for the army from the Central Area. As soon as the Central Area''s troops arrived, he would make Xia Fu Lane out and admit her guilt. Mu Huiqing was very clear about this; the old man would not evade this matter. But by then, Xia Yuntian would definitely have the their army stop her, stop her from killing the other disciples of the Tiandao Sword Sect. Because those disciples truly were innocent. This was also something Mu Huiqing understood well. But her current mindset had gone beyond madness; she did not care who was innocent, she only wanted to vent all the agonies that Fang Ren had suffered before his death upon everyone around Xia Fu Lan. She knew the army would stop her from decimating indiscriminately, which was why she flew at full speed, shaking off all the troops, and came here alone ¨C she intended to annihte the Tiandao Sword Sect. Chapter 342: Chapter 337: Central Areas Obstruction_1 ``` Watching Mu Huanqing''s frenzied assault on the Large Barrier, Xia Yuntian spoke again, "Hui Qing, do you think you can kill me with your current strength?" Mu Huanqing did not answer, outside the Large Formation there was only the continuous rumbling. "Even if you can break the Large Formation, let alone killing me, it would be very difficult to even injure me. If I counterattack, the only oue will be your death," Xia Yuntian continued. "Do you think I care about that!?" Mu Huanqing roared with her eyes filled with bloodshot fury. She was like a wild beast fighting for its life, reckless and utterly mad. Xia Yuntian''s gaze fixed on Mu Huanqing for a few seconds, then he suddenly understood something. "Don''t you think you are being very selfish?" Xia Yuntian suddenly asked. Bang! Mu Huanqing''s palm gathered a blue glow, and after a long period of probing, she had finally found the Formation''s weak point through the Array Method Extreme. With a single palm, the Hundred-Mile Barrier instantly burst apart, turning into specks of light in the sky. Immediately after, she did not hesitate to lift up her spear and charge towards Xia Yuntian in the sky, who, seeing this, activated his Cultivation Technique to defend. With no barrier''s protection, their True Qi collided and struck the valley within the barrier, uprooting trees and sting rivers into the sky, turning into raindrops. "What right do you have to call me selfish!" Mu Huanqing gritted her teeth as she shed at Xia Yuntian. Facing Mu Huanqing''s suicidal onught, Xia Yuntian was surprisingly struggling; he hadn''t anticipated that the severely injured Mu Huanqing would still possess such destructive power. "Isn''t it true?" Xia Yuntian replied while defending, "You have always been clever, you would never do such a thing that disregards the innocent and vites natural justice! If I''m not mistaken, you''re not doing this for revenge for those fallen warriors! You are simply venting out for someone very important to you! And that person has already died on the battlefield! What you want is for everyone here to be buried with him!" With these words, Mu Huanqing involuntarily recalled the way Fang Ren sacrificed his life to save hers before dying, and her heartache and hatred drove her even more insane. "You''re right! I want all of you to be buried with him!!" Having said that, Mu Huanqing took out therge amount of elixirs that Fang Ren had given her, without any concern, she swallowed them all at once. Today, she no longer aspired to be the respected and revered Xuan Nv; she wanted to be a wife, a mother to her child, avenging her husband, her child''s father! "Hui Qing! You''re mad!" Watching Mu Huanqing swallow an unknown number of elixirs in one go, Xia Yuntian waspletely thrown into disarray. Mu Huanqing was originally in a critically injured state, and he had the strength to defeat her; his n was not to harm Mu Huanqing but simply to hold her off until the Central Area''s army arrived. In the end, he too would obey the Central Area''s judgment, by then Central Area would also stop Mu Huanqing from killing innocents. Only now did Xia Yuntian realize that he had thought everything was too simple. She was resolved to fight to the death. Who was it? Who exactly died before her eyes? What made her so indifferent to the lives of the innocent? Shang Han? Or Mu Tianyu? Bang bang bang¡ª Rumbling¡ª With the elixirs in her stomach, Mu Huanqing summoned hundreds of Divine Weapons behind her, and her powerful True Qi forced Xia Yuntian, who had been only defending, into a position where he couldn''t fight back. Spurt! Xia Yuntian was struck in the chest with a palm and immediately spewed a mouthful of fresh blood as his figure was flung backward. Actually, at that instant when Mu Huanqing gave up all defense to attack, he had a chance to fight back, but he didn''t. He didn''t want to hurt Mu Huanqing, and his moral code did not allow him to harm her. None of this was Mu Huanqing''s fault; it was his daughter who had made her into this person. And even if he had fought back, he probably still wouldn''t have been able to defeat Mu Huanqing after she had swallowed so many elixirs. Whether he fought back or not wouldn''t change the oue; he didn''t fight back because he merely hoped that Mu Huanqing would spare those innocent disciples. "Die!" Mu Huanqing''s spear left her hand, flying straight towards Xia Yuntian''s chest. "Father!" Suddenly, a streak of golden light swept from afar, and the spear that was about to pierce through Xia Yuntian was deflected in mid-flight. Soon after, Xia Fu Lan, dressed in Taoist robes, flew from the distance to Xia Yuntian''s side. With a Bronze Mirror in her hand, the golden light was emitted from this mirror. Without that mirror, given Xia Fu Lan''s Cultivation Level, she would have been utterly unable to stop Mu Huanqing''s strike, and would not even have been able to catch a single p from her. "You scoundrel!" ``` Xia Yuntian saw his daughter rushing to save him, and instantly, the rage in his heart erupted. He delivered a solid p to Xia Fu Lan''s face, and the next moment, fresh blood poured from the corner of her mouth, with half of her face swelling up immediately. "Father¡­ I was saving you¡­" Having been pped by Xia Yuntian, Xia Fu Lan waspletely stunned; she had never been hit by her father before. She couldn''t believe that the first time she was hit by her father, she was nearly knocked unconscious. "You still have the face to call me father!!" Xia Yuntian, without another word, pped her again, causing several of Xia Fu Lan''s teeth to fly out of her mouth as her hair was nearly all shattered by the True Qi. "Why¡­ Why!!" Xia Fu Lan went mad, howling at Xia Yuntian, "It was her who wanted to kill you! Was it wrong for me to save you? Why are you hitting me!?" Smack¡ª Another p! "Today, it''s not wrong for anyone toe to kill me!" Xia Yuntian roared back: "Including you! It''s not wrong if anyone kills you! Whoever can kill you is right!!" As he shouted, Xia Yuntian''s eyes turned red. He had never been so furious and heartbroken; his beloved fellow warriors had all been killed by his own flesh and blood! "You''ve gone mad¡­" Xia Fu Lan looked at her frenzied father and immediately turned to flee, constantly telling herself that this was not her father, her father could never do this to her. Boom¡ª The moment Xia Fu Lan turned around, a streak of silver light shot out from Mu Huanqing''s hand and shattered the earth in front of Xia Fu Lan. "Xia Fu Lan!" The instant she saw Xia Fu Lan, thest bit of sanity in Mu Huanqing''s heartpletely crumbled. Because of this woman! So many of her sisters had died! So many warriors of the Central Area had perished! Because of this woman, her own child had lost his father just after being born! It was also because of this woman that the person she was willing to sacrifice everything for to be with openly, died at the hands of the Void beast while trying to save her! Unforgivable! No matter what, unforgivable! Xia Fu Lan must die! Mu Huanqing transformed into a streak of light and charged towards Xia Fu Lan, while Xia Yuntian immediately moved to stop her upon seeing this. "Xia Yuntian!!" "Hui Qing! You can''t kill anyone here now!" "Go to hell!" Without the slightest hesitation, Mu Huanqing chopped off one of Xia Yuntian''s arms with her spear, then aimed directly to pierce his heart. "Hui Qing! Stop!" Just when Mu Huanqing was about to strike, countless figures rushed over from behind. The army from the Central Area had arrived. As her words fell, a long rainbow struck against the spear in her hand, sending her flying back. The person who took action was clearly the Commander-in-Chief of the Central Area, Xia Mo. "You''d also stop me!" Mu Huanqing grabbed the Hundred Martial Divine Weapon and flung it towards the approaching Xia Mo. Xia Mo was startled by Mu Huanqing''s attack; he wanted to defend himself, but already exhausted on the battlefield, the blow he had delivered to save Xia Yuntian had taken all his strength. Thud! The blow struck Xia Mo solidly, sending his figure soaring backward, with blood spewing from his mouth. "Stop me again, and I''ll kill you!" Mu Huanqing shouted angrily. "Hui Qing! The one at fault isn''t him!" Xia Mo yelled back. "Then what was Fang Ren''s fault! What did he do to deserve death! Why did he have to die! Why!! Tell me!!" Mu Huanqing grabbed the hair by her temples, crying and screaming in madness: "If he could be brought back to life! I wouldn''t blink an eye at sparing them! I''d even give my own life without hesitation!" Xia Mo became petrified, suddenly having nothing to say. Innocence, fault, these concepts meant nothing at this moment, in Mu Huanqing''s world, the whole world was at fault. Chapter 343: Chapter 338: His Life, You Cant Afford_1 Jiang Ling in mid-air looked at the frenzied Mu Huanqing, suddenly felt a suffocation in his chest that he couldn''t breathe out, no matter how hard he tried. When his lover was in years ago and he vowed to make an enemy of the entire world, how simr was he to today''s Mu Huanqing? "I''ve been very tolerant of you all! I''ve been extremely tolerant! I''ve always been retreating, always retreating," Mu Huanqing cried incessantly, pointing at Xia Mo, "Yourws forbid me to marry him and I didn''t turn against you! When Xia Fu Lan caused my meridians to be severed, I still endured! I was only afraid that you would hurt him! I was only scared that you would harm him! But why is it that when I''ve been so yielding, in the end, he still died! To protect you lot, who wouldn''t allow us to be together! He died! And now that I seek revenge for him, you still have the audacity to stop me!" In a brief moment, Xia Fu Lan saw the Central Army arriving and quickly hid in the rear ranks, steering clear from the direction where the Nine Heavens Corps and the Nightfall Organization were located. Because she knew very well that at Mu Huanqing''smand, the Nine Heavens Corps would chop her up without hesitation, and the Nightfall Organization, even more so, was aw unto themselves. If their leader, Jiang Ling, said he would kill her, the Central Army wouldn''t be able to block them in time. Seeing Xia Fu Lan escape into the ranks, a general from the Central Army quickly had the surrounding soldiers protect her and brought Xia Fu Lan to where Song Mobei and a few other Tiandao disciples were. Had it not been for the Central Army protecting these Tiandao disciples on their way here, they probably would have been chopped to pieces by the Nine Heavens Corps long ago. At that moment, the general stepped forward and said, "Lady Xuan, I know you are in great pain right now. The death of Fang Ren has deeply grieved us too, but the matter of a traitor still requires further investigation, we need evidence..." "Shut up! I''ve said it! From today onward, I don''t need evidence for anything I do!" Mu Huanqing gripped the Hundred Martial Divine Weapon again. "General! It''s obvious she has gone mad!" Seeing herself protected by the surrounding Central Army, Xia Fu Lan quickly spoke up in her defense, "I, Xia Fu Lan, have done nothing to betray my conscience in heaven and earth! How could I possibly harm my own kin! If I truly wanted to harm my own kin, Mu Huanqing would have been dead long ago!" Song Mobei too spoke up in a hurry, "Junior Fn is right! If she truly betrayed her kin, then Lady Xuan should be the first to be killed! Not Fang Ren! Besides, right or wrong, there is no evidence yet, Lady Xuan is making premature conclusions! It''s aplete insult to thews of the Middle Zone! If today Junior Fn and the Tiandao Sword Sect arepletely annihted just like that, then who will care about evidence in the future? Wouldn''t it be just about killing whoever we say to kill?" Another general stepped forward with a frown andplex expression, saying, "Lady Xuan, I greatly respect what Young Master Fang has done for us, and I am aware that it is he who saved my life. But today... I must stop you. Because many disciples of the Tiandao Sword Sect are truly innocent. And there is indeed no evidence at present proving that Xia Fu Lan has betrayed humanity..." As the two generals intervened, more and more generals from the Central Zone also spoke up, wanting to stop Mu Huanqing. Seeing more and more generalsing forward, Xia Fu Lan began to feel somewhat reassured, and she said to Mu Huanqing, "Lady Xuan, I am not clear about the exact nature of your rtionship with Fang Ren. His death pains me too, but to ce the cause of his death entirely on me, I fear that you might be seizing this opportunity to retaliate against your own kin." "Princess Fn, you are now the suspect," a general said coldly, his gaze falling on Xia Fu Lan. Though they were there to save Xia Fu Lan''s life, it didn''t mean they had to be cordial to her. Now, without evidence, they couldn''t convict her; protecting Xia Fu Lan from death was their duty as soldiers of the Central Army. But with their kin, brothers and sisters, dying on the battlefield, and with Xia Fu Lan being greatly suspect, their attitude towards her was only that of anger. In fact, if their status weren''t as generals of the Middle Zone, they wouldn''t have wanted to stop Mu Huanqing at this juncture, knowing full well how much Madame Xuan had sacrificed for her kin over the years. "Hui Qing! Wait a bit longer!" In the end, Xia Mo couldn''t help but speak up, considering his position that killing without evidence indeed could cause a lot of negative social impact. "Nonsense!" Jiang Ling in mid-air could not bear to watch any longer. Without a word, he drew his long sword, its de cloaked in a ck aura, "You don''t trust the Xuan Nv chosen by the entire world, but you choose to believe in a young miss who''s a deserter on the battlefield and heavily suspected?" "It''s not about trust! It''s about needing evidence!" a general objected with a frown. "Your Madame Xuan said, no evidence is needed." As Jiang Ling''s words fell, his long sword began to point toward where Xia Fu Lan was, and in an instant, tens of thousands of Nightfall Organization members behind her began to channel their True Qi, the sound of the release of tens of thousands of people''s True Qipressing the surrounding air with weight. "Jiang Ling! Don''t stir up trouble at this time!" Xia Mo yelled out. "To avenge a hero, even a moment''s dy is disrespect to the hero!" Jiang Ling''s resounding words echoed in everyone''s ears, awakening the image of Fang Ren standing alone against the Giant Dragon in everyone''s minds, as the scenes of Fang Ren''s Spirit Form saving them flickered incessantly. Chapter 344: Chapter 338: His Life, You Cant Afford_2 The generals lowered their heads, all of them eager to see Fang Ren''s vendetta resolved swiftly. Find your next read at m_v l|e-NovelBin "Madame Xuan, what do you say?", Jiang Ling''s gaze turned to Mu Huanqing. This was her husband''s vengeance, and her word would be the final say. As Jiang Ling''s voice fell, the hands of every soldier in the Nine Heavens Corps were gripping their sword hilts, ready to unsheathe their longswords for justice at a singlemand from Mu Huanqing. "Xia Fu Lan... today you must die!" Mu Huanqing''s entire being turned into a ze of silver light, unleashing the full power of all the pills she had consumed at once. "Those who block me! Forgive my heartlessness at old affections! Even if you''re one of my kind, be ready to lose your head!!" With the fall of Mu Huanqing''s voice, the Nine Heavens Corps in the sky drew their swords and rose, their sword cries enveloping the heavens. Xia Fu Lan was overwhelmed with panic at this. "Mu Huanqing! You are ughtering your own kin! The entire Mu Family will be despised for generations because of you!" screamed Xia Fu Lan in terror. "Kill!" Mu Huanqing soared into the sky. Xia Moy on the ground, drained of strength to intervene, while Xia Yuntian silently closed his eyes beside him, deciding not to stop the inevitable; Xia Fu Lan deserved to die. He simply hoped that the innocent disciples might survive, under the protection fought for by the Central Army. Chaos unfolded in the sky. The Nine Heavens Corps, d in silver, and the ck-robed Nightfall Organization, mingled together as they surged toward the innumerable troops of the Central Area. Watching their kin draw swords and rush forward, a group of generals from the Central Area stood still, not lifting a finger. The human casualties were already too great, and they couldn''t perpetuate this bloodshed among themselves. From their standpoint, although they were supposed to protect Xia Fu Lan, they had said what they needed to say, but this battle was not theirs to join. Catching sight of the Nine Heavens Corps and Nightfall Organization''s charge, a soldier in the front row suddenly discarded his weapon and turned, plummeting to the ground, no longer willing to witness the death of any more of his kind. As the first soldier threw down his weapon, it was as if he had hit a switch. Immediately after, countless soldiers behind him also cast aside their weapons, descending from the sky, no longer putting up resistance. "You! You all are trying to murder us!" Xia Fu Lan, watching the soldiers in front of her desert the fight, one by one, had eyes bulging with bloodshot terror as she frantically grabbed a soldier''s arm, bellowing, "Hold them back! Go and hold them back! They''re breaking thew! Can''t you see!!" Yet no matter how furiously she roared, the soldier remained indifferent, pushing away her hand, dropping his weapon, and leaving the sky. "Useless! Is the whole Central Army useless!!" Xia Fu Lan shouted, "Or are all of you in conspiracy? nning to destroy our Tiandao Sword Sect!?" Song Mobei and a few other Tiandao Sword Sect disciples, seeing this, quickly distanced themselves from Xia Fu Lan. Even though they were disciples of the Sword Sect, it was Xia Fu Lan whom the Nightfall Organization and the Nine Heavens Corps were after, not them. Noticing Song Mobei and a few disciples rapidly withdrawing from her, Xia Fu Lan was stunned. "Senior brother... you too are abandoning me..." Xia Fu Lan stood dumbfounded for a moment before hurriedly chasing after Song Mobei, "Senior brother! Have you forgotten! You said you would protect me for a lifetime! Why are you abandoning me!" Seeing Xia Fu Lan approaching, Song Mobei reacted as if he had seen a frightful creature, quickly activating his cultivation technique and striking out at Xia Fu Lan with his palm. "Get away! Don''te closer!" With a palm strike sending Xia Fu Lan recoiling, Song Mobei and the others sped towards the innermost recesses of the Tiandao Sword Sect''s valley even more swiftly. That was where the rest of the Sword Sect''s disciples were. He couldn''t believe that Xia Mo would actually let Mu Huanqing wipe out the entire Tiandao Sword Sect, could he? "Senior brother..." Struck by Song Mobei''s palm, Xia Fu Lan waspletely dazed. Song Mobei had actually abandoned her! The Song Mobei who was always so good to her had pped her back at this critical moment! He wanted her dead!? "Song Mobei! You dog!" In midair, Xia Fu Lan''s cursing spread throughout the entire sky. Shick! Before she could even let out a second curse, a silver longspear pierced through her chest from behind. Pain! Agonizing pain! "Ahh!!!" Xia Fu Lan cried out from the pain, looking at the longspear in her chest, then at Mu Huanqing behind her, her face was twisted with expression. "Mu Huanqing! Even if I die, don''t think you can get away clean!" Xia Fu Lan viciously red at Mu Huanqing,pressing her words to a whisper with spiritual energy, and sent it into Mu Huanqing''s ears. Immediately after, Xia Fu Lan started yelling out loud, "Mu Huanqing! You''re murdering me! I have not betrayed our kind! You''re murdering one of your own!" Even to her death, she was still trying to tarnish Mu Huanqing, not believing that the dirt she spewed with her life would be disbelieved by everyone. Even if most people didn''t believe it, from henceforth, there would always be someone who remembered Mu Huanqing as having killed someone who proimed their innocence to the end. "Do you think I care?" Mu Huanqing twisted the longspear in her hand, tearing at Xia Fu Lan''s flesh, causing her to cry out in even more agony. At this moment, Mu Huanqing''s eyes were as dull as a corpse''s. Xia Fu Lan, looking into those eyes, suddenly felt very angry. To her death, she wanted to upset Mu Huanqing, but why did Mu Huanqing look like this now? "Not only do I want to kill you, but I will also kill all of your fellow disciples. I intend to massacre the innocent," each word from Mu Huanqing fell like venom in Xia Fu Lan''s ears. Xia Fu Lan thought that the filth she had thrown would stain Mu Huanqing for a lifetime, but she hadn''t expected that Mu Huanqing was determined enough to plunge into the sea of blood and not care about all this. "You! Ah... I was wrong..." Xia Fu Lan''s hands grasped the longspear through her chest, which was getting closer and closer to her heart. The fear of death filled her mind; she was scared. "Mu Huanqing! I was wrong! Spare me!!" Xia Fu Lan, born with a silver spoon, had never faced such fear, for she was pampered by many over even a scratch. This feeling of fear, it was her second time experiencing it¡ªthe first was during the duel with Fang Ren, who truly intended to kill her back then. "Mu Huanqing! I can give you anything! I can help you with anything! Just spare my life! From now on, I will never dare to trouble you..." Before she could finish her sentence, the longspear suddenly pierced her heart. "Why... even though... even though I had already admitted my wrongs..." Xia Fu Lan''s body stiffened in midair. "His life, you can''t afford to give," Mu Huanqing replied. Mu Huanqing twisted the longspear in her hand, and the next moment blood sprayed, Xia Fu Lanpletely vanished from the world. In midair, Mu Huanqing''s cheek was once again sttered with a few drops of blood, but this time, it was human blood, not that of a Void beast. Chapter 345: Chapter 339: Bai Qi Comes to Report_1 Looking at the long spear covered in fresh blood, Mu Huanqing''s grief showed not the slightest sign of subsiding. Just as she said, perhaps the hatred in her heart would still not be satisfied even if she truly annihted the Tiandao Sword Sect ten thousand times over. Shaking off the fresh blood from the long spear, Mu Huanqing swiftly appeared in front of Xia Yuntian, and once again, without any hesitation, swept the long spear toward Xia Yuntian''s head. "Hui Qing! Stop it! Your enemy is already dead!" Xia Mo shouted. His words still did not cause Mu Huanqing to pause for even a moment. Boom¡ª But her strike was blocked by something yet again. It was a ck aura. The owner of the aura stood mid-air, dressed in a red gown, holding a long sword in her hand. Mu Huanqing''s gaze shifted toward Jiang Ling. She didn''t speak. This woman had just helped her. Although she would have killed Xia Fu Lan without the other''s assistance, it seemed they shared amon goal. But why did she stop her now? Mu Huanqing didn''t want to think too much about it; she just waited for Jiang Ling to speak. If Jiang Ling said something about protecting the innocent at this moment, then Mu Huanqing would, without hesitation, make her move against Jiang Ling as well. Today''s matter, no one could stop her. No one at all. "Before you kill him, at least let him make the truth known to everyone," Jiang Ling said, looking at Mu Huanqing. Then Jiang Ling turned to Xia Yuntian and said, "Sect Master Xia, your daughter must have told you about everything that happened on the battlefield, right?" Xia Yuntian opened his eyes. At this moment, Xia Fu Lan''s figure had already disappeared from the sky. After a moment of intense agony, a heavy sigh escaped from his aged face. Indeed, this should be the oue. "All my life Xia Yuntian has not done anything against the heavens and reason, but solely because of this daughter, I feel as though I havemitted every possible evil..." As he spoke, Xia Yuntian gathered a mass of True Qi in the palm of his hand and dered loudly, "I owe an apology to the heroes who died on the battlefield! To have raised such a monstrous and unfilial child! I, Xia Yuntian, am guilty of the deaths of those officers and soldiers! I fear that even death as an apology will not make up for the sinsmitted by my wretched daughter! But at least let this old man continue to atone for them in the afterlife!" With these words, Xia Yuntian pressed his palm against his own chest, and soon after, blood streamed from his seven orifices, and the breath of life rapidly faded. Hemitted suicide. Everyone watching the scene before them naturally understood everything; surely Xia Fu Lan had betrayed them, otherwise Xia Yuntian would not have said such things. "I beg Lady Xuan to spare the innocent disciples of my Sword Sect; they are not at fault... " With hisst breath, Xia Yuntian spoke to Mu Huanqing, then closed his eyes with an expression of agony and diedpletely. Read new chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin The entire sky fell silent for a moment. Just when everyone thought everything was over, Mu Huanqing picked up her weapon again and walked toward the depths of the valley, where the Tiandao Sword Sect disciples were gathered. Seeing this, Xia Mo, utterly frantic, spat out blood and cried out, "Quick! Stop her! She wants to massacre the Tiandao Sword Sect! You can''t let her kill those innocent people!" Hearing Xia Mo''s cry, countless soldiers were stunned, their gazes turning to Mu Huanqing, who still showed no sign of stopping with her weapon in hand! Only then did the words Mu Huanqing had said upon leaving the battlefielde back to everyone''s minds. "Hey... Lady Xuan isn''t really going through with it, is she?" "Those Tiandao disciples don''t know anything! Why kill them?" A Middle Zone General''s expression became one of agony, "We can''t keep killing each other! Why does she still want to kill! All units, listen to mymand! Stop Lady Xuan at all costs! No casualties must ur!" At thatmand, all the soldiers who had previously dropped their weapons to let Mu Huanqing pass picked them up again and flew to block the path in front of Mu Huanqing. Before, they had dropped their weapons to avoid confrontation with their own kind; this time, they picked them up to prevent their own kind from ughtering each other. "Block them!" Seeing this, Mu Huanqing promptly ordered the Nine Heavens Corps. "Yes!" Suddenly, a group of silver-armored female soldiers blocked the path of the advancing army, preventing them from stopping Mu Huanqing. "You''ve gone mad too!" A Middle Zone General shouted at the female soldiers blocking his path, "Don''t you realize that you''re not helping her! You''re harming her! If she kills that many innocent people, where in this world will she find a path for survival?" Hearing this, the soldiers of the Nine Heavens Corps showed varying degrees of being affected. Right, if Mu Huanqing truly killed those innocent people, then the entire human society would not allow her to live on. Bothw and morality would demand her life in retribution. "Step aside now!" the General bellowed. One of the female soldiers gave Mu Huanqing aplicated look and said, "Lady Xuan!" She wanted to persuade Mu Huanqing, but as soon as she began to speak, Mu Huanqing replied, "Don''t make me hate you for the rest of my life!" With that statement, all the female soldiers of the Nine Heavens Corps were torn to the utmost extent, but at that moment, they still chose not to stop Mu Huanqing. After all, Mu Huanqing''s intent was clear; whoever defied her wish would be eternally despised by her. If they did not step back, Mu Huanqing wouldmit a grave sin; if they stepped back, they had no idea what Mu Huanqing might be, given the unresolved hatred in her heart. Either way was difficult. "Hui Qing!" Mu Tianyu, unable to get past the blockade of the Nine Heavens Corps, could only shout from mid-air, "Don''t you care about your child anymore! Do you even know what you''re doing!" Mu Huanqing turned her head back in fury as her mother''s voice reached her, "It doesn''t matter what anyone says today! My child was born fatherless because of them!" "The people responsible for Fang Ren''s death are all dead!" Mu Tianyu shouted. "Not all of them!" Mu Huanqing left behind four words and continued flying toward the deeper realms of the Tiandao Sword Sect. She remembered all too clearly, when Fang Ren was in thepetition, the Tiandao Sword Sect constantly troubled him. If she weren''t on the battlefield, Fang Ren would have long been chopped down by Song Mobei of the Tiandao Sword Sect. For Fang Ren, for the greater good, she had swallowed her anger at that time. Now that Fang Ren was gone, and the war had ended, it was about time she could act without restraint! Pu! Suddenly, fresh blood spurted from Mu Huanqing''s mouth, her body, which was rapidly flying, shook violently in mid-air, and soon after, her entire body became paralyzed. Her physical body had reached its limit. The numerous pills she had previously consumed inrge quantities were now expanding, the side effects far outweighing the benefits they had provided her. Giggle giggle¡ª The bones all over her body kept cracking. Without sufficient True Qi to maintain internal bnce, the energy from the pills inside her started to rampage uncontrobly, incessantly crushing her bones until they fractured. She wanted to move, but now even maintaining her position in mid-air exhausted all her strength. How could she give up? She would not give up. Clenching her teeth, she tossed the Hundred Martial Divine Weapon behind her back, using the Spirit Form to support her body and continue flying. Blood began seeping from her eyes, covering her whole body, dropping continuously from her fingertips and toes. "Get out of the way! Do you want her to die?" Seeing this, Mu Tianyu, throwing caution to the wind, rushed into the Nine Heavens Corps, but was promptly repelled back by the true qi of the crowd. "You crazy girls! Fine! Then don''t me me! To all soldiers, break through by force!" Seeing this, the soldiers of the Central Area could only prepare to forcefully break the formation. A soldier from the Nine Heavens Corps flew towards Mu Huanqing from the nk. It wasn''t until she reached Mu Huanqing''s side that the soldier realized how terrifying her injuries were, that she was on the verge of passing out. "Lady Xuan, you better stop quickly! Otherwise, you might die!" the soldier grabbed Mu Huanqing''s hand, eyes reddening as she spoke. Mu Huanqing gave no response; she wanted to save all her energy for killing. "We will go kill! We will help you kill those people!" the soldier yelled once more. With that, the soldier turned to lead the troops back. "Follow mymand! Don''t go!" Mu Huanqing quickly stopped her. The reason she hadn''t ordered the Nine Heavens Corps to annihte the Tiandao Sword Sect was that she didn''t want these sisters, who had been through life and death with her, to break thew because of her. After all, those being killed were innocent. "So, you want us to just watch you be ndered by everyone?" the soldier protested, "Even if you have made countless contributions for humanity, the people you''re about to kill are not criminals! Once you kill them, you will forever be seen as a devil in people''s eyes! What about your child''s future? Do you not want her to live in this society?" "She will understand me!" Mu Huanqing retorted. "You''re out of your mind now! All you see is hatred! You are even neglecting your daughter''s future!" the soldier didn''t know where she found the courage to scold the person she greatly respected. The soldier was right; from the moment Fang Ren''s bones had vanished, Mu Huanqing''s rationality began to crumble. Jiang Ling watched everything unfold but chose to remain silent. She had helped Mu Huanqing kill Fang Ren''s enemies; however, innocentpatriots were off-limits. As for Mu Huanqing''s actions, she wouldn''t interfere because she could understand Mu Huanqing''s heart. No form of revenge could bring her peace. Just as the situation became rigid, a blue light streaked across the sky. The immense Rose Cross Sword drove nature''s spiritual energy, a sweep of Sword Qi, repelling all the Nine Heavens Corps soldiers blocking the way without harming anyone. "Princess Bai Xi..." In a daze, everyone came to their senses only to realize that Bai Xi had arrived at some point. "Xiao Xi, are you here to stop me too?" Mu Huanqing, with blood in her eyes filled with hatred, looked at Bai Xi hovering in the sky. At that moment, regardless of who it was, she would remember the hindrance. Bai Xi shed beside Mu Huanqing and, seeing her current state, felt a twinge of sorrow. "Sister Hui Qing, you''re mistaken, I came to help you." Having said that, Bai Xi pped the back of Mu Huanqing''s neck, knocking her unconscious. She then cradled Mu Huanqing''s body and handed her to the nearby soldier, "Take her back to heal." "Princess Bai Xi, what are you..." The soldier couldn''t finish her sentence when Bai Xi''s figure already flew towards the depths of the Tiandao Sword Sect. "Fang Ren''s vengeance! I, Bai Xi, shall avenge!" Chapter 346: Chapter 340: Kill Song Mobei_1 Bai Qi''s figure disappeared, leaving only her voice behind in the sky. Her realm was now unmatched, and no one could prevent what she was about to do. Suddenly, a towering Rose Sword pierced the sky from within the valley and then abruptly descended. The world erupted in chaos, the valley instantly reduced to t ground, and countless soldiers were sent flying far into the distance by the aftermath of the explosion. After a while, when everyone regained their senses and looked towards the Tiandao Sword Sect''s Baili Valley, they could see neither a de of grass nor a tree, just a massive crater embedded in the earth. "Tiandao Sword Sect... Princess Bai Xi has killed them all..." "Why? She had no reason to do such a thing..." "She did, Fang Ren was her betrothed." "But what about Madame Xuan? Wasn''t Fang Ren with Madame Xuan and even had a child with her... ying both sides?" "What a sin... Why exterminate the entire Tiandao Sword Sect over Xia Fu Lan..." "It''s over. From now on, Princess Bai Xi is a wanted criminal in the whole world." ¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª Thousands of miles away, Bai Qi''s figure silently appeared above a stretch of ocean, with a massive cluster of white energy behind her. She waved her hand gently, and the huge white energy suddenly dissipated. As the energy vanished, tens of thousands of Tiandao Sword Sect Disciples appeared in midair. "My heavens! Sister Bai Qi, you scared me to death! I thought you were really going to kill us all!" A Senior Sister from the Tiandao Sword Sect said with a face filled with relief as if she had survived a great cmity. "Indeed! Who would have thought that Sister Bai Qi was actually trying to protect us from the Nine Heavens Corps?" "If Sister Bai Qi hadn''t intervened in time, even with Madame Xuan seriously injured, that casual strike of hers could have killed who knows how many people." ... Bai Qi''s sword had not killed them, but had instead saved them all. The destruction of the Tiandao Sword Sect was an illusion created by Bai Qi, though, of course, it was mixed with a measure of venting her anger. A group of Tiandao Sword Sect disciples continually thanked Bai Qi, but she remained expressionless. Fang Ren''s vengeance had been served, but shemented not having been able to participate personally. Facing tens of thousands of Tiandao disciples, she chose not to kill innocents, because she knew well that Xia Fu Lan was the perpetrator and had a firm belief in the principle that the guilty should be held ountable. However, she also understood Mu Huanqing; she knew Mu Huanqing was blinded by hatred, had lost her reason, and had abandoned moral principles, not hesitating even to kill the innocent. Bai Qi had knocked out Mu Huanqing because she understood that if Mu Huanqing truly annihted the Tiandao Sword Sect, not only would Mu Huanqing be branded a criminal for life, but once Mu Huanqing came to her senses and could face the reality, she would undoubtedly regret the innocent disciples she had killed, and so Bai Qi had stopped her. At the same time, Bai Qi was shocked by the rtionship between Mu Huanqing and Fang Ren; she had never expected that they even had a child together. Reflecting on her escape from her family''s home and her desire to break off the marriage until now, she realized she had been deluding herself all along. Suddenly, Bai Qi felt so lonely, her heart deste. Regardless, the man was now dead, never to return. "Sister Bai Qi, I knew you wouldn''t let that mad woman kill us all." Just as Bai Qi was enjoying a moment of quiet, a hand suddenlynded on her shoulder, uttering these words. Bai Qi''s mood was not good, especially since she had learned about the matter of Mu Huanqing and Fang Ren having a child together, predicting that if it weren''t for this revtion, the one who would have gone mad may not have been just Mu Huanqing, but also herself. So, with her mood being so sour, feeling an unexpected hand on her shoulder only brought her displeasure. She gave Song Mobei, who was at her side and the owner of the hand on her shoulder, a cold gaze. At that moment, Song Mobei had lost an arm, with the other being severed by Mu Huanqing on the battlefield. Song Mobei continued, "But Sister Bai Qi, I think that madwoman Mu Huanqing definitely won''t let things go easily. You better bring her to justice now! Lock her in ck Prison! For sending troops to ughter her own kin, this charge alone is enough for a death sentence!" As he spoke, Song Mobei felt increasingly secure, knowing that Bai Qi had now broken through to the middle phase of the Xuan Ye Realm, a realm so advanced that even Jiang Ling and the Commander-in-Chief only possessed early-phase strength! It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to call her invincible under the heavens. And how old was Bai Qi now? Just in her early twenties and still several years younger than Mu Huanqing! Her potential for the future was boundless. Yet such a powerful woman was fond of none other than him, Song Mobei, which naturally filled him with a sense of security. As long as he could win over Bai Qi, Song Mobei refused to believe Mu Huanqing would dare to confront him anymore! When that time came, Song Mobei vowed to repay the grudge of today''s Sect cmity in full! Besides, Bai Qi had always been his little fangirl. As long as he crooked his finger, wouldn''t Bai Qie running to him? The more Song Mobei thought about it, the better his mood became. Looking at the excited expression on Song Mobei''s face, Bai Qi didn''t choose to push him away immediately. Instead, she sneered and said, "Brother Song, there aren''t a few people who have been saved by Sister Hui Qing. If I say it''s over a billion, you wouldn''t deny it, right?" Song Mobei frowned and said, "Credit where credit is due! But we must also recognize faults! We can''t indulge someone just because they were a good person in the past! Sister Bai Qi, why are you still speaking for her? She wanted to kill your brothers and sisters, even your previous Sect!" Bai Qi looked at the hand Song Mobei ced on her shoulder and said, "Then tell me, how should someone who harms their own kind be dealt with?" "Death would be the best. However, considering her past contributions to the human race, probably can only be imprisoned in the ck Prison," said Song Mobei. "Very well." Bai Qi''s longsword shed in her hand, as she looked at Song Mobei with a smile and said, "Today, I will start by punishing a brute that harms his own kind. How about that?" Song Mobei burst intoughter, "As long as Sister is happy." As heughed, he suddenly felt a chill on his shoulder, and then he turned his gaze towards the hand he had ced on Bai Qi''s shoulder. He saw that the connection between his arm and shoulder had been cut into a t surface by something. "This... What is happening!" Song Mobei was horrified, then he looked towards the longsword in Bai Qi''s hand, and finally, with a bewildered expression on his face, he stared at Bai Qi in disbelief, "Sister... why!" Bai Qi tossed aside the amputated arm that had been resting on her shoulder. Her smile remained undiminished, "Brother Song is more adept at harming his own kind. How many times have you wanted to use others to do your dirty work while Fang Ren was still alive? You haven''t forgotten, have you?" "Fang Ren? His death has nothing to do with me!" Song Mobei yelled angrily, "You can''t possibly think I betrayed the human race along with Xia Fu Lan! I never left the battlefield for a moment! I''ve always been devoting myself to the human race!" "Your memory isn''t very good, but like you said, considering what you have done for the human race in the past, you probably can only be sent to the ck Prison to reflect," she said. After speaking, Bai Qi''s sword flickered once more. Song Mobei immediately turned to run, but before he could take a step, his legs had been severed, and his dantian was also destroyed by a burst of Sword Qi. "Bai Qi! You actually... Ah!" Without the support of True Qi, Song Mobei fell into the sea. Bai Qi channeled True Qi with her other hand, grabbed Song Mobei from the air as he fell into the sea, her expression unchanged, "Now I''ll take you to the ck Prison." "No! Please no! I can''t go there!" Song Mobei screamed in terror. The ck Prison wasparable to hell itself, a great prison from which no one ever returned. Moreover, anyone sent there was exceedingly cruel, bereft of any moralpass. It could even be said that what was confined there was not human, but a bunch of devils with no reason yet with intellect. If he, a man with a broken dantian and missing limbs, were to go there, it would be better to just die directly. Who knew what those devils would do to him? Seeing this scene unfold, a shiver ran down the spines of the group of Tiandao disciples in the sky. In their memories, Bai Qi had always been an elegant and adorable little princess. Suddenly seeing her be so cruel, many of them couldn''t ept it. "Fellow brothers and sisters, if you wish to avenge him in the future, remember toe to me. Also, even though I brought you all out this time, it''s best for you toy low for a while. It''s better toe out after Madame Xuan has calmed her emotions; otherwise, no one can guarantee she won''t do something she will regret," said Bai Qi. After speaking, Bai Qi turned and flew away with the screaming and shouting Song Mobei towards the distance. However, Bai Qi hadn''t flown far when the Song Mobei she was holding aloft suddenly bit into his clothing and pulled out a medicinal pill from his chest and swallowed it. "Bai Qi! I won''t let you go, not even as a ghost!" With a roar of anger, Song Mobei, who already lost his dantian, exploded into a puddle of blood under the intense effect of the medicinal pill. Hemitted suicide, preferring death over the ck Prison, yet in his lifetime, he had urged Bai Qi to put Mu Huanqing in there, his heart venomous. "Did you think you would have the chance to be a ghost?" Bai Qi struck the spot where Song Mobei''s body had exploded with a palm, and in the next moment, a transparent entity was destroyed by her. That was the consciousness that lingered in the world for a short time after a person died. It was over, all over. Bai Qi''s figure did not stop as she flew over the sea of the Void battleground. Here, Little Qianye transformed into a giant tree of a hundred thousand meters, bravely standing tall. Bai Qi could sense that it was Little Qianye, but she could notmunicate with it. Shended lightly on one of Little Qianye''s fingertips and looked at the bodies of void beasts hanging from the treetop. Bai Qi sheathed her longsword and sat down against a branch. Her gaze dimmed, suddenly without a purpose. Once upon a time, her greatest wish was to surpass Sister Hui Qing and be the strongest cultivator in the world to fulfill humanity''s dream of shattering the Void. Now that most of her wish had been realized, she felt none of the joy from years of hard work; instead, she felt the loss of some important things. She looked up again at the immense Void Hole, murmuring to herself, "After smashing it, what should I do next..." Chapter 347: Chapter 341: The Bittersweet Struggles of the Aristocratic Families (1) Night had enveloped thends of Tianjiang Continent. In the wake of the battle, no celebration of victory was found here, for every heart was acutely aware of the grievous price they had paid in this war. Within the Bai Family''s manor, all the important members had gathered in the great hall. Bai Qi alone was absent. Atop the hall, Bai Chaojin beckoned Bai Jinyun to his side, and looking at the rtives within, his heart was flooded with mixed emotions. "Tonight, I have summoned all of you to announce an important matter." As Bai Chaojin spoke, his aged hand trembled slightly as he sped Bai Jinyun''s hand and continued, "I have upied the position of Family Head for far too long, and it is time to relinquish my duties and rest." "Father! What is this... " Bai Jinyun, feeling his father''s shaking grip, was suddenly reminded of the conversation his father had with Jiang Ling on the battlefield. "Over the years, Jinyun''s contributions to the family and the Human have been evident to all. Upon my resignation, I choose Jinyun as the next Family Head. Does anyone object?" Bai Chaojin dered. The hall fell into a dead silence, not out of sadness for Bai Chaojin''s resignation, but for the bleakness of whaty ahead. "Since it is so, from this moment onward, Jinyun, you shall be the current Family Head of the Bai family!" Having said this, Bai Chaojin turned around and walked out of the hall. The crowd watching his retreating figure truly felt for the first time that this man, who had never seemed to age, had indeed grown old. Standing on the hall''s tform, Bai Jinyun found himself speechless, his eyes reddened with tears held back in his throat. He was aware that tomorrow would be his father''s day of atonement. Nobody would stop the old man, for none could fathom the emotions that filled his heart. He had in countless kin, yet he had also saved innumerable souls; an utterly contradictory man, his inner turmoil was beyond anyone''s understanding. ... The Mu Family. A squad of female warriors from the Nine Heavens Corps remained within the estate, fearful that Mu Huanqing might do something foolish. In one room, Mu Huanqing, having regained consciousness, just sat on the bed with a vacant gaze, looking at the darkness of the room, like a puppet devoid of thought. After learning that all the disciples of the Tiandao Sword Sect had been killed by Bai Qi, she had maintained this same expression for several hours. Outside the room, Mu Tianyuan and Shang Han did not dare leave, worried that Mu Huanqing might sumb to despair the moment they turned away. Meanwhile, the entire ss from the Academy of Medicine''s third year had also stayed at the Mu Family''s ce that night. Many girls surrounded Liu Qianqian, who had cried for half the day before copsing in her room, even forgoing her dinner, as if she had truly fallen asleep. Jing Haichuan, Li Xingwang, Er Gou, and other boys, on the other hand, had drunk heavily that night, to the point of utter insensibility, bing brothers-in-arms with their ss instructor Old Huang, and weeping a flood of tears. "Old Huang, do you freaking know how much I usually find you annoying? Damn it! Every time we start a ss, you pick on us few! I''ve thought about banning your whole family''s supply of condoms!" Jing Haichuan, draping his arm over Teacher Huang''s shoulder, yelled loudly. "Fuck! Every damn ss it''s just the few of you bastards who love to cause trouble! The very first step I took into that ss! I freaking thought Ah Ran was the future of mankind! And yet, goddamn it, you lot just corrupted himpletely!" Teacher Huang cursed while tears streamed down his face. "Ranzi... shit~ Ranzi he... shit~ Old Huang, you''re really not wrong!" Er Gou burped as he added, "But could you freaking stop cursing dogs? We''re more dog-like than actual dogs!" "Don''t freaking bring up Ranzi!" Li Xingwang, his eyes swollen, raised his cup and downed it in one go, then suddenly banged the table and shouted, "That bastard had the least loyalty! He just came back to see us for a moment and then left? Damn it! I don''t want to be brothers with him in my next life! He didn''t even call me when he left!" "Exactly! Ranzi was the least loyal! Where the hell is the knife? I''ve got to go down and sort him out for good!" As Jing Haichuan reached for a knife, the others hastened to hide all the cutlery on the table in rm. Suddenly, a figure descended from the sky andnded in the Mu Family''s estate, carrying a sleeping child and rushing towards Mu Huanqing''s room. "Head of the district, I''ve brought Madame Xuan''s child," Xiao Xuan said, cradling the infant as she came before Mu Tianyuan. Mu Tianyuan reached out to tenderly take the infant, her face etched withplex emotions. This was her first time seeing her granddaughter, and she wanted to be happy, but happiness eluded her, knowing her daughter had lost her husband, and her granddaughter, a father. "I''ll go inside for a moment." With those words, Mu Tianyuan entered the room with the child. Shang Han sighed and stood at the door, choosing not to follow inside. His emotions were no better than Mu Huanqing''s, but at his age, he didn''t want to show it; even if he wanted tofort his daughter, he couldn''t find theforting words to say. He had cared for Fang Ren since the boy was a child, and to call himself a surrogate father was no exaggeration. Having witnessed Fang Ren''s death, his heart was much like