Chapter Eighty-Nine: Heaven Is Merciless, Treating All Things as Mere Straw Dogs

After Ye Cheng finished speaking, he turned his gaze toward the group of trembling followers nearby. He walked up to them, his demeanor calm, and addressed them:

“From now on, you should go about your own business, but remember—never again engage in such harmful deeds. Your leader and your third-in-command have already been stripped of their abilities by me; I doubt they’ll be able to teach you much anymore. As for you all…”

Especially Lu You, whose every movement exuded a powerful, oppressive aura, as if an ancient, ferocious beast was imprisoned within him, seething with boundless strength.

Mu Jinxi, reluctant to let Meng Qi leave, tried to persuade him to stay. But Meng Qi was insistent—he wasn’t about to risk lingering any longer with night falling. Who would take responsibility if something happened?

Meanwhile, as Liu Dong’s strength grew, Niu Heng remained steadfastly at his side, keeping pace with him step for step.

“That’s right. Even if we want to support Chen Shuang, it would be difficult,” Ding Dan agreed with his father’s concerns. “Our new plan for the East China market has been designated a key project by the city bureau, and the province is watching closely. There’s no room for error.”

“Alright, everyone, no need to be so formal. I’m curious about this novel contraption myself—let’s take a group photo together, haha!” Li Tianchen suggested affably.

At a single glance, Zeng Guofan was overcome by dizziness; sparks exploded before his eyes, and a ringing filled his ears.

Xia, who had lived a quarter of her life with honesty and integrity, had never told a lie. Now, her fingers twisted nervously at her clothes as she snuck glances at the phone and tablet Xiao Tao had left on the bedside table.

Thus, this peculiar stone mountain became the ultimate battleground. Every student harbored a burning drive to compete, and as time passed, the atmosphere grew ever more intense—scorching, even boiling over.

But at this moment, there was no turning back. The arrow was already nocked to the string. Zhou Yu, as a naturally gifted fighter with exceptional discipline, was not easily shaken. Though inwardly amazed by Lu You’s prowess, his surprise was quickly replaced by a deep, covetous desire.

“What, is that a threat?” Lei Chen glanced at Brother Chen’s police insignia—it seemed rather high-ranking.

He decided to present the gift to Gu Xixi, who had always taken good care of him. As a result, Lady Jiu sulked for quite some time, but fortunately, she was magnanimous and said nothing in the end.

Wang San ignored the clamor of people around him, simply pointing outside the city gates at a stone stele and making a remark to Lu Qingyu.

Last night, Dongfang Yi was quite dissatisfied that he could do nothing but hold Luo Yixuan’s fragrant body as they slept. But, knowing she was still recovering and had a full schedule of filming every day, he forced himself to suppress his desires for fear her health might not withstand it.

This environment would surely be a great boon to his cultivation. Xia was instantly delighted, but when he remembered Yun Xiao and the others behind him, his enthusiasm waned. Without them, he could have devoted himself fully to training—perhaps even advancing to the mid-stage of the Golden Core. But with enemies so close, how could he train at ease?

Just like that old man Wang Yang—he seemed like a cheerful, rambling elder, but even the mighty General Zhen Guo listened to him. Clearly, Wang Yang’s identity was far more complex than that of an imperial physician.

“Tell us, how did you come by your school badge?” Elder Yue’s face was dark as he blocked Hong Xia’s path.

Thus, a peculiar phenomenon emerged in the third-level district: only a handful signed up for the assessment, while crowds of onlookers swarmed the scene. Now, Lu Qingyu found himself in just such an awkward predicament.

Leng Yi was not faring much better. Always intent on tempering his strength, he had pushed himself to his limit—these four hundred pounds were the utmost he could bear.

“Alright, that’s about all the time we have. The press conference ends here. Thank you to all the reporters for coming!” The host seized the moment and promptly brought the proceedings to a close.