Fang Zheng''s at that moment, but he knew if he lost control like Fang Zheng, more people would die senselessly, so he chose to suppress his emotions until now, still unexpressed. He had been silent ever since his return, and regardless of who tried to speak to him, he hadn''t responded, afraid his voice would falter, and the topic would overwhelm him with sobs. "Qing''er." Mu Tianyuan sat down beside Mu Huanqing''s bed with the child in his arms and gently said, "You need to pull yourself together. Look, you still have your child, and there are many people who care about you. If Ah Ran could see you like this, think about it, he would definitely be worried about you too." Looking at the infant in her mother''s arms, Mu Huanqing somewhat nkly reached out and took the baby from her mother. The moment her hands felt the warmth of the baby, her tears couldn''t help but flow again, her sobbing echoed in the quiet room. ¡­ Inside the Fang Family''s estate. No one wasughing; in the great hall, all the members of the Fang Family who should be present were there. Yet many important people were absent. Fang Yuanhao, standing on the dais, had aged far too much. Compared to before, he looked almost as if he had one foot in the grave. Grandchildren murdering each other¡ªthis was something he had never imagined. Fang Ye was dead, Fang Liqun was dead, Fang Lizhong was dead too. And the most ironic part was that the one who killed them also bore the Fang surname and was their blood rtive. Yet the person who killed them, Fang Ren, had also died. The direct line of his descendants only had one girl left, Fang Tong. And as for the males of the Fang Family, only Fang Ren died gloriously on the battlefield; the other two grandchildren and one son all deserved death. It was only at this moment that Fang Yuanhao realized that his continuous indulgence and doting could not cultivate a strong character in his children and grandchildren. Instead, it only led them astray. What was more ridiculous was that Fang Ren, the grandson he least favored and even avoided contact with, turned out to be the person he had always hoped for. "Father, it''s time for you to rest." Before Fang Yuanhao could speak in the great hall, Fang Zheng, expressionless, took to the dais and took the initiative to speak. There was no room for bargaining in Fang Zheng''s tone; he had to be the Family Head of the Fang Family today. He had seen just how rotten and weak the Fang Family had be under his father''s leadership, and he would not allow the family to continue this way. If his father did not abdicate today, then Fang Zheng would not consider himself human anymore. The death of Fang Ren had pushed his emotions to the brink of copse. If anyone were to argue with him now, he would not hesitate to strike them down with his sword. "You''re right," Fang Yuanhao said, unusually not maintaining the pride of a Family Head. He was feeling very despondent, having finally witnessed firsthand how hollow the Fang Family was under his control. "From today onwards, Fang Zheng will be the Head of the Fang Family. Does anyone object?" Fang Yuanhao stated firmly. There was no response. Fang Zheng turned his gaze toward Fang Jing and spoke, "Third brother, you surely have something you wish to say to me." Fang Jing''s face was haggard, and his heart was filled with profound sorrow. His son, Fang Lizhong, was personally killed by his nephew Fang Ren, but he could not find it in himself to me Fang Ren. On the contrary, the things his son did which led to his death were simply outrageous. Losing his son should have invoked fury, yet Fang Jing couldn''t muster any anger. He just couldn''t bring himself to direct his wrath at Fang Ren. Today, he was at the heart of the battlefield where time after time, Fang Ren risked his life to save others, shattering his bones and sinews. Fang Jing admired that righteousness deeply. Had it not been for Fang Ren, there was no telling when the war would end, nor if he would even return alive from battle. Compared to the death of his own son, who had dishonored his cousin, Fang Jing felt more sorrow for Fang Ren and the decrepit state of the Fang Family. "In my heart, Big Brother should take the position of Family Head. However, I hope that from now on, the Fang Family will no longer have descendants like Lizhong and Liqun, nor brothers like Second Brother. If we could raise another Ren, that would be the greatest fortune for our Fang Family!" Fang Jing expressed his innermost thoughts. Upon hearing the word "Ren," Fang Zheng''s eyes reddened, his voice choked up, "Third brother, from the moment the three of us brothers were born, we were connected by blood, treating each other as if we were each other''s own bones! How could ite to this!" Fang Jing knew that Big Brother was speaking about Fang Ye. The images of the three brothers spending time together flickered through his mind¡ªhow they treated each other like irreceable parts of their own bodies! Why had Second Brother and their descendants ended up in this state! "The fault of the father!" Fang Jing''s eyes also swelled red as he once again voiced his true thoughts in the great hall. If not for Fang Yuanhao''s overindulgence and leniency, how could their descendants end up like this! When Fang Yuanhao heard Fang Jing''s words, it felt like a boulder rolling onto his heart, cold as ice. But he was clear, Fang Jing was right. "It''s my big mistake indeed¡­" Instead of scolding as usual, Fang Yuanhao sighed deeply, tears streaming down his face. In the Fang Family, only an old man, two middle-aged men, and a young girl remained¡ªall thanks to him. The great hall was silent, as an old man and his two sons shed endless tears. Everyone around them kept their heads down, speechless,ing to terms with the stark reality of the family''s decline. Chapter 348: Chapter 342: Fang Renran and the Strange Woman_1 In the midst of darkness, Fang Ren wandered in a daze. He didn''t know the direction, and beyond the ground under his feet, he couldn''t sense anything; he didn''t know where he was heading, just kept walking on and on. It seemed at the end of the endless darkness, light would eventually reappear. He didn''t know how long he had been walking when suddenly his arm bumped into something. The next moment, a beam of white light shot up into the sky, illuminating the whole world; the intense light made Fang Ren close his eyes tightly, and his originally hazy consciousness suddenly became alert. After some time passed, he began to gradually adapt to the light and finally opened his eyes to take a look around. This ce was a nk expanse of white; apart from the column of light beside him and himself, he could see nothing else. "Where is this?" Fang Ren recalled everything that had happened before, then started to call for Qianye, but to his surprise, he discovered that the Spiritual Root within him was gone! "What''s happening! My body was destroyed in the battle with that dragon, but I once picked the Rebirth Fruit from the giant tree, which should allow me to be reborn even after death, so why have Ie to this ce?" Just as Fang Ren was at a loss, a woman''s voice came from afar. "The 9,111th celestial tree seed has taken shape, and the time remaining for the battle for the chosen is seventy-three years and thirty-three days. Chosen one, would you like to proceed immediately to the Hongyu Chasm to cultivate and take part in the battle for the chosen, to win the position of the true master of world space?" The woman''s voice was devoid of any emotion, cold like a machine of the present day. Fang Ren couldn''t understand what the woman meant, "Can we meet and talk in person?" "The chosen one requests a meeting, waiting for the approval of the previous True Immortal''s will... Command received, the 9,111th Chosen Servant, please proceed to the Land of Rising Sun." The woman''s voice came to an abrupt halt. Meanwhile, in the distant universe, a streak of light shattered countless cosmic partitions, traveled through numerous gxies, crossed the Milky Way, and arrived at Earth. Boom¡ª A pir of light from a distantnd burst onto Earth, entered Tianjiang, and finally disappeared above a wastnd. Countless people on Earth gazed at the sky, dumbfounded by the beam of light extending to an unknown distance, covering all things in the sky, even the sun. Explore stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin Meanwhile, in the world nketed by whiteness, a woman had appeared before Fang Ren. The woman, d in a white robe that covered a hundred meters around her, had her transparent silk shawl fluttering on her shoulders, a jade pendant and gold bell at her waist, with long red ribbons tied around her wrists, holding a jade te in her hand, her forehead marked with cinnabar, her hair styled into a high immortal bun, and skin as smooth as cream... as if a True Immortal had descended to the mortal realm. She emitted an aura of sanctity that discouraged people from the heart to approach. Fang Ren couldn''t help but feel, whether influenced by other factors or not, that mere appearance couldn''t ount for such unparalleled beauty. Her jade pins rattled against the kingfisher feathers, her white flesh and cloud-like hair seemed to melt like snow. Fang Ren couldn''t help recalling the boudoir thoughts he shared with Hui Qing. Well, Fang Ren had always thought his wife''s beauty was peerlessly extraordinary, never expecting to meet a woman who seemed to have truly modded his perception of beauty with a cheat code. But Fang Ren was certain that the woman''s beauty was not merely due to her face; it was likely rted to the aura she possessed, which caused such an effect. "I have met the conditions for the chosen one. I ask again, would you like to go to the Hongyu Chasm immediately?" the woman asked again, her voice as cold as a machine. Fang Ren stepped back a few paces, remaining vignt. All he wanted right now was to be reborn and rush back home to tell Hui Qing that he wasn''t dead, and then spend a happy life with her and their daughter after the war. He had no time to waste on meaningless chatter with this woman. "First, tell me where this is," Fang Ren said. "Inside one of the many spaces at the end of the celestial tree," the woman answered. "I don''t understand any of this. I just want to know how I can leave," he said. "Simply renounce your eligibility for the battle for the chosen." "Fine, I renounce it," Fang Ren said decisively. "..." For the first time, a hint of expression appeared on the woman''s face; she frowned slightly, her gaze incessantly assessing Fang Ren. "I ask again, chosen one, do you..." "I renounce it, no matter how many times you ask," Fang Ren said. "Do you realize what you are giving up? It is an opportunity to be the True Immortal, the master of space, a chance countless beings wouldn''t obtain even after innumerable cycles of reincarnation." "We''ve got people on Earth who peddle pyramid schemes saying the same thing. Just let me go," Fang Ren said. Feeling perhaps she wasn''t clear enough, the woman borated, "If you attain the position of the True Immortal, you could leap beyond the Ten Thousand Realms." "Earth is enough for me to handle. Let me go back," Fang Ren said, growing impatient. The expression on the woman''s face turned displeased, "Do you know how many tens of thousands of years I have waited for you?" Fang Ren was baffled; what was wrong with this woman? Raving about space masters and celestial trees, and iming she had waited for him for tens of thousands of years, as if one could live a thousand years would already be a miracle, let alone tens of thousands? In those pyramid schemes, they would always spout nonsense like, "Young man, your thinking astounds me, at a nce I could tell you''re the genius I''ve been waiting for in my lifetime!" "You go back first. I''ll wait for you on Earth for another few tens of thousands of years, that will do," Fang Ren said frowning. He really felt like cursing, but since he wasn''t clear on the woman''s strength and capabilities, what if making her angry prevented him from returning? How could he face Hui Qing shamelessly? The woman''s face grew cold, and with a flick of the red string in her hand, she turned to leave. However, after waiting for tens of thousands of years, she couldn''t swallow the indignity of rejection. "Why is my messenger such a worthless being!" the woman cursed under her breath. Chapter 349: Chapter 342: Fang Ren and the Mysterious Woman_2 (4000 words) "If you won''t let me go, that''s fine, but it''s not right to curse at me." Originally not nning to break off with the other party, Fang Ren couldn''t help but get angry when he heard this. He had strived alongside Hui Qing to surpass so many talents on Earth, and thest thing he wanted to hear was himself being called useless. During this period, if he had ever been useless, he wouldn''t have been able to save Mu Huanqing''s life on the previous battlefields. "With a lifespan of a billion years and you don''t strive for it, favored by the Ten Thousand Realms and you don''t enjoy it, if you are not a waste, what else could you be?" said the woman. "Fine, fine, fine! Stop talking, can''t I find my own way out? Just one year left to live, what can one year really do? It''s really exhausting!" Fang Ren hadpletely run out of patience; if not for the disappearance of his Spiritual Root, even if the woman was very powerful, he would still have fought her. But since his Spiritual Root was gone, he thought it better not to, wondering if the effects of the Rebirth Fruit even still existed or not. If he died once more, that would be a huge loss. Having said this, Fang Ren left the woman''s side and walked towards a direction that was unknown to him. The woman stood still without stopping him, her expression furrowed the whole time. "No, how long can I keep walking like this? I need to start running." Fang Ren ran forward, but in the vast expanse of whiteness, he had no idea when he would find the end. After running for a very long time, Fang Ren looked back only to see the towering column of light had be a thin thread, and the woman''s figure was nowhere to be seen. "Since this space is not cyclical, there must be an end." With this new determination, Fang Ren continued to run. There was no sense of time here, nor could he feel fatigue, so Fang Ren had no idea exactly how long he had been running; he had already run so much that he had forgotten when the woman hade. "That woman''s insistence on me joining some Heaven''s Chosen must surely have an ulterior motive, which is why she won''t let me go, right?" "But what kind of benefit could be so important that she''s been after me for so long? Should I go back andmunicate with her? See if there''s something I can trade with her interests?" "Forget it, forget it, I''ve run so long, even going back would be exhausting." ... After what felt like an eternity, Fang Ren finally saw a small ck shadow in the distance. "As expected, there''s an end!" Fang Ren quickened his pace and ran madly towards the small ck shadow. When he, after a great deal of time, reached the ck shadow, he discovered that it was actualy a branch protruding from the ground, about one and a half meters high, reaching up to his corbone. "This world is so fucked up... I can''t feel hunger, nor do I need to shit or piss, am I even in a dream?" Fang Ren sighed with boredom and reached out to grab the branch. The moment he grabbed the branch, the whole sky and earth trembled with a sh of white. Fang Ren was startled and quickly let go. Surely enough, when he released his grip, the world stopped trembling. "Good Lord! So it''s you making all this mess!" Fang Ren, as if he had found the culprit, reached out again and grabbed the branch, pulling at it with all his might. The world began to shake violently, and several times he almost fell over because he couldn''t keep his bnce. "Come out!" He used all his strength, only to find that the thing seemed to be fused with the ground; to pull it out, he''d have to tear open the earth. "I''m going to dig you out today!" Fang Ren let go of the branch and started to dig at the earth. "What is this!" He had only just squatted down when the woman''s surprised voice came from behind him. "Huff~" Fang Ren sighed, "Look, sis, you''re like a ghost popping up everywhere. Don''t tell me you''ve been following me since I ran. If this damn ce had a police station, I''d definitely have you locked up on charges of harboring malice against me." The woman didn''t understand what a police station was, just staring nkly at the branch, speechless for a moment. Seeing that she didn''t respond, Fang Ren turned back to look at her, and seeing her like this, he decided not to bother with her anymore. Stretching out his hands, Lu Qianchuan began to dig at the ground, but found that the earth was as solid as a wall of copper and iron, so solid he couldn''t budge it a bit. "Don''t waste your strength, you can''t break it, let alone pull it out," the woman suddenly said at that moment. "Can I leave if I pull it out?" Fang Ren asked. The woman said, "This was the will of the previous true god, a fortune bestowed upon the chosen candidates of this generation. Being able to see it here shows that your talent stands out among the chosen of this generation. Out of ten thousand candidates, fewer than a hundred can see this opportunity, and none have yet been able to break off a branch to seize it. As for pulling it out by the roots and obtaining the previous true god''s lifeblood Divine Weapon, I estimate that won''t happen before the end of the battle of the chosen." "Then I''d rather not have this opportunity at all!" As soon as Fang Ren heard it was something left by the so-called true god, he wore an expression of disgust. If it weren''t for that darned true god, would he even be in this ce? He would be cuddling and sleeping soundly with Hui Qing by now! Upon hearing his words, the woman helplessly shook her head: "Even if you wanted to, it''s not something you can obtain. But indeed, if you can pull a branch of the World Tree, you could return to your original world." Fang Ren immediately turned back, "Are you sure you''re not deceiving me?" "You just try pulling it. If you can pull it up, from now on, I''ll even be willing to be your maid," the woman said with displeasure. "Forget about being a maid." Fang Ren waived his hand and continued, "But even if I can''t pull it out, leaving me to linger here aimlessly is pointless, we''re both wasting time." "Then let it be a waste. I''ve waited for this battle for tens of thousands of years, so seventy more makes no difference," the woman said, turning away expressionlessly. "This..." Fang Ren waspletely out of temper; if this woman really stalled him for decades, then Hui Qing would probably think he was dead, and his daughter would be without her father''s love for many years. Fang Ren circled in front of her, lowering his stature: "Big sister, what exactly do you gain by taking part in that battle, to be so persistent?" "Fifty million years of lifespan," the woman said. "And if I fight, you won''t have to do anything, right?" "No, I''ll apany you in your cultivation." "You''re just an apaniment in cultivation! And I have to fight life and death battles?" Fang Ren got irritated upon hearing this: "Moreover, the result of winning is that I get one year of life, while you get fifty million years, right?" "Correct." "That''s not fair!" "Not satisfied with a hundred million years?" the woman thought Fang Ren was being unreasonable. "How could it be less? What can one do in just one year!" Fang Ren equally thought the woman was being unreasonable. "What can''t be done in a hundred million years?" "Tell me what can be done in one year!" "Unreasonable!" The woman''s chest heaved with irritation, a stark contrast to her previous mechanical demeanor. Since bing an immortal, she had known no such emotional turmoil for countless tens of thousands of years, but this mere mortal seemed to have a knack for infuriating her. For fifty million years of life, how long had she waited? And now her partner was saying he would not participate¡ªhow could she not be angry? "So you are forcing me to join in, right? Fine, today I will go back by pulling out this thing; I''ll not participate!" Fang Ren also felt a surge of anger. He had already wasted too much time here, and Mu Huanqing probably thought he was dead; he couldn''t begin to imagine how long she had been heartbroken. "Damn it!" Fang Ren kicked at the branch, only to find the branch perfectly intact. "It''s no use; without the Spiritual Root, my abilities are too weak... right, as an Asura, seeing blood can enhance mybat power." With this thought, Fang Ren turned to the woman: "Big sister, do you have anything sharp?" "Don''t bother, what is a divine gift from a true god if it could be broken by an immortal weapon?" the woman shook her head and said. "Just don''t worry about that, if you''re willing to lend it to me, then lend it," Fang Ren said. Seeing him messing around without care, the woman indifferently drew out a fine sword and threw it to him. "Thanks. Once I pull this thing out, I''ll give you that so-called true god''s Divine Weapon directly. Although it doesn''tpare to fifty million years of life, it seems you think highly of it," Fang Ren said as he caught the weapon. "You''re wrong. The Divine Weapon from the true god is much more precious than fifty million years of lifespan," the woman said. Fang Ren didn''t want to listen to her nonsense anymore. Holding the weapon, he stabbed his own arm, and the next moment, blood sprayed out. Chapter 350: Chapter 343: (4000) The Law of Rebirth Fruit_1 The Longsword pierced through his arm, and Fang Ren''s eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Something''s not right." He found that he wasn''t in the mood for battle, and when the Longsword pierced his arm, he distinctly felt that the pain was stronger than his body''s usual reaction. It wasn''t the pain that made him frown, but the realization that this body might not be his because itcked a Spiritual Root and hadn''t been tempered by the path of Asura. More likely, he didn''t have a body at all right now. "Blood recognition? Ridiculous." The woman thought Fang Ren was self-harming because he wanted to drip his blood onto the twig to make it recognize him as its master. "What am I now?" Fang Ren watched as the blood continuously flowed from his wound and asked the woman. "A Soul Body with flesh and blood," the woman said. "How can a soul still have flesh and blood?" "I have no knowledge of what you''ve been through before, but it''s certain that there was a force creating flesh to fill your soul. However, in the midst of this, the remnant soul of the true god sensed that the seed had taken shape, interrupting the ovep of your body and soul, but that force still continued, trying to break into this world." "So, I was in the middle of restoring my physical form within that drop of essence blood, but only got halfway before you captured me?" Fang Ren said. "Actually, you are still in the original ce, it''s just that the remnant soul of the true god has created another space there. This space is a hair''s breadth from the world you were in, but if you n to break it with brute force, you could spend your entire life without ever getting back," the woman said. "Then can''t you just let me recover fully first? I don''t even have a Spiritual Root right now, so how can I have the strength to pull it?" Fang Ren tried to negotiate with her. The woman immediately emitted a wave of light that washed over Fang Ren''s entire body, and she was then surprised: "You really don''t have a Spiritual Root." "I just want to know if you can let me recover first?" The woman shook her head gently and sighed, "It''s your bad luck to be restoring your body at such a time. This realm has been created by the remnant soul of the true god. Once I''ve entered this world, I can''t interfere with the outside." Seeing her sigh, Fang Ren said, "Then why are you sighing? It''s not your problem if I can''t go back." "I am naturally disappointed in your luck!" The woman said with a displeased face: "To receive the true god''s blessing yet find yourself at a time when your body is iplete, who among those chosen for the battle isn''t a child of fortune? Who could have worse luck than you? I can''t understand why my messenger would be someone so useless as you!" "Stop, stop, stop! I''ll figure it out myself, just don''t keep nagging me." Fang Ren shook the fresh blood off the Longsword and in the next moment, he shed at the twig again with it. Crack! A crisp sound rang out, the sword broke, and the twig remained unscathed. "I told you, the Immortal tool cannot harm it," the woman said. "Hey, you''re really not nning on letting me go back?" Fang Ren said, sighing while looking at the twig. The woman looked up to the sky and sighed deeply, "It''s been no easy feat getting this far, how could I give up so easily? It''s just a pity that you, of all people, have such poor luck. I fear even if you entered the selection, you wouldn''t make it into the top thousand." "If you believe that, then why are you still forcing me to participate?" "Because nothing is absolute. I have lived for nearly a hundred thousand years and witnessed countless miracles. I hope for the same from you." "A hundred thousand years? You''re not doing so well, then. You probably haven''t even seen a dinosaur, right?" "Dinosaur? Which lineage is that of the Dragon n?" The woman was perplexed. Explore stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin "You don''t know, do you? That''s what I''m saying, you''re not up to par, youngdy. You''re still a youngster." "..." She wasn''t angry about Fang Ren''s teasing; in her eyes, he was just a mere Mortal, and his quips didn''t matter to her. The only thing she cared about was whether Fang Ren would participate in the selection or not. After observing the twig for a long time, Fang Ren suddenly sat down on the ground and closed his eyes, starting to attempt to perceive nature''s spiritual energy with this iplete body¡ªif there was any spiritual energy in this ce at all. "There is no such thing as nature''s spiritual energy here for you to cultivate, so it''s best to just stop," the woman said. "Don''t need a draft to tell lies, do you? I can clearly feel that there''s a dense energy here," Fang Ren said with his eyes closed. "What you''ve perceived is not nature''s spiritual energy but an energy known as Star Origin. This energy cannot be refined by Mortals," she said. "Just keep deluding yourself." Fang Ren didn''t believe her and continued to sense the energy around him. He discovered that although his Spiritual Root hadn''t been restored, his Perceptual Power to sense these energies still existed. However, without a Spiritual Root, he was unable to refine these energies. This might have had something to do with the Rebirth Fruit that Qianye had given him to enhance his Soul force. "The fruit? That''s right, I remember after I plucked the Rebirth Fruit, I perceived Space Power once. I wonder if it can be used here?" Momentster, Fang Ren activated that trace of Space Power, drew a bit of the energy he perceived into his abdomen, and although hecked a Spiritual Root, he had to give this method a try¡ªwho knew if it might work? Woom¡ª The instant the energy entered his body, Fang Ren only felt a severe pain in his brain. Then his physical body fell to the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he found that he was still standing and could even see another him lying on the ground. Chapter 351: Chapter 343: (4000) The Law of Rebirth Fruit_2 ``` "Fuck! How the hell did I be a soul!?" After realizing his entire body was transparent, Fang Ren was utterly dumbfounded. His soul and body had actually separated. "Even such a remnant body attempted to devour the Star Origin, not having your body directly sted to pieces is already a stroke of luck," the woman said. "Isn''t this just perfect bullshit?" Fang Ren hastily tried to touch his own body with his soul, but he found that he couldn''t touch his physical form at all. The situation was getting worse, and Fang Ren''s heart became more and more irritable. At this rate, Hui Qing was going to attend his funeral, or maybe she already had! He turned around and walked back to the branch, reached out, and gently grabbed it, only to find that his Soul Body could actually touch this thing. "It''s even less likely that your Soul Body could pluck it out," the woman shook her head. No sooner had the woman finished speaking than Fang Ren began to pull again. The Universe nched and began to tremble again. This time Fang Ren didn''t care about anything else, just clinging to the tip of the branch. If the branch wouldn''te out, he had no intention of letting go. He just remained steadfast, holding the same action. And as the Universe around him kept trembling, the woman sighed helplessly with a resigned look on her face. "If only I could use Cultivation Techniques, I''d have at least a ten percent chance." "Speaking of which, my physical body just devoured some energy. Although it ejected my soul, the energy should have remained inside. The structure of my body is slightly different from ordinary people''s; I hope I can use this energy to do something. But before that, how do I control my body?" As he grappled with the branch, teeth gritted, Fang Ren''s soul also watched over his own physical body, when suddenly a bold idea came to his mind. "Hey, sis, you just mentioned that this world is actually the very same ce where I originally was, right?" Fang Ren asked. "That''s correct, but you will never be able to return to where you once were," the woman responded. "You also said that the force that was repairing my physical body is still trying to break into this world, right?" "What are you thinking now?" "I was just thinking, since that force that created my body still exists, if youpletely destroyed this physical form I have now, would it continue to create another body for me on that side, or would it pull my soul back? Or perhaps create another soul for me outside?" "Is this your method for escaping from here? You should know that there are very few forces that can impact here. And how could your soul possibly have two instances?" The woman looked at Fang Ren as if he were an idiot. She couldn''t understand what karmic debt she''d incurred in a past life to have spent ten thousand years waiting for an idiot in this one! "Because I remember when I died in the great battle, even my soul was annihted, yet mysteriously, I suddenly had a soul again." "Soul resurrection?" The woman frowned. Such a defiance of the heavenlyws wasn''t something ordinary Immortals could achieve. And even if it were possible, it would be punishable by thews of The Universe. How could a Mortale in contact with such a thing? This wasn''t a mere physical resurrection. This was about reversing the causality of The Universe after having beenpletely annihted, seizing life back. If the caster wasn''t powerful enough, they would be struck into ashes by the Immortal''s thunder from The Universe. "Who is helping you reshape your body?" the woman asked. Seeing her expression turn very serious, Fang Ren didn''t intend to conceal anything: "A fruit, called the Rebirth Fruit." "Rebirth Fruit!?" The woman, who had been calm, suddenly raised her voice and looked astounded. "What? You know about this thing too?" Fang Ren was the first time seeing such a flustered expression on the woman. "How could you possess such a sacred object?" she asked, still in shock. "I picked it from my Spirit Form''s space." Fang Ren looked at the woman as if she were the fool, thinking she had known a lot, only to realize she didn''t even know where the thing came from. "This..." The woman suddenly didn''t know what to say. She had just imed that this little Mortal was extremely unlucky, yet she was taken aback when he mentioned that he had picked the Rebirth Fruit, an item intertwined with various rules and capable of reversing the heavenlyws. In her understanding, Rebirth Fruit was something the previous True Lord would use to give the deities who had made significant contributions to The Universe but had unfortunately had their spirits utterly destroyed, a chance to be reborn. Even if this Mortal had been chosen by a seed of the True Lord, Rebirth Fruit only existed within the void space left behind by the True Lord! How could a Mortal have obtained it? Could this Mortal''s Spirit Form space... actually connect to the void left by the True Lord? Impossible! "Sis, I''m asking you a question clearly. Are you going to help me or not? We''re acquainted, after all. If you''re going to help, stop dawdling," Fang Ren said. ``` "I don''t understand how thew of the Rebirth Fruit will affect things here, so you''d better think carefully," the woman frowned and said. "Can you speed it up a bit?" Fang Ren was nearly driven mad by this nagging woman. After hesitating for a long time, the woman finally spoke, "Alright, I can help you, but if you leave this ce, I will still follow you. Until you join the Chosen War." "Sister! Hurry up! I really don''t want to hear this anymore!" The next moment, the woman casually pped Fang Ren''s body lying on the ground. Boom¡ª¡ª In a world where heaven and earth were nched white, a wave of light covered ten thousand miles, the colors of the universe changed, and Fang Ren''s body disappeared without leaving a single drop of blood. Fang Ren waspletely stunned, forgetting even to pull out the twig in his hand, standing dumbfounded in ce, looking towards the boundless distant ce where the wave of light from the woman''s p surged. "Holy... shit..." With just a casual p, Fang Ren felt as if it hadnded on the Tianjiang Continent, and the whole Tianjiang would probably sink into the sea. "Whatever happenster, you''d better not regret it," the woman frowned and said. Fang Ren didn''t have the mind to listen to this and instead asked, "Big sister! Can you help me p this twig again?" The woman looked at him with disdain and said, "If I could get the chance given by the True God, would I stay here and argue with an idiot like you?" "How will you know it won''t work if you don''t try?" Immediately, Fang Ren, with the face of a pyramid scheme salesman, persuaded, "Sister! Do you have a dream!" "No." "The wait of ten thousand years! Isn''t it all for today?" "Meeting an idiot like you, I''m almost ready to give up." "Don''t lose heart, sister! Failure is the mother of sess! Look at me, though I''m just a humble mortal, am I not also working hard to return to Earth? Have you seen me giving up?" "That''s why you''re dumb." "Sister! From what I see! You have the makings of an Immortal Emperor!" "My current status isn''t inferior to that of the previous Emperor." "Stubborn and unambitious! How could I have such a messenger! Even if I, Fang Ren, enter the Hongyu Chasm and seize the position of the True God from the Ten Thousand Realms, how would it be any different! I still can''t change a waste like you!" Fang Ren said indignantly. "..." The woman waspletely speechless. Weren''t these lines hers? Moreover, are all the mortals of this world so peculiar? Not only did they disrespect her, but they also called her waste! If it weren''t for the meeting they had waited for ten thousand years and the additional fifty million years of life ahead, she... Boom¡ª¡ª As the woman was feeling angry, a pir of light suddenly shot up from the jade disc in her hand, turning into an image in the sky. In that image, it was Fang Ren in the nched white world, looking around nkly. "Why are you recording me? Are you a pervert or what?" Seeing this scene, Fang Ren recognized it as the time when he first arrived in this world. The woman, however, looked concerned and shook her head, "Wrong, this might... not be you." "What do you mean?" Fang Ren was confused. At that moment, the jade disc in the woman''s hand suddenly burst out with hundreds and thousands of beams of light, each one showing a Fang Ren in this world. "How can this be? Each of them is calling for me..." The woman was panic-stricken as she gazed at the sky full of images. "Is it because of the Rebirth Fruit?" Fang Ren was still unaware of the seriousness of the situation, looking nonchnt. "It must be it! It''s continuously creating bodies for you, but each body is not encountering the soul, so it keeps creating... And since you are one of the chosen for the Chosen War, the moment you appear in the outside world, you will immediately be pulled into this space by the remnant soul of thest True God. Every time a you appears in the outside world, an additional nched white space is created in the universe..." "Can this be stopped?" Fang Ren asked. "Yes, once the blood you left in the Rebirth Fruit space is exhausted, it will stop." "How long until it''s exhausted?" "A drop of lifeblood could lead to the creation of more than a billion," the woman said. Chapter 352: Chapter 344: The Branch Is Broken_1 "Over a hundred million?" Fang Ren was dumbfounded. Could the Rebirth Fruit use a drop of his blood to create over a hundred million copies of him? "If really over a hundred million of me appear, wouldn''t this space of the true master also need to create over a hundred million spaces? Are you sure that won''t cause some kind of copse?" Fang Ren asked. "Stupid question! The power of the true master pervades countless worlds! Even if there were a trillion of you, the true master could create a trillion spaces for you!" The woman''s tone showed some restlessness. She had no idea how to deal with the other Fang Rens. The mission left to her by thest true master before he turned into nothingness was to find the owner of the 9,111th World Tree Seed and support him in entering the Celestial Selection battle, topete for the heir of the true master. But what was she to do in this situation? Was she supposed to support over a hundred million Fang Rens? "I should never have agreed to you!" The woman couldn''t help but get angry. Seeing this, Fang Ren smiled and said, "Big sister, there''s no need to panic like this, the previous true master wasn''t a fool." "Insulting the true master! Aren''t you afraid of being crushed by thews here?" The woman gave Fang Ren a disdainful nce. She suddenly felt that her persistence was wrong. She shouldn''t have had any expectations of the mortal before her, because this mortal was the stupidest and weirdest person she had encountered in ten thousand years! Fang Ren hurriedly corrected himself, "No, no, no, you misunderstood. What I mean is, if the previous true master really is as mysterious as you say, then how could he possibly allow the current situation to ur?" "Believe it or not!" The woman thought Fang Ren was questioning the true master from a different angle. "Why can you never understand what I''m saying?" Fang Ren sighed helplessly. "I mean no disrespect to your true master at all! Let me put it another way, if the true master had thought of this situation when enclosing me into the space, he must have a solution. There''s no need for you to worry unnecessarily." The woman nced at him, but she wasn''t very sure in her heart, for the Rebirth Fruit shouldn''t have ended up in the hands of a mortal. Could the true master have really ounted for this possibility as well? "Besides, look at this space. As soon as it senses my body, it keeps pulling my body into the space, which means that in its eyes, me with just a body is not the real candidate for the battle. So it''s still looking for a me where the soul and body coexist. Soon this space will deal with the problem itself. Either it will move my soul to another space and fuse it with a body, or it will pull my body from another space to make me whole again," Fang Ren exined his understanding. Although he didn''t fullyprehend it, if the previous true master wasn''t a fool, he would certainly have left a solution to such a problem. After all, that woman said something about the true master seeming to control the space of the Ten Thousand Realms; an existence so twisted, could even this small bug be overlooked? "That does seem possible¡­" The woman nodded, finally understanding what Fang Ren had been trying to convey with his previous words. After that, the two of them stopped speaking. However, as time passed, this pure white world was filled with countless images of Fang Ren''s body being pulled into space. After an unknowable amount of time, the woman''s jade te finally stopped projecting images. This signified that the Rebirth Fruit had used up the drop of essence blood that Fang Ren had left behind and could no longer create bodies for him. But just as thew of the Rebirth Fruit disappeared, the space where Fang Ren''s Soul Body was located began to distort. "Damn it! What''s going on?" Fang Ren lost his bnce and fell to the ground. The woman was shocked and speechless as she looked up at the countless images in the sky. Because at that moment, every space that was holding a body of Fang Ren started to distort as well. The swirling vortex, with Fang Ren as the center, rapidly expanded as if opening a gateway to another world. Buzz¡ª The heavens and earth resonated. In the space where Fang Ren''s Soul Body was, suddenly and out of nowhere, countless bodies of his appeared lying on the ground. Crack, crack, crack¡ª Numerous images in the sky shattered in unison, leaving only the space where Fang Ren''s soul resided. "Holy shit! Just as I thought!" Fang Ren looked at the countless bodies of himself lying on the ground, his heart filled with words he simply couldn''t say. "Space¡­ has merged?" The woman, seeing thend filled with Fang Rens, also had a dumbfounded look. She couldn''t have imagined this oue, that because of a single Rebirth Fruit, and because of Fang Ren''s iplete corpse that was eliminated from the world, it had directly affected the Space Law left by the previous true master! "Which body should I use?" Fang Ren suddenly felt quite dejected because looking around, his numerous bodies stretched to the horizon. From the looks of it, perhaps the woman hadn''t lied to him¡ªrebirth fruit might have indeed created over a hundred million bodies for him. "Each one is as you once possessed. The Rebirth Fruit can''t create a stronger body for you, nor can it weaken your body," the woman said. "Does that mean these bodies are not like the previous iplete ones but possess the Spiritual Root?" Fang Ren asked. "Correct. Now you can use any of these bodies here to restore yourself to aplete state." "But how can I, as a Soul Body, merge with the body without being able to touch it?" Fang Ren suddenly felt a headache brewing again. "The reason you couldn''t merge with that iplete corpse before is because you forcibly pulled the Star Origin into it, causing rejection, whereas none of these bodies contain the Star Origin. Try again, and you''ll know," she said. After listening to the woman, Fang Ren reached out and touched the closest body to him. Upon touching, his soul and body attracted each other like two mas and collided together immediately. When Fang Ren opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on the ground. He immediately got up and moved about, discovering the familiar sensation he had long missed. He checked for the Spiritual Root within him, and indeed, it was there. Now he was finally whole. "Damn it, I don''t believe I can''t take it out today!" The first thing on his mind after recovery, of course, was to go pull out the tree branch. He had been tolerating this branch for a long time! ``` "The Ultimate Realm of Martial Arts!" "Asura ughter de!" The enormous Blood Sickle cleaved through the air towards the small twig. Crack¡ª Fang Ren was dumbfounded. The sickle in his hands, sharp enough to split the flesh of the Dragon n, had shattered! "I told you, you''re just wasting your effort." The woman sighed as she shook her head. Though the sickle in Fang Ren''s hands could be considered a top-notch de among mortals,pared to the sword she had broken before, this sickle was practically junk metal. Her sword was an Immortal weapon! If even an Immortal weapon had been smashed by the twig, what could this piece of junk metal do? "This is aplete disaster!" Fang Ren looked at the scattered sickle fragments all over the ground, his mental state crumbling. That sickle, kindly given to him by Mu Huanqing''s Spirit Form, had be a ughter de only after being refined by his Asura malice. No matter what, the sickle originally belonged to Mu Huanqing. Seeing it broken like this, he felt a pang of distress; after all, it was his favorite weapon. "Sigh~" After a long while, Fang Ren sat down beside the twig with a defeated face. Since he couldn''t pull out the twig to return to Earth, it seemed he had to go to Hongyu Chasm. He hoped he could see Hui Qing again before he went there; after all, going there meant seventy years away! No! He couldn''t go! If he did, by the time he returned to Earth, who knows what Hui Qing would have be! Various emotions weighed down on him until Fang Ren''s anger finally erupted. "Fuck your grandfather!" He stood up and kicked the small twig beside him. Crack¡ª The twig broke. "What!?" Fang Ren yelped in shock. The woman standing beside him was about to advise him again not to waste his effort when her pretty face suddenly turned into an expression of utter stupidity. "So... to break this twig, I had to curse at it first?" A thought involuntarily came to Fang Ren''s mind. If he had known being aggressive from the start could solve everything, why bother? "How! How is this possible!?" The woman stared at the twig Fang Ren had kicked apart, finally snapping out of her daze. "It just... happened so abruptly," Fang Ren said dumbly. "Pick up that broken twig quickly! Hurry!" the woman suddenly shouted excitedly. "Why?" "That''s an opportunity bestowed by the True Lord! You''ve got it now! Why aren''t you picking it up?" Seeing Fang Ren unmoved, she was on the verge of hopping in anxiety. "Let''s talk about thatter, I need to uproot this damned thingpletely! F*ck your grandfather!" Fang Ren cursed without reservation, seeming to have grasped the knack. The twig seemed like a masochist who needed to be harshly cursed! No sooner had he said that than Fang Ren reached out and grabbed the part where the twig connected to the earth, ready to use all his strength to pull it out. However, strangely enough, before he could exert any force, the twig came up easily, as if it had no roots at all. "... " The woman reverted to her idiotic expression. Suddenly, she felt like she might be hallucinating¡ªuprooting the twig meant obtaining the Divine Weapon used by the previous True Lord! How could such a thing happen! It must be because she descended from the heavens in the wrong posture. She had to go back and try again! Fang Ren fiddled with the twig in his hand and frowned again, looking displeased at the silly-looking woman behind him, "Are you deceiving me?" "What do you mean?" The woman was confused. "I''ve uprooted itpletely, so why does this world still exist? Shouldn''t it have sent me back? Or are you saying you never intended to let me go back from the start, making up something to fool me!" Fang Ren was thoroughly enraged. "This ce will copse shortly," the woman said calmly. She still found it hard to believe what she was seeing. This mortal simply cursed at the twig and pulled it out? To think that thest person who dared curse at the twig was torn to shreds by the Space Law, body and soul destroyed. "I hope what you''re saying is true, or I''ll have to fight you to the death." Finishing his words, Fang Ren threw the twig away nonchntly. Seeing this, the woman quickly shed over to catch the twig, her face filled with terror as she shouted at Fang Ren, "Are you mad!? You''re giving up a Divine Weapon from the True Lord!?" "If you want it, take it. Didn''t you say this thing is more precious than fifty million years of life? Alright, since you''ve also obtained something beyond your expectations, there''s no need to force me into the battle of the chosen. Just let me return to Earth." ``` Chapter 353: 345 The woman stared nkly at Fang Ren, unable to fathom how a mortal''s brain like his could possibly function. Eligible topete for the position of True Lord, he had no desire to participate, and capable of pulling out the Divine Weapon bestowed by the previous True Lord, he treated it like trash and casually discarded it. "I''m suddenly quite curious," the woman said as she looked at Fang Ren. "Someone as odd as you, uninterested in the position of True Lord, what on Earth are you in such a hurry to go back for? Is there something more important than inheriting the position of True Lord?" Fang Ren''s head ached the moment she brought up the True Lord. "Look, Sister, have you ever been married?" Fang Ren asked. "Married? That''s merely a vulgar rule you mortals have established for procreation. To someone like me, it''s utterly boring," the woman replied. "Then have you ever been in love?" "No, I was born an immortal and have no dealings with such mortal trappings." "Then you''re quite the tragic figure, living tens of thousands of years without experiencing a proper romance." Fang Ren shook his head andmented. "But since you say you were born an immortal, both of your parents must be immortals as well, right? So, what made them interested in having you?" A cold smirk crossed the woman''s face: "My mother was an immortal, but my father was a mortal. And I''ve always found my mother both pitiable and detestable." "You see, howe your mother was capable of mortal passions?" "It''s precisely because she harbored those mortal attachments that she ended up living in such agony," the woman frowned and said. "Please, continue." "If a mortal cannot step onto the path of immortality, their lifespan is invariably short. She knew this, yet she remained deluded! Eventually, when my father''s lifespan was exhausted, she was left alone for thousands of years. Although immortals can endure millennia of solitude, she insisted on shattering that loneliness, seeking so-called love. And then what? She couldn''t bear the solitude any longer, her cultivation was hindered, and she eventually perished on her path to enlightenment." "Then why resent her for that?" "If she hadn''t insisted on loving a mortal, I wouldn''t have spent nearly ten thousand years stubbornly searching for a way to bring about rebirth after my father died," the woman said. "That sounds like you actually loved your family quite a bit. And you say immortals have no passions? Aren''t you contradicting yourself?" Fang Ren pointed out. "After all, there are exceptions to everything. And the mortal affairs I spoke of refer to what you mentioned earlier about marriage and love, not about my blood rtives," the woman rified. It was then that Fang Ren realized he had strayed from the subject and quickly steered the conversation back on track: "Didn''t you ask why I have to return? I''ll tell you, it''s for my wife and daughter, it''s that simple." The woman sighed. "Why bother? Since you were able to pull out the Divine Weapon bestowed by the True Lord, it''s preordained that your life is extraordinary. You married and had children with mortals, but have you considered the grief you''ll bear alone when they reach the end of their lifespans?" "I have no intention of joining you to cultivate in the Hongyu Chasm. I just want to live an ordinary life like my wife; when it''s her time to depart this world, I''ll leave at about the same time," Fang Ren dered. From the beginning, Fang Ren truly wanted to live an ordinary life. However, Sister Hui Qing was not ordinary, and as time and eventsplicated their feelings, he had no choice but to forgo an ordinary life. Of course, even now that he was powerful, in the eyes of the centuries-old woman beside him, he was still just an ordinary mortal. "So unambitious!" The woman became angry again. "Don''t be mad. I''ve already given that thing to you. ording to what you said, it''s more important than fifty million years of lifespan. Isn''t this the same as you indirectly getting what I would have gained after victory? I can only advise you not to be too greedy, otherwise, we''ll only have a bigger conflict," Fang Ren earnestly said. "I do covet those fifty million years of lifespan, to be honest. But anyone would be greedy for that," the woman said, then suddenly asked, "By the way, how old is your wife?" "What''s it to you? She''s definitely not as old as you," he retorted. "I just want to know, with the lifespan she has left, how long can she stay with you?" the woman inquired. "While we might be mortals to you, we can also cultivate. Given her current realm, living another two hundred years shouldn''t be a problem." "Merely two hundred years, gone in the blink of an eye. Are you really content to spend those years with her and then embrace oblivion?" "Aren''t two hundred years enough?" Fang Ren gave her a look. To contest for the position of True Lord and then to only gain an extra year of lifespan was just outrageous. Rather than striving for such a role as the True Lord, he''d rather spend quality time with Sister Hui Qing, free from shame and agitation. "I simply can''tprehend your way of thinking!" the woman sighed. Boom¡ª Just then, the stark white world began to shift. "It looks like it''s time to go back," the woman stood up, looking once more at Fang Ren. "I have onest question." Upon hearing they were returning, Fang Ren''s mood lifted, and he cheerfully said, "Don''t worry about it. Just ask me whatever you want!" "If you''re not going to participate in the selection, I won''t have a reason to return to the Hongyu Chasm. I''ll free up two hundred years to stay here instead, if you wish," the woman offered. "What do you mean?" ``` Fang Ren still couldn''t quite understand why this big sister, who could have been an immortal, had stayed on this tiny Earth for two hundred years. What for? The woman coughed awkwardly, "Ahem, ahem, as I said before, if you could turn the branch..." "Into a maid, huh?" Fang Renughed, not expecting the woman to take it seriously, "It was just a joke. I also said to forget about it at the time." "Even so, since you''ve given me this opportunity, I should do something for you. Two hundred years is not long for me. I can ensure the safety of you and your wife for the rest of your lives, until your lifespans are exhausted," the woman said. "That won''t be necessary, my wife on Earth is really fierce in a fight. In a one-on-one situation, no one can beat her except for me." Fang Ren was just about to decline when suddenly he remembered something and continued, "However, I do have a favor to ask." "Just say it, as long as you don''t ask me to be your wife. I don''t want to follow in my mother''s footsteps," the woman said. "Big sister... I don''t know what it''s like where you''re from, but over here we practice monogamy," Fang Ren retorted with a roll of his eyes. "That''s good." Boom¡ª The space began to distort violently, and the figures of Fang Ren and the woman started to disappear into the darkness. At the same time, Fang Ren''s countless bodies also began to return to the various worlds, devoid of any life or movement. On Earth, in the Tianjiang Continent, atop a field of ruins. The morning sun rose slowly from the horizon, its soft light caressing the shatterednd. Standing atop the ruins, Fang Ren looked around at everything. His heart felt deste at the state of Tianjiang, yet he was also joyful for his rebirth. "Tell me what you need my help with." Clutching two broken branches, the woman stood atop the ruins, her white silk garments fluttering in the wind, her expression indifferent. Amidst the destendscape, she appeared surprisingly beautiful. "Look at the sky." Fang Ren pointed at the Void Hole in the sky, saying, "I''d like to ask for your help to either shatter this hole or move it away." The woman looked into the sky, her brow furrowing slightly before letting out a sigh, "If it were a normal spatial interweaving, maybe I could shatter it for you, but unfortunately, it''s not." "Then what is it?" Fang Ren was shocked. This woman, who could span tens of thousands of miles with a casual palm, had no way to deal with the Void Hole? "Didn''t I tell you? The previous Space Lord had already merged into the Void long ago. Since he left, the supreme Space Law was without a master, leading to the same scenery in many universes¡ªthe realms of various worlds began to intertwine, with different races and civilizations encountering each other. They either live in harmony or ughter one another." "Other worlds have encountered this too?" Fang Ren was quite surprised. "Indeed, many worlds are in great chaos now." After carefully studying the sky hole for a while, the woman added, "However, from what I can see, this hole in the sky hasn''t been around for very long, only a few hundred years or so. Moreover, the ce connected on the other side of the hole is likely to be a in the Barbaric Strict World. It''s mostly brutal, savage beasts there. If theye here, they surely won''t coexist peacefully with your human race." "How can we stop the beasts from continuing toe through?" That was all Fang Ren cared about. "Wait seventy years. When the new Space Lord ascends, the convoluted realms will return to stability, and these holes connected to your world will disappear." "What exactly is the Lord up to? Why did he suddenly abdicate? It''s caused unrest everywhere!" Fang Ren was infuriated. "Every Lord will eventually return to the Void; no one knows where they go. All we know is that each of them will one day suddenly depart," the woman exined. "So we just have to wait another seventy years? In those seventy years, who knows how many more will die," Fang Ren sighed. "It''s alright, I can stay and help you. You gifted me a Divine Weapon, and since you seem to want nothing else, I can only repay your favor this way," the woman said. "That''s good, then." Fang Ren nodded. He still quite trusted the woman''s strength. Moreover, seventy years to this woman might just be a brief incident in her long life, and he didn''t feel like it was too much of a dy for her. "I''m going to find my wife now. Have you decided what you''re going to do here?" Fang Ren asked. "I''m not familiar with this ce, so naturally, I''ll follow you. Otherwise, if I act without knowing the rules and kill some troublemakers, wouldn''t that just bring more annoying problems?" "Well, alright then. But please, big sister, don''t bring up anything about being a maid again. I''m afraid my wife might get the wrong idea." "Ha, what nonsense!" With that, the two vanished from the ruins. ``` Chapter 354: Chapter 346: Offering Incense to Ranzi!_1 Throughout the flight, Fang Ren had asked the woman many questions. Questions like why humans on Earth all of a sudden could cultivate, or anything about other external matters. The woman exined everything to him, revealing that the spiritual energy of this had depleted due to a spatial ovep, which leaked the spiritual energy of nature from the Barbaric Strict World into this ce, enabling the humans here to begin cultivation. During this, she also emphasized her own name: Zhu Yuan. Fang Ren suddenly remembered that he hadn''t told her his name yet. If he was going to spend seventy years with this woman, it was indeed necessary to know each other''s names. "Zhu Yuan? That does have a bit of an ancient fairy-like charm to it. I am a mere mortal, Fang Ren, ''Ren'' as in entrust, ''Ran'' as in natural." "Ren Ran? Heh, your name does suit your personality, but you''ve taken carefreeness a bit too far." "If you were from Earth, you wouldn''t say that about me." "Why so?" "The things I''ve done in recent years have all been contrary to my name." ... Today''s news was plentiful, and it almost overwhelmed all the major online tforms. Among the most attention-grabbing headlines: a grand funeral for the soldiers who died in the great battle today, live-streamed globally. The news that closely followed in terms of poprity was that Mu Huanqing had a child. And further down, there was talk that Bai Chaojin would seek atonement after the funeral, though most globalizens were clueless about his offenses. The next item was about the Nightfall Organization. The fifth item was about a student named Fang Ren, as his various information began to flood thework like a deluge. Due to the plethora of incidents involving him, the attention was dispersed, but thebined heat of the various events reached a historical peak. These included: the hidden eldest young master of the Fang Family for twenty-two years, the husband of the Ninth Heaven Fairy Mu Huanqing, the mighty warrior who chopped off a dragon''s arm in the great battle, the murderer of the second young master of the Fang Family and two other young masters, the alchemist of the Nightfall Organization, Master Qingan himself, the mysterious person who healed Mu Huanqing''s meridians, the owner of the giant tree at sea that annihted countless void beasts, the young man who loved Miss Liu for many years and was rejected after confessing, the thief who stole the underwear of star Jian Ye, and the person whom Princess Bai Xi in her rage wiped out the Tiandao Sword Sect for... All the information had been dug up. Each piece was so shocking, all converging on a medical student from a humble college in a small county town. Thement sections beneath each piece of news were explosive. "You''ve got to be kidding me, this dude''s a med student!? They treat me like a kindergarten kid!" "Is the school freaking blind? Giving Master Qingan an alchemy ss!? Why don''t you go instruct the military sectors on how to cultivate?" "I''m a local resident of Yangming City! I''ve said several times online that I saw Young Master Fang and the Fairy dining together that night, and not a single person believed me! They even used me of spreading rumors! Even now, the cyber police haven''t given up hunting me! Who am I toin to? If it wasn''t for Ah Hua from the vige next door hiding me under her bed, and her husband not finding out yet, I... I would have...whaaah!" "I am Ah Hua''s husband! On my way home now! Thanks to the inte for keeping my color healthy!" "Miss Liu of the Liu Family must be regretting it now, right?" "I''m a student at the same school, our ss president was forced to reject him due to an arranged marriage, but afterwards, ''Ran God'' hit on Madame Xuan! Their rtionship in private is¡­ hard to say, I''m afraid of being pursued by cyber police." "Okay, every student in ss Three of the medical school is under arrest!" "The thing with Jian Ye was an ident, I heard from her agent that Jian Ye and Ran God wererades-in-arms, that night was just... after seeing the consequences above, I don''t dare to say more." "Princess Bai Xi is the most pitiful, originally she would have married Young Master Fang right on the spot at the end of the alchemypetition, but who knew the husband would already have a child with someone else, sigh, however Princess Bai Xi''s love runs deep, in the end when her husband died in battle, she ended up annihting the sect she once stayed with, and moreover, her grandfather has to atone today." "The wedding didn''t happen, suffered betrayal in love, loved one died in battle, destroyed a once benevolent sect, and now her grandfather has to atone! Five consecutive heavy blows!" ... On thends of Tianjiang, there were already many practitioners with Earth Attribute Spiritual Roots working hard to restore the buildings of Tianjiang, but it was impossible to return them to their original state, the best they could do was a general restoration. Inside the Mu Family Manor. The morning sun shone on the area, making the surrounding mountains and forests look lush and verdant. The Guanshan Pavilion within the manor was a fine spot, from where one could see all the scenery behind the Mu Family mountains. Holding a quiet infant in her arms, Mu Huanqing stood there, her gaze vacant as she watched the warm sun slowly rising in the distance. She still remembered the days when Fang Ren would wake her up at five in the morning during their outings, eager to take her to the mountaintop to watch the sunrise. Back then how wonderful it was. Her limbs were healed, she was just a mundane person, and she couldn''t possibly leave him. She hadn''t slept at allst night, her hitherto vacant emotions suddenly turned to self-reproach the moment she saw the sun. She suddenly realized that Fang Ren was originally supposed to be an ordinary person. He could have happily engaged in alchemy, pretend to be third fromst in the ss, and asionally be Master Qingan online. If she hadn''t appeared, his future wife would surely have been happier, far more worthy than her. His wife could give him everything she couldn''t, offer himpanionship, make him edible meals, give him the ordinary life he wished for. It was because of her that Fang Ren no longer wished to be an ordinary person. He gave up the meaning behind his own name, his creed for a low-key life, and like a fool, he pursued the path of cultivation as an Asura, just to prove himself inpetitions, to avenge her, and even ended up on the battlefield saving her life, trading his life for the awakening of little Qianye. As she thought about it, tears streamed down from the corner of her eyes. What saddened and regretted her the most was her insistence on leaving him that day to rush to the battlefield. "If¡­ If I hadn''t left that day, would things have been better¡­" "If I had just abolished my cultivation¡­ would he not have died¡­ Ah..." Suddenly she began to cry out loud. The handful of female soldiers standing about ten meters behind her sighed with guilt and helplessness at the sight. Meanwhile, at an outdoor table in the center of the manor, Jing Haichuan, Li Xingwang, Er Gou, and Teacher Huang sat together again, drinking. Arge group of students from ss Three were gathered in front of them, all looking worried. "What''s going on now?" Liu Qianqian asked, groggy. She hadn''t slept well all night, and when she woke up, she heard noise from this direction and came over to ask. "Oh man,st night the four of them gotpletely wasted, and when Teacher Huang woke up this morning, he remembered what happenedst night, and he was annoyed. He insisted on drinking another round with Old Li and the other two, iming that it was to ''restore the teacher''s dignity'' or something." "Is that really necessary? Are they confused from drinking again now? Won''t the people from the Mu Family have a bad impression of us for sticking around?" "Not at all, just now Old Master Mu was almost drinking with them. He only left because of the funeral he had to attend, and he told the servants not to stop them. He said something about ''drink more when you''re sad.'' ... On the small table, with his face flushed red, Teacher Huang grabbed his phone, pulled up a ss photo of the students, found Fang Ren''s face, zoomed in on it, and then ced his phone on the table. "Want to be sworn brothers, huh!" Teacher Huang mumbled and shouted, pointing to Fang Ren on his phone, "Add him to the group!" "Old Huang, your photo is blurry! Check out mine!" Jing Haichuan took out his phone, pulled up a clear photo with Fang Ren and ced it on the table. Li Xingwang put an apple on the table and raised his beer-filled soybean juice cup (two bottles'' worth) and yelled, "Don''t say anything! Let''s chug one first! Whoever finishesst is the damn little brother!" "Hey, I was supposed to be the big brother!" Teacher Huangined. "Besides Old Huang, whoever finishesst is the little brother!" "No! Didn''t we agree earlier to make that ungrateful Ranzi the little brother?" "Oh, right! That ungrateful Ranzi can only be the little brother! Whoever finishesst is the second-tost little brother!" "Raise your cup for me!" Teacher Huang yelled and was about to start without another word. "Give me one." A girl''s voice came from beside the four grown men. "ss leader! Why are you joining in the nonsense too?" "They''re just drunk! They''ll be fine after they sleep it off. Don''t take their sworn brotherhood seriously!" Several girls immediately came over to pull Liu Qianqian back. Teacher Huang turned around and saw Liu Qianqian with eyes bloodshot, immediately shouted, "Stop pulling at her! As a top student, how can you not drink? Old Li, Old Jing, fill her cup!" "Yes, boss!" Seeing that Teacher Huang was too drunk, the girls dared not pull Liu Qianqian back any longer. Liu Qianqian sat down next to the small table, grabbed a filled soybean juice cup, and clinked it with the few grown men. Gurgling... The surrounding students watched worriedly but did not stop them. There were doctors in the Mu Family Manor, and since the doctors hadn''t intervened, they just continued to watch. p p p... A few cups fell to the table. "Offer incense to Ranzi!" Er Gou shouted as he lit several sticks of incense. Everyone took the incense he handed out and stuck them into the apple. "Something feels off," Jing Haichuan frowned, "Weren''t we here to be sworn brothers? How did it turn into offering incense?" "Never mind that! Every time I see Ranzi, I want to cry! Let me cry, dammit!" Li Xingwang punched Er Gou. "Ah! Fuck! Ranzi! I really don''t want to cry! I cried enoughst night!" With the mood set and the pain on his body acknowledged, Er Gou broke into tears, his nose and eyes running with snot and tears. The rest, being drunk and barely conscious, saw the moment and immediately started crying and shouting too. At that moment, Fang Ren was about tond in the manor from above. But the closer he flew, the clearer he could hear the sound of crying and wailing. "Ranzi! Why did you leave so early! I didn''t get to give you my kidney treasure! And you just left like that!" "Ahh!! Ranzi, I don''t want to cry!" "Just cry, dammit!" "Wuuwuuwuu... Ranzi was the best student I''ve ever had, dammit!" ... Fang Ren was nning to fly straight into thergest room in the manor, but as soon as he heard these noises, he decisively flew towards the table at the center. As he flew closer, the scene made him explode with anger. Fuckin'' hell! A bunch of idiots were offering him incense! And there was even his damn photo on the table! Chapter 355: Chapter 347: The Stray Cat Who Snuck a Bite Decided to Leave_1 "What''s wrong with you?" Zhuyuan looked at Fang Ren''s angry expression and couldn''t help but ask. "Didn''t you see what event they''re holding on the ground?" Fang Ren couldn''t help but roll his eyes. Zhuyuan nced at the phone on the small table, as well as the apple beside it with Gao Xiang incense sticks in it, and then looked at Fang Ren again. It turned out this guy was being treated as if he were dead by others. Without saying another word, Fang Rennded next to the manor''s small table, seeing a few guys wailing and crying a river, his face turned dark. What he couldn''t understand was, it was fine for Er Gou, Jing Haichuan, and Li Xingwang to make a fuss, but what were Teacher Huang and Liu Qianqian doing? "Ran¡­ Ranzi?" As Fang Ren and Zhuyuannded, the group of students around them who were watching and drinking immediately reacted. "Fuck! Am I hallucinating?" "Then why can I see it too! And there''s a fairy by his side?" "This¡­ this couldn''t be a ghost, right? I''ve heard that if a person''s obsession is too deep after death, they can linger in the world!" a female student said timidly. Hearing this, a group of male and female students immediately took a few steps back, distancing themselves from Fang Ren and Zhuyuan. "Ranzi, if you coulde back! I swear I''ll y at the Tianjiang PC room till I go missing today!" Jing Haichuan cried out. "Brother Chuan! Count me in!" Er Gou shouted. "Nothing else to say! As brothers, count me in too!" Li Xingwang added. "Sinful disciples! You''re truly sinful! You should let your teacher bear this pain! If I don''t enter hell, who will!?" Teacher Huang banged on the table and roared. Liu Qianqian, who was also drinking, just kept crying, not saying a word, continuously wiping away tears. "Fuck! I told you to cry!" Boom! Fang Ren directly conjured a hammer in the air and with one blow, smashed the small drinking table into the ground. "Damn it! Who ruined Ranzi''s memorial table! I''ll fight you today!" "Such a sin! Does heaven want not even to spare my students in death?" "Never mind who it is! Your ancestors will never use Jing''s condoms again! I won''t even sell you a baby!" The several people who were suddenly interrupted became angry in an instant. Er Gou and Li Xingwang were ready to fight with wine bottles in their hands, Jing Haichuan was searching for his phone in the mud, and without saying another word, Teacher Huang sat cross-legged on the ground, ready to recite scriptures to save souls. tter! When Er Gou and Li Xingwang saw Fang Ren, their wine bottles dropped instantly. "Ran¡­ Ranzi?" "Fuck, are we hallucinating from drinking?" Jing Haichuan got annoyed upon hearing this, picked up his ruined phone, turned around and said, "What Ranzi! Even if the Emperor of Heavenes today, I will... have... to... y till I''m missing..." "Did all your brains get kicked by a donkey?" Fang Ren cursed as he attempted to take medicinal pills from his ring, but then he remembered his ring had been crushed by that dragon. Fang Ren had no choice but to turn back to Zhuyuan: "Do you have any pills that can sober people up?" Zhuyuan couldn''t help but roll her eyes when hearing his request. Pills to sober up? She lifted a hand, and with a slight flicker of her fingers in the air... Vrrrr¡ª A strong gust of air surged from the manor''s table, sweeping over the group of people who had been drinking. Their initially stagnant movements and dim eyes suddenly cleared up. Jing Haichuan blinked and tapped his forehead with his muddy phone. Damn it, it hurts. "Damn it!" Jing Haichuan jumped up on the spot and, like an octopus, leaped onto Fang Ren, crying and shouting, "Ranzi! Fuck! It''s really Ranzi!" "Get off me!" Fang Ren grabbed at his clothes, trying to pull him down, however, the harder he pulled, the more enthusiastic the guy became. Seeing this, Li Xingwang didn''t say a word but also leaped up for a hug, with men piled on top of each other. "Ah! Ranzi! I knew you wouldn''t just leave us behind!" "Get off me!" Before Fang Ren could deal with these two, Er Gou also jumped on, and Fang Ren didn''t dare use too much strength because they were ordinary people who might get hurt if he exerted too much force. "Alright, alright, you''re all grown men, why the crying and fussing?" Fang Ren was covered in tears and snot by these guys, furious but also feeling warm inside. "You think I want to cry? You died before even bing a spokesperson for my family''s condoms, I''m sad for the future of mypany!" Jing Haichuan said without hesitation. "Okay, okay, I only use Jing''s condoms!" Enjoy new stories from m-v l''e|-NovelBin "Eternal third! Your teacher knew this day woulde! I am so relieved!" "I always thought Teacher Huang, your predictions were pretty urate!" ... After a bout ofmotion, they finally let go of Fang Ren. It was also because of this turmoil that the ssmates realized this was a real person. In an instant, everyone crowded in, with all sorts of noises creating quite amotion. The only one who remained seated in her original spot was Liu Qianqian, holding a cup of soybean juice with red-rimmed eyes, unmoving like a wooden statue. "Excuse me, everyone, I need to step out for a moment, I have some urgent matters to attend to," Fang Ren said as he made his way through the crowd. "Lad! Your teacher is showing you the way! You''re right to head to Guanshan Pavilion!" "Damn, thanks for the guidance, teacher. Big sister of the Bamboo Garden, you stay here and wait for me, I''ll be right back." As Fang Ren spoke, he turned and ran towards Guanshan Pavilion. Just as he left the crowd of ssmates, his eyes caught sight of Liu Qianqian, who sat motionless to one side. She was still staring nkly at her fermented soybean drink, not even turning her head to look at him. Suddenly, Fang Ren''s pace slowed down, but he didn''t stop; he couldn''t stop, he had to see Mu Huiqing. As for Liu Qianqian... He had thought of making it up to her in some other way, but what could he possibly use topensate for the Spirit Embryo of the Sacred Body? Perhaps if he went to Hongyu Chasm and obtained the position of the True God, he could make up for the Sacred Body she lost. But what about that night, the things Liu Qianqian did for him, the love she gave him, what could he use topensate for that? She knew that by doing so, she would be a mortal and wouldn''t receive any rewards, she might even bebeled as a whore who ruined a holy woman''s family... How could Fang Ren ever repay such a terrifyingly brave heart? He was in turmoil, but he really couldn''t stay here now. If he turned around and spoke to Liu Qianqian first, he didn''t know what might happen, but as long as he stopped, he would be abandoning his wife. Fang Ren''s figure disappeared, and Liu Qianqian did not shed a tear; she just blinked her eyes and drank all the remaining alcohol in the soybean drink cup. It was better this way. She was not sad. She had anticipated this day when she made that decision. Perhaps during the great battle, she could brazenly steal a kiss from him, but in the presence of Mu Huiqing, she had to hide away like a scrappy stray cat. How scared she was of being discovered by the mistress of the house for stealing her husband''s affection! "Qian Qian..." Li Xinyue hurried to Liu Qianqian''s side, taking her hand firmly in hers, afraid that Liu Qianqian would do something foolish. She was very aware that if Liu Qianqian dared to have any encounter with Fang Ren now, Mu Huiqing would surely kill her. "I''m fine." Strangely, a smile appeared on Liu Qianqian''s face, and not a single tear slipped from the corner of her eye. "ss leader, you need to keep cool." "Yeah, at this moment... sigh! Really, I don''t know how tofort you!" A group from the ss gathered around, all fearing that she might suddenly do something foolish, especially since this was the Mu Family, and Mu Huiqing was here. "Qianqian, you must listen to your teacher this time, don''t be reckless!" Teacher Huang spoke up. "Yeah, sis! We''ve just sworn brotherhood! You can''t just throw your life away!" Er Gou added. Jing Haichuan also couldn''t help butfort her, "That''s right, sis! In the future, you still have to be a sister to us brothers who have sworn an oath!" "This..." Li Xingwang wasn''t quite as good at offeringfort, scratching his red hair he said, "Um, find a chance to secretly do something with Ranzi... wouldn''t that be quite a thrill?" After he spoke, he was beaten up by a group of female ssmates. "I know." Liu Qianqian nodded to everyone. She knew her behavior had always been reckless. How could a stray cat appear in front of the mistress of the house? You see, they all think so. Just... just worthy of stealing affection. And who knows, one day she might be caught and beaten to death or the man of the house might decide he disapproves of such behavior and that she should go away to wherever she belongs. But they don''t know! Before she became a stray cat, she could have been someone surpassing Mu Huiqing! But she willingly gave up her most precious dried fish to save the life of someone else''s husband! She no longer cared topare herself with his mistress! If she stayed by Fang Ren''s side, she would forever be a stray cat stealing affection. But if she left him, she could just be a Liu Family cat who lost her dried fish¡ªthough without dried fish, the Liu Family would still groom her nicely and send her to another family as a pet, in exchange for some wealth. "I, I can''t have anything to do with Fang Ren anymore." Under the advising gazes of everyone, she said with a smile, "You all shouldn''t say whatever anymore. In the future, I might not attend school there; I''ll probably return to my family and do some work for them." "That might be for the best, to break it off early, to hurt less," a female ssmate sighed. She wanted to call Fang Ren a scumbag, but he had saved too many lives, and she felt he no longer deserved thebel of scumbag, and many people wouldn''t allow it either. "I feel the same way. Although Ranzi is pretty good, having a child changes everything. Continuing would only lead to family issues. ss leader, making this decision is probably the best for everyone," a male ssmate said. Everyone spoke in turn, but only Li Xinyue, who was beside Liu Qianqian, didn''t speak. She knew exactly what Liu Qianqian meant by her words. Return to the family? But was that truly her family? Are you sure it wasn''t just a pet shop? Since she had be a stray cat, she was no longer the most expensive cat in the pet shop. Everyone in the family ns knew about the Sacred Body, for losing virginity meant losing cultivation level. The people in the pet shop might dress her up all nice, but whoever bought her would soon realize she was something that had been dirtied. Given that, how could they possibly keep her as a precious pet? Chapter 356: Chapter 348: Murdering Your Husband As Soon As You Meet?_1 ``` Having crossed various buildings and several cobblestone paths, Fang Ren finally arrived at the stairs below Guanshan Pavilion. On the pathway leading to Guanshan Pavilion, there currently stood several women d in Silver Armor, and in front of them, in the pavilion, was a woman holding a baby and crying. The woman was wearing thin clothes, and she was already quite thin. d in such flimsy attire, her body shivered slightly as she cried, making her look like a frail woman suffering from a serious illness. Fang Ren didn''t linger; he ran at full speed toward the pavilion, and his figure swept past the vision of the female soldiers like a streak of light. "Who is that! Catch them¡ª" "How dare they break in here¡ª" By the time the female soldiers reacted, his figure had already reached the inside of the pavilion. The soldiers were about to take action, but the moment they saw the face of that figure, the weapons in their hands slowly lowered, and the True Qi surging within them dissipated as well. "Is this... a miracle?" The soldiers were slightly startled and stood frozen in ce for a moment, quietly observing the pavilion. Fang Ren was standing right beside her, but it seemed as if she hadn''t noticed his arrival. Perhaps it was because she was crying too hard, or maybe Fang Ren had reached a Realm beyond her perception. The air inside the pavilion was somewhat damp, a result of tears mixing with it. The pavilion was quite high, and just moments ago, a morning breeze had swept through, causing her hair to flit about. Yet, in the instant he entered the pavilion, it all came to rest on her fragrant shoulders. The infant in her arms was sleeping soundly, seemingly unaffected by his mother''s sorrow. When the mother''s hair fell on her tender face, in her sleep, she stretched out her tiny hand and patted her own little face, as if she were waving to her father nearby. With the morning breeze gone, the only sound left inside the pavilion was Mu Huanqing''s choking sobs. She looked haggard, with a slightly red nose, and the skin on her cheeks bore marks of being soaked by tears. Her eyes kept shedding tears, wetting her long eyshes, and each tear rolled down her cheeks to the tip of her chin, finally dropping onto the infant''s swaddling clothes. Her once slender and fair fingers were now covered with scars left from the battlefield, and even her fingernails, which should have been pink, showed numerous cracks. Around the arm that held the baby, a white bandage was wrapped... Many of her wounds still hadn''t been properly treated. Looking at the dear one before him, Fang Ren''s eyes reddened. He blinked, trying to suppress his emotions. He couldn''t help wanting to embrace her directly, but would that scare her too much? Wiping the corners of his eyes, Fang Ren controlled his voice. "Um... Sister, stop crying, please." Initially, that was how he addressed her¡ªas Sister. He thought he could control it well, but when he spoke, his voice came out a bit hoarse, sounding like an old man. His voice had sounded, but Mu Huanqing gave no reaction. It was as if she had lost all perception of her surroundings, deaf to any sound. "Sister Hui Qing?" She just continued to cry. "Qing''er?" Still crying. "Wife?" The crying hadn''t stopped. Fang Ren didn''t call out to her anymore and instead, reached out his hand and gently ced it on her fragile shoulder, hoping to bring her back to reality. ``` But who could have known that the moment his hand touched Mu Huanqing? Hum¡ª¡ª Mu Huanqing, who had been crying, suddenly turned around, and a streak of cold light suddenly shed towards him. But he didn''t dodge or let go, simply cing his hand on her shoulder. As expected, the silver light turned into a long spear, resting at the edge of his neck but never shing down. As Mu Huanqing turned around, their eyes met. Fang Ren looked somewhat bewildered, while Mu Huanqing''s expression was extremely cold. Seeing Mu Huanqing''s haggard face, Fang Ren''s eyes reddened even more. His own wife actually wanted to kill him! For a moment, the two of them stood still in silence. Mu Huanqing held the child with one arm and pointed the long spear at his neck with the other, while Fang Ren slightly tilted his head up, one hand resting on her shoulder. When Fang Ren''s face reflected in Mu Huanqing''s hollow pupils, it was like the scorching sun of the ninth heaven exploding into her gloomy world. First, a sliver of dawn appeared in her eyes, and then, like a fire sinking into the deep sea. What should have been extinguished, at that moment, burned up the great sea, soaring towards the universe, illuminating countless stars. Her eyes saw mountains as mountains, waters as water, but only when she saw the one in her heart did the sea of clouds surge tumultuously. "Ah Ran¡­" Her tears suddenly stopped, and she stood there stunned, like a fool. "Plotting to murder your own husband?" Fang Ren blurted out instinctively. Mu Huanqing still stood there in a daze, her mind filled with countless conjectures¡ªwas she dreaming? Hallucinations? Overwhelming longing? Or could it be that she, too, was already dead¡­ Seeing that Mu Huanqing still didn''t lower the spear, Fang Ren pressed his neck against the tip of the spear, "I''ll help you kill." "No!!" Before he could move, she was like a mortal watching her own world face destruction. With all her strength, she cast aside the weapon in her hand. The tears that had stopped poured out again, her haggard cheeks like a crying child''s. "Ah Ran!" Mu Huanqing threw herself into his embrace, weeping unrestrainedly, heedless of appearances. "Hey! The child! Watch the child!" Fang Ren was startled when she suddenly flung herself at him; she nearly squeezed the child. Thankfully, Mu Huanqing still instinctively protected her child with her True Qi in the end. After all, she was a mother, and a mother''s instinct was to protect her child. Fang Ren was relieved to see she still had that awareness and also thankful that he hadn''t directly embraced her earlier; otherwise, she might have truly reacted reflexively and chopped him. After all, in Mu Huanqing''s eyes just moments ago, Fang Ren shouldn''t have existed in this world, and had he suddenly hugged her, she would definitely have the resolve to kill. "Ah Ran! Wuu!!!" Feeling that she was holding a real person, Mu Huanqing''s cry became even more miserable. Listening to her crying, the tears Fang Ren had been holding back burst forth like a floodgate, and he hugged her tightly. "You still know it''s me!?" "Wuu wuu wuu!" She nodded her head while crying. "Aren''t you trying to murder your own husband? Continue! Grown some guts, have you?!" "Whoo!" She cried while shaking her head again. Fang Ren, with tears streaming down his face, yelled, "Do you know what I gave up for you and your mother! Damn it, the Divine Throne!" He also gave up a year of his life, but Fang Ren was too embarrassed to mention it. Mu Huanqing didn''t understand what he was talking about; she just kept nodding her head and crying. Fang Ren originally wanted to scold her for something else, but he just didn''t have the heart to and just wanted to take good care of her. Continue your journey at m_v--NovelBin But who would have known that just when he stopped talking, Mu Huanqing punched him in the chest with some force. "Idiot! Dunce!" She suddenly started hitting and cursing him at the same time. "Do you not want me anymore? Moron! Fool!" "I..." "Who told you to go and die! Who asked you to do that!" "That was..." Before Fang Ren could finish his sentence, he felt pain in his shoulder; looking down, he saw she had actually bitten him. "Hey..." Although Fang Ren''s body was somewhat numb to pain, he could still feel that she was biting with quite some force. It was as if she had held back her frustration for a very long time and finally vented it out in this way. After a while, Mu Huanqing let go and yelled at him with a face full of anger and frustration, "Have you learned your lesson yet?" It turned out that she bit him to make him remember not to go off and die again. "I remember now, Sister." Fang Ren affectionately tousled her silver hair. "Don''t call me ''Sister''!" "Wife?" "Call me Qing''er!" "Alright, Qing''er." "Does it hurt?" She looked at the bite marks she left on Fang Ren''s shoulder and found herself feeling sorry again. "It doesn''t hurt." "Good if it doesn''t hurt..." After releasing her anger, Mu Huanqing snuggled up to him like a little girl, her voice bing gentle. "Done with your tantrum?" Fang Ren asked. "Yeah." "Now it''s my turn to be angry." p! As soon as Fang Ren finished speaking, he pped her on the lower waist. Of course, he did not dare to use force; it was just a symbolic p. "What are you doing..." "Dare to ask? You just tried to murder your own husband!" Another p. "That''s not..." "Not admitting it!?" "I was wrong..." ... After several ps, his petty anger dissipated, leaving only deep tenderness. "It''s no use admitting your mistake now, I''ll deal with it... tonight" Just as Fang Ren was about to say those words, he noticed a few female soldiers not far from the pavilion, staring at this scene with dumbfounded looks, their jaws practically dropping to the ground at the sight before them. It turned out that the supreme Madame Xuan... also had such a tender, wifely side... Fang Ren''s face instantly turned red. And when Mu Huanqing heard his voice stop abruptly, she too turned her gaze toward the outside of the pavilion. The next moment, her face was so hot it seemed to dry her tears. The joy of their reunion and the frustrations within her heart had made herpletely forget about her subordinates outside the pavilion. When the female soldiers outside saw the two of them turn around, they hurriedly ran off. "Madame Xuan! It''s not our fault! The Ninth District Chief made us stand guard!" "That''s right! I didn''t see anything!" "We absolutely won''t be guarding your door tonight!" "That! That! If the child needs someone to take care of it tonight! I''ll notify the Ninth District Chief for you!" Whoosh whoosh whoosh... The few of them fled as if they had just seen a Hundred-step Void Beast, running for their lives. "That... shouldn''t be a problem, right?" Fang Ren asked dully. "It''s all your fault!" Mu Huanqing, infuriated, punched him again; she simply could not face her subordinates again. Fang Ren chuckled, "If it reallyes to it, we''ll just have to nip the problem in the bud." "Stop it! They are all my dear sisters!" Inside the pavilion, the two of them held the child and spent a long, tender moment together. "How did Ah Ran survive at that time?" Mu Huanqing asked. "Actually, he was already dead, but Qianye had previously given me a Rebirth Fruit and so brought me back to life." "Qianye, huh... It seems like it can do anything." Mu Huanqing couldn''t help but recall the scene of the colossal tree ughtering countless Void Beast Groups in the sea and the miraculous power that had repaired her meridians back then. No matter how she thought about it, Qianye didn''t seem like it should exist in this world. Chapter 357: Chapter 349: Actually, You Are More Like Father_1 "We haven''t had the chance to name her yet." Fang Ren cradled the baby, continuously poking her delicate little face with his finger, his heart filled with bliss. Looking at the infant in his arms, he suddenly realized how utterly correct his decision to return had been. It seemed as if he saw the meaning of thetter half of his life, and a sense of responsibility equal to that he felt towards Mu Huiqing blossomed in his heart. "Xiao Xuan often called her Cai Cai because her entire Spiritual Root is colorful," Mu Huiqing said. "Is that a bit casual?" "Let''s consider it her nickname. After all, Xiao Xuan ran around for her sake, so why not use the nickname she came up with?" "Since you''ve said that, I certainly have no objections, but as for her formal name, let''s think it over," Fang Ren said with a frown. "You want to name her?" Mu Huiqing looked at him with a touch of distrust. Fang Ren blinked and asked, "Is my skill in choosing names... that bad?" Mu Huiqing rolled her eyes at him and said, "Qianye once told me, you wanted to name it something like ''Universe''s Supreme Invincible Panren Tree''..." Upon hearing this piece of his dark history, Fang Ren''s face darkened, "You''re... afraid that I''ll name our daughter something like ''Gxy''s Ultimate Supreme''?" "What if you really did name her that?" "Wouldn''t Uncle Han kill me?" ... After some deliberation, Mu Huiqing ultimately chose the name. The names Fang Ren suggested were truly too peculiar, almost no different than the name ''Cui Hua''er''. "I hope to give her all she wants in the future, so I thought of calling her Mo Xin, which means not to envy others," Mu Huiqing said. "Let''s go with Fang Mo Xin if that''s what Qing''er says. But somehow... it doesn''t seem quite feminine," he replied. "How is it not feminine? Anyway, I don''t agree to her being called something like Fang Dahua!" When Mu Huiqing heard that name, she nearly came to blows with him. While Fang Ren and Mu Huiqing were sitting in the pavilion, having their heartwarming conversation, everyone in the Mu Family Manor had already begun to hear the news. The students from ss 3 of Western College were even using their personalworking ounts to spread the news. If they didn''t do so, Fang Ren''s portrait would be ced prominently on disy at the funeral today! They had to remove Fang Ren''s portrait! Inside the Mu Family Manor, Liu Qianqian had packed some of her belongings, ready to leave this ce alone. Just as she was about to go, a female figure approached her from the bamboo garden and stopped her. "Miss, please wait a moment." Liu Qianqian turned to look at the fairy-like figure, not quite understanding what the mysterious woman, who could cover the entire Mu Family Manor with her aura in the blink of an eye, wanted with her. "Yes?" Liu Qianqian said. Zhuyuan extended her palm into the air, catching a strand of faint transparent thread, and said, "You should have the potential to be an Immortal." "Qianye has said the same thing." "Fang Ren''s Spirit Form?" On her journey here with Fang Ren, Zhuyuan had also discussed his Spirit Form with him. "Indeed." "Knowing your physique is special, why do you continue to waste it? Your body is now in tatters, weaker even than that of an average Mortal," Zhuyuan questioned, puzzled. The Sacred Body is considered a rare and powerful constitution amongst all realms; those with this physique seldom fail to be Immortals. Unless their Spirit Embryo has been extracted. "I prefer being a Mortal, goodbye," Liu Qianqian said, and turned to continue her departure. "You and Fang Ren must know each other. I offer you this small pill. Although it cannot repair your Spirit Embryo, it can spare you the agony of the injuries within your body," Zhuyuan said as she wrapped a pill in True Qi and sent it floating towards Liu Qianqian. "Thank you, but I don''t¡ª" Liu Qianqian began to refuse, but she never did speak the final word. Watching the pill enveloped by True Qi, she took it after two seconds, "Let''s call it even." With those words, Liu Qianqian left the manor. Since Fang Ren felt guilt toward her, she would use this pill to settle that bit of guilt in his heart. After Liu Qianqian''s departure, the ssroom was enveloped in silence. Perhaps they would soon be attending Liu Qianqian''s wedding banquet, but that banquet would definitely not involve Fang Ren. From the start, she had been nothing but a tool for her family''s interests, beset by twists and turns along the way. In the end, hadn''t it all amounted to the same thing? Li Xinyue never thought she would end up reaching out for that pill; if she didn''t, at least Fang Ren would surely try to make amends out of his guilt toward her in the future. But once taken, the next time Fang Ren saw her, she would tell him she had already received herpensation. From then on, there would be no further contact. "It seems that the jokes we once made were just that, jokes, but it looks like she took them seriously. Well, she wasn''t the only one who did, sigh," Li Xingwang gave up with a wave of his hand and sighed. "That''s it, my Jing brand condoms just lost another spokesperson," Jing Haichuan shook his head, feeling a sense of loss. "Let''s not talk about that now. Didn''t we agree? When Ranzi gets back, we''re supposed to go off the grid on the Tianjiang Continent," Er Gou remarked. "Not me! Not me, I''m not up for that!" Teacher Huang dered with a stern face. "Big brother, haven''t we sworn brotherhood? We should face difficulties together!" ... At a certain location in the Mu Family Manor, Shang Han with reddened eyes rushed toward Fang Ren. "You''re still alive, you brat!" Your journey continues on mvl He smacked Fang Ren''s back forcefully, excited like a child. "Of course, otherwise Uncle Han, you wouldn''t have a son-inw," Fang Ren smiled and said. "Damn it! I worried for nothing for so long!" Shang Han said and then made to hit him. After a bit ofmotion, Shang Han hurriedly took out his phone, his face filled with excitement: "I have to quickly share this news with Brother Zheng! Let your dad know you''re still alive!" "Uncle Han." "What is it, you little rascal?" Shang Han asked while flipping through his contacts. Fang Ren watched him bustling with activity, his smile gradually fading. "Actually, in my eyes... Uncle Han, you, you''re more like a father to me." Shang Han''s hand, which had been scrolling through the phone, suddenly froze. He had always been good at holding in his emotions. Since Fang Ren "died," he managed to keep his thoughts to himself, even going so far as tofort his daughter and Fang Zheng. Even after just seeing that Fang Ren was still alive, his eyes had only reddened. But Fang Ren''sst remark was like something striking him right in the heart, tears uncontroble, immediately welling up and spilling over. "You little..." Shang Han bit his lip, his voice choked with emotion. For twenty-two years, he had raised Fang Ren, relinquishing the position of Ninth District Chief, leaving his family, all in the hopes that Fang Ren could live peacefully, without getting involved in the troubles of the great ns. He had invested so much of himself in Fang Ren. Seeing his back to him and hearing his voice as if he had swallowed sand, Fang Ren spoke up, "Do you want me to call you dad?" "Damn it! Brother Zheng is your real father!" Shang Han roared. "I married your daughter, doesn''t that make you my father too?" "Seems like it damn well does, haha." "Dad." "..." Shang Han suddenly fell silent. Then, he suddenly turned around and pped Fang Ren on the top of his head, his eyes brimming with tears. "Who the hell told you to call me that now? Making me shed tears, making me, the grand Ninth District Chief, lose face in public, you little brat, are you happy now?!" As he spoke, Shang Han, under the gaze of everyone, quickly made his way to a room. Inside the room, Shang Han locked the door behind him and dove into the bed covers, crying his heart out. Chapter 358: Chapter 350: Whose Kid is Being Taken Care of Today?_1 Fang Ren had returned here, intending to spend some loving time with Mu Huanqing, but his mother-inw, Mu Tianyuan, urged them both to quickly change into ck attire, asking them to attend the mourning ceremony for the Tianjiang warriors afterward. Now that Fang Ren had returned, Mu Huanqing was no longer downcast; they rightfully should attend the funeral. And because of this, Mu Huanqing had no choice but to take Cai Cai to look for Xiao Xuan. At that moment, Xiao Xuan was blushing, whispering something with a few of the female soldiers huddled in a corner. "What? Madame Xuan was spanked by Fang Ren?" Xiao Xuan looked shocked. "Oh my! It wasn''t just that! Fang Ren also said he was going to punish Madame Xuan properly tonight, ah! I was so embarrassed watching it!" "If that''s the case, why isn''t Madame Xuan angry?" Xiao Xuan didn''t understand. "What do you know, you girl? You''ve hardly been around men all your life, how could you understand Madame Xuan''s feelings at the time?" A female soldier giggled. "What feelings?" Xiao Xuan was very curious. "Go find yourself a boyfriend, sleep with him once and you''ll know." ... Mu Huanqing stood not far away, watching these girls tucked away in the corner andughing maliciously. She knew they weren''t discussing anything good! She didn''t expect to overhear such conversation the moment she walked over! Buzz! The Hundred Martial Divine Weapon suddenly flew out, its silver light illuminating the entire Mu Family Manor. The next moment, the manor was filled with the female soldiers'' screams, like those of pigs being ughtered. "Sister, it''s all Nizhu''s fault! She kept dragging me into these dirty jokes!" "That''s not true! She already had a bit of that in her, otherwise how would she understand what I meant!" ... "Go! The lot of you, drain your Spiritual Energy and run fiftyps around the manor!" Mu Huanqing scolded with a flushed and angry face. These fools never learned anything good, never focused on cultivating, and just knew how to gather secretly and make dirty jokes! "Xiao Xuan, you stay." Seeing an innocent-faced Xiao Xuan about to join in the run, Mu Huanqing stopped her. "What''s wrong, Sister?" Upon hearing she''d been called to stop, Xiao Xuan''s heart leapt with joy, thinking she wouldn''t have to be punished. "You will look after Cai Cai for me today. She''s already fed, so don''t give her any more milk powder," Mu Huanqing instructed. "Alright!" Xiao Xuan took over Cai Cai, silently thinking to herself that although the other sisters always told her she was naive, being naive had its advantages. Find adventures at mvl See, Sister had punished them and not her. "I need to leave for a bit and will probably be back by noon." After saying that, Mu Huanqing turned and walked in a certain direction. "Sister." Xiao Xuan suddenly called out to her. "What is it?" Mu Huanqing turned around. Xiao Xuan frowned slightly and said, "About tonight, Sister you..." Mu Huanqing''s face reddened again. Even Xiao Xuan, this pure girl, had been corrupted by those dirty jokers! But knowing Xiao Xuan, Mu Huanqing was sure the girl didn''t really understand those matters. "Don''t ask, and talk less with Nizhu about these kinds of things next time," Mu Huanqing said. "That''s not what I mean, I was saying..." As she spoke, Xiao Xuan suddenly took on a determined look, earnestly saying, "Your injuries haven''t fully healed. Tonight''s punishment from Fang Ren... let me take your ce! If someone must be punished, let it be me!" "..." "Sister, why aren''t you saying anything? Are you too moved? Don''t worry, I think with my Realm, I can handle it." "Xiao Xuan, hand me Cai Cai." "Here." "Now, immediately, drain your own Spiritual Energy and run one hundredps around the manor." "What!? Why!" Suddenly, Xiao Xuan stood rooted to the spot as if struck by lightning. "Ask Nizhu." Mu Huanqing left the spot, carrying Cai Cai with her. Xiao Xuan looked aggrieved: "But... you just told me not to talk to her." That day, the naive Xiao Xuan suddenly became a lot less naive. After parting from Xiao Xuan, Mu Huanqing had no idea who else could take care of Cai Cai, as almost everyone in the house was going to attend the funeral, and all the servants in the manor were busy with their duties. "What happened, where''s Xiao Xuan?" Fang Ren, now dressed in ck, stepped out of the room, but noticed that Mu Huanqing had not yet handed Cai Cai over to Xiao Xuan. Seeing Fang Rene out, Mu Huanqing''s expression became a bit awkward: "She''s, she''s gone to train." "I see." Fang Ren thought about it, realizing there weren''t many other suitable candidates to take care of children. Just then, a figure floated down beside Mu Huanqing, eyes fixated on the child in Mu Huanqing''s arms, revealing a fascinated expression. "Hey! Big sister, you''re just in time!" Fang Ren saw that the person was Zhu Yuan and immediately thought a suitable caretaker for the child had arrived. Unknown to him, Zhu Yuan wasn''t paying any attention to him, but kept looking at Cai Cai: "To think I could see the Tree of Ten Thousand Paths here..." Only then did Mu Huanqing realize there was someone standing beside her. Moving backward a step while holding Cai Cai protectively, she showed a wary expression: "Who are you?" Zhu Yuan looked Mu Huanqing up and down, then nced at Fang Ren: "Your wife?" "Right, the child in my arms is indeed mine," Fang Ren nodded. Zhuyuan looked at Mu Huanqing with a slight frown, "Divine Weapon''s small spirit body, with poor qualifications, you really have poor taste in choosing a wife. But your child, on the other hand, is not bad." Upon hearing this, Fang Ren wished he could smack her with a brick, but that wasn''t an option. Even a billion of him couldn''t beat Zhuyuan. "I just want to marry her! Is that any of your business?" Fang Ren gritted his teeth in frustration and helplessness. Mu Huanqing was very unhappy, this woman had been rude right from the start, criticizing Ah Ran''s taste in wives. But there was nothing she could do; it seemed this woman knew Ah Ran, and she couldn''t exactly start a fight while holding a child, could she? "That girl with the Sacred Body of Returning Origin, if her Spirit Embryo is still intact, with a hundred years of cultivation, she might truly be the most suitable partner for you in this world," Zhuyuan couldn''t help but recall Liu Qianqian. The possessor of the Sacred Body of Returning Origin was undoubtedly the strongest on this small. "..." As soon as this was mentioned, Fang Ren''s expression instantly stiffened. Liu Qianqian... He hadn''t yet exined to Mu Huanqing about what happened between him and Liu Qianqian. Even though he had been unconscious at the time, the incident had still urred, and it was a betrayal, no matter how you looked at it. Zhuyuan then looked at Cai Cai with fascination: "This child is truly favored by the heavens, with the Tree of Ten Thousand Paths as her spirit. I''ll surely meet her again at the Hongyu Chasm in the near future." Mu Huanqing, seeing the woman talking to herself, turned her gaze to Fang Ren: "Who is she?" Fang Ren came back to his senses and smiled, "Her? She''s the bad woman who tried to force me to leave you before, butter on, I bought her off with two firewood sticks." Zhuyuan gave him a sidelong nce; this mortal was disrespectful from the moment he opened his mouth. And what kind of adjective was ''firewood''? Could the Divine Weapon from the true creator''s era be called firewood!? "You better let her go then, I have a feeling... she''s like someone who would steal children," Mu Huanqing clutched Cai Cai tightly in her arms. Steal children? Zhuyuan got a headache, truly a matching couple. "If she really wanted to steal the child, the two of us probably couldn''t stop her." Fang Ren walked over to Mu Huanqing and took Cai Cai in his arms, then said to Zhuyuan, "Big sister, do you know how to take care of children?" Mu Huanqing was puzzled, "Why did you give Cai Cai to her?" "A free nanny, why not use her?" Fang Ren said. Upon hearing ''free nanny'', Zhuyuan frowned, but she had no choice since she had epted something from Fang Ren, and she had also promised to ensure the safety of Fang Ren''s family. Mu Huanqing remained cautious: "But giving Cai Cai to her, I''m somewhat uneasy." Hearing Mu Huanqing actually consider her a child stealer, Zhuyuan casually formed a lump of True Qi and aimed it at the sun. "If I wanted to steal this child, billions upon billions of you couldn''t stop me." Having said that, the seemingly harmless True Qi in Zhuyuan''s hand suddenly turned into a pir of light shooting towards the sun. Without any sound, the light pir vanished. Mu Huanqing looked at the sky, and nothing seemed to have changed. She just felt that the light pir was quiterge and appeared endless. "Big sister, are you setting off fireworks?" Fang Ren couldn''t quite grasp Zhuyuan''s actions. Zhuyuan sighed, "Mortals are mortals, only with borrowed light can they see things clearly." With that, Zhuyuan gently picked up Cai Cai from Fang Ren''s arms and nced at Mu Huanqing again, "You can rest assured, I will take better care of the child than any of you mortals could." Mu Huanqing saw Fang Ren simply hand over Cai Cai to the woman, and although she still felt uneasy, she thought the woman must be trustworthy if Fang Ren was willing to hand over the child. Whirr¡ª As she was thinking this, the woman''s figure suddenly disappeared from the spot, leaving only a sound behind. "Cai Cai!" Mu Huanqing''s Spiritual Energy erupted instantly, and she became frantic. But Fang Ren remained indifferent; he had seen the woman''s strength, and if she truly wanted to take the child, she could''ve simply knocked him and Mu Huanqing aside and left. "Ah Ran! Cai Cai is gone!" Mu Huanqing, seeing Fang Ren''sposed demeanor, became frantic, shaking his shoulder violently. Fang Ren, his vision blurring from the shaking, quickly said, "It''s okay, she''ll definitelye back soon. If not, I''ll just promise her to participate in some Celestial Selection..." Whirr¡ª Before he had finished speaking, Zhuyuan''s figure suddenly reappeared in the same spot, looking at Fang Ren with excitement, "Are you going to participate in the Celestial Selection Battle?" "Cai Cai!" Mu Huanqing immediately took her daughter from Zhuyuan''s hands, while her other hand held a long spear aimed at Zhuyuan. "Didn''t I already say I won''t participate?" Fang Ren, seeing her interest in the matter, felt utterly helpless. "Spoilsport!" Zhuyuan rolled her eyes at him and then tapped the edge of the long spear with her finger. Crack crack crack¡ª The spear instantly shattered into pieces and fell to the ground. Mu Huanqing was astonished; how could her weapon be so fragile? Zhuyuan waved her hand, and the shattered pieces on the ground suddenly coalesced, reforming into a spear. "Now this spear should be much stronger than the one you had before." Zhuyuan casually tossed the spear back to Mu Huanqing, who caught it and noticed thousands of tiny breaths on the edge. She could feel that these breaths were extraordinary, and it seemed that with just a bit of Spiritual Energy infused, the breaths would burst forth. "You are..." Mu Huanqing witnessed such an astonishing scene for the first time and was momentarily speechless. Fang Ren said, "She ims to be some sort of Immortal or something like that." "Immortal? What is that?" Zhuyuan didn''t understand. "In the ancientnguage, it means a very powerful Immortal," Fang Ren exined. Chapter 359: Chapter 351: The Sun Exploded a Hole_1 "Immortal?" Mu Huanqing was shocked. Wasn''t that just a legend? Fang Ren then said, "Although it sounds very illusory, this elder sister seems to really be an immortal." Then Fang Ren spent some time and exined some things about the bamboo garden to Mu Huanqing. Although Fang Ren himself hardly believed in the existence of a true lord, the one who possessed the power of the bamboo garden was absolutely no ordinary practitioner. After hearing this, Mu Huanqing had some trouble digesting the information. But when Fang Ren had just returned, he seemed to have mentioned something about giving up the position of the true lord. "Alright, Qing''er, go change your clothes quickly, we''re almost ready to depart," Fang Ren said, checking the time. "Wait a moment." The bamboo garden suddenly called out to Mu Huanqing and looked up into the sky, "Now, you should be able to see." Mu Huanqing and Fang Ren looked up, puzzled and then were struck dumb where they stood. The sun in the sky had a huge hole right in its center! "Weren''t you... setting off fireworks before?" Fang Ren blinked, gazing at the sky. The sight before him surpassed his understanding. If casually lifting a hand could achieve this, if this elder sister put in a bit more effort, would the whole Sr System go dark? "There''s nothing amazing about that. In the Hongyu Chasm, almost every immortal possesses such power," said the bamboo garden indifferently. Gulp~ Fang Ren swallowed hard, "Then what''s the use ofpeting for the position of the true lord? A single breath from them could take me away!" "You are the chosen one of the world tree, different from them. Once you reach the Hongyu Chasm, you will surely surpass many of them." "Are you sure you''re not bamboozling me?" The bamboo garden shook its head, "To put it inmon terms, it''s like some people on your are born with a golden key in their mouth, achieving without effort what others can''t in a lifetime. Immortals are the same; some are born in control of thews of a universe, something countless beings couldn''t exchange for even after tens of thousands of years." "Born at the end, is that principle applicable to immortals too?" The bamboo garden shook its head again: "This is called destiny." Mu Huanqing couldn''t understand things like the Hongyu Chasm, but she could be certain that if this woman called bamboo garden wanted to blow up the, it would probably just take a beam of light from her hand. At this moment, she finally understood why Fang Ren didn''t panic at all when Cai Cai disappeared before. As the bamboo garden herself said, if she wished to take Cai Cai away, not a million Mu Huanqings could stop her. "Then, elder sister, can you fix the sun? Such a big hole really affects the ecology of Earth," Fang Ren said. "I''ll take another trip thereter," said the bamboo garden. "Another, trip?" Mu Huanqing seemed to have heard something significant, holding Cai Cai tighter in her arms. "Correct, I just took the little girl to see the edge of the universe," the bamboo garden nodded. Upon hearing this, Fang Ren really felt like smacking her on the head with a nk! "Elder sister! Didn''t you say immortals taking children is much safer than mortals!" Fang Ren yelled angrily. "Isn''t that true?" The bamboo garden answered matter-of-factly, "If a mortal took the little girl to the universe, she would have cracked from the cold long ago." "I, for fuck''s sake..." Fang Ren found that he couldn''t refute. "Weren''t you in a hurry just now? If you don''t hand over the little girl to me, then I might just go for a stroll," the bamboo garden said. Only then did Mu Huanqing remember that they still had important matters to attend to. She slowly loosened her grip and handed Cai Cai over to the bamboo garden. But she still felt a little uneasy, not because she feared the bamboo garden would steal the child, but for fear that she might take Cai Cai off to some cosmic edge again. However, worrying was useless; if the bamboo garden really wanted to wander with Cai Cai, even if Mu Huanqing left the child with someone else, the bamboo garden could easily snatch her away. Thinking this, Mu Huanqing felt that it was better to keep her worries to herself and turned to go inside to change her clothes. "Remember to take good care of Cai Cai when you''re fixing the sunter," Fang Ren said to the bamboo garden. He was also quite concerned that the bamboo garden might go running off to some strange ce. "What would you do if I didn''t take good care of her?" the bamboo garden suddenly curved her lips into a sly smile. Fang Ren thought it over seriously, realizing he didn''t have much of an answer, given the bamboo garden''s overwhelming strength. But if his daughter really has an ident... Fang Ren spoke seriously, "If something happens to my daughter, I''ll join the Chosen Servant selection." The bamboo garden was momentarily caught off guard; she had been intending for him to join the selection. With Fang Ren saying this, was he not afraid she would harm his daughter? "Once I obtain the position of the true lord, I will definitely make you pay a price." Fang Ren''s tone was quite serious when he considered the possibility of his daughter really getting hurt. Seeing his serious demeanor, the bamboo garden''s smile grew thicker and she said, "You really are an oddity. Do you think the position of true lord is something you can obtain just by joining in? Geniuses and freaks from the Ten Thousand Realms will gather together, and your strength is but a speck of dust among the stars to them." "But what if?" "Alright, mortal." No longer joking with him, the bamboo garden spoke, "Since I promised you that I would give up the selection and keep your family safe until the next true lord emerges and the spaces of the realms are restored, how could I randomly harm your wife and daughter?" "Don''t joke about that; my daughter was just born not long ago," Fang Ren gave her a displeased look. Zhuyuan wore a smile on her face but shook her head helplessly, "That''s because you don''t understand what the bond between a Chosen Servant and their messenger represents." "Represents what?" "It''s no use telling you anyway, you will pass away after a mere hundred years, and I will no longer be a Chosen Servant." "As a selected candidate, I should at least have the right to know about it, right? If you don''t tell me, then you''re not a qualified Chosen Servant," Fang Ren said. Zhuyuan rolled her eyes at him, "You only need to know one thing, which is the matters we mutually agreed upon; we both must fulfil them." "What if we don''t?" "You''ll be struck dead by lightning." "You''re so powerful, could lightning even strike you?" Zhuyuan gave him a look of disdain, "You''re probably only aware of those tiny sparks that arise when it rains on this." Only then did Fang Ren realize it wasn''t an ordinary lightning strike; he remembered Zhuyuan mentioning some kind of cosmic lightning that could strike down an immortal as if it were a joke. Breaking the agreement would probably result in getting struck by that kind of lightning. If that was the case, then Zhuyuan was quite loyal to have dared to make such an agreement with him. "Hey, I just remembered something. You saidst time that if I could pull out the twig, you would be my maid¡ªdoes that count as an agreement?" Fang Ren suddenly brought up the matter. "Didn''t you already refuse?" Zhuyuan frowned. "What if I agree now? Would it still be effective?" Zhuyuan became displeased, "How can you go back on your word like this?" Seeing her reaction, Fang Ren understood, "So you''re saying, if I agree now, you''ll really be my maid from now on?" Zhuyuan rolled her eyes at him, "Are you an idiot? Since you''ve already refused, the agreement is naturally null and void!" "But what if I suddenly want to try epting it?" Fang Ren said. "..." Zhuyuan ignored him. But Fang Ren still said, "I agree for Zhuyuan to be my serv¡ª" Before he could finish thest word, Zhuyuan mped a hand firmly over his mouth, her face filled with anger, "How can you be so shameless!?" Fang Ren patted her hand; his mouth was smothered so much that he couldn''t even breathe properly. "Only if you promise me now, never to bring up this matter again!" Zhuyuan didn''t loosen her grip. Fang Ren nodded, and Zhuyuan''s hand slowly released him. "I never actually nned to make you my maid." Fang Ren rubbed his mouth, which was nearly swollen from her covering, looking innocently wronged. "Hurry up and promise me you won''t bring it up again." "Okay, okay, I promise, next time I ask big sister to be my maid, I''ll immediately drag her out to be struck by lightning," Fang Ren casually said. Zhuyuan was finally satisfied, "It''s enough just to promise, there''s no need to bring up being struck by lightning." "I just wanted to give you some peace of mind," he replied. While they were talking, Mu Huiqing had already changed her clothes and walked out of the room. Seeing this, Zhuyuan decided not to stay longer. "I won''t bother you any more. I''m going to take a stroll and clear my head with the girl." With that, she vanished on the spot. Just as Mu Huiqing came out, seeing Zhuyuan leave so quickly, she couldn''t help but worry, "She wouldn''t take Cai Cai outside again, would she?" "Don''t worry, she won''t let anything happen to Cai Cai." ¡­ Tianjiang. Ten o''clock in the morning. In a newly restored open-air convention center, there were numerous portraits of heroes who had perished in the war. The war imed the lives of too many human warriors; even just their portraits stretched from the inside of the convention center to its exterior, circling the center hundreds of times over. And on the stage of the convention center, at the very top row, were the well-known soldiers from all war zones. In the middle of their portraits, there was an empty space that was initially meant for Fang Ren, but it had been removed. Outside the convention center, countless Tianjiang civilians who had suffered in the catastrophe, people who had rushed over from nearby regions, and members of the major aristocratic families had all arrived at the scene. The crowd was vast, and the setting was unprecedentedly grand, yet the whole world was in deafening silence. Several cameras hovered in the sky, broadcasting every event happening here to viewers all around the world. Of course, reporters also gave substantial coverage to the sudden appearance of a hole in the sun, although they did not know the reason, so there was little they could say about it. Inside the venue, the heads of all the major families from Tianjiang, as well as important figures from the various war zones, were present. Including Shang Han, Mu Tianyuan, Bai Chaojin, Bai Jinlong, Fang Zheng, Fang Yuanhao, Xia Mo, Liu Dongfeng... As well as Fang Ren and Mu Huiqing. Even Jiang Ling, the leader of the Nightfall Organization, was there today. Everyone was dressed in ck, holding bouquets of yellow and white flowers, slowly walking past each portrait toy the bouquets in front of them. But there were two people from the Tianjiang n, who should have been there, who did note. From the Bai Family, Bai Qi. From the Liu Family, Liu Qianqian. Are they so afraid of encountering each other? Chapter 360: Chapter 352: The Emperor Beneath the Void - 1 Yangming City, Linglong Bay, in the broken Indra Sky research institute. An elder slowly rose from the experimental bed, and by his side, several researchers inb coats jubntly reported various pieces of information to him. "Patriarch! Your body has perfectly fused with the fragments from that dragon! This experiment is a grand sess!" "Hurry, announce this news to everyone! Perhaps Commander Bai''s death penalty can be averted!" "Yes! If we publish these results, I believe that even if we won''t get much understanding from others, we won''t be sentenced to death either! We''ve made significant contributions to humanity!" ... In the shatteredboratory, a group of researchers was extremely excited. Since the great war, the core members of Indra Sky had been fleeing everywhere. Their leader, Bai Chaojin, would soon die as atonement, and if they appeared in the public eye, they would undoubtedly share the same fate as their leader. Bai Chaojin ordered them to hide, wanting to take responsibility for the crimesmitted by Indra Sky alone, but they couldn''t bear to see Bai Chaojin die just like that. Because in their eyes, the reason humanity could win the great war was all thanks to Commander Bai! If Commander Bai hadn''t experimented on Fang Ren and Princess Bai Xi, how could Fang Ren have suddenly be so strong? So, they believed, from beginning to end, Bai Chaojin was right, Bai Chaojin should be a hero! Not someone who should die! Although they thought so, they had no way toe forward to prove it, as Central Ind had fragmented, and all the past evidence with it. Even the submarine that carried Bai Xi and Fang Ren escaping from Central Ind somehow met with disaster, and all the researchers inside perished. Just when all these hiding individuals were in utter despair, an old man iming to be the Patriarch of the Fang family appeared before them, demanding that they perform a Void Fusion on him. The old man also told them that he was the original founder of Indra Sky, Fang Yun Zhong. Initially, they didn''t believe him, even thinking the old man was delusional. But afterwards, the old man dispersed the Void aura from his body and demonstrated a terrifying power that surpassed the Xuanyang realm. Besides that, he even knew many past secrets of Indra Sky. In the end, they believed the old man and agreed to help him with the Void Fusion. Fang Yun Zhong led the group of researchers to Linglong Bay and brought them to this dpidatedboratory. Although theb was badly damaged, many pieces of equipment were still functioning properly, and more importantly, theputers stored many critical pieces of information from past experiments. During this period, Fang Yun Zhong also made a trip to the Central Area sea region and stole a Giant Dragon''s arm. It was the very arm that Fang Ren had chopped off with his Sickle during the war. This Giant Dragon''s arm was what they nned to fuse into Fang Yun Zhong. Seventeen hours into the experiment, at this moment, they had sessfully integrated all the power from the Giant Dragon''s arm into Fang Yun Zhong''s body, and the result was a great sess. Fang Yun Zhong sat by the experimental bed, looking at his hands, with frenzied light flickering in his eyes. His originally gaunt body had be filled out in this moment, and the old wrinkles on his skin were also receding from view; he felt like his entire being had rejuvenated by at least fifty years. "As expected, I was right from the beginning. The Void is a blessing bestowed upon the human race by the heavens." Fang Yun Zhong revealed a slightly mad smile. At this moment, he truly was too excited; after a century, his n could finally proceed as he wished! "Patriarch, how could the Void possibly be a blessing? You must be joking, right?" A researcher looked at Fang Yun Zhong, finding his words iprehensible. Fang Yun Zhong looked at the researcher speaking to him, his smile intensifying: "Of course you can''t understand, for you are destined to be a poor creature that gets eliminated by this era." "What do you mean..." This researcher hadn''t even voiced his confusion when he felt a chill on his neck, and then saw his body still standing in ce; somehow, he could only look at it from the ground. Blood gushed out, sshing across the faces of the group of excited researchers nearby. Their expressions froze, and their minds suddenly failed toprehend. Fang Yun Zhong got off the bed, took a step, and crushed the head that had fallen to the ground underfoot, his smile growing more sinister: "From now on, I shall be the Emperor under the Void!" "What... are you saying? Shouldn''t the Void be shattered¡­" "Why did you kill Leader Ah Liu? Don''t you know how much he cared for your experiment¡­" The joy in everyone''s hearts flipped in an instant. They never imagined, after helping Fang Yun Zhong, that he would still casually kill their group leader. "His mistake was failing to understand me," Fang Yun Zhong casually grabbed another researcher and asked, "Don''t you think the Void has bestowed evolution upon humanity? Without the Void, how could humans ever practice cultivation?" "..." The man he was holding dared not speak, afraid that once he did, his head would fall to the ground like the group leader''s. Fang Yun Zhong threw the man aside and proceeded to walk out of theboratory, still looking up andughing wildly: "Once I have in all who oppose me! I will surely save our people from this disaster!" Cong¡ª¡ª His figure turned into a streak of light and vanished on the spot, leaving theboratory researchers dumbfounded, their hearts fraught withplexity. Originally, they had only wanted to prove that their organization, despite harming many of their own kind over the years, had ultimately devised a method to make humans stronger, hoping to use this to mitigate Bai Chaojin''s guilt today. But now, it seemed as if they had created a formidable demon... They were well aware of Fang Yun Zhong''s data following thepletion of the fusion experiment. If the data was urate, then Fang Yun Zhong could now be considered as powerful as the giant dragon on the battlefield. After leaving Linglong Bay, Fang Yun Zhong headed straight for the seas of the Central Area. He remembered a little girl from the Bai Family who had nearly killed him with one sword strike, and now, having grown many times more powerful, it was time to give that girl a taste of suffering! ... By the sea, Bai Qi leaned against a branch of a huge tree, holding a cell phone and watching the live broadcast of today''s Tianjiang funeral. On the screen, Fang Ren was amidst the crowd, standing next to Mu Huanqing. She was happy that Fang Ren had not died, and heartbroken that the person standing beside Fang Ren was not her. Initially, she thought that Fang Ren''s words were just jokes. Now, it became apparent that every word he had once said was determined with great resolve. She was too naive, or perhaps, too arrogant. From the time her mother first mentioned Fang Ren, she had never regarded Fang Ren as an equal. Back then, she even objected to her mother, saying she didn''t want to be a wife forever beneath Fang Ren. But after she found Fang Ren, she didn''t realize that she had, imperceptibly, started to look down on him. In her subconscious, she treated him as a mere mortal, not from her world at all. She even did something tremendously excessive to himter on: insisting that he cheat to take her to the final round of the Elixir Contest, to meet the Brother Song she adored. Thinking back on this now, she felt utterly shameless. The reason she was still alive was thanks to Fang Ren''s Spiritual Root. She not only failed to fulfill the promise made by both families back then, to be a step beneath Fang Ren, but she also reduced Fang Ren to a mere tool far below her. After Fang Ren agreed to that request, she still thought of him as a simple, naive good man. But now, it turned out that Fang Ren had never cared about her at all. Everything he did was for Mu Huanqing, and agreeing to take her along was only a matter of convenience. Yesterday should have been her wedding day with Fang Ren. And a few nights before, she seriously contemted whether she should marry him or not. The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous she felt. He''d never even considered marrying her, yet she had contemted being his bride. She also pondered one thing: if that night she hadn''t told Fang Ren about wanting to meet Song Mobei, and if she hadn''t left him in the hotel the night before the Elixir Contest... Would things have turned out differently? The live broadcast on the cell phone shifted to Mu Huanqing''s side. Bai Qi watched for a while before her eyes suddenly reddened, and she threw her cell phone furiously into the sea. As an elder sister, she''s been too ipetent! "Really! How can I steal my sister''s fianc¨¦..." Bai Qi rested her head on the branch, her heart filled with bitterness. She should have been present at the funeral today, but she feared she wouldn''t be able to control herself from causing a scene, so she decided against it. In a few days, Fang Ren would probably seek her out again to annul the engagement that hadn''t been called off. Then, she would truly have no official ties with Fang Ren anymore. Although she felt that she had indeed used Fang Ren as a tool previously, she had regarded him as her fianc¨¦. At least before formally breaking the engagement, she never allowed herself any intimate rtions with Song Mobei. Eventer, when she personally killed Song Mobei for Fang Ren, she realized she had fulfilled her duty as a fianc¨¦e. "Qianye, oh Qianye, your father is about to divorce your mother..." Bai Qi patted a tree branch, mumbling to herself with a vacant expression. Boom¡ª Just as Bai Qi was lost in her memories, suddenly a purple beam of light from the horizon surged toward her. She immediately circted her Spiritual Energy to defend, but due to her previous distraction, one of her arms wasn''t protected in time. As the purple light passed, that arm instantaneously turned into a pool of blood. Intense pain flooded her brain; this was the most severe injury she had suffered since birth! Bai Qi quickly summoned her Cross Sword, warily watching the distant skyline. Hovering there was a middle-aged man brimming with manicughter, resembling the Family Head of the Fang family, Fang Yuanhao, yet not exactly him. Moreover, one of the middle-aged man''s arms was covered in glowing scales, emanating a strong aura of the Void. "Girlie, you nearly got me killed yesterday," Fang Yun Zhong said, his smile deepening at the sight of Bai Qi''s vanished arm. Chapter 361: Chapter 353: Back from the Dead?_1 "Fang Yun Zhong?" Looking at the middle-aged man, Bai Qi could feel the aura of the Void emanating from him. Aside from Fang Yun Zhong, Bai Qi couldn''t think of anyone else who possessed such strength and had also undergone Void Fusion. With a sh, Fang Yun Zhong''s figure appeared within ten meters of Bai Qi, his face wearing a mocking smile, "Well, girl, do you still think I''m wrong now?" Bai Qi''s heart skipped a beat; she had actually failed to capture his presence immediately! To know, a master of her Realm should possess the ability to move instantaneously; relying solely on eyesight to track an enemy''s movement was certainly too slow, necessitating perception for timely response. But just now, she hadn''t sensed Fang Yun Zhong''s movement at all and had detected him only with her eyes. "In your current state, can you still be considered human?" Bai Qi immediately leaped back, retreating to a distance she deemed rtively safe, the Rose Sword in her hand still condensed with Spiritual Energy. If a fight were to break out now, she was certain she stood almost no chance, not only because Fang Yun Zhong''s earlier sneak attack had cost her an arm but also because she couldn''t fullyprehend Fang Yun Zhong''s current strength. Therefore, she had made some preparations for escape in advance. Fang Yun Zhong raised his hand, covered in dragon scales, "Who knows... But now, at least, I possess the strength of the Dragon n. I imagine even if I were in the Void, I would still be a noble being." "Madman! Is this what you call coexisting with the Void? I think you''re more like defecting to the enemy!" Bai Qi eximed angrily. "Before the Cultivation Era arrived, humans always believed in the truth that one must not go against nature, and isn''t the Void also a part of nature?" "Since this world allows our human race to cultivate, it''s naturally allowing us to resist foreign invaders!" "Naive thoughts, pointless to discuss further." Purple light began to gather in Fang Yun Zhong''s hand, his voice spreading across the ocean, "Today, I, Fang Yun Zhong, shall execute every one of my own kind who opposes me!" Seeing this, Bai Qi didn''t hesitate to unleash her Rose Sword. Fang Yun Zhong casually swatted the sword away, his movement as effortless as an adult flicking away a child''s toy. He felt his current Realm was not merely at the Xuan Ye state but might have even reached the Pr Day state, a level beyond. The Pr Day state, a Realm long considered by humans to possibly lead to bing an Immortal! "Die!" Fang Yun Zhong''s draconic hand reached for Bai Qi, and in the next moment, a huge dragon w, thousands of metersrge, fell from the clouds and relentlessly crushed down towards Bai Qi. Seeing this, Bai Qi immediately reached out her hand towards the Rose Sword that had been knocked away, and in the next instant, she swiftly flew towards the direction of the sword. Fortunately, she had been prepared, for had the dragon w descended with such speed, she might not have been able to escape. After dodging the dragon w, Bai Qi, without looking back, headed straight for the Tianjiang Continent. Without a doubt, on her own, she was no match for Fang Yun Zhong at the moment, and Tianjiang was currently holding a funeral where many human masters would be gathered. She had to hurry and join them. If she were to fight Fang Yun Zhong alone and ultimately lose, Fang Yun Zhong would have an even easier time defeating the other Tianjiang masters one by one. Seeing Bai Qi escape with a sword he had casually knocked away amused Fang Yun Zhong even more. What he intended to do today was not just to kill Bai Qi but also to establish his authority over the Tianjiang Continent, gathering his own forces andying the foundation for his future reign as the Void Emperor. ... Meanwhile, at the Tianjiang grand assembly hall, the people were still solemnly conducting the funeral ceremony, in silence and with grave expressions. Boom¡ª Suddenly, a thunderous noise came from the horizon, shattering the serene and solemn atmosphere both inside and outside the venue. Everyone looked up towards the distant sky, where arge shadow of a dragon w loomed in the clouds, rapidly approaching. "A behemoth has fallen from the Void again?!" "This! How can it be so massive! Just one w can stretch into the clouds, is much more outrageous than the Giant Dragon¡­" A group of soldiers almost despaired upon seeing this. They had just been through an extremely fierce war, with countless soldiers dead and many more wounded. If another creature from the Void stronger than the Giant Dragon were to arrive now, the entire would undoubtedly fall! "Prepare for battle!" The Commander-in-Chief, Xia Mo, had a pale face, but since the enemy hade, there was no reason not to fight. At Xia Mo''smand, all the Tianjiang soldiers in attendance took to the sky, and many civilians who hade for the funeral hurriedly fled. Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing quickly joined them. Looking at the huge w in the clouds far away, Fang Ren furrowed his brow and also couldn''t help but feel relieved that he had entrusted Cai Cai to his elder sister earlier. Otherwise, at this time, he wouldn''t feel secure entrusting his child to anyone. Rumble¡ª The sound grew nearer and louder, and dark clouds began to envelop the sky. Storms raged in the wake of the giant w in the clouds, lightning surged toward the earth, and everything in the distance began to blur. Judging by this, the creature arriving this time was probably even more terrifying than the Giant Dragon. "I hope my elder sisteres back quickly; otherwise, who knows how many more will be killed by this creature." Fang Ren hurriedly adjusted his condition, pushing various augmentative Cultivation Techniques to their limits, and secretly swallowed a few pills when Mu Huanqing wasn''t looking. After all, these pills had strong side effects, and he was quite afraid of worrying Mu Huanqing. However, despite these enhancements, his Sickle had broken in that space, leaving him without a handy weapon. "That is! Qi''er?!" As the giant w approached rapidly, Bai Chaojin, noticing a small figure beside the w, suddenly became unsettled. "It really is Princess Bai Xi!" "Quick, go help her!" The soldiers of Tianjiang were also quick to react, turning into streaks of light as they rushed toward the distant sky. Mu Huanqing didn''t even have time to speak to Fang Ren before leading a squad of female soldiers from the Nine Heavens Corps to the frontline. At the same time, the sudden turn of events was rapidly reported by journalists nearby, and soldiers from around the world began to converge on Tianjiang again. Boom¡ª A giant w from the sky struck down lightning towards the fleeing Bai Xi, who immediately used her Rose Sword to block. But the lightning was too ruthless, turning the variety of nts on her Rose Sword to ashes, leaving only a brown wooden de hanging in mid-air. "Leave your other hand behind too!" Purple qi condensed on Fang Yun Zhong''s dragon hand, gushing out like the Giant Dragon before. With the Rose Sword already damaged by the lightning, Bai Xi had no choice but to raise a protective barrier of Spiritual Energy in front of her, while simultaneously striking out with a Xuanqing seal to weaken the iing purple light column. Boom¡ª A cloud of ck smoke exploded in the sky. Bai Xi spat out blood, her body sent flying by the st, hurtling towards the Tianjiang soldiers'' side. With a muffled thud, Bai Xi crashed into the earth, skidding across it for a thousand meters beforeing to a halt. "Qi''er!" Bai Chaojin immediately flew over and pulled Bai Xi from the mud, only to see that she was covered in blood and missing an arm. "I had thought... we might join forces to fight him..." Bai Xi clenched her teeth in hatred. Fang Yun Zhong''s strength was far beyond her expectations. With just this simple attack, she could foresee that even if all the soldiers of Tianjiang banded together, they might still be unable to kill Fang Yun Zhong. "Human! Human?!" Fang Yun Zhong''s figure shed, appearing within a hundred meters of the Tianjiang people, who all looked at this middle-aged man, unable to understand why he would attack Princess Bai Xi. "It seems like I''m not very wee here." Seeing everyone''s hostility, Fang Yun Zhongughed loudly, "Where are the descendants of the Fang Family?" "Fang Family? What does he mean by that, shouldn''t the old Master Fang Yuanhao be much older than him? How could he call them descendants?" "Be alert! This guy is full of Void energy, he might not even be human at all!" ... In the midst of the chaos, Fang Yuanhao slowly stepped out from the crowd. He stared nkly at Fang Yun Zhong, eyes filled with shock, his tone incredulous: "Father..." "Father? Father?!" "I must have heard wrong! The old Master is calling him father!" The other elderly heads of the Tianjiang n also took a moment to closely observe the middle-aged man''s face, finding him vaguely familiar. These senior Family Heads had seen Fang Yun Zhong when they were younger. Old Master Cao suddenly eximed in shock, "This! Isn''t this just how Uncle Fang looked in the past!" Even Mu Qing Mountain recognized the man: "It really is Uncle Fang... How is that possible!" Bai Chaojin also hurriedly looked towards the sky, her gaze full of anger and shock as she looked at the middle-aged man, struggling to find words. Fang Yun Zhong, wasn''t he personally killed by his father, Bai Weiguo, years ago? How was he still alive? And in his middle-aged appearance? The most shaken of all, of course, was the Commander-in-Chief Xia Mo, who had truly interacted with Fang Yun Zhong in the past and knew more about his history. "Grandfather..." Fang Zheng and Fang Jing also stepped out from the ranks of the soldiers, even though they had never seen Fang Yun Zhong since they were born, the Fang Family had an album of his younger days, and this man matched it exactly! The dead hade back to life! All the heads of the Tianjiang Aristocratic Family, as well as the older generation, were utterly astonished; what they were seeing was simply inexplicable. At that moment, Fang Ren was the calmest. He didn''t want to get involved in Fang Family affairs. But his only question was: Why did this man hurt Bai Xi? Fang Yun Zhong asked Fang Yuanhao, "Yuanhao, where is my grandson Ah Ye?" Upon hearing this, Fang Yuanhao''s face showed a flicker of panic. This was because Fang Ye had been killed by Fang Ren, a family member killing another, under his own watch as Family Head; it was a disgrace he couldn''t bring himself to confess to his father. "I killed him." Fang Ren stepped forward without hesitation. Killing Fang Ye, he did with relish! If the middle-aged man embraced by the elder heads as ''Uncle'' wanted revenge for Fang Ye, then he was ready to face it. Chapter 362: Chapter 354: The Battle between Great Grandson and Ancestor_1 Fang Yun Zhong''s gaze shifted toward Fang Ren then, and the smile on his face deepened. Fang Ren had killed Fang Ye, a fact that didn''t surprise him at all, and he wasn''t the least bit saddened by Fang Ye''s death. "Compared to your second uncle, you''re more like the Fang family''s offspring, with much more backbone," Fang Yun Zhong said with a smile. "I thought thatpared to this matter, you''d be more concerned about how to avenge your grandson," Fang Ren replied. Standing to the side, Fang Zheng, Fang Jing, and Fang Yuanhao all frowned, wanting to stop Fang Ren from speaking further, after all, Fang Yun Zhong was Fang Ren''s great-grandfather no matter what. The way Fang Ren spoke to him was far too disrespectful. But in the end, the three of them still didn''t speak up, after all, Fang Ren had not acknowledged any connection to their Fang Family to this day. Even if they did speak up, Fang Ren wouldn''t listen to them in the end and might even be annoyed with them. Fang Yun Zhong, however, was not angry. Looking at Fang Ren before him, he felt this great-grandson was more like his descendant than Fang Ye, his grandson. "He is my grandson, and aren''t you my great-grandson, Ren?" Fang Yun Zhong was very fond of this great-grandson, who was so much like him in his youth. Fang Ren didn''t engage with his words but looked at Fang Yuanhao and the others, all shocked by Fang Yun Zhong''s resurrection, while Fang Yun Zhong had only mentioned Fang Ye since he arrived here, which seemed a little strange. Fang Ren continued, "It seems that besides Fang Ye, no one from the Fang Family here knows you''re still alive, and only Fang Ye knew." "You must not get too clever about this matter, for if you continue, I fear it might harm our blood rtions," Fang Yun Zhong replied, seeming to know what he was about to say and gave a word of caution. "When Fang Ye wanted to kill me, you couldn''t possibly have been unaware, yet at the time, you didn''t consider our blood rtion at all. Now you bring it up, don''t you think yourself hypocritical?" Fang Ren retorted sarcastically. Fang Zheng''s brow furrowed deeply. If Fang Yun Zhong truly knew about this, then did he also know when Fang Ye organized the breakaway of the Fang Family''s leftist faction? Why didn''t Fang Yun Zhong stop Fang Ye then, instead allowing him to act recklessly? "Hahaha, I think today, you must havee to seek revenge on me, right?" Fang Yun Zhongughed loudly. Fang Ren''s gaze turned icy, "When Fang Ye initially attempted to kill me, I suspect it wasn''t as simple as you standing idly by. It''s very likely, it wasn''t Fang Ye who wanted to kill me, but you." "I did say you shouldn''t get too clever on this matter," Fang Yun Zhong''s smile gradually faded, "I actually wanted to take you as my sessor and develop you. With such words from you, I''m afraid that hope is gone now." Hearing this, Fang Zheng''s heart was in utter turmoil. His grandfather actually wanted to kill his own son, how could such a thing happen? "Grandfather! How could you... do such things! How can there be such fratricide!" An aged-looking Fang Yuanhao simply couldn''tprehend what Fang Yun Zhong had done. "Yuanhao, you too are a foolish child. If you had been a little smarter, I wouldn''t have needed to invest so much effort in Ah Ye," Fang Yun Zhong said. The main reason he originally chose Fang Ye to contact was because of Fang Zheng''s nature. He was well aware that Fang Zheng would never help him kill off the coteral families of the Fang Family to obtain their essence blood to nourish his own body. Read exclusive content at mvl He was also clear that Fang Zheng''s personality would never agree with his ruling ideology or support him in appropriating the secrets of the Indra Sky organization. So he had chosen Fang Ye, but after choosing Fang Ye, he faced two problems: one was Fang Ren''s engagement to Bai Qi, and the other was Fang Zheng''s status as the eldest son in the family. If he wanted to obtain the secrets of Indra Sky, he had to deal with Fang Zheng, put Fang Ye in charge, and Fang Ren had to be removed as well, otherwise he couldn''t let Fang Liqun marry Bai Qi and carry out further ns. But to his surprise, ns couldn''t keep up with changes. One day, Bai Chaojin suddenly took Bai Qi away for experimentation, and the Void Beast Group suddenly descended. The Indra Skyboratory in the Central Area began to copse as well. This was nothing short of a godsend for him. With this opportunity, all his ns could be scrapped, for he could obtain the secrets of Indra Sky directly while everyone was preupied with repelling the Void. Now that he had achieved his goal, whether Fang Ren lived or died was inconsequential; he would rather cultivate this great-grandson, who was originally to be eliminated, as his sessor. "Father, what have you... done! How could you resort to such infighting!" An elderly Fang Yuanhao struggled to understand what Fang Yun Zhong had done. "Yuanhao, you are also a naive child. If you had been a bit smarter, I wouldn''t have had to spend so much effort on Ah Ye," Fang Yun Zhong spoke. Fang Ren did not take immediate action because he had not yet ascertained the reason why Fang Yun Zhong was insistent on killing him. He didn''t understand what Fang Yun Zhong could gain by killing him. He wanted to clear up this matter, and he also wanted to know why Fang Yun Zhong had injured Bai Qi. The soldiers spread across the sky looked down at these private matters of the Fang Family and thus sheathed their weapons. Xia Mo approached, looking at Fang Yun Zhong''s dragon scale arm and frowned, "Uncle Fang, could you tell me how you were resurrected?" Fang Yun Zhong looked at Xia Mo and reminisced for a moment before speaking, "I remember now, are you the child left behind by Old Xia?" "Junior Xia Mo, I hope you can answer me truthfully and exin what happened to your arm," Xia Mo said. Just as Xia Mo finished speaking, Bai Chaojin, who was holding Bai Qi on the ground, became agitated, "Old Xia, don''t be so polite to him! It''s best to stay away from him! He''s no longer human!" Fang Yun Zhong smiled, "Chaojin, it''s saddening that when I was young, I used to y with you, and yet you are so rude to me now." "Have you forgotten what you did back then!" Bai Chaojin roared fiercely, "You were practically trying to exterminate the entire human race!" Fang Yun Zhong sneered, "Back then? I only remember your father, Bai Weiguo, killing me with his own hands. On the battlefield, I was willing toy down my life and sever my arm to save him, yet he was so heartless to me!" "My father should never have been merciful to you back then! After killing you, he even left your body intact! Had he torn you to pieces, you wouldn''t have the chance to endanger our people today!" Listening to Bai Chaojin''s words, the minds of the crowd were shrouded in fog. This elder of the Fang Family, was he not supposed to have died fighting a ninth-order Void Beast on the battlefield? How did it suddenly be that Bai Weiguo, themander who had died many years ago, killed him? And Bai Chaojin was saying that the elder of the Fang Family wanted to exterminate the entire human race back then? The sheer volume of information made it difficult for the crowd to sort through, each revtion was shocking in its own right. "Bullshit!" Fang Yun Zhong''s voice thundered forth, causing many practitioners with lower cultivation levels to cover their ears and immediately retreat. "If it hadn''t been for that son of a bitch getting in my way! If he hadn''t snatched the Void Fusion research data from my hands, I would have already led humanity towards peace!" Fang Yun Zhong bellowed angrily. Bai Qi struggled to stand up from the ground and shouted towards Fang Yun Zhong, "You killed without blinking an eye! And still talk about leading humanity to peace? Have you forgotten how you killed the researchers on the submarine that day?" "To change the world, one must always deal with some obstructing insects. I did nothing wrong," Fang Yun Zhong responded. Bai Qi argued back, "The theory you advocate is wrong! You want to merge humans with Void beasts, but would humans still be humans then? You are essentially trying to turn the entire human race into another species! And that species, within the Void races, might even be a very lowly existence! Perhaps this indeed would allow humans to coexist with the Void, but then, what''s the difference between that and surrendering to be ves?" These words stirred up amotion across the entire sky. Turning humans into a race of the Void, in exchange for peaceful coexistence with the Void species? This was sheer madness! Euphemistically speaking it was bing another species, but strictly speaking, it was akin to eradication. Listening to the discussions around him, Fang Yun Zhong''s expression turned even colder. These humans couldn''t understand him, and they even thought he was actually exterminating the race? Boom¡ª Suddenly, Fang Yun Zhong''s Dragon Scale Arm shook, and the sky surged with lightning. A brutal aura swept across the sky over the crowd, rushing toward the horizons. The soldiers in the sky were startled by this aura. Although they were uninjured, the aura made every single one of them feel that their lives were under threat. "The Void is a blessing given to the human race by the heavens. If there were no Void, how could humanity have entered the Cultivation Era?" Fang Yun Zhong''s voice roared through the sky, entering everyone''s ears. He continued to express his thoughts, "Since ancient times, we humans have known a truth, we must not revolt against nature, or we will bring about our own destruction. Is not the Void allowed to exist by nature as well? We have been evolving all along, from stone to steel, from faith to science, and this Void is also a process that humanity must ept in our evolution. Survival of the fittest, we need to go through a..." As Fang Yun Zhong went on with what he considered to be sound reasoning, some of the soldiers in the sky started to think that there seemed to be some sense in his words. However, Fang Ren looked on with a headache, speechless. If it hadn''t been for Bamboo Garden telling him that the arrival of the Void species was due to spatial misalignment, he might have actually believed Fang Yun Zhong''s narrative. "In my eyes, as long as it can make the human race better, make our living environment more peaceful, that is the best choice." Fang Yun Zhong threw out his final words, "Today, I did note here with the intention of peaceful coexistence with you all, because this evolution will invariably involve bloodshed. Those who resist me, I will kill them all today. Those whoply, enjoy the harmony of the world. Now, make your choice." As the multitudes of soldiers engaged in heated discussions, Fang Ren silently formed the Empty Ming Sword in his hand, slowly pointing it towards Fang Yun Zhong. Between him and Fang Yun Zhong, there had to be a battle. Chapter 363: Chapter 355: Come, Duel_1 "Grandfather! Do you realize what you are saying? If this Void really is a blessing from the heavens, then I reckon few humans would want to ept such ''grace'' from above!" Fang Zheng simply couldn''t understand Fang Yun Zhong. In his view, the reason humanity can still live on this today is all due to the united effort, blood, and toil of the entire human race, and it has never been some sort of divine blessing! Fang Jing also couldn''t agree with Fang Yun Zhong''s statement, and said, "Big Brother is right. If we call it a grace just because the emergence of the Void allows humans to cultivate, then, Grandfather, have you considered that humans would rather not have this ability to cultivate if it meant seeing their loved ones dying at the hands of foreign races one after another?" Xia Mo also joined in, saying, "Uncle Fang, you are thoroughly mistaken. Since the onset of the Cultivation Era, why have humans strived to improve their cultivation level? Isn''t it all to ensure that their own world has a ce of purity? For this purpose, countless people are willing to sacrifice even their lives. What is this ability to cultivate in the face of life itself?" "Foolishness!" Fang Yun Zhong rebuked angrily, "You only consider the present, why can''t you look further into the future? Even without the Void, wouldn''t humans still ughter each other? If it weren''t for the Void, how could mankind be as unified as it is today? We should face the facts, not run from them, no matter how cruel they may be." "We have always been facing this fact head-on!" Xia Mo pointed at the great assembly below and said, "Look! So many people have paid the price with their lives, who has shied away? You speak of merging with the Void, but how is that different from the traitors on ancient battlefields? You are asking all of mankind to betray themselves, to deny the very fact they are human from birth!" "Enough talk." Fang Yun Zhong looked over the sky full of practitioners and his voice amplified once more, "Those who follow me,e to my side. Otherwise, you will be shown no mercy." As his voice fell, not a single person approached. Seeing this, Fang Yun Zhong''s hand shone with a purple glow as a gigantic dragon w descended from the sky, crushing down everything beneath. The sky full of practitioners scattered in all directions, and in an instant, countless were crushed into dust by the dragon w. "To do such a thing and still im to be considering humanity''s welfare! I see you are no longer human!" Bai Chaojin roared. Fang Yun Zhong looked at him coldly, "Have fewer people been killed by Indra Sky than by me?" "At least I am aware of the gravity of the sins I''vemitted! Whereas you are still deluded!" In the brief conversation, all of Tianjiang''s soldiers were once again on edge, ready for battle. "Uncle Fang! The Commander of the Defense didn''tpletely kill you back then, but this time, you will be utterly annihted!" Xia Mo''s True Qi exploded, and with a host of soldiers behind him, he charged forward. Boom¡ª Suddenly, thunder swept across the sky, striking the army above. In just an instant, countless soldiers began falling from the sky, struck by lightning, paralyzed, and some even turned to ash on the spot. At that moment, Fang Yun Zhong, who had somehow reached in front of Xia Mo, grabbed and pinched his nose, his face cold as he looked at the people in the sky, "Do you really think, you have the power to stop me?" As he was speaking, a massive wooden sword flew from the ground aimed at his head. He casually pped it away, and the giant wooden sword was sent flying into the distance. "Little girl, did you also think that just because you outnumber me, I could be suppressed?" Fang Yun Zhong looked down at Bai Xi who had thrown the Rose Sword from the ground. "Even in death! I will not go along with those creatures of the Void!" After saying this, Bai Xi''s figure shed and she vanished from the ground,unching an attack on Fang Yun Zhong. Fang Yun Zhong released Xia Mo and with the purple aura in the dragon hand, he pped at the approaching Bai Xi through the air. Although he only struck the air, Bai Xi was repelled hundreds of meters away, continuously spitting blood, and then a purple beam struck her, with Bai Xi channeling her True Qi to withstand it. Boom¡ª But the beam didn''t hit her; it hit a silver shield that flew in unexpectedly. "Sister Hui Qing..." Bai Xi''s gaze shifted to a distant Mu Huanqing standing beside Fang Ren, her body now covered in silver battle armor, but with her Spirit Form flying in to protect her. "All sectors, heed mymand! Today, he must be killed!" Xia Mo shouted, clutching his chest. In an instant, another wave of Tianjiang''s soldiers surged forward. "Nightfall Organization, follow my lead!" Continue your journey at mvl From afar, Jiang Ling roared and drew his ck long knife, leading the members of the Nightfall Organization in a charge towards Fang Yun Zhong. Fang Zheng and Fang Jing from the Fang Family no longer hesitated, and without saying another word, they directly joined therge army. Even though they were blood rtives of Fang Yun Zhong, when faced with a matter of principle, they couldn''t afford to be sentimental! However, Fang Yuanhao leaped away from this ce; he was too close to these people. What would he do if he got hurt? "Now that I have broken through to the Pr Day state, my abilities areparable to that of an Immortal! Do you still dare to resist me? Good! Then all of you can go to your deaths!" With a roar from Fang Yun Zhong, dragon ws in the sky crashed down at an extremely fast pace, grinding down from the heavens. Everyone felt as if the sky above them was covered, and under these giant dragon ws, they appeared so small and powerless. "Pr Day state..." These three words exploded in everyone''s hearts like a nuclear bomb, destroying all the worlds within their minds. Now that Princess Bai Xi''s strength had reached the middle stage of the Profound Night realm, she was absolutely the strongest since the Cultivation Era began, but even with this strength, she was easily injured by Fang Yun Zhong. This Pr Day state power... Perhaps Fang Yun Zhong really possessed it! Seeing that another thousand soldiers were about to be crushed into a pulp by the dragon ws, Fang Ren hurriedly dashed beneath the dragon ws, and his Empty Ming Sword stretched out for kilometers, propping itself inside the dragon ws. Crack crack crack¡ª But the moment the Empty Ming Sword touched the dragon ws, it was crushed to pieces by them. "Ultimate Creation state! Endless Sword edge!" Seeing this, Fang Ren could only push the creative ability of Baiwu''s Ultimate Creation to its peak, continuously creating a massive Empty Ming Sword to block within the dragon ws. Even if one Empty Ming Sword couldn''t withstand the squeezing of the dragon w, then he would use thousands, even tens of thousands. The sword edges kept breaking, but at least they considerably slowed down the speed at which the dragon w was crushing down. Seeing this, the thousand soldiers hurriedly fled from underneath the dragon w, understanding that Fang Ren was buying them time to save their lives. If they did not leave quickly, Fang Ren would keep staying underneath the dragon w, creating Empty Ming Swords. Seeing everyone escaping, Fang Ren also quickly left from under the dragon w; the power of the dragon w was simply too strong. Ever since he was resurrected, his cultivation realm had undergone a soaring improvement, but this strength was nothing in front of this dragon w, like child''s y. If it weren''t for the Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat and various other destructive elixirs that enhanced his abilities to an unimaginable level for an ordinary person, he would have been crushed to death by the dragon w. "Stop!" Just as Fang Ren left from underneath the dragon w, he took out a sword edge of the Empty Ming Sword that was kilometers long, shing it in front of the soldiers who were about to sh with Fang Yun Zhong, blocking their path forward. Everyone couldn''t help but look up at him, their gaze filled with confusion. They couldn''t understand why Fang Ren would suddenly stop them? Shouldn''t they be stopping Fang Yun Zhong? "All of you, back off. Don''t get in my way. I still have unfinished business, and I don''t want you people getting mixed up in it," Fang Ren said to everyone with a look of disdain. Fang Yun Zhong also realized what was happening. After casually crushing a group of soldiers to death, he turned his gaze to Fang Ren: "Great-grandson, you now know which side you should stand on, right?" Seeing that everyone had stopped, Fang Ren spoke to Fang Yun Zhong: "The revenge for wanting to kill me has yet to be avenged." "What do you mean?" Fang Yun Zhong didn''t understand; if it was about revenge, then he should join these people and kill him, so why stop them? "I''m afraid someone might kill you before I do, so let''s have a duel," Fang Ren said. Upon hearing this, Fang Yun Zhong burst into uncontrobleughter as if he had heard the most ridiculous joke: "Hahaha! With your level of cultivation, you''re just something I could kill with a p. A duel? Hahaha..." "This dragon hand, it was me who chopped it off back then, and I don''t recall anyone thinking I could take down a dragon," Fang Ren retorted. "Good, great-grandson, you truly are the most spiritedd in our Fang Family. Since you wish to die, I will fulfill your wish!" "Come on, old man, I hope you canst more than a few exchanges with me," Fang Ren deliberately emphasized. Mu Huanqing, watching Fang Ren in the sky, seemed to understand something. It was obvious that he was trying to use himself to buy time, waiting for the Bamboo Garden toe back. And during this time he was stalling, he also wanted to prevent the Tianjiang soldiers from needlessly throwing away their lives, which is why he suddenly shed with his sword. Chapter 364: 356 Boom¡ª Fang Yun Zhong casually struck out with a p. Fang Ren tried to gather the Empty Ming Sword to block, but the gap between his and Fang Yun Zhong''s realms was simply too vast. He didn''t even have time to form the Empty Ming Sword before he was pped away. In an instant, Fang Ren''s body streamed with blood, and countless bones were shattered. "Ah Ran!" Mu Huanqing hurriedly flew over upon seeing this. When Fang Ren saw hering, he quickly said, "Stay back! I can''t die yet!" Having said that, he immediately leaped back to his original position. But when he returned, the soldiers of Tianjiang, the major war zones, the Nightfall Organization, and the Nine Heavens Corps were all ready to surge forward once again. Fang Ren hurriedly activated his cultivation technique and shed with his sword in front of everyone, sending dust and debris flying into the air. "All of you bastards, back off! Stop messing around!" After cursing at the soldiers in the sky, Fang Ren charged alone towards Fang Yun Zhong. His wounds did not make him fearful; they only heightened his will to fight. A red glow covered his body. Without a weapon at hand, he felt something was missing. Everyone was dumbfounded. What was the eldest young master of the Fang Family thinking? Engaging in a one-on-one duel with Fang Yun Zhong? Even with all of thembined, they might not stand a chance, let alone one-on-one! "Great-grandson, I won''t hold back with this next p," Fang Yun Zhong said when he saw Fang Ren daring toe back. He immediately pped towards Fang Ren again. This time Fang Ren was prepared. The moment Fang Yun Zhong made his move, Fang Ren used the Space Power to form a de behind Fang Yun Zhong, aiming a stab at the back of his head. Fang Yun Zhong retracted his palm and casually pped towards the back of his head, shattering the de instantly. Seeing Fang Yun Zhong effortlessly break his de, Fang Ren''sposure began to falter. He was standing in front of Fang Yun Zhong, yet he formed a de behind him across the distance and timed it specifically for when Fang Yun Zhong made a move¡ªan ambush from behind. Read thetest on mvl Who would have known that even in a state of utmost confidence, Fang Yun Zhong was always guarding against his surroundings. "An interesting cultivation technique. If you were at the same realm as I am, I would definitely have been unable to defend in time. Sadly, you have not epted the Void''s power and will never be able to contend with me," said Fang Yun Zhong with a touch of regret in his tone. "Don''t speak too soon," replied Fang Ren. He originally didn''t want to engage in a war of words, but he had no choice; he really couldn''t beat the old man. To ensure the lives of more people from Tianjiang, stalling was more critical. "Have you seen that tree on the sea?" Fang Ren entered Oscar Actor Mode, looking at him with disdain and continued, "If I let it fight you, you would have been torn to shreds by now." Well, when it is time to bluff, one must do it convincingly. In fact, he could now sense very clearly that the connection between him and Qianye was extremely weak. It was likely because Qianye had exhausted all its energy after annihting the Void Beast Group. Upon hearing about the giant tree on the sea, Fang Yun Zhong did show some concern, but he was no fool. If Fang Ren could still use that Giant Dragon like he did on the battlefield, destroying everything, he would have already done so. Why wait until now? "Your Spirit Form is indeed strong, but sadly, after I kill you, I will find my own way to incorporate it into me," Fang Yun Zhong dered, his arm shining with purple light, ready to finish Fang Ren with a single strike. This strike was impossible for Fang Ren to dodge. Yet Fang Ren was still trash-talking, "You''d better be careful, maybe the moment you make your move, a tree branch will fly up and whack your head off!" "Go to hell!" As Fang Yun Zhong made his move, he took extra care to watch his surroundings, but this didn''t affect the oue of his strike. Boom¡ª¡ª A surge of purple light, even more fierce than the light column spewed by the giant dragon on yesterday''s battlefield, rushed forward. Fang Ren''s figure was instantly swallowed by the purple glow, his body destroyed in an instant, vanishing without even a drop of blood remaining. But in the eyes of the Tianjiang warriors, Fang Ren simply vanished into thin air, possibly using some cultivation technique they hadn''t seen before. If Fang Ren had been killed, at least a drop of blood would have remained in the sky, or perhaps a piece of torn clothing. This time nothing was left behind, which was very different from thest time when Fang Ren was killed by the dragon. "Ha! And I thought that giant tree could actually do something to me!" Seeing that he hadpletely killed Fang Ren and that there was still no movement from the distant sea, Fang Yun Zhong couldn''t help but break into a maniacalugh. "Old man, that didn''t work either, huh." Suddenly a voice came from the far horizon. Fang Yun Zhong was startled and turned to look into the distance, only to see Fang Ren standing in mid-air,pletely unharmed, even the blood that had been flowing from his body after a p had disappeared. "How is this possible! You clearly were killed by me!" Fang Yun Zhong''s eyebrows furrowed, unable to fathom how Fang Ren could havee back to life. "If I had really died, do you think my Spirit Form would be vegetarian? It would have torn you to shreds long ago!" Fang Ren continued to trash-talk. Although he was outwardly calm as an old dog, his heart was freaking out. Because he really had just died under that purple light, but to be precise, it wasn''t aplete death; only his body had died, but his soul was still alive. The reason he could still stand here was because of that so-called divine space, which contained billions of his bodies. As soon as his body was destroyed here, that divine space would throw out another body to ensure the integrity of this chosen one. So he rushed over from a distance because his body would only appear on that same small ruins he had returned to before. Fortunately, those small ruins weren''t too far from here, and it was just a matter of five or six seconds at his full flight speed. "I don''t believe it!" Fang Yun Zhong''s figure shed and he appeared right in front of Fang Ren, reaching out to grasp Fang Ren''s neck. He wanted to kill Fang Ren with his own hands, he just didn''t believe that Fang Ren could still be alive if killed this way? Buzz¡ª¡ª However, just as he reached out to grab Fang Ren''s neck, a silver light shot from the distant sun straight toward Earth. Fang Yun Zhong''s outstretched arm suddenly broke, and ck blood began to gush from within, yet his face remained nk with no sign of pain. Fang Yun Zhong looked up at the sky, unable to understand where the silver light hade from. Even light from the sun to Earth takes time, so what could possibly be many times faster than light? Fang Ren, too, looked upward at the sky, a bewildered expression on his face, but he quickly became exasperated. "Fuck! You had this ability and you didn''t say so earlier!" Fang Ren felt that all the things he had done to buy time earlier suddenly seemed incredibly foolish. Chapter 365: Chapter 357: Defeated with One Palm_1 Just as Fang Ren''s voice fell, a woman holding a child suddenly appeared within everyone''s sight. Continue your adventure with mvl Then, in the next moment, the wind and clouds changed dramatically, as a fierce wind surged through the heavens and earth. The massive dragon w in the sky was directly hit by the shockwave caused by the bamboo garden flying back from Tianyang Edge to the''s surface, creating a huge hole. "How did I just die all of a sudden?" Bamboo Garden looked at Fang Ren with a face full of question marks. Fang Ren stared at her dumbfounded: This movement speed, really just a second within the Sr System? Fang Yun Zhong instinctively dodged backwards a kilometer upon seeing Bamboo Garden appear out of nowhere; he could feel that the silvery glow that had just descended from the sky belonged to this woman''s aura. "Who are you!" Fang Yun Zhong showed a rare expression of terror¡ªording to his knowledge, the strongest human on this should be Bai Qi, and to him, Bai Qi was merely a girl who he could kill at will. When did this woman appear on this? Why had he never seen her before? "Why didn''t youe when he killed me the first time?" Fang Ren asked Bamboo Garden, his face filled with helplessness. "If you hadn''t died once, I wouldn''t have sensed that something happened to you. After all, I can''t keep my Divine Sense activated all the time or there would be no privacy left for anyone on this," Bamboo Garden exined. "..." Fang Ren''s understanding of immortals was refreshed by Bamboo Garden''s words once again¡ªcasually activating Divine Sense could cover a whole? Was it really that exaggerated? While speaking, Bamboo Garden couldn''t help but look down on Fang Ren: "I thought that as a chosen one, at the very least, you would be the strongest being on this. I didn''t expect that an old man could easily kill you." "Does he look like a normal old man to you?" Fang Ren pointed at Fang Yun Zhong and said, "This guy is a hundred-year-old resurrected freak! How can a young man in his twenties fight against him?" Bamboo Garden didn''t even turn back to look at Fang Yun Zhong but pinched Cai Cai''s little cheek in her arms and said, "Judging from the blood, he must be rted to you." "Then you''re right, my great-grandfather tried to have me killed before I even left Novice Vige. If I had fallen back in Novice Vige, you probably wouldn''t have seen me. What is his behavior? It is a damn major sin! He''s trying to assassinate the rightful heir to the True Qi!" Fang Ren shouted. "Look at how worthless you are! Isn''t it that everyone must go through life-and-death trials to be strong?" Bamboo Garden couldn''t help but roll her eyes at him again. However, that being said, if the old man really had killed Fang Ren in Novice Vige, it wouldn''t have been much of an issue¡ªit would just mean that Fang Ren didn''t have the fortune to await her arrival. But now that she had arrived, it meant the old man had to die. Fang Yun Zhong saw that Fang Ren was now casually chatting with the woman,pletely ignoring him! "No matter who you are, you better not meddle in today''s affairs!" Fang Yun Zhong roared: "I am leading my people towards a new era. If you stop me today, the future of humanity will be nothing but darkness!" Bamboo Garden didn''t understand and turned to Fang Ren, asking, "What is he talking about?" "He says he wants humans to fuse with Void beasts, which means turning us into beings from the other world, in exchange for the ultimate peace of the human world," Fang Ren exined. "Isn''t that just surrendering to be ves?" Bamboo Garden looked confused. In her understanding, humans were humans, the creatures most in harmony with thews of heaven and earth¡ªwhy would they want to be another species? Wouldn''t that be indirectly weakening their Cultivation Ability? "Stop babbling and p him to his death. If it weren''t for you here today, everyone present would probably be killed by him." After saying that, Fang Ren flew down towards Bai Qi on the ground. He had originally thought that Bai Qi and that old man had some personal grudge, but it turned out to be a matter of the greater good between species. "Eat this." Fang Ren pulled out a Top-Level Elixir and handed it to Bai Qi. Bai Qi swallowed it, and the wound on her arm began to heal rapidly, but it didn''t regenerate. "Aren''t we going to help her?" Bai Qi looked up at Bamboo Garden in the sky and asked worriedly. "Does she look like she needs help?" "To be safe, it''s best if we fight together!" Bai Chaojin said with a furrowed brow. "When did you be so united?" Fang Ren scornfully asked. Bai Chaojin was at a loss for words. Today was supposed to be his redemption, but how had it turned into this mess? Xia Mo also flew over from a distance and said to Fang Ren, "Are you sure she can surely defeat Fang Yun Zhong? Now that Fang Yun Zhong has transformed into a Void species, who knows how much power he still has! You must not take him lightly." "Look up at the sun in the sky," Fang Ren instructed. A group of people looked up at the sky. The sun... has it restored?" "She fought, and then she fixed it," Fang Ren continued. "Now take another look at my wife." The crowd turned to look at Mu Huanqing, who had dispersed her True Qi, retracted her Spirit Form, and seemedpletelyposed. "The woman in the sky is holding her child," Fang Ren exined.Everyone looked bewildered, feeling as if the scene had suddenly be somewhat theatrical. Just a moment ago, they were all ready to fight with the belief that they would surely die, and now they seemed like salted fish, simply watching without involvement. "It seems you are determined to stop me!" A violet aura exploded from Fang Yun Zhong''s body, and the arm that had been severed regrew. A giant dragon w in the sky started to press down towards the bamboo garden. His figure shed, encased in raging thunder, his hands grasping hundreds of beams of violet light, with storm clouds churning behind him... In that moment, he was like a War God. "How pitiful," the bamboo garden raised its hand. Hum¡ª A humming sound, and a streak of silver light shot from her fingertips, the next moment, the whole world was engulfed by that speck of light. When everyone slowly opened their eyes and looked up at the sky again, there was no longer any sight of the storm clouds, thunder, or dragon w. There were only clouds in the sky, parted into two rows, and in the direction the bamboo garden faced, there was a vast crater stretching beyond the horizon. As if nothing had ever existed where she faced, just a recessednd. She defeated him with a single palm strike. The bamboo garden withdrew her hand and shed beside Mu Huanqing, looking at her with disdain, "The little one might be hungry, she keeps snuggling into my arms, but I definitely won''t feed her!" "Thank you for your effort," Mu Huanqing said as she took Cai Cai and smiled at her. If it hadn''t been for the bamboo garden, the entire might have ended up coexisting with the Void species as Fang Yun Zhong had said. Of course, without the bamboo garden, it wasn''t like there was no hope at all, but that only hope was Qianye, which could naturally defeat Fang Yun Zhong if it could awaken. But that chance was extremely slim. "If there''s nothing else, I''ll be leaving," the bamboo garden said, feeling everyone''s gazes upon her. "Don''t rush off, you saved all of our lives today," Mu Huanqing said. "Boring praise is better left unheard," the bamboo garden replied nonchntly. "You''re going to be here for a while, you have to follow our customs to enjoy yourself," Mu Huanqing extended her hand to grab the bamboo garden''s arm, signaling for her not to leave. "A while? Even a hundred years to me is but the opening and closing of an eye in cultivation," the bamboo garden replied. After saying that, she suddenly disappeared on the spot. Mu Huanqing thought she could hold on to the bamboo garden, but found when the bamboo garden left, her hand was like grasping at air. "Are all Immortals so carefree?" With a shake of her head, Mu Huanqing started to carry her child towards Fang Ren. Chapter 366: Chapter 358: The Death of Bai Chaojin_1 The crowd stood staring at the giant pit that extended into the distance, speechless for a long while. There really were immortals in the world, or at least the woman they had just seen couldn''t possibly be called human. Fang Yun Zhong, a being so powerful he could have wiped them all out on his own, was insignificant before that woman, like an ant, effortlessly crushed with a swat as a person might thoughtlessly kill a mosquito that had lost its wings. If such a powerful existence existed, why had they never even heard of her before? This woman had suddenly appeared beside the resurrected Fang Ren, seemingly sharing a close connection with him. If Fang Ren had known this woman before, why hadn''t he called her over during that great battle? If she had been there, surely not so many would have perished. Sometimes humans are greedy, unsatisfied with what they have, always desiring more and more. The soldiers of Tianjiang were no exception. After all, those who had died were their closestrades-in-arms. Before the people in the sky could voice their questions, Bai Qi took the initiative to confront Fang Ren: "When did you meet her?" "Didn''t I say before? I met her after I left Novice Vige, that is, after my Spirit Form turned into that oceanic image, that''s when I got to know her." Fang Ren knew what she was asking, but not only was his response for her, it was also meant for everyone in the sky. Back when he was studying in Yangming City, a fourth-order Space Beast suddenly descended onto campus, forcing him to repair Mu Huanqing''s meridians. Afterward, Mu Huanqing protected other students, yet there were still students who yelled at her in anger, questioning why she hadn''t appeared earlier, why she hadn''t saved more people, why she had watched them die? At that time, Fang Ren was furious. Under such chaotic circumstances, Mu Huanqing had done her best. Why were those people stillining about her? Butter on, when Fang Ren thought back on the incident, he felt somewhat guilty. Perhaps if he had repaired Mu Huanqing''s meridians sooner, indeed fewer lives would have been lost. But he wasn''t a prophet; he couldn''t foresee a fourth-order Space Beast abruptly emerging from the Void. And now, the soldiers of Tianjiang were probably thinking something simr to those students back then, only they were more mature and wouldn''t loudly voice such grievances. Upon receiving this reply, everyone''s hearts calmed down. Bai Qi continued to question: "She''s so powerful, can she shatter the Void?" "She can''t, not even immortals can manage that," replied Fang Ren. Bai Chaojin, standing to the side, couldn''t help but reveal a self-mocking smile upon hearing this. He had thought things through too simply, believing that by raising a powerful human like Bai Qi, they could shatter the Void in the near future, securing a stable refuge for humanity. He hadn''t realized how shortsighted he was. Fang Ren nced at Bai Chaojin, turned his back to him, and said, "However, you needn''t worry. From now on, no human will ever die under the Void again. That is what the woman just now promised me." Bai Chaojin slightly lifted his head: "Are you sure there''s nothing more powerful than her on the other side of the Void?" "I''m not certain, but I believe she could easily blow up Earth, something the Void beasts cannot do." "Let''s hope so..." With a sigh from Bai Chaojin, the soldiers in the sky slowly descended to the ground. Another catastrophe had passed, and the funeral had proceeded through much of its course. The sudden arrival of Fang Yun Zhong had resulted in numerous casualties, forcing an early end to the ceremony. But as everyone was about to depart, Bai Chaojin called them to a halt. He stood alone in the center of the grand hall, holding a spike condensed from True Qi, his expression aplex tapestry of emotion. The crowd stood outside the hall, none stepping forward to stop him. Even Bai Qi remained clear; these were matters that could not be interfered with. This was her grandfather''s only way of atoning, his only method to redeem his inner self. Bai Chaojin didn''t speak much, but every word he said shocked countless people. He exined all his past dealings with the Indra Sky Organization in just a few brief sentences. Everyone outside listened, each with different feelings stirring within. Jiang Ling and all members of the Nightfall Organization, being victims themselves, felt no strong emotional upheaval at this moment. They didn''t feel joy, only a sense of destion. All belonging to the same race, all striving for amon goal, why did such great discord arise? "The heavens cannot tolerate my sins, but if Indra Sky hadn''t stopped Fang Yun Zhong at the outset, perhaps this would have already been devoid of human life by now." Having uttered this final phrase, Bai Chaojin thrust the spike into his own heart, his body slowly copsing amidst the hall filled with memorials. Afterward, Bai Qi and Bai Jinyun took care of his body. His memorial couldn''t be disyed in the grand hall because he was a criminal, while everyone inside was a martyr. Perhaps his choosing to die now was so that his body could lie here. He didn''t receive the praise he longed for, only eternal infamy. The crowd outside the grand hall lingered long afterwards, unable as they were, members of the same race, to ept such a bloody reality. The Commander Bai they had respected, the symbol of hope they had held in their hearts, turned out to be such a devilish figure behind closed doors. Jiang Ling was the first to leave with the Nightfall Organization, fearing that if she stayed any longer, too many people would turn back and apologize to them again. She disliked interacting with these people, and so did the Nightfall Organization, for their hearts had been closed off from these people for too long. Fang Ren harbored no resentment towards Bai Chaojin, at least notpared to his great-grandfather; Bai Chaojin at least only wanted him to help Bai Xi with her experiments, and never thought to take his life. ¡ª¡ª In the weeks following Fang Yun Zhong''s death, the ruined buildings on the Tianjiang Continent had beenpletely repaired by practitioners from all over the world. Although it was said to beplete, it was only the buildings that were fully repaired. Inside the buildings, there was nothing, not even painted walls. But at least on thend of Tianjiang, streets, cars, traffic lights, and tforms had gradually begun to re-emerge. Everything was slowly recovering. Bai Qi had been following Mu Huanqing around these past few days. She seemed to really like Mu Huanqing''s child, often acting as a nanny when Mu Huanqing was busy. This left the bamboo garden idle with nothing to do, wandering around the Earth, nearly memorizing every corner in her mind. But one could get tired of wandering after a while. Later on, the bamboo garden would often go to Bai Qi to chat because she discovered that Bai Qi possessed the original Spiritual Root of Fang Ren, as well as the Withered Wood Profound Spirit constitution. While not a very powerful constitution, it was infinitely stronger than Fang Ren''s mortal one. "Given what you''ve said, do I also qualify to participate in the chosen battle?" After hearing a lot from the bamboo garden, Bai Qi couldn''t help but ask this question. She also had the same Spiritual Root in her body, and little Qianye also had a close connection with her. Stay connected with mvl "It won''t work, you weren''t selected from birth, it''s only due to various reasons afterward," said the bamboo garden, waving off the idea. Bai Qi was somewhat disappointed, "I thought I could find something to do... but in the end, I''m still idle." "Isn''t there anyone on this to arrange tasks for you?" "There are, but I don''t want to do those tasks. It''s either teaching the military to practice or participating in family affairs. These things are very uninteresting." "So, aside from seeing the greater world out there, everything here is meaningless for you?" the bamboo garden asked. Bai Qi said, "Let''s put it another way, as long as I can stay away from Fang Ren, I''ll find meaning wherever I am." The bamboo garden couldn''t understand, "Weren''t you just a former engaged couple? Is that necessary?" "It''s very necessary!" "But didn''t you like him? Why do you still want to leave?" "You don''t have desires, so naturally, you can''t understand me," Bai Qi shook her head and sighed. "What''s so good about that thing? It only makes beings even more irrational." "Then let me ask you, what''s the meaning of your pursuit of immortality?" "To traverse various worlds, to savor the delicacies of all these worlds, and to experience the pleasures of each one. Of course, the Heavenly Dao is ultimately what I''m aiming for," the bamboo garden replied. "So, the true god you speak of, has he reached the limit of the Heavenly Dao?" asked Bai Qi. "Definitely." "Then, having obtained the whole world, but unable to go anywhere with his true form, will he be happy?" "No one knows until they reach that step." Bai Qi shook her head and smiled, "He can only use an avatar to go anywhere, in the end, it''s just like a dream within a dream." "This is beyond your understanding." The bamboo garden did not continue this topic but switched back to discussing emotions, "I think, since you like him, you should try everything to get him, just like how I want to visit a certain world. When my Cultivation Level isn''t enough, I would rather spend thousands of years striving just to visit that world once and fulfill all my wishes." "So are you suggesting that I should kill Sister Hui Qing?" Bai Qiughed loudly. "I don''t quite understand your marriage concepts, but from my perspective, in all the worlds I''ve seen, polyandry and polygamy are normal. As long as you are strong enough, all rules can be set by you," said the bamboo garden. "You''re advising me to plot for power and usurp the throne, aren''t you?" Bai Qi didn''t take it seriously andughed it off. She had no intention of getting involved; as for what to do in the future, she didn''t know. Perhaps one day, she''ll meet a boy who moves her heart even more. Then she will let go of all her emotions for Fang Ren and choose to start anew. By that time, she believes... she should be happy. But there would certainly be regrets. Chapter 367: Chapter 359: Why Couldnt the Dream of Bringing Him Home Be Fulfilled?_1 Since Liu Qianqian returned to the family, she hardly ever left the courtyard. She practiced her music, chess, calligraphy, and painting skills she learned in the past every day, getting up at 8 in the morning, having three meals a day, and going to bed at 10 in the evening, keeping to a very regr schedule. The Liu family had once been worried that she might take her own life, but after observing her for a while, they found that the young mistress was disturbingly normal. She seemed to have returned to her sixteen or seventeen-year-old self, focusing intently on everything she did and wearing a faint, polite smile whenever she spoke to anyone. On the day she left Mu Family Manor, she had wondered if she might be pregnant? But the thought was quickly dispelled, and she felt fortunate that she wasn''t carrying a child. Otherwise, she definitely wouldn''t have had the heart to end it. "I think the young mistress doesn''t have any problems at all anymore, so why does the madam still ask us toe and watch over her every day?" A few middle-aged women whispered amongst themselves in the courtyard. "The madam is just being overly anxious, what''s the big deal here? It''s just a lost love, isn''t it?" "Exactly, the young mistress has such a good cultivating physique, she might even be like the fairy who casually killed Fang Yun Zhong at the funeral, with a bright future ahead of her. To worry over a man, I feel it''s impossible." "But she spends all day either ying music or painting and doesn''t practice cultivation¡­ what''s going on with that?" ... "Sister Qianqian! Sister Qianqian!" Suddenly, an eleven or twelve-year-old boy ran into the courtyard, holding an envelope with a furrowed expression on his face. Liu Qianqian put down her brush and turned to look inside the courtyard. "Xiao Yuan, long time no see." Upon seeing the little boy, Liu Qianqian revealed a smile. The boy was named Liu Yuan, Liu Qianqian''s cousin. "Sister Qianqian, I have something to ask you! It''s really important!" Liu Yuan said with a serious face. "What is it that you muste to me with?" "Because I only dare to ask you," Liu Yuan said and then turned back to the women, saying, "Aunties, could you please step out for a moment, I have something serious to discuss with Sister Qianqian!" The women hesitated for a moment, then left the courtyard, but none of them went far, since the madam had sent them to watch over Liu Qianqian. If something went wrong, they would have a hard time exining themselves. "What''s the matter that you''re being so serious about?" Liu Qianqian couldn''t help but be curious. "Here! This!" Liu Yuan handed the envelope to Liu Qianqian, his little face turning somewhat red. Liu Qianqian opened the envelope and saw the contents, her smile still on her face: "It turns out a girl has written you a love letter. But you guys are so young, already talking about love." "We''re not that young; there are already several couples in our ss who have kissed on the cheeks!" Liu Yuan said earnestly. "Kissed on the cheeks? That really is something," Liu Qianqian said as she ruffled his hair, her smile on her face so gentle. Liu Yuan looked at her smiling face, stunned for a moment, then said, "Sister Qianqian, I feel like it''s been a really long time since you''ve smiled like this." "Have I?" "Ever since I started primary school, you''ve been frowning every day over your engagement..." "Now that the engagement is over, of course I''m happy," she replied. "I really hope¡­ you are genuinely happy." As Liu Yuan spoke, he quickly returned to the matter at hand, pointing at the love letter a girl had written to him and said, "Come on, tell me what I should do. I have a girl I like, and now this girl has written me a love letter. What should I do?" "Which girl do you think is better?" Liu Qianqian asked. "I definitely think the girl I like is better, but this girl who wrote me a love letter, she treats me way better in daily life than the girl I like... So I''m really conflicted, whether to ept her, or to continue pursuing the one I like? In this area, Sister Qianqian, you have experience, so I can onlye and ask you," Liu Yuan said with a troubled face. Just then, a filthy little ck dog ran into the yard, wagging its tail and trotted over to Liu Yuan''s feet. "Charcoal Ball, where have you been again, getting all dirty? Can''t you be as clean as Ah Xiang''s golden retriever?" Liu Yuan said with a look of disgust as he picked up the little ck dog, tempted to spank it. Liu Qianqian looked at the dirty little ck dog and the smile at the corner of her mouth tightened a bit: "Do you think Charcoal Ball is better or is Ah Xiang''s golden retriever better?" "Is that even a question? Of course, Ah Xiang''s golden retriever is better. That retriever is so fun to y with, it can fetch the ball, and it even understands human speech, oh, and it can skateboard on its own!" As Liu Yuan spoke, he heaved a sigh: "It''s just too bad Charcoal Ball can''t do anything; it knows only how to run around and isn''t clean." "But every time you y with Ah Xiang''s golden retriever, no matter how much fun you have, in the end, when you and Ah Xiang part ways, the retriever still chooses to follow Ah Xiang home, right?" Liu Qianqian said. "Of course, after all, it''s their dog." Liu Qianqian asked, "So... does the girl you like have a boy she likes?" Liu Yuan''s brow furrowed even deeper: "Yes, but I''m still pursuing her, they''re not together." "Does she treat you well, or does she treat the boy she likes well?" "Ah yo, Sister Qianqian, why do you always ask these useless things? She definitely treats the boy she likes well." Continue your journey on §Þ?? "Does it feel like no matter how well you treat her, she doesn''t really care, but if the boy she likes just says a word to her, she is happy for two or three days?" "Ah yo, you''re talking about those useless things again," Liu Yuan said with impatience. Liu Qianqian stretched out her hand, caressing the filthy little ck dog: "Charcoal Ball has been with you since you were seven years old, and you''re its favorite person. But no matter how much it likes you, you still prefer that golden retriever. It knows that even if you can''t get that retriever, you''ll still like it. Yet, it still likes you so much and never leaves you. Even though it knows you despise it very much, it still shamelessly clings to you. Maybe if you kick it away now, it will run off in pain, but after a while, it wille back wagging its tail, seeking peace with you. Maybe if you throw it into the trash pile, it''ll still delude itself thinking you''re ying with it, and shamelesslye back to you." Liu Yuan looked at the Charcoal Ball in his arms for a long time, feeling very downhearted: "Are you telling me that in the eyes of the girl I like, I''m just like Charcoal Ball?" "Maybe the girl who likes you is more like Charcoal Ball," Liu Qianqian said. "But I still prefer the golden retriever," Liu Yuan stubbornly said. "Then you might as wellpletely throw away Charcoal Ball. Wait for someone else to pick it up, treat it well, dress it up beautifully, and from then on, it will revolve around that person. No matter how you call or coax it, it won''t pay attention to you." "How could Charcoal Ball possibly be beautiful?" Liu Yuan said dismissively: "If I really threw Charcoal Ball away, I guess no one would want it, let alone treat it well. In the end, I''d still need to go back and bring it home." Those words seemed to touch a nerve in Liu Qianqian, and her eyes instantly reddened. These past few days, she had been very calm, as long as she immersed herself in painting and ying the piano, she would stop thinking about anything else. But now, because of a Charcoal Ball, she suddenly felt like crying. She smiled: "Yes, I don''t understand either, how a medical student could be Qing''an? How could a mortal be loved by Xuan Nv? I wanted to take first ce in the Elixir Competition and bring him back home with dignity. Why couldn''t I make it happen in the end?" "Sister Qianqian..." Liu Yuan, seeing her reddened eyes, suddenly felt that things had gotten serious. "I, I should go now, Sister Qianqian, please don''t tell Grandpa I made you cry, otherwise, he''ll beat me." After saying that, Liu Yuan grabbed the love letter, picked up Charcoal Ball, and ran out, shouting, "I''m sorry, I''m sorry..." A few women came in with surprised faces and hurried over to console Liu Qianqian; she waved them off and returned to her bedroom alone. Today was supposed to be the day she finished her painting. Perhaps the painting was just a few strokes shy ofpletion. But she no longer intended to let it be perfect. In the distance outside the yard, Liu Yuan held Charcoal Ball, looking at the love letter from a girl in his ss, and pondered for a long time before he made up his mind. He stroked Charcoal Ball''s head: "Don''t worry, I definitely won''t lose you." Chapter 368: Chapter 360: Wedding_1 ``` Today is the day Fang Ren officially marries Mu Huanqing. Originally, Fang Ren didn''t want to make such a high-profile event, but due to Mu Huanqing''s status, the wedding turned out to be spectacrly grand. Actually, he didn''t know that many people came to the scene because of him. Important figures from the aristocratic families of Tianjiang, leaders from the Central Area, leading figures of the Nightfall Organization, presidents and vice presidents of various Alchemist Guilds, as well as the captains of the divisions of the Nine Heavens Corps, and the students of ss Three of the Medical College along with Teacher Huang were in attendance. And then, there was the principal Fang Ren had never met... Because there were so many people, the Tianjiang Continent suffered significant damage, and although many ces had been repaired, there was still no ce that could amodate so many people and be suitable for hosting a wedding. Therefore, the wedding took ce at the Mu family''s vi. Everything here was still intact, therge estate could amodate many people, and the Mu family''s servants were more than capable of managing everything. However, the vi, which originally had a leisurely and elegant atmosphere, was suddenly decorated so ostentatiously that Mu Qingshan barely recognized it as his own property. The entire vi was bustling with activity. Mu Qingshan didn''t like the etiquette of the aristocrats much, he thought the uproar was necessary, and there was no need to constantly have gentility and grace on the lips¡ªguests should just enjoy eating and drinking today. As a result, the whole vi was filled with noise, and the children brought by various guests were running around everywhere, causing quite a few nuisances. Bai Qi was present today, too. She had been invited by Mu Huanqing to be a bridesmaid, but she resolutely refused. She didn''t want to watch the man she liked marrying her beloved sister, and stand there smiling like a fool. Liu Qianqian had also arrived, but she was simply there to attend the wedding. The moment she epted the pill that the Bamboo Garden had given her, she stopped fantasizing. Moreover, her mother said that today she would take her to meet the sons of other aristocratic families. Liu Qianqian neither refused nor agreed. As a pet shop''s pet, she felt she had no freedom to speak of. The Fang family members were all there, but Fang Zheng and Kong Yingshu came as guests. Fang Tong, too. After all, Fang Ren had never considered them his family, nor would they insist on this matter. Soon, the wedding began. The master of ceremonies was initially going to be Teacher Huang, as he had been hard on Fang Ren at school, but after the war, it was clear that Old Huang cared about his students. Yet, in the end, Xia Mo somehow jumped out and insisted on being the wedding MC. Without a second thought, Old Huang decisively stepped aside. On the stage, Xia Mo didn''t use the usual opening lines of a master of ceremonies, but instead spoke about his feelings upon seeing Mu Huanqing getting married and his blessings for the wedding. After all, Mu Huanqing counted as half his disciple and he had watched her grow up from a child. As Xia Mo''s speech came to an end, music sounded within the vi, and the bride and groom made their entrance. Fang Ren was actually quite nervous about the presence of so many people. Although he fought like a madman on the battlefield, it was still influenced by the effects of cultivation techniques. He really felt a bit overwhelmed by this wedding scene. However, he was rxed quite a bit by a few groomsmen chatting incessantly by his side: Jing Haichuan, Li Xingwang, and Er Gou, all grinning and teasing, which eased his original tension considerably. Mu Huanqing was not faring any better than Fang Ren today; she felt an inexplicable nervousness. She was long ustomed to being the center of attention, but today, she couldn''t control her inner turmoil. The three bridesmaids apanying her were Xiao Xuan from the Nine Heavens Corps, Jian Qi''er, and her ssmate Li Xinyue. This lineup of bridesmaids was a bit surprising, with Xiao Xuan being the exception. Jian Qi''er came today not as the celebrity Jian Ye, but in her capacity as Fang Ren''srade-in-arms, which made sense as a bridesmaid. But Li Xinyue''s presence was a bit absurd. The reason being that during this time, she seemed to have sparked some mes of affection with Jing Haichuan. She insisted on catching Mu Huanqing''s bouquet today to marry Jing Haichuan and, from there on, torment him into old age. So, Jing Haichuan was exceptionally nervous today, for he really couldn''t handle Li Xinyue, who had always been a major foe for their group of brothers at school. However, after being counseled by Li Xingwang and Er Gou, advising him to take Li Xinyue down and train her properly, to let her understand what a real man is, Jing Haichuan actually went for it. In fact, if it weren''t for all the events that had transpired, the bridesmaids today would have been Liu Qianqian and Bai Qi, but it couldn''t be helped¡ªnot everything goes as one desires. As Mu Huanqing, dressed in a wedding gown, stepped onto the red carpet, all eyes converged on her, and a blush crept onto her face. The Madame Xuan was usually d in battle attire, never having worn such clothes before. She captivated everyone''s attention. At this moment, Fang Ren was momentarily stupefied, and then he burst intoughter. After experiencing so much, he finally was about to marry her openly and honestly. Especially as Mu Huanqing slowly approached him, he suddenly felt that all of his past troubles were so insignificant. Even if he had to face a hundred times more difficulties, he was willing to step onto the Asura path again, to cut flesh and bone, for this moment. Liu Qianqian stood alone in the distance, quietly eating fruit and sipping wine. Her mother had introduced her to some heirs of aristocratic families, but she really wasn''t in the mood to talk too much. After responding courteously, she was alone again. She seemed out of ce amidst everything around her, yet she lowered her presence to the minimum. She kept her distance because she didn''t want to disturb the mood of many people. But Bai Qi spotted her from afar and came over to chat with her. Because of Bai Qi''s arrival, Liu Qianqian''s mother didn''t introduce her to any more young masters. What is happiness? ``` Before she met Fang Ren, Mu Huanqing never thought that happiness belonged to her. In her eyes, her greatest joy was to pacify the Void and give people a piece of purend. But when she met Fang Ren, she suddenly realized a person''s emotions could be so deep and affect so many things. She had thought that being with Ah Ran every day was already her happiness until the first time they shared a room together. She had believed that the joy of their conjugal bliss was enough, untilter, when they had Cai Cai. She had also thought that having a child with Ah Ran was happiness enough, until now, when Fang Ren himself ced a wedding ring on her finger and told her she was his wife from then on. Looking at the ring on her hand, Mu Huanqing didn''t know why her eyes reddened a bit. After having had his child for so long, he finally gave her this recognition. Xia Mo, "Hui Qing, is there anything you''d like to say now?" "Do I... really have to say it here?" Mu Huanqing didn''t quite understand these matters; she thought her heartfelt words should be said privately to Ah Ran. But then she suddenly remembered how Fang Ren had announced in front of everyone that she was his wife, which moved her very much, as if it were a deration. So she felt that perhaps she should also make a deration at this time. After thinking it over, Mu Huanqing felt that such a matter had to be taken very seriously, and the words she spoke had to carry the weight of a vow. "I, Mu Huanqing, in life belong to Fang Ren, and in death will be his ghost!" Very serious, and with the momentum of a solemn oath. But in the next moment, the whole audience burst intoughter. Her face suddenly turned red; she felt like she had said something wrong. Looking somewhat at a loss, she turned to Xia Mo, seeking what she should have said. Xia Mo, trying to contain hisughter, said, "Don''t worry, you didn''t say anything wrong; it''s just that your words were too serious. Share your own feelings." Mu Huanqing thought again, nced at Fang Ren, and then began with some ceremonial feel, "After meeting you, it seems I''ve only made one choice, which was to do everything I could to get close to you. If time could go back to May 5th, 2310, even if I could prevent all tragedies, I would cripple my cultivation level and go to that small town to find you." Gua ji gua ji¡ª May 5th, 2310, that was the day her meridians had been severed, and she was proimed dead by the world. After another heartfelt confession from Mu Huanqing, Xia Mo invited Shang Han and Mu Tianyuan to speak a few words. The reason he didn''t call Fang Zheng and Kong Yingshu was that he knew about those issues with the Fang Family. Never having seen his parents, his uncle wanted to kill him, his grandfather wanted to kill him, and the son of his uncle''s family also wanted to kill him. Any person would not have any good feelings toward their family of the past given such circumstances. Shang Han actually wanted to run away with Mu Tianyuan today; he knew there would be this segment, but since he and Mu Tianyuan both took the stage to speak, if Brother Zheng''s family didn''te up, he wouldn''t feel right about it. After Shang Han and Mu Tianyuan delivered moving speeches, Xia Mo was about to move on to the next part of the event, but Fang Ren turned to look back at where Fang Zheng was sitting. Seeing this, Xia Mo paused again. "Aren''t youing up to bless us with a few words?" Fang Ren asked them with a smile. Although he had never felt a sense of belonging in the Fang Family, Fang Zheng and Kong Yingshu never once actively sought him out, there was no doubt, within the shattered Fang Family, Fang Zheng was a warrior worthy of respect. And no matter what, Fang Zheng and Kong Yingshu were without a doubt his biological parents. If it hadn''t been for these two people, he wouldn''t have been able to see the world, let alone meet Mu Huanqing, nor would there have been any stories that followed. He was very clear about that. Fang Zheng, sitting away from the others, suddenly froze, his phone that he was using to take pictures slipped from his hands onto the floor. He had thought this day would nevere because he believed this child was too stubborn to ever recognize anyone from their family, but he hadn''t expected... "Brother Zheng! You and sister-inw, hurry up!" Seeing them still stunned, Shang Han quickly urged them on. Fang Zheng didn''t bother to pick up his phone; he hurriedly pulled Kong Yingshu and ran up to the stage. Atst, the child had given him a chance to be a father. ... Meanwhile, in a ce unnoticed by the crowd, Zhu Yuan was holding Cai Cai, looking at the stage with a face full of grievances. Experience more content on §Þ?? And Cai Cai in her arms kept burrowing into her embrace, clearly hungry. "Damn it! They really took me for a nanny!" Chapter 369: Chapter 361: Mu Huanqing and Liu Qianqian_1 Once the ceremonial part of the event was over, Fang Ren started leading Mu Huanqing around to toast the guests. The great battle had ended, and with powerhouses like those from Bamboo Grove defending against the Void, there was no longer any need to worry about the future. For this reason, everyone was in extremely high spirits, eating and drinking to their heart''s content. Only Mu Qingshan was bustling about, attending to guests, and when it came time for speeches, they hadn''t even called him up, which made him very angry. When he felt upset, he had a habit of reaching for a drink, and after a few sips, Mu Qingshan felt himself getting a bit drunk. By the time Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing got to him, his face was already flushed, and he had started rambling with a few of his old friends. "Grandpa, you should probably drink less," Mu Huanqing said with concern. Mu Qingshan waved it off: "Qing''er, you don''t understand, I am just too happy today." As he said this, he grabbed Fang Ren''s hand, and with a serious face said, "Ah Ran, in fact, the first time I saw you, I knew you would achieve greatness one day, but do you know! I didn''t say anything, I had to test you. All that three years, six years, it was all nonsense..." Mu Qingshan went on and on, while Fang Ren sighed inwardly. If you really had that foresight back then, you wouldn''t have let Qing''er go. After that, Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing moved on to the area with their ssmates. They had hardly arrived when Teacher Huang, along with Li, Jing, and Er Gou, had already gotten drunk. "Ling! You''ve finallye! Hurry up and settle this for us!" Er Gou eximed upon seeing Fang Ren, immediately using the intimate title. "What''s happened now?" Fang Ren looked confused: "You haven''t put up a photo of me and started burning incense sticks to it, have you?" Li Xingwang, with a red face, said, "Ling, you''ve got to help me persuade Old Huang. Seeing you getting married, he insists on marrying his daughter to me. By seniority, I''m her uncle for heaven''s sake! I consider him a brother, and now he wants to be my father-inw!" Teacher Huang mmed the table: "Ling, you haven''t seen my daughter¡ªshe''s absolutely gorgeous! And definitely doesn''t have a Mediterranean as I do, she''s damn handsome!" Jing Haichuan quickly interjected, pointing at Li Xinyue, who was twisting his ear behind him: "Okay, enough about that. Ling, hurry up and find a way to get this girl away from me. I treat her like one of the guys, and she''s insisting on bing my wife! This! This is against nature!" Seeing that everyone was drunk, Fang Ren couldn''t really have a proper conversation with them, so he just went along with their cheerful banter. Your next chapter awaits on §Þ?? However, after a while, Fang Ren suddenly realized something was off. How had he been relegated to being "Ling"? Though he wasn''t present when the drunkards swore brotherhood, he had epted the honorary junior title. But there were only five older men in total¡ªhow did he be number six? Right, there was Liu Qianqian. Mu Huanqing had noticed this detail earlier and pointed him in a certain direction. When Fang Ren nced over at Liu Qianqian chatting with Bai Qi, he suddenly felt a bit hesitant to approach, and he hadn''t told Mu Huanqing about what had happened between him and Liu Qianqian. "Let''s go, we''ll head over," she said. Mu Huanqing pulled on his hand, leading him toward them. When Liu Qianqian and Bai Qi realized the two were approaching, their conversation abruptly stopped. "ssmate Liu, Qi''er, enjoy yourselves," Mu Huanqing said with a smile. Bai Qi looked displeased: "Enjoy ourselves? You, as the older sister, eloped with your younger sister''s fianc¨¦ and still expect her to have fun?" "You just made your move a bit toote," Mu Huanqing replied. She ruffled her hair affectionately, smiling like an elder sister. "Alright, alright, I was just kidding. Don''t take it seriously," Bai Qi lifted his ss and smiled, "I wish you both happiness forever." "What about you, Liu Qianqian?" Mu Huanqing''s gaze shifted toward Liu Qianqian. Liu Qianqian had the same smile on her face that she had worn these past few days: "I''vee bearing blessings as well. No matter what, I hope that after you get married, you''ll continue to love each other as you do now." As she spoke, she took a sip of red wine herself. Fang Ren seemed unable to utter a word; if that incident hadn''t happened, then he would dare to say anything right now. Liu Qianqian noticed Fang Ren''s expression. She didn''t look at Fang Ren, but at the food on the table: "The pills Sister Zhu Yuan gave are indeed effective. They''re something I could never have asked for in my life. I''m truly lucky to have received that pill." Fang Ren had heard about this matter from Sister Zhu Yuan and understood what Liu Qianqian meant; she was telling him not to feel like he owed her anything. "That''s all the blessings I have to say. I''m here today just to say this. I have some matters at home, so I''ll take my leave first." Liu Qianqian said as she put down her ss and turned to walk out of the manor. Afterward, Mu Huanqing and Bai Qi struck up a conversation, but Fang Ren''s heart was fraught withplications. He knew he definitely couldn''t be with Liu Qianqian, but how should he tell Mu Huanqing about his betrayal? Time passed by little by little, and everyone drank more and more. The atmosphere grew more and more to resemble that of a reunion of old friends. After all, they no longer needed to worry about matters of the Void, and it was time to set their minds free. In the midst of this, Mu Huanqing suddenly mentioned she had something to attend to in her room. Fang Ren didn''t pay much attention, but half a minuteter, he suddenly sensed a disturbance in Mu Huanqing''s True Qi. He turned his head to look toward the rear mountain, where a silver afterglow shimmered. Immediately, he found an excuse to slip away and began heading toward the deste area behind the mountain, channeling his True Qi and following in the direction where Mu Huanqing had vanished. ... Driving home, Liu Qianqian''s feelings were indescribable. She kept telling herself that everything would end here and that today would be thest day she felt heartbroken. But more often than not, emotions aren''t swayed by thought. When it''s time to feel heartbroken, the heartbreakes. Nearly no vehicles, and certainly no pedestrians, could be seen on the road. This was the road on the outskirts of Mu Family Manor. On the day of Xuan Nv''s grand wedding, those who should have been there had all been there, and no one had left early. As such, Liu Qianqian was the only one in her car on the road. Hum¡ª A streak of silver lightnded not far from the road, and Liu Qianqian immediately hit the brakes. When she saw Mu Huanqing in a wedding dress, a bitter smile unconsciously crept onto her lips, especially as she also saw a silver sword in Mu Huanqing''s hand. Opening the car door, Liu Qianqian stepped out and walked up to a distance of ten meters away from Mu Huanqing. Looking at Mu Huanqing''s face, cold as frost, she knew she was bound to die today, something she had long anticipated might happen one day. "Just kill me with one strike. With your Cultivation Level, I probably won''t even feel the pain when you do it, right?" Liu Qianqian said with a smile. "You think you can die an easy death after doing that kind of thing?" In a sh, Mu Huanqing appeared in front of her, the de of her sword poised at Liu Qianqian''s neck. "Then do as you wish." Liu Qianqian, knowing she was going to die, seemed to shed all fear: "Anyway, the fact that I slept with your husband can''t be changed." Chapter 370: Chapter 362: At That Time, Maybe the Fairy Was Not as Good as You_1 Fang Ren''s affair with Liu Qianqian was no secret to Mu Huanqing, as the day Liu Qianqian lost her cultivation level was the very same day Fang Ren''s cultivation suddenly leapt forward. Later, she had also learned about that day''s experiment from some of the Mid-zone Indra Heaven Remnants. Just as Qian Qian finished speaking, the sword pressed against her neck sank deeper. The de cut into her flesh, and blood began to flow, running down Mu Huanqing''s sword to its tip and finally dropping to the ground. Mu Huanqing''s gaze had turned as cold as it could be. The True Qi behind her danced wildly, bending the surrounding trees with the wind. The long hair of the two women, one ck and one white, also flew about in the turmoil. Her face bore a smile unafraid of death, a rage that rending her into eight pieces would not sate. "Why don''t you do it?" Liu Qianqianughed, "Is it because you can''t exin to your husband after killing me? Or because you don''t want to kill on your wedding day?" Mu Huanqing didn''t speak, and her sword didn''t press further down. "If it''s the former, you don''t need to worry at all. Maybe your husband also wants me gone from this world, as just seeing me annoys him." Liu Qianqian leaned her neck against the sword as she spoke, its de already cutting to her tendons and blood vessels. Blood began to pour out, staining Mu Huanqing''s entire sword red. Continuing, Liu Qianqian said, "Once I die, he''ll probably just feel guilty for a while. With his high cultivation level and long life, a hundred years is enough time for him to forget about this matter." Mu Huanqing still said nothing and made no further move. "I wonder if you would have your sword pointed at Bai Qi''s neck right now if I hadn''t shown up that day," Liu Qianqian asked. Mu Huanqing couldn''t deny this point. At that time, she was on the battlefield, and Bai Chaojin''s experimentation on Fang Ren and Bai Qi was already underway. But she probably couldn''t have her sword at Bai Qi''s neck now, as Bai Qi''s strength had grown so much greater than hers that winning against him seemed nearly impossible. Yet she would still fight, not because it''s a matter of winning! Seeing that Mu Huanqing was indifferent to her words, Liu Qianqian''s smile gradually faded, "It seems like you are waiting for something?" "You don''t have to wait anymore." No sooner had she spoken than Mu Huanqing began to retract her sword, but the next moment, she chopped towards Liu Qianqian''s head. Crack¡ª The sword broke. Fang Ren didn''t know what to say. He hadn''t chosen to stand by Liu Qianqian, but by Mu Huanqing, breaking the sword in her hand. Mu Huanqing''s face didn''t register any emotion, nor did she look at Fang Ren. Liu Qianqian, however, smiled, "That''s great, you''ve saved my life. Don''t feel guilty about it anymore." As she spoke, Mu Huanqing flicked a pill into her mouth. The pill dissolved upon entering her mouth, turning into a stream of energy that entered her abdomen. "Come back to me after five minutes." Having said that, Mu Huanqing vanished on the spot. Fang Ren looked up at the streaks of light in the sky, suddenly confused about what Mu Huanqing truly meant. The smile disappeared from Liu Qianqian''s face as she, too, gazed at the sky, her mind in turmoil. She had realized that Mu Huanqing had never intended to kill her from the moment she noticed Mu Huanqing wasn''t speaking. It seemed Mu Huaqing was waiting for Fang Ren all along; she could have left the vi silently but chose to leave a streak of light at her departure. She could have killed Liu Qianqian from a kilometer away with a single sword strike, yet she appeared right before Liu Qianqian. Perhaps she wanted to see Fang Ren''s attitude towards Liu Qianqian, or maybe Liu Qianqian''s own attitude. But Liu Qianqian couldn''tprehend such things at all. The medicine''s effect began to take hold, and the wound on Liu Qianqian''s neck healed as if it were never there, though there were still many bloodstains on her body. She had lost too much blood and felt dizzy. "It looks like your wife has left us some time for you to say goodbye to me, or perhaps it''s for me to bid you farewell," Liu Qianqian said, looking at Fang Ren. Fang Ren felt an utter mess inside, with many things to say that ultimately turned into, "Sorry..." Liu Qianqian, acting as if she hadn''t heard him, kept talking, "If her intention was the former, you should be saying your farewells to me now. After this, we shall never meet again." Fang Ren nodded, "Saying things likepensation might seem superficial, but whatever I can do for you, I will try my best to help. Or anything you want to get, I will try my best to get it for you." It seemed that no matter what he said, it was all incredibly superficial. "You''re asking me what I want to do? What I want to have? Then forget about yourpensation, you can''t afford either of them," Liu Qianqian said with augh, waving off his offer as she started walking towards her car. Fang Ren stood in ce, watching her retreating figure without trying to detain her. Mu Huanqing had given five minutes, but it wasn''t even half a minute yet. He was deeply upset, very upset. No matter what, he couldn''t make it up to her. Maybe when he sees her again, she''ll already be in a wedding dress, in the arms of someone else. If none of this had happened, he would have been d to wish her well, but since it had, he found it hard to let go. But in the end, he remained where he was, for today, he was Mu Huanqing''s husband. Liu Qianqian pulled open the car door, one foot already stepping in, but her movement halted again. At this moment, it was like a role reversal scene; just as she had sat by the riverbank and didn''t get up to hold onto him, she had simply watched. She couldn''t help but wonder, even if she, at that time, had stayed seated and hadn''t chased after him, would she have been unable to resist running to him if he had just looked back? Okay, he didn''t turn around, so she would. At least for these five minutes, she had that right. She wasn''t afraid of death, so what was this inparison? With resolve, Liu Qianqian turned her head. She saw Fang Ren''s face full of disappointment and sorrow¡ªperhaps a boy''s expression of emotions was not much different from a girl crying. If Fang Ren had turned back then, he certainly would have seen her crying. "I just remembered, I seemed to have only mentioned the former thing, and not yet thetter," Liu Qianqian said with a disdainful smile. "Say, can you get closer to me? Even if we''re just ssmates talking, we don''t need to stand more than ten meters apart, right?" Seeing her so nonchnt, Fang Ren felt even more regret inside. He walked over in a few steps,ing to the side of her car. He wanted to listen to her more; in the future, they probably wouldn''t have the chance to speak again. Liu Qianqian withdrew her foot from the car, tapping the blood on her clothes with her left hand. "If it''s thetter, your wife gave me five minutes. Does that mean I can do whatever I want now?" Fang Ren was slightly astonished. Liu Qianqian grabbed his suit cor with her right hand, and Fang Ren instinctively wanted to step back but feared his suit would be torn if she pulled too hard. "What''s wrong?" Fang Ren asked. "There''s not much time left." As soon as Liu Qianqian finished speaking, she leaned in to kiss Fang Ren''s lips. Fang Ren could certainly have easily dodged, but in the end, he did not move. His mind was in disarray, and that meant the knife would slow. After three to five seconds, Fang Ren still turned his face away, suddenly feeling like he was a little girl being bullied by a hoodlum. And Liu Qianqian was that hoodlum. Liu Qianqian smiled. "There''s still at least four minutes. The time your wife gave me, you also said that whatever I wanted to do, you would help make it happen." Fang Ren didn''t reply, and Liu Qianqian pushed his body onto the hood of the car, continuing to kiss him. Liu Qianqian lost all sense of time; after a minute that felt like three or four, she let go of Fang Ren. Although she was not afraid to die, she couldn''t use up all the time she had been given. Liu Qianqian wiped her lips with her blood-stained left hand, the fresh blood making her lips look seductively red. Sheughed. "Forcing a kiss on the groom at a wedding is quite a thrill indeed." "Is this what you wanted to do?" Fang Ren asked. "Nonsense, of course not," Liu Qianqian replied with a pat on the hood of her car and a sigh. "It''s a pity your wife gave me so little time. If she had given me an hour, I would have dragged you into this car and indulged wildly." "Aren''t you afraid that..." Liu Qianqian cut him off. "Even if your wife stabs my heart with a sword today, I will still do what I need to do! Even if she kills me a thousand times, my decision after each resurrection will be the same!" Find more to read at §Þ?? Fang Ren changed the subject. "What are your ns for after this?" "Initially I had no ns. After what happened between you and me, I never thought about living," she continued. "Moreover, after the fact, I never remembered to ask Jing Haichuan if he could contact Jing''s Enterprise to send me an emergency contraceptive pill?" Upon hearing this, Fang Ren panicked. "Then you''re... pregnant?" "Sorry to disappoint, but your microorganisms have a low survival rate. I''m not pregnant," she said before sitting down in her car. After rolling down the window, she asked Fang Ren another question. "Tell me the truth, how much did you like me when you did?" Fang Ren saw her serious expression and thought hard before responding, "Perhaps not even a Fairy couldpare to you." Liu Qianqian: "What if I had not rejected you afterwards?" Fang Ren: "Then I would die without regret." Liu Qianqianughed. "Good. If I still had my Cultivation Level when I heard you say these things to me, even if your wife were a heavenly goddess, I''d still have the courage to confront her." "You''ve be more carefree," Fang Ren said. "Out of desperation." Liu Qianqian fastened her seatbelt, started the car, and floored the gas pedal, driving away from Fang Ren''s side. She kept watching him through the rearview mirror, the distance between them growing. After a while, she took her eyes off the mirror and focused on driving. "I really don''t understand, is it my brain that''s messed up, or is it all of me?" she shook her head andughed bitterly. In recent days, she had finally adjusted back to her previous state, only to have it all shattered just moments ago. Moreover, she had exhibited a very unusual personality trait¡ªas if she had be a bit of a female gangster just now. At least she was bold enough to love and hate. Whatever, it''s all in the past now... Chapter 371: Chapter 363: Time Flies By_1 Fang Ren stood by the roadside, shaking his head with a sigh, everything had ended. Unless there was an ident, apart from Liu Qianqian''s wedding, they would never meet again. Adjusting his suit, Fang Ren leaped away from the curb. After a long while, Bai Qi, who had been hiding in a nearby wooded area, finally emerged, staring at the bloodstains on the road with a deep frown. "So, it just takes a single cut across the neck as a price to sleep with a man surnamed Fang... With my current realm, a dozen or so cuts shouldn''t be a problem, right?" Bai Qi seriously considered this issue. ... On the wedding night after the ceremony had concluded. No sooner had Fang Ren entered the room than he saw Mu Huanqing sitting on the bed with a cold expression. Ever since she went to find Liu Qianqian by the roadside, Mu Huanqing hadn''t smiled again. "Starting with an apology... does that seem insincere?" Fang Ren stood by the door, not daring to approach her. "What do you think?" Mu Huanqing replied coldly. "I''m sorry... I truly betrayed you." "If I had not gone to find her today, would you have kept hiding it from me?" Mu Huanqing said. Fang Ren immediately replied, "I was actually nning to tell you, but the wedding was so close... And I was afraid this would affect you. But I never intended to keep this from you forever, I was always looking for a chance to tell you." "Do you know why I chose to find her today, on our wedding day?" "I don''t know." "I wanted to tell her that you are now my husband and hoped she would stop fantasizing about you," Mu Huanqing continued. "But she seems fearless, not afraid of being killed by me, not even afraid of being scorned as the other woman. The only thing that seems to restrain her from seeing you is her own moral line." Fang Ren disagreed somewhat, "Just tell the truth. You were obviously waiting for me toe over, but I don''t know why you lured me into following you." Mu Huanqing nodded, "Alright, the truth is, I wanted to see what you would do in that situation." "What else could be done in that situation? I had to save her, of course." "No, I wanted to see if you could stand by my side, not hers, to hold me ountable," Mu Huaqing said. "Actually, I''m quite satisfied with what you did today, which is why I gave her five minutes, because I believed that whatever happened during those five minutes, you would stand by me." Fang Ren couldn''t help but smile bitterly, "I''m sorry, there was actually a moment... when I didn''t stand by you." "When was that?" "When she kissed me, I didn''t avoid it." Mu Huanqing nodded, "Good, very good." Having said this, True Qi surged within her, and she drew her long spear aiming it straight at Fang Ren''s chest. Seeing this, Fang Ren, of course, didn''t dodge; he knew Mu Huanqing too well, she was just bluffing to inflict pain on him. Seeing that he didn''t dodge, Mu Huanqing also put away her spear, aware that he knew she wouldn''t actually thrust it. "Aren''t you going tofort me?" Mu Huanqing asked. "I was afraid that if I sat next to you, you might feel repulsed," Fang Ren said. "Won''t you try?" Fang Ren paused, took a step forward, but before he could reach the bed, Mu Huanqing pulled him onto it with her True Qi. "Thefort you were talking about... is this what you mean?" Fang Ren was a bit stunned as she pinned him down. "You are the one who taught me about love, and I think you should be responsible until the end." As she spoke, tears started to fall from Mu Huanqing''s eyes. She broke into sudden cries, but her face remained cold. "Qing''er..." Fang Ren hurriedly wiped away her tears. "You don''t understand my feelings at all, do you know how scared I was when I heard about it!" Mu Huanqing eximed through clenched teeth. "I''m sorry, it''s all my fault, I should never have gone to the Central Area..." "I''m so afraid you''d be taken away by her! You''ve liked her for so long, I feared that if she suddenly turned her attention to you, she would take you away, heart and soul!" "How could I possibly leave you, we are married now, and we have a child." "You don''t know, I''ve been jealous of her for so long! I''ve never felt indifferent towards her! I want all of you, but yet she managed to have your affection for three years. I wish that the person you liked during your student days was me, I don''t want you to have ever liked anyone else! I am that selfish! If I could go back in time, I would definitely stop you two from meeting! Because my desire to possess you is just that strong!" "..." Fang Ren had always thought that past affections were trivial matters, but he never expected Mu Huanqing to take them so seriously. "Today, I don''t want to give her a single moment of time! If my conscience would let me, I would kill her today! But I''m afraid you would leave me... I''m afraid that if I killed her, you would never pay attention to me again..." Her tears kept falling onto Fang Ren''s face, causing his heart to ache immensely. At this moment, he realized that her crying made him feel more guilty than when Liu Qianqian did. "Don''t worry, from now on, I will never have any contact with her again." On their wedding night, Fang Ren did almost nothing but hold Mu Huanqing in bed, wiping her tears andforting her the entire time. It wasn''t until around two or three in the morning that Mu Huanqing, exhausted from crying, fell asleep. When Fang Ren woke up in the morning, he found Mu Huanqing already awake and looking at him. "Why are you up so early?" Fang Ren asked. "I''ve been awake for a while." "Then... why didn''t you get up?" "The things you were supposed to do to mest night... you didn''t do them, I don''t want to get up." "You should have said so earlier!" ... It was ten in the morning when Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing finally came out of the room. A happy married life is supposed to be forgetful, but they couldn''t always leave the child to be looked after in the bamboo garden. Wouldn''t that mean they were the true lovers, and the child was an ident? ... The days that followed were filled with tranquility and happiness. Zhu Yuan thought that her life on this small would be as brief as opening and closing her eyes during cultivation, and that time would pass very quickly. But she never expected that Fang Ren and his wife would act like nannies, disturbing her few hours into her meditation for meals, never missing a single one. She had discussed this with Fang Ren, asking him not to disturb her while she was cultivating, but despite his verbal understanding, a few hourster he woulde to call her again. This left her feeling helpless, and she suddenly found her time on Earth beginning to drag. Soon after, she simply stopped cultivating, because every time she tried, she was interrupted, making those disappearing moments virtually useless to her. So, like many local women, she joined the ranks of soap opera fans, spending her days lying in front of the TV with various snacks and fruit, not thinking about anything, just watching drama after drama. Gradually, she grew ustomed to this lifestyle, and besides soap operas, she discovered many other pleasures on Earth. She started behaving like an ordinary mortal girl. One day, Zhu Yuan ran into Liu Qianqian on the street. Liu Qianqian asked her if she could send her to a carefree world. Zhu Yuan told her that such a world simply couldn''t exist. But Liu Qianqian insisted on exploring the outside world. Zhu Yuan gave her a Teleportation Talisman. She told her that with it, she could travel to other worlds and warned her that many ces outside faced the interweaving of the Void and that the situation was very cruel. If she didn''t like it outside, she could also use the talisman to return. In the end, on the day of the marriage arranged by her family, Liu Qianqian left this ce, and no one could find her, no one saw her again, as if she had evaporated from the world. And Bai Qi became a Cultivation Mentor, guiding many students daily while also facing the troubles of inheriting the family business. Jiang Ling chose to retire and wander around, dissolving the Nightfall; Jian Qi''er didn''t continue her career as a star but instead focused on advanced studies at Better Academy. Jing Haichuan married Li Xinyue at the end of the year. All the ssmates who were free attended, and naturally, Fang Ren wouldn''t miss it, but Liu Qianqian was unlikely toe. On the day of the wedding, Jing''s Enterprise discounted all of its condoms by fifty percent. The following year, Li Xingwang married Teacher Huang''s daughter in a sudden event, and Teacher Huang finally got his wish to turn his sworn brother into his son-inw. Er Gou didn''t choose to marry but joined an Alchemist Guild, dedicating himself to the study of medicinal pills. Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, twenty years passed. During this time, Fang Ren asked Zhu Yuan about Liu Qianqian''s whereabouts, whether she might be in danger, and hoped Zhu Yuan could help her. He wouldn''t go to see Liu Qianqian again, but he still hoped she was doing well. However, after Zhu Yuan''s trip to the outside world, she came back and told Fang Ren that Liu Qianqian had already left the world she first went to and her whereabouts were unknown. In fact, Mu Huanqing was also quite concerned about this matter, but she never showed it. She didn''t want Liu Qianqian''s life to be shattered by emotional issues. But as it turned out, Liu Qianqian indeed had disappeared. Chapter 372: Chapter 364: How to Awaken Little Qianye_1 "Still no sign of her?" In the room, Mu Huanqing looked toward the bamboo grove with a face full of worry. "I''ve searched everywhere near the Yuan Yuan Realm, and there''s absolutely no trace of her aura," the bamboo grove replied. "Can''t you detect the aura of the talisman you gave her either?" Mu Huanqing asked again. The bamboo grove shook its head, "It''s very strange; it seems like she has already used that talisman. Otherwise, I should be able to sense it. But since she used the Teleportation Talisman, she must have returned here. She''s just a mortal; if she returned here, she couldn''t have gone to the outer worlds. However, I''vebed the entire Earth with my Divine Sense and couldn''t feel her presence at all." "So that means she did indeede back, but then she left again?" Mu Huanqing said. "Not necessarily. If she hade back, then how did she leave again? The talisman I gave her only had a single use for teleportation." Listening to the bamboo grove''s words, Mu Huanqing let out a deep sigh. Ever since she found out about Liu Qianqian''s disappearance in that world, Mu Huanqing had been filled with self-reproach. She felt that everything was her fault, leading to Liu Qianqian''s disappearance. She had never thought about killing Liu Qianqian, but now, in her eyes, this was no different from indirectly causing her death. As more time passed, Liu Qianqian remained without a trace, which made her wonder if Liu Qianqian had met with danger andpletely vanished. Is she dead? Mu Huanqing didn''t want to hear such news, but Liu Qianqian was just a mortal, and even an immortal couldn''t find her. Other than her soul dissipating after death, was there another way for someone to evade even an immortal''s search? "Take me to the Yuan Yuan Realm; I want to search for her myself," Mu Huanqing decided. "She''s not there. I''ve searched every ce in that world," the bamboo grove said. "Even so, I want to go. Without any news of her, I''m unsettled in whatever I do. Perhaps there''s something she left behind over there." "She did leave something behind there, but it was just a small wooden cabin, filled with love poems," said the bamboo grove. "Take me there!" Seeing that she was determined to go, the bamboo grove had no choice but to envelop her in True Qi and turn into a beam of light that left Earth. ¡ª¡ª One day. Above the sea of the Broken Inds in the Central Area, Fang Ren sat on a branch of the small Qianye tree, slightly lifting his head to gaze at the sky, his heart full of mncholy. The news of Liu Qianqian''s disappearance came years ago when the old patriarch of the Liu Family was about to pass away. He dearly wished to see Liu Qianqian onest time, so the Liu Family urged the bamboo grove to try to bring her back to meet her grandfather. But when the bamboo grove went to the Yuan Yuan Realm to find Liu Qianqian, she was nowhere to be found in the entire world. Liu Family''s old patriarch passed away without being able to see Liu Qianqian in the end. People change, and over the years, the Liu Family had long stopped viewing Liu Qianqian as a tool for marriage. The old patriarch, especially sensitive in hisst moments, felt he had wronged his granddaughter all his life and wanted to speak with her before dying, which is why he had the Liu Family so earnestly request the bamboo grove. But nothing went as nned. After learning of Liu Qianqian''s disappearance, Fang Ren became restless all the time. Liu Qianqian might have been unimportant to his life, but in some sense, she was very significant, unique, and unattainable. He didn''t want to hear any bad news about her, hoping she could live safely and happily. She needed to be alive and well. This feeling had persisted since twenty years ago when Liu Qianqian drove away. When he got married, she came with blessings, and when she left, he wished her happiness. He didn''t want to see anything bad happen to her. They say time dilutes everything, but regarding Liu Qianqian, time only intensified Fang Ren''s wounds, making them eternal. Not being with Liu Qianqian didn''t sadden him, for he had someone better. But Liu Qianqian didn''t. She seemed fixated, still dwelling on him even after his marriage, even choosing another world to escape the reality of their non-union. It was her unwavering love that turned his otherwise unaffected heart into a perpetual, unhealing wound. The more she hung onto him, the more he felt he owed her, and he even med himself for her disappearance. It''s said that we always long for what we can''t have. Fang Ren didn''t feel that longing because he never thought he needed anyone other than Mu Huanqing. But somehow, facing a woman who never stopped thinking about him, that feeling started to sprout over time. Twenty yearster, when he recalled the day Liu Qianqian kissed him, he still felt he wouldn''t have dodged, and might even have responded more actively. Because at the time, he didn''t know that would be theirst encounter. "Ah, you''ve been asleep for over twenty years; you won''t wake up," Fang Ren sighed, patting the giant tree behind him, his expression growing more sorrowful. He wanted Xiao Qianye to help him search for Liu Qianqian because the fruits of this tree held countless possibilities. But ever since Xiao Qianye turned into a giant tree, it had not responded anymore. Fang Ren did not know if by continuing to breakthrough realms, the giant tree would bear fruit again. Because he had not practiced his cultivation for a single moment in these twenty years. He feared that with another breakthrough, he might enter the merciless Taoist principles of the Asura path. Then, he would definitely not stay by Mu Huanqing''s side as he does now. "Speaking of which, you still owe me several fruits; it''s been twenty years," he said. Fang Ren looked at the unresponsive giant tree with a sense of helplessness. After the battle twenty years ago, he had made consecutive breakthroughs into the Xuanyang realm. By his ount, Qianye owed him four fruits that he had never received. If he had those four fruits, maybe he would have found a way to find Liu Qianqian. At that moment, a streak of silver light flew in from the edge of the sea, gentlynding beside Fang Ren. Fang Ren looked at the arriving Mu Huanqing, a smile appearing on his face, "At this time, shouldn''t you be at work?" She still looked just as young and beautiful as she did twenty years ago, but he now bore the air of an older man. Mu Huanqing handed a worn piece of wood to Fang Ren, "I found this in her former residence." Fang Ren took the piece of wood and examined it. It was inscribed with a portrait, and the person in it was himself. Liu Qianqian had been good at painting and calligraphy since she was a child, so her engraving of him was quite lifelike. But the person depicted was how he looked when he was young, and the wood old, signifying it had been many, many years since. Fang Ren looked at Mu Huanqing with confusion, "Why show me this?" Mu Huanqing leaned in close and sighed, "It seems I have taken her entire world from her." Fang Ren shook his head, "Didn''t you give her five minutes?" "But you said she only used three minutes." "What, you want to give her those two minutes back now?" "Stop joking. I just want to find her as soon as possible. Ever since she disappeared, I don''t know why, but I''ve always felt guilty. Maybe if I hadn''t held a sword to her neck back then, or if I had been nicer, or left her with some hope, she wouldn''t have gone there," Mu Huanqing sighed. "It''s not your fault," Fang Ren consoled. It was all because of the confused call he had made to her all those years ago. But if he hadn''t made that call to Liu Qianqian, would it be Bai Qi who had disappeared by now? "But with the world so vast, how on earth can we find her?" Mu Huanqing sighed. Seeing her sigh, Fang Ren managed a bitter smile, "Wasn''t your possessive nature strong? Aren''t you afraid that, once you find her, you''ll end up putting the sword to her neck again?" "It''s been over twenty years. I''m no longer the young person I once was; where would I get so much jealousy?" Mu Huanqing replied, "The main thing is, she''s too devoted. She''s in an entirely different universe, yet her thoughts are still with you. I really feel sorry for her. At the same time, I feel I probably couldn''t do what she did, being wholeheartedlymitted to a married old man for so long." "What do you mean by ''old man''?" "Okay okay, not an old man. Are you happy if I say you''re a handsome stud?" Mu Huanqing twisted his flesh with a disgusted expression. After twenty years of marriage, the two had lost the shyness of their early days together. They would often joke and get temperamental with each other, but those were trifles. Their affection for each other was still very strong. "Good girl." Fang Ren pulled her into his embrace yfully teasing her. "Such a grown person, aren''t you the least bit embarrassed?" Mu Huanqing knocked his hand away with a sense of resignation. "It''s you who are not embarrassed. I''m sleeping peacefully every night, and you suddenly..." Before Fang Ren could finish his sentence, Mu Huanqing took out a Hundred Martial Divine Weapon, transformed it into a shield, and ced it to his mouth. Despite being married for many years, a blush still crept onto her face, "You keep going! Wasn''t it you who taught me all that?" Fang Ren removed her shield and said with augh, "Okay, no more teasing. Let''s see if I can find a way to awaken Qianye, it surely knows something." Mu Huanqing retracted her Spirit Form and sighed, "Then you''d better get busy. Cai Cai ising home at noon; I''ll go pick her up." "What trouble can she get intoing home? Her Realm is even higher than yours." "And that''s how you behave as a father? Do you even know what caring for a child is?" "All right, hurry back before the girl gets anxious." After a kiss, Mu Huanqing left the sea behind. Fang Ren''s smile faded as he turned back to continue trying to connect with Qianye through his Spiritual Root. Hourster, there was still no progress. He began to sit despondently on the trunk of the tree. "Am I left with no other path but to keep breaking through?" Fang Ren sighed. "I knew you would be here." A familiar voice suddenly came from behind him. "Xiao Xi? What brings you here?" He turned around, and there stood Bai Qi, dressed in teacher''s attire, beside him. "Came to mooch a meal from your ce with Cai Cai, Sister Hui Qing told me about your situation and I came to see how you were doing," Bai Qi said as she sat down beside Fang Ren. Compared to before, Bai Qi appeared much more mature; her lips were painted with lipstick, she wore teacher''s attire, with ck stockings enveloping her legs and high heels on her feet, embodying the look of an urbane, mature woman. "This guy is just like hanging up, totally ignoring me," Fang Ren pat Qianye and sighed. Bai Qiughed, "It''s probably because you, as a father, hit it too many times, don''t you think?" "Don''t joke, I''m pretty worried." "Worried? Since Sister Hui Qing isn''t here, I might reluctantly fill in for her," Bai Qi teased. "You can joke about these matters too?" "Hahaha..." Chapter 373: 365 chapters: Re-enter the Void Space_1 Ever since Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing got married, Bai Qi did feel down for a while, but things eventually returned to normal. Later on, Cai Cai grew up, and Bai Qi became Cai Cai''s Cultivation Mentor. Practically every few days, she would go over to Fang Ren''s house for a meal, and take the chance to have some verbal fun with him. Fang Ren even started to think of her as a female hooligan while he was some kind of enticing young boy. "You''re this old and not hurrying to find a man to marry, just knowing how to flirt with me every day. Aren''t you afraid Sister Hui Qing will hit you again?" Fang Ren said helplessly. "I''m pretty busy with work, so I don''t have the time," Bai Qi casually replied with a wave of her hand. "And yet, how do you have the time to flirt with me?" "As long as I want to, I can always make time." "So, you''re saying you don''t want to get married at all?" Bai Qi helplessly said, "Marry who? Those about my age, their kids are almost as big as Cai Cai. The unmarried ones, they''re all eighteen or neen years younger than me. Wouldn''t I be a cradle robber then?" "You only look about twenty-five or twenty-six. If you wanted to get married, there''d be plenty of young guys chasing after you." Bai Qi patted him on the shoulder with augh and said, "Young man, I''m only holding a torch for you. It''s not just about holding a torch, I''d go through an abortion for you." "You''re at it again! Who did you learn this from? If Sister Hui Qing heard this talk, she''d beat you again." "No worries, she can''t beat me," Bai Qi said with augh. Fang Ren, somewhat exasperated, said, "You didn''te over this time just to flirt with this forty-year-old uncle, right?" "Of course not," Bai Qi replied. "I just suddenly felt like checking in on Liu Qianqian to ask how she''s been these years, and whether she regrets taking the man I should have been with." Upon hearing this, Fang Ren''s mood sunk even more. Was Liu Qianqian unhappy? Without a doubt, that was a torment for anyone. As for the matter of snatching men, sigh, if it wasn''t for Liu Qianqian, he wouldn''t be sitting here chatting with Bai Qi now. Seeing Fang Ren with such a worried face, Bai Qi stopped joking around: "What? Are you so concerned about your first love? Is it that what men can''t have always troubles their hearts?" Fang Ren didn''t answer immediately, but after thinking it over seriously for a while, he said, "Not at first, but the more she gave, the more I felt it." With a smile, Bai Qi said, "That''s like having an emotional affair." Fang Ren replied with a smile of resignation, "The physical one has already happened." "If there''s a first time, there must be a second," Bai Qimented. "Old Fang, do you think I still have a chance?" "What?" "To have an affair with you." "Stop joking!" Suddenly, Bai Qi said seriously, "I''m not joking. Look, Sister Hui Qing has been with you for so long, you must be tired of her. Now take another look at me. Although I may not be as young as those girls, with this face, this figure, and these silk-d legs, how could theypare to me? Most importantly, I''m still untouched. How about it, am I attractive?" Used to her joking manner, Fang Ren waved his hand dispiritedly and said, "I''m about to call the cops to arrest you for harassing a decent man." Bai Qiughed and patted his shoulder. After a while, she spoke again, "Speaking of which, Sister Hui Qing hasn''t hit metely when I verbally flirt with you at your dinner table. Has she prepared herself for you having an affair with me?" "She''s afraid you''ll be the second Liu Qianqian," Fang Ren sighed. Bai Qi nodded with a smile and then turned her attention to Liu Qianqian''s situation, asking, "Didn''t Sister Zhu Yuan say she might havee to Earth? Have you asked the Liu Family about her?" "I asked, but they haven''t seen her, and Zhu Yuan isn''t sure if she actually came back or not." "Then it''s hopeless. Looks like she was really hurt by you, this scumbag," Bai Qi sighed. "How am I a scumbag again?" Fang Ren suddenly remembered the nickname he had back in his school days. "If you married both, wouldn''t all problems be solved?" Bai Qi said nonchntly. "Then Sister Hui Qing would probably chop me up." Bai Qiughed, "Didn''t she hold back in the past? I know her very well; she''s always been soft-hearted. She puts on a tough front to warn Liu Qianqian, but if Liu Qianqian really tried to get close to you again, she certainly wouldn''t be able to follow through." "In the past? How do you know about that?" Fang Ren was taken aback, wondering how Bai Qi knew about it. Bai Qi looked embarrassed, realizing she had let something slip. "Cough cough, actually, I was watching from not too far away at the time." It wasn''t something hard to admit, so she chose to be frank about it. Fang Ren looked even more exasperated, "Seeing the consequences Liu Qianqian faced, you still dare to flirt with me verbally?" Bai Qi smiled, "Actually, after watching that whole scene back then, I had decided to let Sister Hui Qing chop at me a few times. A chop is five minutes, right? I''d umte a day''s worth, then drag you away and have my way with you." "The jokes you make..." "But in the end, I wasn''t brave enough, really. I was quite afraid of making Sister Hui Qing sad. But now, I feel like I could do it." "Can you not look so serious when you''re joking?" Fang Ren couldn''t help but feel a bit frightened by the sudden earnestness on her face. "I''m super serious, alright? Look, she has been with you for over twenty years, isn''t that enough? It''s about time she learned to give her sister some space." "She and I are husband and wife." "Aren''t we husband and wife too?" Bai Qi said, displeased, as she patted the giant tree behind her, "Our child has more talent than the child you have with Sister Hui Qing, having even saved Earth." Fang Ren sighed, "Whenever we try to talk about serious matters, you always find a way to steer the conversation off track." "Alright then, back to serious business, I think that for little Qianye''s issue, we must cultivate together and allow your Spiritual Root to fully recover, only then can we awaken it." "..." Fang Ren waspletely speechless. "What''s the matter, Old Fang, don''t you think that makes sense?" Bai Qi, seeing him stunned, immediately said, "There''s no time to dy, let''s hurry back and consult with Sister Hui Qing, have her lend you to me for a day¡ªno, that''s not right, I mean I''ll lend myself to you both for a day." Fang Ren waved his hand dismissively, not intending to be led astray by her topic, instead he said, "Aside from waiting for little Qianye to wake up, there''s another method that''s quite imusible." "To vie for the position of the Master of Space?" Bai Qi asked. She had heard about this from Sister Zhu Yuan, who couldn''t help but rant that Fang Ren was a good-for-nothingcking ambition whenever she brought it up. "Yes, but there are still fifty years until the battle for the Chosen One, so, as I said, it''s impractical." Fang Ren exined. "I don''t think it''s entirely impractical though. You just need to cultivate in that cosmic abyss for a few years; your Cultivation Level could skyrocket, and perhaps then you''d find a way to awaken little Qianye," Bai Qi suggested. "Even Sister Zhu Yuan doesn''t understand what''s exactly wrong with little Qianye; it probably has nothing to do with Cultivation Level," Fang Ren said. Bai Qi suggested again, "Then I think restoring your Spiritual Root to itsplete state is also a pretty good idea." Fang Ren waved his hand dismissively again, "My Spiritual Root is almostplete, transferring your gray Spiritual Root to me will probably be useless." "See, you''re guessing too¡ªyou''re not entirely certain." "Why are you always coveting my body?" "Then I covet that you truly love me, but I guess you can''t just start loving me all at once," said Bai Qi. "Don''t you remember when we were in ss, that time you let little Qianye heal me, it somehow led to my breakthrough?" Fang Ren recalled the incident and couldn''t help but blush a little. At that time, little Qianye hadn''t yet developed a tiny tree-person consciousness and ended up binding him and Bai Qi together, leading to some rather embarrassing events. Eventually, Fang Ren even bought Bai Qi new underwear online. For some reason, little Qianye seemed quite intent on pairing him and Bai Qi together; he remembered that during school, there was a time when little Qianye actually treated Bai Qi almost like a mother. But little Qianye was only childlike in thoughts and didn''t understand the nuances of affection. "By the way, have you let Cai Cai try? Isn''t her Spirit Form a colorful little being? It resembles little Qianye quite a bit," Bai Qi asked. "I''ve tried that long ago. Her Spirit Form and little Qianye have no spiritual connection; it''s impossible to awaken little Qianye that way." Having said that, Fang Ren stood up and, looking back at the giant tree behind him, suddenly proposed, "Although it''s definitely impossible for us to cultivate together, we can try sensing it with our consciousness at the same time; maybe that will wake it up a bit." Bai Qi also stood up, "Let''s give it a try, but if anything cough cough happens, you can''t let Sister Hui Qing chop me, okay? I''m doing this to help you." Upon hearing this, Fang Ren frowned, "Maybe we should just forget it, if something goes wrong... it would be the end." Bai Qiughed upon seeing his serious expression, "Come on, I''m a woman and not scared, what are you, a man, afraid of?" "I''m really afraid the consequences could be severe." "And you''re not afraid that if we dy any further, Liu Qianqian might run into trouble?" "Then... if anything happens, we''ll stop immediately." Fang Ren steeled his heart and ced a hand on the tree trunk, once again using his psychic power to sense little Qianye. Seeing him do this, Bai Qi also ced her hand on the trunk and seriously sensed for the consciousness of little Qianye. The sea breeze was blowing, and the giant tree that had only branches but no leaves suddenly seemed toe to life. Its already towering figure began growing rapidly. It pushed the sea water outwards, creating waves, and the gray surface revealed colorful luminescence. It began sprouting leaves and branches so abundantly it could block out the sun. "It''s working!" Fang Ren was overjoyed. "Stay focused," Bai Qi reminded. Unbeknownst to them, they had been carried into the clouds by the rapidly growing giant tree. But Fang Ren still couldn''t establish a connection with little Qianye''s consciousness. Suddenly, the growth of the giant tree ceased, and the figures of Fang Ren and Bai Qi standing on the branches also vanished out of sight. When Fang Ren opened his eyes again, he found himself in the familiar void and saw the World Tree whose end was beyond his sight. "We''re in..." Fang Ren was surprised; he hadn''t expected that theirbined efforts could directly enter this space, which previously only little Qianye could lead him into. "This is... where?" Bai Qi looked around the unfamiliar space, edging closer to Fang Ren warily. Chapter 374: Chapter 366: Seeing Liu Qianqian Again?_1 In this world of nothingness, the great tree was alreadyden with fruit, the result of Fang Ren''s breakthrough. He could only pick four here, but he dared not do it immediately. "This is where the little Qianye consciousness sleeps, but now I can''t perceive where it is," Fang Ren said. Although he was happy to be here, not being able to detect the exact location of little Qianye meant that even if he hade here, what was the difference between this and being outside? The ce was boundlessly vast, he didn''t know when he would find the consciousness of little Qianye. "Then, which part is it usually in?" Bai Qi asked. "The top, I guess." "So what are we waiting for? Why don''t we just make a trip to the top first?" Bai Qi said. Fang Ren looked up at the pitch-ck space and sighed, "Given our realms, if we want to reach the top, we probably won''t make it in this lifetime." Bai Qi also looked up at the tree extending into the darkness and was somewhat incredulous, "Is it as mystical as you say?" Fang Ren said, "I remember when I reached the top before, it was a branch that pulled me up. I don''t know if now, without little Qianye''s guidance, the branch will respond to my wishes." After saying this, he conveyed his thoughts to the gigantic tree in front of him. He originally thought it would be difficult to achieve, but to his surprise, in the next instant, a branch flew over from the distant darkness. He hurriedly grabbed Bai Qi''s arm; once the branch wrapped around him, he would instantly reach the top, and then he would know how far away he was from Bai Qi. Indeed, the moment the branch touched Fang Ren, he only felt darkness before his eyes, and when he regained his senses, he found himself standing at the top of the great tree. "What just... happened?" Bai Qi, startled, looked around at the vastly different surroundings. Her Cultivation Realm was already high, so how fast was that speed to make her vision darken and lose consciousness? "It really is here." Fang Ren looked at the sleeping little Qianye atop the tree and felt a little annoyed inside. This creature was so cozy in sleep, oblivious to the amount of effort he had put in all this time just to see it. Bai Qi, having recovered, looked at little Qianye who was fast asleep and almost wanted tough. "Hey." Fang Ren poked little Qianye''s face with his finger. "Mm?" Unexpectedly, little Qianye woke up with ease. It seemed very tired, rubbing its eyes continuously with its round arms and yawning. "What''s the matter?" Fang Ren didn''t rush to ask for its help, but first inquired about its condition. "Sleepy, yawn," little Qianye replied with squinted eyes. "You''ve been asleep for over twenty years." "Too little, yawn." "So how much longer do you want to sleep?" "Energy overspent, need another fifty years, yawn," little Qianye said. Fang Ren worried upon hearing this, "Can you still use some of your power? Liu Qianqian has suddenly disappeared in the outside world, and I want you to help me find her." Little Qianye nodded, "Then I''ll have to sleep a hundred years, yawn." "Will that cause you much pain?" Fang Ren asked again. "No, just sleepy. But at this time, why didn''t the master join the battle of the chosen? Yawn," little Qianye replied, alternating questions and answers. "I gave up my right. The urgent task at hand is for you to find some way to help me locate Liu Qianqian. Anyter and she will be in more danger." "No wonder I can''t feel the scent of my homnd, it turns out the master gave up his right. But that''s very much in your style, yawn," little Qianye seemingly had no objections to him giving up his right, then used its round arms to pluck a leaf from the top of the tree, crushed it, and threw it onto the tree trunk. The next moment, a blue star map unfolded in the boundless void. "I need her aura, yawn," little Qianye said. Fang Ren immediately took out the wooden board Mu Huanqing gave him today, "This is perfect, she carved it herself. Although it''s been a long time, there should still be traces of her aura on it, right?" Little Qianye touched the wooden board, extracting a speck of light from it into the star map, where it started weaving through countless stars, finally stopping in the middle of a gxy. "Luan Xin Realm, Wen Yang Star..." After speaking, little Qianye fell to sleep again, snoring this time. Fang Ren patted its head, "You''ve worked hard. I''ll figure out a way to help you recover quickly." Bai Qi, shocked by the entire process, said, "That''s the location determined?" Fang Ren looked at her, "What else?" "Even Sister Zhu Yuan, that level of Immortal, couldn''t do it. And our child just pinched a leaf and handled it?" "... Yes." Somehow, Fang Ren had resignedly epted Bai Qi''s reference to little Qianye as their child. After the two of them left the void space, the sky above the sea remained the same as before, with not much time having passed. "I never expected that to meet it when it''s unaware, I must be with you to do so," Fang Ren sighed. "After all, children are closer to their mothers, aren''t they?" Bai Qi chuckled. After some more chatter, Fang Ren took out his phone and called Mu Huanqing, sharing the news with her. Relieved upon hearing the news, Mu Huanqing kept urging Fang Ren over the phone to quicklye and bring her back, to avoid any further danger in the outside world. Fang Ren asked her if she wanted to join them, but Mu Huanqing hesitated for a while and declined, using her piled up work of the past few days as an excuse. She didn''t know what she would say to Liu Qianqian after seeing her; perhaps she might even make the other party more ufortable. She thought it was better not to go. Latterly, Fang Ren called Sister Zhu Yuan and summoned her to the sea. "The Luan Xin Realm? How did she end up so far away?" Sister Zhu Yuan, upon hearing this, was somewhat perplexed. Liu Qianqian was just a mortal; how exactly did she manage to travel to another world that was so far from the Yuan Yuan Realm? "Speaking of which, is the she''s on dangerous?" Fang Ren asked. "Wen Yang Star? That ce is rtively harmonious. Although it also faces spatial anomalies, the two races there have not engaged in major conflicts and have opted for peaceful coexistence," Sister Zhu Yuan exined. "That''s good to hear. Let''s hurry over, then." "How about you take me with you?" Bai Qi suddenly spoke up. "What would you do there?" Fang Ren was taken aback. "I''m also very concerned about her, and there are some things I''d like to ask her too," Bai Qi exined. "Then let''s go together." Sister Zhu Yuan didn''t dawdle, grabbing both their arms and shooting out of Earth as a streak of light. It was the first time for the two to fly out of Earth, and they were a bit shocked by the vast sea of stars, yet they were not mesmerized. Because of Sister Zhu Yuan''s incredible speed, they weren''t able to see many beautiful gxies clearly before they had already broken through the great barrier of the universe, arriving in another cosmos. Hum¡ª A huge column of light descended upon a city on Wen Yang Star, causing the city''s residents to freeze in shock, and the soldiers quickly rallied. Once Sister Zhu Yuannded, she said, "She really is here; I''ve sensed the aura of that talisman she carries." "So, where exactly is she?" Fang Ren asked. Sister Zhu Yuan''s Divine Sense swept out widely, responding, "Head north past three cities; in the fourth city, on one of the main streets, she''s inside a small shop, seems like she''s selling something." "Alright, Sister Zhu Yuan, you go back first. I''ll handle the rest, especially since the Void always needs you on guard. If the Void Beast Group happens to fall through there again, that would be the end of it," Fang Ren said. Sister Zhu Yuan handed two talismans to Fang Ren: "When things are nearly settled, crush them, and they will bring you back to my side." With those words, Sister Zhu Yuan turned into a beam of light and flew away. Fang Ren and Bai Qi, left behind, saw the soldiers slowly approaching with spears and shields, so they had no choice but to promptly leap away from the city. The nature''s spiritual energy on Wen Yang Star was several times thinner than on Earth; it was probably difficult to even see a few practitioners there. Moreover, the civilization was like Earth''s age of cold weapons ¨C the soldiers were armed with spears and shields, and the clothes of the citizens on the streets reminded them of ancient Z Country on Earth. The two flew over three cities andnded on a small street in the fourth city. The moment they touched down, people in the street gawked at them as if they were witnessing immortals, murmuring constantly among themselves without daring to approach. However, Fang Ren didn''t understand theirnguage. Sister Zhu Yuan said Liu Qianqian was in a shop here, so Fang Ren and Bai Qi began a focused search in every store on the street. Yet, after going back and forth, they had turned the street upside down and still hadn''t found Liu Qianqian herself. Twenty years had passed, and as a mortal, Liu Qianqian''s appearance should have aged. However, she couldn''t have aged to the point that Fang Ren couldn''t recognize her. Was Sister Zhu Yuan''s perception wrong? Fang Ren didn''t want to believe it; she was an incredibly powerful immortal ¨C how could she make such a basic error? "Maybe we''re attracting too much attention and she''s hiding?" questioned Bai Qi. "She shouldn''t have any reason to hide from us, should she?" Fang Ren replied. "Men are still men after all; they just don''t understand women. And someone as oblivious as you, even after twenty years of marriage, it''s a waste," Bai Qi said disdainfully. "What did I do wrong now?" "She left because she was hurt by you. Do you think she has no reason to hide from you?" "..." As they walked on, Fang Ren''s eyes unintentionally drifted to a discreet spot inside a small shop. There hung a wooden nk that would have gone unnoticed by an ordinary person, who wouldn''t have been able to discern the carvings on it. But he was a practitioner from the Xuanyang Realm, and he could see it very clearly. He immediately turned his gaze towards the shop''s entrance, where a middle-aged woman stood. Her figure was slender, but the face didn''t resemble Liu Qianqian, no matter how one looked. He then shifted his gaze to the itemsid out on the woman''s stall, which were some calligraphy, painting, and wooden tablets inscribed with characters. Fang Ren paused for a moment and then turned to Bai Qi, saying, "y along for a bit." After that, he approached the woman''s stall. Bai Qi, though slightly confused, promptly followed suit. Chapter 375: Chapter 367: Fang Ren at Liu Qianqians Side "How much is this painting for sale?" Fang Ren approached the small stall at the entrance of the shop, looking at the various ink paintings on the ground and addressing the middle-aged woman. "Dak ke?" The woman seemed stunned by his voice as if she couldn''t understand what Fang Ren meant, and she also uttered two sounds that Fang Ren couldn''t understand. Reluctantly, Fang Ren looked up at the woman, pausing for a few seconds, and noticed that she didn''t intend to avoid his gaze, but rather frowned in disdain, uttering some words that Fang Ren couldn''t understand. It seemed as if she was saying, if you want to buy something, then buy it, what are you looking at her for? This woman... isn''t Liu Qianqian? She behaved wlessly, just like a woman from another world, totally unfamiliar to Fang Ren. Fang Ren smiled slightly, pointing with his finger at a portrait deep inside the woman''s shop, still speaking his ownnguage, "Could you show me that wooden board?" The woman turned to nce at the wooden board inside the shop, frowned again, and said some strange words to Fang Ren, who thought she was asking if he wanted to buy that wooden board because her words carried a questioning tone. "Yes, I would like to buy it," nodded Fang Ren. He kept talking precisely to test if the woman was pretending not to understand. Seeing Fang Ren nod, the woman immediately shook her head, speaking in the localnguage and gesturing to Fang Ren, seemingly indicating that the wooden board was not for sale. Fang Ren frowned and mimicked what the woman said before, "Dak ke?" Upon hearing him speak the localnguage, the woman immediately brightened up, saying something like, "Didi mi, shan na wa ai..." Fang Ren really couldn''t understand and could only use gestures to ask why the wooden board couldn''t be sold. The other party responded with a string of didi mi wa ai and the like, but Fang Ren justughed. This woman was quite the actress. From the beginning till now, every aspect of her demeanor matched that of an ordinary shop owner dealing with a foreigner who couldn''t speak thenguage. However, she seemed to have overlooked one crucial issue: he and the person on the wooden board looked exactly the same, except for a slightly longer beard. How could she not recognize him? "Then I''ll just buy a painting instead," he said. As Fang Ren spoke, he started looking over the paintings disyed at the stall, then turned to Bai Qi beside him and said with a smile, "Qi''er, which painting do you like?" Bai Qi was startled; Fang Ren usually called her Xiao Xi, why the sudden intimate nickname? Then she suddenly remembered what Fang Ren told her earlier, to y along. y along? Pretend to be a couple and see how the woman would react? So that''s what he meant! That suited her perfectly! Bai Qi chuckled to herself, directly wrapped her arm around Fang Ren''s, and said with a smile, "As long as it''s something my husband likes, I''ll like it too." Fang Ren internally clenched his teeth; he asked her to cooperate, but not quite like this! But on the surface, Fang Ren remainedposed, continuing to look at the paintings on the ground, while using his soul force to closely observe every expression and movement of the woman. As expected, he sensed a sh of anger in the woman''s eyes. Bai Qi immediately intensified her act, saying, "Husband, isn''t it thrilling toe out and find me behind Sister Hui Qing''s back? In this world, Sister Hui Qing will definitely have no idea what we''ve been up to." Fang Ren was dumbfounded. Was this girl trying to paint him as a faithless man in front of Liu Qianqian? At that moment, the middle-aged woman''s expression had turned thoroughly cold upon hearing this. When she was previously held at swordpoint by Mu Huanqing, Fang Ren hadn''t bothered to look for her afterward. She actually thought he was a faithful and devoted husband. But now it seemed the only reason he didn''t seek her out was because he didn''t like her. Look at him now, sneaking around with Bai Qi behind Mu Huanqing''s back, yet he never cared to pay attention to her or even see her face once. The woman casually waved her hand and all the paintings on the stall disappeared. She then spoke coldly in the Earth-Tianjiangnguage, "We don''t wee the two of you here, please leave." Seeing this, Bai Qi let go of Fang Ren''s arm and said with a smile to the woman, "I thought you could pretend a bit longer." "You knew it was me and still chose to disgust me to my face?" the woman said coldly. Upon seeing this, Fang Ren felt a burden lift from his heart; he had confirmed Liu Qianqian''s safety. "How did you end up in such a distant ce?" he asked. "It''s none of your business." Seeing Liu Qianqian''s unfriendly attitude, Fang Ren then said, "Many people back there are really worried about you. I came here to take you back." The woman''s expression turned colder: "What, has Mu Huanqing''s pity overflowed? There''s no need for that. I am living quitefortably, so tell her to put away her pity!" Bai Qi quickly interjected, "Hey, hey, hey, ss president, what''s with the temper? Sister Hui Qing is genuinely worried about you, and your family has changed too. They''re no longer the same as before, driven only by profit; they all miss you. Why don''t youe back?" "Shut up!" the woman snapped. "Youcently engage in indecent actions behind your sister''s back! Do you still have the face to care about your sister?" Bai Qi felt embarrassed, patting Fang Ren on the shoulder and saying, "I was just rehearsing just now; why are you taking it so seriously? Besides, you started acting out our roles first. Even if I really did something dishonorable,Old Fang here wouldn''t be interested in me, anyway." Chapter 376: Chapter 367: Fang Ren at Liu Qianqians Side_2 The woman saw that she had misunderstood, but her face remained icy cold, "Go back, don''te to bother me again." Fang Ren sighed, "It''s good to see you safe, but I really want to know how you managed to get here. Zhu Yuan said this ce is separated from the Yuan Yuan Realm by two universes." "Do you still see me as that family puppet''s waste?" Upon saying this, the woman exuded a strong oppressive force, pushing back the spiritual pressure Fang Ren had emitted. "You can cultivate now?" Seeing Liu Qianqian doing well, Fang Ren was somewhat relieved. But he was also surprised because Liu Qianqian, who had lost her Spirit Embryo, should have been unable to cultivate. This was what Zhu Yuan said, and it couldn''t be wrong. "It''s more than just being able to cultivate; I''ve taken back what belongs to me." After the woman finished speaking, the skin on her face began to fall off, and a purple aura began to radiate from her body. When the skin on her face hadpletely fallen off, a familiar face appeared before Fang Ren. Her face hadn''t changed at all from before, without a trace of aging, and looked very young. The previous face must have been a mask created by some spell; it''s just that the spell was a bit special, and Fang Ren''s psychic power wasn''t able to recognize it. "Spirit Embryo..." Looking at the purple aura around Liu Qianqian, Fang Ren naturally recognized it. This was what a fully-realized Spirit Embryo looked like. But how could Liu Qianqian''s Spirit Embryo have recovered? Even Qianye had said that once lost, it was impossible to get back. Liu Qianqian spoke coldly, "So keep your pitiful thoughts to yourself; you don''t owe me anything. Are you satisfied now?" Fang Ren, looking at her indifferent demeanor, suddenly felt very estranged. But saying he didn''t owe her anything, he still felt there was something irreceable that he owed her. But he couldn''t bring it up, those things he could not mention. "But with you here, I''m still a little worried that you might be in danger, after all, this ce..." Fang Ren hadn''t finished speaking when Liu Qianqian''s figure suddenly blinked in front of him. She held a silver hairpin to his neck and said, "With my current realm, killing all of you would be effortless." Fang Ren felt the chill from the silver hairpin and forced a bitter smile, "Then... I should leave now." It seemed she really disliked him, and his concerns were indeed superfluous. She was truly strong now; at least he hadn''t noticed how she made her move just now. Having said that, Fang Ren took out the Teleportation Talisman that Zhu Yuan had given him. He didn''t n to keep asking Liu Qianqian what she had gone through because it seemed she didn''t want to say a word more to him. Bai Qi beside him sighed helplessly, "Liu Qianqian, if I were you, I would take advantage of him owing me and get rid of him quickly. After all, his wife, once she finds out, probably can''t beat you, right?" "Nonsense!" Fang Ren pped Bai Qi on the head, "Let''s go back." "Alright, alright, but I''m definitely going to tell Sister Hui Qing about how you took advantage of me just now," Bai Qi muttered as he also took out a piece of talisman paper. "You were the one who leaned in." "Then you must have felt it too; that''s a fact." "You..." "Sister Hui Qing will definitely think I''ve been wronged; she''ll let me get my advantage back," Bai Qi said with a smug face. Just as the two were about to crush the talisman paper and return to Earth, a man''s voice suddenly came from Liu Qianqian''s small shop. "Qian Qian... I''m hungry..." The two turned their heads at the sound. They saw a man who looked exactly like Fang Ren standing inside the store, his eyes lifeless, with talisman papers stuck to his temples. "How did youe out!" Liu Qianqian immediately tried to pull the man back into the house. Fang Ren stopped crushing the talisman papers immediately, his expression one of shock. He could feel very clearly that the man was himself! To be exact, it should be his own body! It was definitely his body because the moment he saw the man, his soul stirred. This sensation, he had felt it before when he saw his billions of physical bodies in the True God''s space. "Stop!" Fang Ren ran into the store and grabbed the man''s hand. Indeed, the moment he touched the man, he felt his soul could enter this empty shell at any time. Yes, this body was nothing but an empty shell without a soul, and it was his own! "Let go!" Upon seeing Fang Ren touch the husk, Liu Qianqian immediately took out her silver hairpin and pressed it against Fang Ren''s neck, "Let go immediately! Or don''t me me for being rude!" But Fang Renpletely ignored her anger and asked, "Where exactly did you get this body from, and don''t tell me that it was given to you by the bamboo garden!" "Let go!" Liu Qianqian yelled, the silver hairpin breaking Fang Ren''s skin and making his neck bleed. Her eyes rimmed red, her emotions highly agitated. "Is it because of this body that you said you''re living well now?" Fang Ren suddenly felt a pang of sourness in his heart. "I''ll say it again! Let him go!" Tears began to stream down Liu Qianqian''s face, and the silver hairpin sank several millimeters further into Fang Ren''s flesh. Fang Ren directly tore off the talisman papers stuck to the forehead of the body, and the next moment, it copsed. This talisman paper was merely a spell that controlled the body, allowing it to execute some simple actions and speech. To put it bluntly, it was like a low-end machine without thinking. "He''s just one of my physical bodies," Fang Ren said, frowning at her agitated state. "No! He is mine!" Liu Qianqian refuted loudly. "Fine, you don''t believe it," Fang Ren said. Then, he instantly transferred his soul into the copsed body on the ground, and his original body fell down as it lost its soul. Fang Ren, now in control of the new body, stood up. He discovered this body had no cultivation level, and it alsocked the Spirit Embryo he had obtained from Liu Qianqian. Perhaps, the recovery of Liu Qianqian''s Spirit Embryo was rted to this body. Fang Ren spoke with aplex expression, "Stop lying to yourself." Liu Qianqian clenched her teeth and her voice was sobbing, "Can''t you leave something for me... You didn''t leave a child for me back then... Now even a thoughtless body you won''t leave for me... You should at least leave me something! Even if I don''t want it! You should''ve given it to me!" Her voice became somewhat hoarse towards the end. Chapter 377: Chapter 368: For 20 Years, Loving Oneself_1 ``` Bai Qi looked at the sobbing Liu Qianqian, his heart suddenly bing aplex array of emotions. What kind of tenacity could make her willing to cast her longing onto an empty shell of a body? Even after twenty years without a meeting, her heart seemed just like her face, not having changed one bit. Bai Qi questioned himself, even if he liked someone that much, could he still remember them after twenty years had passed? He felt that he definitely would not. Time is the most terrifying amnesia. Even the deepest of emotions can be whisked away by it. The heart determined to marry only that first love, the feelings in love that want to hold hands to the ends of the Earth, the resolve after marriage to grow old together... How many people have forgotten the emotions they were once so certain of, just because time has passed? But Liu Qianqian seemed to have never forgotten from beginning to end; it''s just that she had transferred all her emotions to a body that had no thought. Now, Fang Ren''s mood was just like he had made a big mistake as a child, panicked. The first thought that popped up in his mind was to evade the problem, to let it pass. But this problem hadn''t passed even after twenty years, and Liu Qianqian''s lifespan was probably even longer than his now¡ªwas he supposed to leave this problem for a hundred years? "Come back with me," said Fang Ren. Liu Qianqian shook her head, "Impossible, just leave him with me and go yourself." "Come back with me." "I said it''s impossible!" "Then I will destroy this body!" "What do you want me to go back for? To continue wanting to be a phndering stray cat like before? Sorry! I don''t want to now! I am not now either! I tell you, maybe after I go back, some day when I get provoked and my emotions burst out, I won''t be able to help but ruin your family!" "If you really had that idea, you would''ve gone back long ago." "Why do you want to see me living in pain?! Do you enjoy watching me be depressed every day?!" "Aren''t you even more depressed here? Living every day with just a carcass!" "As long as I have feelings, he''s not just a carcass!" Hearing these words, Fang Ren suddenly felt a surge of anger. How could his physical body be of more importance to her than his real self? "Then go find any soul to inhabit this fleshly body! Wouldn''t your life be even better with him!" Having said this, Fang Ren immediately transferred his soul back into his original body, stood up from the ground, and crushed the Teleportation Talisman without hesitation. The next moment, a sh of golden light twinkled, and Fang Ren vanished from this. Bai Qi, seeing Fang Ren''s resolute action,ughed and walked towards Liu Qianqian, who was holding onto Fang Ren''s other body inside the shop. Liu Qianqian''s gaze was now somewhat vacant, her aura already withdrawn. The way she just disyed her strength, like a hedgehog curled up into a ball, appeared threatening to others, but in reality, it was just to protect herself. "Hey, Leader, do you have any extra of this stuff?" said Bai Qi as he patted the body of Fang Ren, squinting and smiling, "Good things should be shared, right?" Liu Qianqian immediately knocked Bai Qi''s hand away from the body and said, "Sister Zhu Yuan said she has hundreds of millions of them; you go and ask her." Upon hearing this, Bai Qi was enraged, to the point of swearing outright, "Fuck! That woman still told me immortals don''t harbor the seven emotions and six desires! I''ve had suspicions that she had designs on Old Fang all along! Never did I imagine that she was hoarding so many Old Fangs!" Liu Qianqian wiped her tears, her voice low, "You should go too. Don''te back and bother me again." Bai Qi let go of his anger, looked at her like this and then consoled her again, "It''s not going to work if you keep going like this. Look, he left so quickly, almost like a child throwing a tantrum; don''t you want to find him again?" "You''re thinking too much. This person just wants to remedy a bit of the guilt in his heart," said Liu Qianqian with a bitter smile. Bai Qiughed, "I beg to differ; don''t you think he''s more likely jealous?" "Nonsense." "I''m really not talking nonsense; after all, the bystander sees the clearest. He''s always felt that he had a high ce in your heart, but you threatened to stab his neck just for his body. It''s like a pet that''s always been close to its owner, but then one day, the pet starts liking to run to other people''s houses." Liu Qianqian frowned, "I dislike this metaphor." "Didn''t you often say you were like a pet sold by your family?" "That was in the past." "So that means you no longer wish to be a pet now, and you need him to treat you as an equal?" Liu Qianqian furrowed her brows even deeper, "Must you belittle me like this?" Bai Qi waved his hand dismissively, "I didn''t mean it like that; maybe one day, you could interpret my use of ''pet'' as ''lickspittle''." Hum¡ª Liu Qianqian''s True Qi erupted, looking as though she was about to start a fight. "Hey, hey, hey, stop!" Bai Qi actually got a bit panicky seeing her like this. Although she felt invincible on Earth, shecked confidence in Liu Qianqian''s presence. "Being called a lickspittle isn''t an insult; it just describes someone who''s too devoted in love and doesn''t get reciprocation. Back in our school days, I thought Old Fang was my lickspittle," said Bai Qi. "I don''t want to hear this! Just leave already!" "Alright, alright, but if you don''t go back, there might really be no hope at all. It''s rare for him to be jealous because of you; you''ve been persistent for twenty years, what''s one more time?" "Not even once!" Liu Qianqian''s stance was very firm. Bai Qi said no more. Perhaps it was a good thing that Liu Qianqian had a bit of a temper, otherwise that Mr. Fang might really start to take Liu Qianqian for a lickspittle who woulde and go at his bidding. ``` Crushing the Teleportation Talisman, Bai Qi also vanished from this ce. Only after the departure of the two did Liu Qianqian slowly bend down, picked up a piece of talisman paper, and affixed it to the temple of Fang Ren''s body. Once the talisman paper was in ce, Fang Ren''s body immediately stood up, his eyes vacant as he gazed at Liu Qianqian. Liu Qianqian looked at this body, animated by her talisman paper infused with thought, and suddenly felt an intense sorrow; tears began to flow uncontrobly. "Qian Qian... don''t cry..." The body reached out to wipe away her tears. This was the thought she had poured into that piece of talisman paper; when she was sad, he wouldfort her. But as she watched the body wipe her tears, it was only then that she fullyprehended a truth. All along, it was she who had been loving herself. This body was merely her own obsession. ... When Fang Ren returned to Sister Zhu Yuan''s side, he immediately asked her. "Why did you give her my body! Didn''t you say that you couldn''t enter the Divine Space anymore?" Fang Ren was slightly upset. Seeing this, Sister Zhu Yuan said helplessly, "I just felt too sorry for her, so I gave her a duplicate of your body. Besides, you weren''t using it. It would have just turned into a skeleton over there, so it was better to give it to her. Regarding entering the Divine Space, ever since I partially refined the Divine Weapon of the previous Divine, I have been able toe and go as I please." "Then why didn''t you tell me? That''s my body, don''t I have the right to know?" "If I had told you, you probably would''ve taken that body back long ago. Wouldn''t that have forced her to die?" "It''s not as severe as you make it seem," Fang Ren didn''t quite agree. "Even if you didn''t take the body back, I reckon your wife would have taken care of it," Sister Zhu Yuan said. Fang Ren said no more; since today he hadn''t destroyed that body nor taken it back with him, he felt that even if he had known about it earlier, he wouldn''t have taken the body away from Liu Qianqian. Sister Zhu Yuan nced at Fang Ren and then teased, "Did you get a cold shoulder? Your ever-loyal pet dog suddenly bes self-sufficient, and that''s hard for you to take?" "I never thought of her that way!" As soon as Fang Ren heard Sister Zhu Yuan refer to Liu Qianqian as a pet dog, he immediately felt unhappy. "Then how would you exin your mood right now?" "I don''t feel like exining to you." With that, Fang Ren went back to the house he shared with Mu Huanqing, lying on the sofa and sighing. At that moment, Bai Qi happened to return to Sister Zhu Yuan''s side. "Why do you look upset as well?" Sister Zhu Yuan asked, seeing the angry expression on Bai Qi''s face. "Give me one too!" Bai Qi demanded. "One what?" "One of those custom bodies Old Fang made!" "No," Sister Zhu Yuan refused decisively. Bai Qi immediately became displeased, "You have hundreds of millions of them, how can it hurt to give me one! Or are you saying if you''re short by one, you won''t feel satisfied?" Sister Zhu Yuan was taken aback, "I don''t have the seven emotions and six desires." "Then why can''t you give me one?" "If I give you one, maybe Mu Huanqing will start a fight with you; wouldn''t I be ruining your rtionship then? Later, you might even me me." "No problem, I''ll keep it hidden." "Still no." "Please, big sister~ just give me one~" ... Bai Qi tried every trick in the book, but Sister Zhu Yuan''s attitude remained unyielding. With no other choice, Bai Qi resorted to herst move, "Sister Zhu Yuan, do you know why your Realm hasn''t broken through upward in three thousand years?" "My Taoist heart is unstable, and while the cup is full, it''s difficult to merge it into the river; I''m missing some insights," Sister Zhu Yuan exined. Sure enough, when it came to Cultivation, Sister Zhu Yuan took it very seriously. Bai Qi immediately contradicted Sister Zhu Yuan, "Sister Zhu Yuan, it''s not that your Taoist heart is unstable, you''re actually a ssic case of your Taoist heart being too stable! When you cultivate to the extreme, it''s all about returning to simplicity and truth. There''s an old saying on Earth, from seeing the mountain as a mountain, to seeing the mountain as not a mountain, and finally seeing the mountain as still a mountain. You''re now in the phase where you see the mountain as not a mountain, and you need to find a way to return to simplicity and truth." Sister Zhu Yuan smiled helplessly, "You, who are countless times weaker than me, dare to give me guidance." "Strength aside, but in terms of Taoism, perhaps I can see more clearly than you?" Bai Qi continued, "I think you, Sister Zhu Yuan, are justcking in the seven emotions and six desires of living beings. To say Immortals have no desires is just the blindness of those who have yet to see the end. Another saying from Earth is, to seek the Peak of Tao, one must re-enter the world of mortal life. If you haven''t really experienced earthly life, how can you expect to reach the Peak of Taoism? That''s nearly impossible." Moreover, Zhu Yuan was truly vexed about not having made a breakthrough in three thousand years, having tried many methods with scarce results. Although she didn''t believe this young girl could say anything sensible, the fact remains that the earthly desires were indeed the origin of many Taoist principles. "Are you suggesting I fall in love?" Zhu Yuan chuckled, "I don''t wish to follow my mother''s path." "Then hurry up and find an Immortal as powerful as yourself; that way, your lifespans won''t differ too much, and there won''t be any sorrow from parting by death." As Bai Qi spoke, she finally got to the point, "However, if you are in a rtionship and the other person finds out that you secretly keep a million bodies of a man, they will definitely be furious, so... cough cough, Old Fang''s bodies should be managed by me. I''m willing to bear this pain for Sister Zhu Yuan!" "I knew you were up to no good!" Sister Zhu Yuan originally thought the girl was seriously discussing Cultivation with her, but it turned out to be another wild goose chase! Chapter 378: Chapter 369: Mu Huanqings Decision_1 Fang Ren had barely been lying at home for a while when Mu Huanqing suddenly returned. "Didn''t you take Cai Cai back to school?" Fang Ren asked. "I didn''t go. Or you could say I never went," Mu Huanqing said. "Why didn''t you go?" "Because I''ve been watching you the whole time." "...What do you mean?" "I had Zhu Yuan use a spell to let me watch everything happening on Wen Yang Star." Mu Huanqing said. Fang Ren suddenly felt somewhat helpless. Just how powerful was this Zhu Yuan, being able to spy across the universe? "Are you ming me for not retrieving that body?" Fang Ren asked. Mu Huanqing shook her head and sat down beside him, "Let''s leave it with her. It wouldn''t be right to give her nothing at all." Fang Ren was surprised by her words. On the night they got married, Mu Huanqing had told him through tears that she was a person with a strong sense of possessiveness. She could not bear the thought of his affections being shared with another woman. Mu Huanqing seemed to see through his thoughts and chuckled, "When I told you I was selfish when ites to love, I meant it. But now I realize, I can''t bear to push her to having nothing. Just like twenty years ago, even on the day of my wedding, I could have chosen to kill her, or not grant her those five minutes. But I still gave them to her, andter that made me cry from anger." Fang Ren rubbed her hair, "I know you have a soft heart, and that day, youpromised yourself." "It''s okay, you made it up to me afterward, didn''t you?" "Are you referring to what happened that morning?" Mu Huanqing pinched his flesh, "Can''t you be serious for once!" "I can''t help it. Xiao Xi has been teaching me to drive these years and has led me astray." "You have the nerve to say that, but wasn''t it because you used to talk nonsense with her when you were young?" "Speaking of Xiao Xi, has she returned to school?" "Yeah, she''s gone back. But why are you changing the subject?" Fang Ren hugged her, "Come on, let''s go for a drive." "Hey! What if someonees?" "Impossible. I''ll just set up an Istion Formation," he said. ... Still, one has to admire Mu Huanqing''s power of jinxing. The very thing she worried about ended up happening. Just when the two were enjoying a happy moment in their room, Zhu Yuan suddenly appeared. The scene turned exceedingly awkward. Fang Ren had calcted for all possibilities except Zhu Yuan. His Istion Formation could have dyed even the strongest on Earth, Bai Qi, for five to six seconds, and Bai Qi would have used a transmission to ask for permission to enter upon seeing an Istion Formation. But Zhu Yuan wasn''t from Earth. She could go wherever she wanted, and to her, Fang Ren''s Istion Formation was as good as paper. "Couldn''t you have knocked?" Fang Ren, his face wrapped in embarrassment, couldn''t help but blush. Mu Huanqing had already dived under the nkets, too ashamed to show her face. This was simply too humiliating! Zhu Yuan, looking at Fang Ren on the bed with disdain, covered her eyes, "Who would have thought that in broad daylight..." "What''s wrong with broad daylight? Who says I can''t be intimate with my wife during the day?" Zhu Yuan didn''t want to continue on the topic and got straight to the point, "Bai Qi just asked me for one of your bodies; I came to ask your opinion." "What does she want my body for?" "Didn''t she tell you before going to Wen Yang Star that she wanted to learn from Liu Qianqian? She probably learned something." "No, absolutely not!" Fang Ren said firmly. One Liu Qianqian was already enough for him to worry about; he didn''t want another one. "She said if you don''t agree, she''s thinking about leaving Earth to wander," Zhu Yuan mentioned. Fang Ren was dumbfounded. Why were these women soscivious? All they knew was to lust after his body? "She must be joking, don''t take it seriously. Can you leave for now? It''s... quite ufortable," Fang Ren said with a troubled frown, "Also, next time you enter, remember to knock. If you do this a couple more times, I might have to switch bodies." "Ha, Mortal." Zhu Yuan left with a look of disdain, unable to understand Fang Ren''s, a mortal''s, fascination with such shameful nakedness. She remembered breaking into the room several years ago and seeing Fang Ren and Mu Huanqing doing certain things. It was the first time she had seen such an act between a man and a woman with her own eyes, not her Divine Sense. She was surprised at the time, somewhat unable to ept it, because her partner turned out to be such a vulgar creature. After Zhu Yuan left, Mu Huanqing kicked Fang Ren out of the bed, dressed herself, and fumed, "I told you! What if someonees! Yet you wouldn''t believe me!" "How was I to know it was her!" "Hurry up and put on your clothes!" "This is more of a loss for me, and besides, you should be mad at her, not me. A woman saw your man naked! It''s outrageous!" Fang Ren said angrily while dressing. Although his body had been seen by Zhu Yuan many times in the True Spirit Space, that was a special case. After a long while, when Fang Ren had calmed down and Mu Huanqing had already started drinking tea in the living room. "Do you want to go again?" Mu Huanqing asked. "This... didn''t you tell me to get dressed?" Fang Ren was taken aback. Mu Huanqing was so angry she wanted to hit someone, "I''m asking if you want to go to Liu Qianqian''s ce again!" Fang Ren then finally reacted, "Do you really want me to go that much?" "You want to go too, don''t you?" "Howe I want to go again?" "You got into an argument with her, did you think I didn''t see it?" "What argument? I don''t know what you''re talking about." "Forget it, stop pretending and just bring her back already. She''s been alone for twenty years; I don''t want to see her continue like this to a lonely old age," Mu Huanqing sighed. "You mean¡­" Mu Huanqing frowned, "Do I need to spell it out for you?" She felt her words were already quite straightforward. "No, it''s just that it would be too unfair to you," Fang Ren said. "It''s not really a hardship. I''ve had you all to myself for twenty years and I''m quite content. If you''re asking why I''d say such a thing, then I can only tell you that I feel too much sympathy for her, and I recognize her kindness towards you. I think she deserves happiness." "¡­" Fang Ren never expected Mu Huanqing to suddenly make such a decision. "However, there''s one thing you must do," Mu Huanqing walked over to him, her brows slightly furrowed. "Tell me." "That is to treat me as you always have." "That''s it?" "That''s it, now go on. I won''t be taking care of you tonight anyway." "But have you considered whether I''m willing to go?" Fang Ren asked. Mu Huanqing looked puzzled, "You''re not willing now?" "My respectable image as a domestic man can''t just be ruined." "You''re hopeless!" ¡­ After being kicked out by his own wife, Fang Ren had no choice but to look for Zhu Yuan. He saw Zhu Yuan lying on an elderly recliner, ying with her cellphone. When Zhu Yuan saw himing to find her, thinking he was upset about their previous interruption, she put down her phone and took the initiative to speak, "If you''re angry about that, then be angry. I certainly can''t rece your wife and take care of that for you." Bai Qi had rmended some study materials from Earth for her to read, and she remembered the materials saying that men find it very ufortable to be interrupted during that sort of thing. Fang Ren was stunned. Zhu Yuan seemed to have gotten a bit abnormal these days. Why was she so blunt all of a sudden? "Do you think that all I do is sleep with my wife and nothing else?" Fang Ren asked. "That''s about right," Zhu Yuan nodded. "This¡­" Before Fang Ren could finish speaking, Zhu Yuan interrupted him, "You should go find Bai Qi instead. She would be quite willing to take care of that for you." "Madam, you''re just joking around, and you actually took it seriously? Forget that, just take me to Wen Yang Star again," Fang Ren said. "I can''t take you there." Zhu Yuan picked up her phone again, scrolling through the screen, and continued, "There''s no Inte once we leave Earth." Fang Ren was helpless. Who had recently gotten her hooked on the cellphone? "However, since I''ve already located your physical body there, I could just transfer your soul over," Zhu Yuan added. "That works too. Going over is still going over, no difference really." Seeing that he had no objections, Zhu Yuan flicked a piece of talisman paper onto his forehead. The next moment, Fang Ren felt the world spinning around and, after a few minutes, he opened his eyes to find himself sitting at a wooden table, awkwardly eating. He could feel a piece of paper on his temple. Looking at the simple dishes on the table, Fang Ren didn''t see Liu Qianqian. He began to survey the room. A wooden bed, a wooden wardrobe, a few pairs of shoes, two stools¡­ There were few belongings, and all were made of wood. Besides, he could see tiny formations in some corners of the room, likely set up by Liu Qianqian to prevent strangers from entering when she was not at home. After observing for a while, Fang Ren stood up, not tearing off the talisman paper on his forehead because he was afraid it would be too awkward when they met. So, he stepped out of the house and saw a small courtyard with some flowers and nts and several calligraphic works. In the north corner of the courtyard was a path leading to the store. As he walked down the path, he saw a slender, middle-aged woman sitting at the storefront, selling calligraphic works. So, on this side, Liu Qianqian had always disguised herself as a woman using some kind of spell. Fang Ren didn''t go out any further. He felt he had to act the part convincingly and couldn''t be recognized by Liu Qianqian too early; otherwise, there was a good chance she might start crying again. This time his visit was different from thest. Last time, he came because he was worried about her. But this time, he was on a mission and could be bolder. Chapter 379: Chapter 370: The Second Meeting with Her is Not Over Yet (4000 words)_1 His flesh housed his Spiritual Root and True Qi, butcked Liu Qianqian''s Spirit Embryo. Moreover, this body seemed somewhat stronger than the one his original self had used; he didn''t know if it was because this body had been absorbing Star Power in the True Master''s space, or if Liu Qianqian had employed some method to cultivate it. He sniffed the odor of his own body, which carried a strong scent of Liu Qianqian. The room contained nothing but a single bed, which Liu Qianqian likely kept this body beside her each night as she slept. As for whether Liu Qianqian would do something to this body... Fang Ren felt that she probably wouldn''t. The talisman paper she had used only contained a few simplemands: it could walk, speak a few words, and beyond that, nothing else. While Fang Ren was pondering these things, Liu Qianqian, who had just sold a small carving outside the door, turned her head and happened to see him. Liu Qianqian entered the shop from outside, looking at Fang Ren with a slight frown, "Didn''t I already prepare food for you?" The simple thought she had imnted in the talisman was that only when Fang Ren was hungry would hee out to find her by himself and call her Qian Qian, saying he was hungry. However, she understood the next moment, her brows rxed and she smiled, "You probably want to go to the toilet, right? I''ll take you there. Don''t wet your pants again, I just bought you new clothes yesterday." She had also given this body to Fang Ren themand to go to the toilet by himself, but each time Fang Ren went by himself, he would more or less get some on his pants, which made her quite mncholy because her engraving talisman hadn''t yet been cultivated to invasively imprint every single detail, only very roughly. Having said that, Liu Qianqian pulled Fang Ren towards a small thatched hut. Chapter Explore: This was the realtrine. Liu Qianqian pulled him inside, where there was no unusual smell, only a small Array that had been triggered. Liu Qianqian pressed a spot on the thatched door, and a wooden Earth-style toilet appeared. However, the toilet had no pipes connected, and Fang Ren couldn''t figure out how there could be water inside it. "Don''t just stand there, sit down and you won''t wet your pants," she said. As she spoke, Liu Qianqian pressed him down onto the toilet. Fang Ren couldn''t help but blush; even at forty years old, going to the toilet like this was still a bit embarrassing. Seeing him with no movement, Liu Qianqian frowned, "Is there something wrong with my talisman? You don''t even know how to take off your pants?" Fang Ren didn''t dare make a sound. Fearing he would wet his pants again, Liu Qianqian helped him. But Fang Ren really didn''t want to go to the toilet at that moment; his body truly didn''t have a single drop! "What the hell is going on?" she pondered, troubled. Her talisman was brand new and shouldn''t be wed after such a short time. Liu Qianqian, however, wasn''t embarrassed by this scene; she had been overseeing it for twenty years and felt quite indifferent, as if she were looking at herself. After a while, Fang Ren stood up by himself, pulled up his pants, and walked out with a vacant expression. Seeing Fang Ren''s abnormal behavior, Liu Qianqian was no longer in the mood to sell things. She collected her calligraphy and wooden boards and closed the shop door. Back in the room, she directly ced Fang Ren on the bed, then ripped the talisman paper off the temple of Fang Ren''s head and started carefully studying it. Seeing the talisman gone, Fang Ren immediately closed his eyes, pretending to have fallen asleep. Liu Qianqian, on the other hand, took the talisman and used a Spell to rewrite the incantation on it. However, scribing the talisman took quite a long time, from midday until nightfall; fortunately, there were multiple Arrays in the room, and with a simple touch, she could light the room brightly. Fang Ren didn''t have too rough of an afternoon, albeit a bit boring, wanting to move yet unable to do so. "It should be good now." Liu Qianqian applied the rewritten talisman to Fang Ren''s temple, and he internally sighed in relief, finally able to move. Just as he opened his eyes, preparing to roll out of bed, he saw Liu Qianqian''s pair of icy eyes and a Longsword pressed against his neck. What''s happening? Fang Ren was stunned. Could it be that Liu Qianqian had harbored resentment against him since leaving Earth, taking it out on this body every night? "I felt something was wrong at noon. I don''t care who you are, you''d better let go of this body now, or I''ll make your soul dissipate!" Liu Qianqian said coldly. Fang Ren touched the talisman on his temple, only to find that he was stuck with a piece of nk paper! She didn''t apply that talisman! Was Liu Qianqian''s vignce really so strong that she had sensed a soul in this body since noon? "Then why did you wait all afternoon?" Fang Ren looked innocent. "I was repeatedly verifying whether my talisman really had a problem. It''splicated, naturally it takes some time," Liu Qianqian exined. "What if I am not willing to leave this body now and tell you that if you attempt to disperse my soul, I will destroy this body as well? What will you do?" Fang Ren asked. Liu Qianqian sneered, "You think you can threaten me? You must not know how terrifying Soul Techniques are in this world!" No sooner had she spoken than one of her hands suddenly pinched atop Fang Ren''s head, and the next moment, he felt a burning pain in his soul. Chapter 380: Chapter 370: (4000 words) Seeing her for the second time hasnt ended yet_2 "Hey, hey, hey! Stop! Don''t really burn my soul!" Fang Ren hastily grabbed her hand. But Liu Qianqian was much stronger than he was; he couldn''t stop her at all. "It''s toote now, you dared to touch my stuff! I will kill you!" Liu Qianqian increased the burning speed, and Fang Ren felt one of his soul''s arms begin to melt shockingly, but his body remained unharmed. How did she know these bizarre spells? Fang Ren tried to muster all his strength to pull away her hand but found that even at full strength, he couldn''t move her hand even half an inch. Left with no choice, Fang Ren had to say, "Okay, okay, I''ll be honest with you. I am the true soul, stop burning it now." "You''re Fang Ren''s true soul? You think I would believe that? He''s already gone back," Liu Qianqian continued using her spell without stopping. Fang Ren was helpless. Liu Qianqian simply didn''t believe that the soul within this body was his; she still thought it was someone else who had used some spell to enter this body. He thought it over and had toe up with a way to prove he was indeed Fang Ren, saying, "On Earth in the year 2332, I pursued you. On March 7th, I wrote you a love letter, and at the end of April by the river, I even bought you flowers. That night by the river, you should know about these things, right?" The smile on Liu Qianqian''s face grew colder, "You think because you''ve obtained some memories from his body, I''ll believe you? You''re wrong, I''m far more cautious than you imagine." Seeing that she still wasn''t stopping, Fang Ren panickedpletely. Liu Qianqian truly didn''t think his true self woulde to find her; she was convinced that the soul in his body was someone else''s. "Can you give me a chance to prove it? You''re not being cautious! You''re being damn reckless! What I''m speaking is Earth''snguage! Apart from me, which other idiot would cross several universes just to find you!?" Fang Ren said. "By absorbing his bodily memories, of course, you would speak Earth''snguage," Liu Qianqian replied. Fang Ren sighed, enduring the pain of his soul being burned, and sighed, "You must remember those five minutes, right?" Chapter Continue: Sure enough, as soon as he said this, Liu Qianqian suddenly let go, and her facial expressions melted like ice. Those five minutes from the wedding, Fang Ren''s body didn''t have that memory because this body was created in the divine space before he got married¡ªthe wedding urred after he left the divine space. Liu Qianqian obviously knew this, which is why she finally released her hold. "Now do you believe me?" Fang Ren asked. Liu Qianqian shook her head, "Not entirely. I won''tpletely believe you unless you leave the body so I can see your true soul." Fang Ren felt utterly helpless; Liu Qianqian''s cautiousness was ridiculously high¡ªshe wouldn''t believe him without seeing his true self. "Fine." Fang Ren''s soul detached from his flesh. His soul''s left arm was already half burned away, and his skin bore many burns. "To see you once and still almost get killed by you; it''s too sad," Fang Ren said with a helpless smile. "I should go back." Having said this, he turned to leave. "Don''t!" Liu Qianqian immediately grabbed his soul, her expressionplicated, mostly panicked. "What, you want to burn me some more?" Fang Ren forced a smile. "No, that''s not it!" Liu Qianqian became anxious, "I... I really didn''t think it was you!" "It''s okay, I''ve received your apology. Let me go," Fang Ren said. "Don''t go!" Liu Qianqian''s eyes reddened. "Weren''t you the one who wanted me to leave before?" "Then why have youe back now?" "Just wanted to see you, nothing more," he replied. "Then... let me heal your wounds before you go," Liu Qianqian said. "How long will that take?" "One... one month." "That long? Then I''d better go back first." "One week!" "That''s still too long." "One day! Just one day will do!" Liu Qianqian changed her offer. In truth, she could heal him in just an hour. "Alright then, what should I do now?" Fang Ren asked. "Just return to your body," she said. Fang Ren did as she instructed and soon Liu Qianqian began to operate her spell to repair his soul. Liu Qianqian could slow the process down because, in her eyes, once the wounds were healed, Fang Ren would leave. "Do you have to be like this?" Seeing her caution, Fang Ren couldn''t help butugh. "What is it?" Liu Qianqian asked. "Don''t think I don''t know about healing souls. It''s quite a low-level thing in soul techniques; Zhu Yuan told me," Fang Ren said. Liu Qianqian''s expression was somber, and she didn''t reply. "You could heal me in a short time, couldn''t you?" Fang Ren asked again. Liu Qianqian nodded but still said nothing. Seeing that she remained silent, Fang Ren asked again, "Why did you urge me to leave before? You haven''t answered me." "I..." Just as she hesitated, Fang Ren''s body suddenly copsed onto the bed. Liu Qianqian was startled for a moment, then realized that her spell had abruptly cut off. He''d gone back. Fang Ren''s soul had returned in an instant. Otherwise, her spell wouldn''t have been interrupted so suddenly. Liu Qianqian, in a panic, picked up the talisman paper from the table and stuck it on Fang Ren''s body. After that, Fang Ren''s body somewhat woodenly stood up, removed his outer garment, andy down on the bed. All the actions were as she hadmanded. Indeed, Fang Ren''s soul was no longer inside this body, he really had gone back. Liu Qianqian sat on the ground, her eyes vacant. The first time he came, she had turned him away, the second time he came, she burned his soul, so what about the third time... Will there be a third time? She wasn''t sure. Originally, it was her rejection of Fang Ren twice that led to Fang Ren never confessing to her a third time. In Fang Ren''s eyes, it seemed, the third time was something that would never happen. Like Fang Ren, that blockhead, as long as she didn''t exin, Fang Ren definitely wouldn''t understand why she had sent him away the first time. Why send him away? Didn''t he see that she was crying? Did she really want him to leave? It was nothing more than her heart saying one thing and her mouth another. "Should I go back..." She suddenly had a strong desire to return and look for him. But it had taken her six years, through various formations and miraculous relics, to get to this ce. Even though her cultivation level had grown, it would still take at least another five years to return to Earth. Five years. By the time she got to Earth, would he still want to see her? Probably not... It seemed she had missed her chance again. Clenching her fists, Liu Qianqian wiped the corners of her eyes and took off her outer garment before getting into bed. She embraced this talisman-controlled body as she always did to sleep, but her eyes remained moist. "Sob..." Her cries began softly, and as her tears became more numerous, they dampened the talisman on Fang Ren''s temple. Gradually, the talisman slipped down from Fang Ren''s temple. But Fang Ren furrowed his brows, his face displeased as he opened his eyes. "That girl Bai Qi! Alwaysing to me with some issue or another..." No sooner had he opened his eyes than he began toin in his mind, but halfway through his gripe, he felt the wetness on his face and heard Liu Qianqian''s crying nearby. Just now, his soul had indeed left this ce, but only because Bai Qi had suddenly needed him for something minor, resulting in him being called back by Zhu Yuan. Now that he had dealt with the situation, Zhu Yuan had sent him back, yet on his return, this was the scene he encountered. Seeing her crying so sorrowfully, Fang Ren wiped her tears away, "Qian Qian, stop crying." Liu Qianqian hugged him tightly, her sobs growing heavier and heavier. Whenever she cried, Fang Ren''s body was influenced by the talisman to wipe away her tears, telling her not to cry. These were themands she herself had set for this body; they weren''t genuine at all. Fang Ren felt somewhat embarrassed with Liu Qianqian embracing him like this... their bodies pressed together. He was just in his shorts, and Liu Qianqian was only dressed in her undergarments. Feeling the warmth and the fragrance, Fang Ren stroked her hair. He hade here on his wife''s orders to capture Liu Qianqian; wasn''t this supposed to be during a demon-catching mission? Liu Qianqian thought that Fang Ren wouldn''te to find her a third time. But to her surprise, Fang Ren''s second visit to see her had not yet ended. Chapter 381: Chapter 371: Bringing Back Liu Qianqian_1 Even as she tried to soothe herself, Liu Qianqian cried with unceasing sorrow. It was just a flesh body, a vessel filled with thoughts she herself had infused¡­ all fake. Suddenly, she felt a gentle pinch on her face, and instantly, her inner sorrow disappeared; she had notmanded this body to pinch her face. She immediately looked at the body in her embrace. She noticed that the talisman paper on the temple of the body had long been cried off by her. And at that moment, Fang Ren was still looking at her with open eyes; it was clear that he now had a soul. She quickly extended her hand to grip Fang Ren''s head, activating her Soul Technique to inspect him. Indeed, the Soul Body that she had burned part of the arm of hade back. Her emotions at that instant were a mix of sadness and joy, but mostly she was at a loss, for both she and Fang Ren were d in thin clothing, and she was holding his body to sleep as usual. These weren''t too crucial; the key point was that the body she was embracing was no longer the same as before. "What''s wrong?" Fang Ren was stunned. He had massaged her head for so long, and she hadn''t stopped crying, but a pinch on the face suddenly made things better? "Howe you... came back again?" Liu Qianqian''s eyes shimmered with tears. "I never nned to leave that quickly," Fang Ren said. "Then why are you staying here..." "Isn''t it to see you?" Liu Qianqian recalled the events of the day and the current situation; her heart fluttered a bit, and turning her face away, she said, "To see me... what for?" Fang Ren didn''t seem to mind lying in the same bed with her at all. Even when he went to the bathroom during the day, he didn''t seem to have objected. "To take you back," Fang Ren said. "I''m not going back," Liu Qianqian shook her head. "But staying here alone, how lonely must you be?" "Even so, I don''t want to go back." She atst indirectly admitted her loneliness. "What if I insist on taking you back?" Fang Ren asked. "Then I still won''t go back!" Liu Qianqian said firmly. After speaking, she loosened her grip and turned her back to Fang Ren. In reality, she didn''t want to let go, but she was a bit stubborn; didn''t he know the reason she wouldn''t return? And yet he was still asking this question. Seeing her suddenly turn her back, Fang Ren sighed in his heart, feeling that things would be difficult. He might ultimately have to give up. But then he thought of Bai Qi always saying he was a blockhead, clueless about any girl''s thoughts apart from Mu Hui. He felt that he couldn''t continue to approach the issue as he had in the past. If a serious conversation wouldn''t work, then he''d have to try something less serious. Fang Ren stretched out his arms and hugged Liu Qianqian from behind, pressing his chest tightly against her back. Liu Qianqian''s heart fluttered. Despite her increased age, her emotions were still those of her youth, and being embraced by the man she liked still made her blush. This body had been by her side for twenty years, yet it had never initiated an embrace with her. Beyond the panic, she felt a bit touched. "Aren''t you afraid your wife will find out?" Liu Qianqian said. "Isn''t it just old ssmates hugging when they meet?" Fang Ren pressed even closer. His mouth was right by her ear, his speech and breath causing a tingling in her heart. Her hands balled into fists out of nervousness. "You... don''t want to be a good husband to her anymore?" "I do." "Then why are you doing this!" Liu Qianqian shifted, trying to avoid further contact. "I''ll tell youter," Fang Ren said, following her move. Liu Qianqian was now pressed against the wall with nowhere to escape. Her face was so red she might bleed, and one hand pushed against Fang Ren''s thigh to keep him away. Feeling the force of Liu Qianqian''s resistance, even someone as dense as Fang Ren, with twenty years of experience with Mu Hui, could tell. Feigning resistance but harboring none, she didn''t really want to refuse, but she still wanted to appear somewhat coy. Fang Ren continued to hold Liu Qianqian''s hand forcefully, pressing it down as he drew closer. Liu Qianqian''s eyebrows furrowed slightly, she bit her teeth, her eyes hazy, and she let out a soft moan. "Don''t treat me like you didst time..." "Yes." It was the throes of spring... After a long while, it was over. Liu Qianqian withdrew the hand he had been gripping forcefully, her forehead covered in sweat, her cheeks flushed as she turned and kissed him. "Thank you, you were much gentler thanst time, I''m happy," she said. Fang Ren still felt somewhat disappointed, "Why do we have to be so distant?" "I guess I''ve also resolved my regrets now, you should go, I won''t go back with you," she said as she drew up the covers around her and added another sentence. Fang Ren hadn''t expected the final oue to be like this. "It was Hui Qing who asked me toe find you." "I could have guessed that already. If she hadn''t agreed, you would nevere looking for me, nor would you share a bed with me," Liu Qianqian said with a resigned smile. "Well... not necessarily." Liu Qianqian''s eyes flickered for a moment before she shook her head again, "Alright, you better hurry back. Tell her not to feel like she owes me anything. It''s not because of her that this happened." "So, it''s because of me then?" "Isn''t that obvious?" Liu Qianqian looked at him like he was a fool. "Then I need to make it up to you properly." "You... hey! What are you doing! You can''t do this!" ... Dawn broke. Liu Qianqian wrapped herself tightly, looking at Fang Ren with the eyes of a little girl who had encountered a hoodlum, "Isn''t this enough... I need to sell things." "Then are youing back with me or not?" "No." Liu Qianqian shook her head. "Then the shop is closed today!" "No way!" "No way? You have the strength to resist me." "I..." ... The door of the small shop stayed closed all day long. The following morning, Fang Ren''s body was covered in kiss marks and bite marks, with many red areas on his back. Liu Qianqian curled up in a corner of the bed, the blush on her face not yet faded, her gaze somewhat resentful, "Pervert! Hoodlum! Scumbag! What on earth have you learnt over these years! You are not the Fang Ren I used to know!" "Just now you seemed quite happy calling me ''husband''." "I!" "Alright, now let me ask you again, are youing back with me or not?" Liu Qianqian, visibly irritated, said, "Fine, I''ll go! Do you really hope I''ll get into a fight with your wife?" "She''s the one who asked me to bring you back," Fang Ren said. Liu Qianqian pondered for a moment. Mu Huanqing had asked her to go back the first time Fang Ren came over, and this was already the second time after the incident. Given what had happened, Mu Huaqing must be aware of it all. Despite everything, she still wants her toe back¡ªcould it be that Mu Huaqing had Fang Rene over not just to help her resolve her regrets? "Then... I''ll go with you." No sooner had she spoken than Liu Qianqian changed her clothes and said seriously, "But I need to tell you upfront¡ªif you don''te to see me even once in a month after we get there, I''ll stille back." "How could it be a month?" "Then how much longer will you need? Once a year?" Liu Qianqian said, disheartened. "Let''s see, I should at least see you every two days," he said. Liu Qianqian was stunned and then happy, though she still huffed, "I hope what you''re saying is true, otherwise I''ll go to your house." Chapter 382: Chapter 372: (7,800 words) Grand Finale! The True God is Not Eternal!_1 By a stroke of coincidence, just as Fang Ren was bringing Liu Qianqian back to the bamboo grove, Bai Qi happened to be in the room, discussing some matters with Zhu Yuan. Upon seeing the strawberry marks and bite marks all over Fang Ren''s neck, the corners of Bai Qi''s eyes twitched uncontrobly, and the room filled with an air of resentment. It made Fang Ren wonder if he had actually married Mu Huaqing in the first ce or Bai Qi instead. "I was looking for you the day before yesterday, why were you in such a hurry to go back? So it was for this reason. It seems Sister Hui Qing alone can no longer satisfy you!" Bai Qi clenched his fists, his smile was very "friendly". "Why do you sound so sarcastic?" Fang Ren responded helplessly, "It was Hui Qing who asked me to go, alright?" "Hehe, Sister Hui Qing asked you to find her, but did she ask you to nt strawberries? Did she tell you to be nibbled on?" Upon hearing this, Liu Qianqian couldn''t help but recall the events of yesterday and the day before. The words "nibbled on," although a bit explicit, did actually hit the nail on the head. "Why are you getting angry?" Fang Ren frowned. "You are my fianc¨¦, aren''t you! I haven''t even had our wedding night, and here you are, fooling around with the ss monitor right in front of me?" Bai Qi said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "How many years has it been, and you still bring that up?" Bai Qi''s face turned cold and he stopped paying attention to him, turning to Liu Qianqian instead, "Now look at this, you''ve been talking about usurping the throne for twenty years, and you really did it!" After speaking, Bai Qi turned and walked towards the door. Liu Qianqian smiled faintly; Bai Qi still seemed like a little girl, just a bit more open in expression than before. Just before leaving, Bai Qi turned back at the door and said to Liu Qianqian, "I''lle find you when you have time." "Find me for what?" Liu Qianqian didn''t quite understand. What was there to talk about with a little love rival? The coldness on Bai Qi''s face faded away, reced by an extremely weird smile, somewhat lecherous, "To exchange some experiences." After that, Bai Qi left. Liu Qianqian looked at Fang Ren, "She still hasn''t gotten married?" "Yeah, she''s turned into an old maid," Fang Ren said. Smack¡ª Right as his words fell, the smartphone in Zhu Yuan''s hand was suddenly crushed. Fang Ren''s face grew a bit panicked; he had forgotten that there was another eternal maiden right here. "Cough cough." Fang Ren hastily changed the subject, "Just now, what were you discussing? I heard Bai Qi mention something about Taoist principles. Are you about to make a breakthrough?" When Zhu Yuan heard him bring up cultivation, she dropped the old maid issue and said, "I don''t know what''s gotten into her these days, she''s beening to fill my head with all this talk about emotions and desires." Fang Ren nodded, he quite agreed with this; Zhu Yuan had been single for tens of thousands of years, and it was possible that some of her Taoist practices had hit a bottleneck¡ªI guess Bai Qi was right, sometimes external forces are needed to break through. "I think it makes sense too. You might want to try dating a fellow male cultivator; maybe you''ll gain a new perspective on the whole world," Fang Ren suggested. Zhu Yuan furrowed her brows, "Why do you say that too? Are you unhappy with me staying here?" "That''s not what I mean. We''ve been together for twenty years. To me, a mortal who''s only lived a little over forty years, you''re already like a lifelong confidant. Of course, I''d be reluctant to see you leave. But when all of us familiar faces are gone, you''ll be alone again, focused only on your cultivation, not caring about anything else. Haven''t you thought about whether the answer to your life is really immortality?" Fang Ren said. "I''ve thought about it, but nothing else really interests me that much. Apart from these years spent with you all, looking at smartphones is pretty nice, but it also has its downsides; it makes me a bitzy," Zhu Yuan said. Fang Ren responded, "Even if you achieve immortality, won''t you end up using eternity to experience all that life has to offer? These things, sooner orter, are all the same." "Maybe," Zhu Yuan ended the conversation, then said, "Speaking of which, should I bring that girl Hui Qing over? You two can have a good chat?" Her words had justnded when a figure suddenly appeared in the room. "No need." Mu Huanqingnded in the room, her voice filled with a sigh. Seeing this, Zhu Yuan left the ce; she didn''t want to get involved in these mortals'' emotional entanglements. After Zhu Yuan left, Mu Huanqing turned her gaze to the two of them. Twenty years had passed since theyst met, and their mentalities had undergone earth-shattering changes. "Don''t leave this time when youe back," Mu Huanqing said to Liu Qianqian while sitting on the couch. Liu Qianqian nced at her, then again at Fang Ren. Mu Huanqing''s attitude surprised her; she had thought Mu Huanqing would be cold. But instead, without asking anything else, she started by telling her not to leave. "Hmm," Liu Qianqian nodded. "Sit down and talk," Mu Huanqing added. Liu Qianqian then took a seat opposite her. The two of them seemed very rxed, without any hint of hostility. Seeing this, Fang Ren let out a long sigh of relief. This time he did not deliberately get close to Mu Hui but instead chose a neutral position to sit down in. "If I were you, I could never let my husband go to another woman," Liu Qianqian said to Mu Huanqing. Mu Huanqing smiled wryly, "But I can''t just leave you to live a lonely life, can I?" "I... am not that lonely." "Right, with a physical body to keep youpany," Mu Huanqing nced at the marks on Fang Ren''s neck, then continued, "But it seems now, it''s him with a soul that you truly desire more. I don''t think you''re willing to settle for what you had in the past anymore." Chapter 383: Chapter 372: (7,800 words) Grand Finale! The True God is Not Eternal!_2 "I never intended to break up your rtionship." "I never intended for you to break up our rtionship either, but on that basis, I''m going to help you." "I can''t do that kind of thing." "I couldn''t do it at first either. Give me five minutes¡ªI cried all night." "You really are a soft-hearted person." "If you were heartless, with your current strength, you would have returned that sword strike to me long ago." "Should I... call you ''sister'' now?" "That depends on how well we get along in the future," Mu Huanqing said. "Do you think we can get along?" "I don''t know." ... The two women talked for a long time in the room, with Fang Ren having no chance to interject a single word. The conversation was simple, yet it went straight to the heart of the matter. In the end, Fang Ren returned to his previous body. "You take this body with you. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, he wille to see you in that body. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, he must be mine. As for Sundays, we both can actually sit down and talk," Mu Huanqing said. "You''re really magnanimous," Liu Qianqian said with a smile. "It''s fair." "For you, it''s not fair. He''s originally yourwful husband." "After all, I might have to be your sister in the future, so naturally, I should yield to you a bit." They chatted some more, and then Mu Huanqing saw Liu Qianqian out. After Liu Qianqian left, Mu Huanqing''s expression suddenly turned cold. Back in the room, she pinched Fang Ren''s flesh: "Have you been having quite the thrill these past days?" "Ah, it was... quite exciting," Fang Ren said awkwardly. Indeed, the wife at home still gets jealous to some extent. "Great, you''re so used to home cooking that everything outside tastes better, right?" "You can''t say that. I don''t find my wife tiresome at all. Come on, I''ll prove it to you right now." "Off you go! You''re just learning bad things from that girl Bai Qi!" Mu Huanqing said with disdain. ... Today, Fang Ren was even more attentive to Mu Huanqing than usual, fearing she had some little mood she hadn''t expressed and might be unhappy. Although, he had always been good to Mu Huanqing. Mu Huanqing felt that today''s Fang Ren seemed to have returned to the way he was when they first met. He was originally supposed to be like this; he should be a smiling person. All these years, it was because of Liu Qianqian''s issues that sometimes his smile didn''t seem natural, as if he always had a knot in his heart. Today his knot had been untangled, and Mu Huanqing thought this was actually a good thing. Night fell, and Mu Huanqing was still very happy. His love for her was no less than before¡ªon the contrary, it was even more. The next morning. Fang Ren opened his eyes to find his room had changed, and the person sleeping beside him had changed as well. He was back in Liu Qianqian''s body beside him. "How did I get here?" Fang Ren was puzzled. And Liu Qianqian, still asleep beside him, couldn''t possibly have transferred his soul over. Although he definitely couldn''t figure it out on his own, it was very likely something Mu Huanqing had done, and that probably wasn''t false. Looking at the sleeping Liu Qianqian, Fang Ren touched his own waist, finding it had mostly recovered. "Hey, Qian Qian, wake up." "Hmm? Ah! How did you get here!" "I''m not too sure myself." "Then what are you doing! It''s early in the morning, don''t be like this..." "I want to." "No!" "Then why haven''t you pushed me away yet?" ... In the days that followed, Fang Ren woke up every day to find the woman beside him had changed. Later, he learned from Mu Huanqing that she had asked the Bamboo Garden to make a small Formation for soul transfer, which was why he was transferred to the other side at a set time every morning. The condition for the transfer, though, was that he had to stay within the Formation at that time. Now, Fang Ren''s daily routine was spending time with the two women, shopping, and ying at all kinds of ces... All unrted to work. After a while, he even started to miss his job. Bai Qi would still oftene to find him for a ride. Mu Huanqing didn''t mind, but Liu Qianqian would blush every time she heard those jokes, thinking Bai Qi was really a promiscuous old maid. Especially on Sundays, when Fang Ren didn''t have to apany the two women, Bai Qi woulde to take him away. She said since the others had him for Monday to Saturday, she''d be content with just having Sundays. As time went on, Liu Qianqian and Mu Huanqing no longer divided their days. The two women started living together, watching dramas, doing housework, and even going to work together. This made Fang Ren feel as if he was just an ident, and the two of them were the true loves. Ever since Liu Qianqian came back, Cai Cai also learned about it, and from then on, Cai Cai began to despise Fang Ren. She felt she had a scumbag for a father. Whenever she had the time, Cai Cai would go to her mentor Bai Qi to talk about it, but one day, she got a surprising response. The Aunt Bai Qi she always respected actually told her that she, Bai Qi, also liked her dad. One day, she went to Bamboo Garden and talked to them about her dad''s "sins." She hoped to find some sce there, but the Bamboo Garden told her that it was normal. At that moment, Cai Cai suddenly felt that her loving dad no longer belonged to her alone, and her heart inevitably felt a faint sadness. From that day on, Cai Cai reminded herself every day that when she looked for a boyfriend in the future, she must find someone who wasn''t very outstanding, so that besides her, no other woman would like him. Chapter 384: Chapter 372: (7,800 words) Grand Finale! The True God is Not Eternal!_3 This also led to Cai Cai bing quite reluctant to interact with some of the outstanding boys at school. But as time passed and she saw that her old man still loved her as much as ever, she was no longer sad. Several yearster, on a certain day. Fang Ren and Liu Qianqian had a low-key wedding, attended only by familiar faces. Liu Qianqian never thought about wanting a wedding, but Mu Huanqing still secretly arranged one for her. Her rtionship with Mu Huanqing was now very good, they made concessions for each other no matter the issue, but on the surface, they continued to bicker incessantly. After the wedding, Bai Qi became restless. She took away the body Fang Ren had left at the Liu Family and secretly activated the soul transfer array that had been left in the Bamboo Garden. The day Fang Ren woke up, he instinctively reached out for the person next to him, and somehow Bai Qi ended up on top of him. He almost turned the raw rice into cooked rice. If it wasn''t for Old Fang''s fierce resistance, he might have lost his chastity again. Contrary to Fang Ren''s expectation, after Liu and Mu learned of the incident, they surprisingly said nothing and acted as if nothing had happened. This was very suspicious. In the days that followed, Fang Ren never knew when he''d wake up in Bai Qi''s bed, leaving him unsettled. Somehow, even though this happened often, Bai Qi still managed to get along with Liu Qianqian and Mu Huanqing in everyday life: shopping, having fun, working... all happily together. After a while, Fang Ren couldn''t stand it anymore. This girl was too brazen. One morning, he opened his eyes to find himself in Bai Qi''s room. As usual, she was hugging him, with a seductive look that pulled at his heartstrings. The Bai Qi of this morning was normal, but the Fang Ren of this morning was not. He turned her over, pinned her down, and looked straight into her eyes, making only ambiguous movements but not saying a word. Rarely, Bai Qi blushed, not daring to look at him anymore. "Aren''t you usually pretty tough?" Fang Ren said, feeling a sudden pleasure in his heart on seeing her like this. It was like he had won a minor battle. This made him go even further. Bai Qi grew panicked, apparently wanting to escape. Although she usually had the demeanour of an easy woman, when it actually came to this moment, she found she wasn''t quite ready. "Let go..." She pushed Fang Ren, her face flushed as she spoke softly. "If I really let go, you''d call me a blockhead." "I won''t..." "Keep being brazen, keep driving, why back down now?" "I won''t do it anymore..." "I don''t believe you." "I was wrong..." "Your words don''t match your thoughts." "I really was wrong." "Good, I''m leaving then." Fang Ren turned and ran out of bed. "..." Bai Qi stared nkly at the doorway for a few seconds before suddenly realizing. Her face, red with shyness, turned extremely irritated. She clenched her fists, punched through her own bed board, and was nearly furious with herself. Knowing full well that the guy was a blockhead, why did she act coy! She''d been driving with him for so long, why feign modesty at this time! Really! "I''m so angry!" Her True Qi burst forth, and right now, all she wanted to do was tear the house down. Twenty years of resentment erupted in that moment. "Why are you getting so worked up for?" A familiar voice suddenly came to her ear. Bai Qi turned her head nkly, only to see Fang Ren lying beside her. Bai Qi immediately hugged him tightly, burying her head in his chest: "Don''t tease me! Do you know how upset I am!" "Come on, get in the car." It was the hum of spring. After a while, a girl''s voice suddenly came from outside the room. "Aunt Bai, why didn''t you go to school today?" No sooner had the voice appeared than the door was opened. The two inside were startled, Bai Qi quickly drew up the quilt to cover herself, and Fang Ren hid underneath. "Cai... Cai Cai?" Bai Qi, looking panicked, saw Cai Cai standing at the door, unsure what to say. This was a situation she had never anticipated! Cai Cai, seeing the scene in the room, frowned: "Aunt Bai, and... why is your face so red, are you sick? Even practitioners like you get sick?" "Yeah... Yes! Even those with high cultivation levels can get sick," Bai Qi said, avoiding eye contact. Cai Cai looked disgusted: "I always feel like Auntie is driving again." "You go out first. Auntie will put on clothes and then go back to school with you," Bai Qi said. However, Cai Cai noticed the bloodstains on the sheets, and she became serious: "Aunt Bai! You''re injured!?" "Ah?" Bai Qi panicked even more, how could this girl be so observant! Cai Cai immediately ran to the bed to check Bai Qi''s injury, but just as she sat down, she sank through, realizing the bed had copsed. At that moment, Fang Ren burst out of the room, his True Qi fully unleashed. Bai Qi watched the red light disappear from the room, her expression nk for a moment before looking back at Bai Qi: "Just now... was that Old Fang?" Bai Qi turned her face away, not answering her. Cai Cai looked back at the blood on the sheets, touched the bed board Bai Qi had punched through, and then looked at Bai Qi''s flushed face again. In that moment, she seemed to grow up. She hurriedly left the room and left the Bai Family, her eyes somewhat empty. Aunt Bai and Old Fang... they actually had their day... Chapter 385: Chapter 372: (7,800 words) Grand Finale! The True God is Not Eternal!_4 What a jerk, Dad really is a jerk! When she looks for a boyfriend in the future, she definitely can''t find someone like Dad! After a while, Cai Cai''s expression turned to anger, and she flew straight back home, finding Fang Ren who had already sorted himself out and was working on copywriting with theputer in his room. "What''s wrong, Cai Cai?" Fang Ren was ever so calm. Cai Cai: "I see you''ve been getting wilder and wildertely!" "What did I do?" Fang Ren took a sip of tea without the slightest hint of panic. "Aunt Bai... Aunt Bai''s bed board has copsed!" "Pfft!" Fang Ren sprayed a mouthful of old tea directly onto theputer: "Hey! You''ve definitely misunderstood the bed board thing!" Cai Cai turned her head and left without paying him any more attention. "Cai Cai! I really didn''t do that!" ... In the following days, Old Fang''s thoughts were consumed by how to mend his rtionship with his daughter. This kid couldn''t be coaxed with just candy anymore. After a meal as usual, Cai Cai returned to her room to look for her Elixir Notes, but inadvertently turned up a photograph. In the picture, Fang Ren was wrapped in bandages, smiling at her. She looked at the Dad in the photo and let out a long sigh. That was when she was sixteen, a mishap in her cultivation technique had caused her colorful Spirit Form to unleash a terrible energy, nearly killing her. But fortunately, Fang Ren arrived just in time, shielding her with his body, preventing her from getting hurt. However, Fang Ren ended up with a lot of his bones and flesh blown away, nearly losing his head. "Actually, Dad does love me... he''s just too much of a scumbag." "Forget it, I won''t be angry with him these next few days." Putting down the photo, Cai Cai stepped out of her room and said to Fang Ren who was engaged in Alchemy on the side, "Dad, I took a day off today, take me out to y." When Fang Ren heard her say this, he didn''t care about the elixir anymore, and smiled with a nod: "Let''s go!" Bang¡ª¡ª Suddenly, the Pill Furnace exploded without the protection of True Qi, leaving Fang Ren''s face covered in soot, his hair in wild disarray. Cai Cai burst intoughter. ... Ever since the night Bai Qi and Fang Ren slept together, Bai Qi seemed like apletely different person. She stopped driving, stopped flirting with Fang Ren, became shy, turned easily red-faced, like a young girl. It was onlyter that Fang Ren found out from Bai Qi that the Soul Transfer Formation incident was actually orchestrated by Mu Huanqing and Liu Qianqian. He felt helpless, unable to fathom his own wife''s thoughts. The three women stuck together every day, giggling and joking, while he seemed more like an outsider. ... One night, Fang Ren was with Mu Huanqing. "Ah Ran, what''s wrong?" Mu Huanqing looked puzzled at Fang Ren who suddenly copsed onto her, his face still flushed. She then checked Fang Ren''s soul status, a spell she learned from Liu Qianqian. After the check, Mu Huanqing suddenly became angry. "Xiao Xi!" Mu Huanqing got dressed and rushed toward the Bai Family''s house. Fang Ren''s soul had suddenly disappeared, which most certainly meant Bai Qi had pulled him away. But in the middle of the night, during a moment of intimacy, Bai Qi actually managed to pull Fang Ren away! She was furious! But when she got to the Bai Family, she saw Bai Qi was asleep, and the body beside her was also without a soul. "What''s wrong, Sister Hui Qing?" Bai Qi was somewhat confused. "I! I was just... and then Ah Ran''s soul suddenly disappeared!" Mu Huanqing was still very angry. Bai Qi furrowed her brows. Disrupting sisters during such a time? That was not something a sister should do! "Could it be Qian Qian''s doing?" Bai Qi suggested. She didn''t want such a thing to fall on her shoulders, it needed to be nipped in the bud now! "It must have been her!" The two women then went to find Liu Qianqian in the middle of the night. Liu Qianqian rubbed her eyes: "What''s up, sisters? Xiao Xi, you came too? Is there a big problem?" Mu Huanqing and Bai Qi were both taken aback because Fang Ren''s body was nowhere to be found in Liu Qianqian''s room. "What? Ah Ran''s soul is gone!?" Liu Qianqian was surprised to hear this. "Aside from us three, who else would pull his soul away for anything?" Mu Huanqing frowned. Bai Qi, however, seemed to think of something, her expression bing frantic: "Could it be!" "What is it?" "Sister Zhu Yuan, she... under my influence, she suddenly said yesterday that she wanted to try having a boyfriend... it couldn''t be her, could it..." "Hurry and find her!" ... The three women then went to the ce where Sister Zhu Yuan lived in the middle of the night. Sure enough, upon arriving, they sensed Fang Ren''s soul and heard his voice as well. "Zhu Yuan, let me go! What are you doing! If you keep this up, I''m really calling the police!" "What Bai Qi said is true, and you''re right too, even if we attain immortality, sooner orter we still have to experience all that life has to offer, it''s all the same in the end. Going back to the Hongyu Chasm in search of a daopanion is too troublesome; I can''t be bothered, so I''ll just settle for you." "Do you realize I was in the middle of something important with Qing''er!" "It''s no big deal, it''s the same with me." "Qing''er!!!!!" ... A monthter. Zhu Yuan suddenly told Fang Ren that she was pregnant, and Fang Ren was very happy. "From now on, you must pursue immortality just like me!" Zhu Yuan told Fang Ren very seriously. "Why?" Fang Ren was puzzled. "I don''t want my child to experience my past. My father died too young, which led to my mother''s deep depression. You absolutely cannot die early, otherwise, I might be like my mother, and the child will be another me," Zhu Yuan said. "But if I continue to cultivate, the Asura Path will lead to the oblivion of emotions." Chapter 386: Chapter 372: (7,800 words) Grand Finale! The True God is Not Eternal!_5 "There are countless Taoist principles in the world, you should cultivate anew." "Start over?" "Don''t worry, I will assist you, and besides, it was always meant for me to do so." Bamboo Grove said. "But what about Qing''er Qian Qian and Xiao Xi? What will they do?" "With me here, their lifespans can be extended." Bamboo Grove added, "If one of them dies and you are heartbroken, then I will divide my lifespan among them, so we can die together." "Divide your lifespan... Isn''t that also damaging to the natural order? Won''t you get struck by lightning?" "Yes." Bamboo Grove nodded. "Yet you still would do it?" "I fear your heartache." Bamboo Grove said. Her face showed no emotion, but her words were profoundly affectionate. Even at the risk of being struck by lightning, she didn''t want to see him heartbroken. Bamboo Grove moved closer to him, leaning against him and said, "I suddenly... understand my mother now." ... Afterward, everyone started on a somewhat busy yet fulfilling and happy path of cultivation under Bamboo Grove''s guidance. However, nobody ever left Earth. Even though the nature''s spiritual energy here was thin, Bamboo Grove always found ways to draw Spirit Veins and change everything here. Decadester, the Void Hole above the Earth suddenly vanished. A new deity had ascended the throne. One day, a radiant figure descended into Fang Ren''s house. "Hail the deity." Bamboo Grove went out to pay her respects. The figure of light waved a hand to dismiss the formalities and then looked toward Fang Ren, who was standing beside Mu Huanqing and the otherdies: "The one who took the branch all those years ago, it was you?" Fang Ren nodded and followed Bamboo Grove''s example with a bow. This radiant figure was most likely a manifestation of the new spacial deity who had descended to the mortal realm. The figure of light smiled and said, "With the protection of the previous deity, had you entered thepetition, I would have surely lost. I havee to you today to ry a message." "Please speak." The smile on the figure of light became somewhat wistful: "A deity is not eternal but simply one of the manyws within the vastness of the Tao; blessed with a lifespan of a billion years yet with nothing to do, observing the Ten Thousand Realms without a ce to go, only waiting to merge into the Void and dissipate¡ªit''s undeniably sad. Your decision to forgo the position back then was wise, and you must seek other paths, for perhaps among them lies the truly eternal Taoist principle." Fang Ren: "Why tell me all this?" The figure of light: "Why else but for the protection from the previous deity that you happened to receive? It is because he knew you would not choose his path, and he hoped you would go further, carrying with you his wish for eternity. And I, like the previous deity, long to witness true eternity, and you, without a doubt, are the one most likely to show me that moment." "Is this just to tell me these things?" Fang Ren asked again. "Not solely." The figure of light shook its head, "But I do not know what more to say." After speaking, the figure of light tossed a ring to Fang Ren and disappeared from Earth. The sky still echoed with his voice: "I wish you a brilliant future." Fang Ren opened the space within the ring only to find it filled with numerous Heavenly Spirit Treasures. "Why would he still give me these?" Fang Ren asked Bamboo Grove. "These are but illusions in his eyes now. It seems he was most likely ordered by the previous deity toe and tell you these things." Bamboo Grove said. "So does that mean deities are not truly eternal? When they merge into the Void, is it actually equivalent to death?" Fang Ren asked. "Certainly." Bamboo Grove''s expression was reflective: "It''s fortunate you didn''t participate in the divine selection back then; otherwise, you''d never have a chance at immortality." "If even deities cannot attain immortality, what immense effort must a mortal exert to catch a glimpse of it?" "You have unlimited potential." Bamboo Grove smiled at him. "Why do you have such faith in me?" "Because you are my husband, it''s as simple as that." ¡ª¡ª The end! The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!