Volume 1, Chapter 103: Probing

A pegasus swept across the vast canyon nestled between two mountain ranges, while below, on the World Tree Avenue, a large convoy moved forward slowly.

Market research had to be conducted, and income carefully calculated; if it proved unprofitable, abandonment was inevitable.

The River Bay Territory, in its rapid expansion, had nearly exhausted the gifts from the Empire’s princess, the rewards from the Northern Duke, and its own savings.

Yet unexpectedly, an additional thousand soldiers arrived beyond what was anticipated. Clearly, the Western Border Earl was no fool—he had sensed the threat from the North and dispatched reinforcements accordingly.

With a few resounding bursts of fireworks echoing like cannon signals, the night of the twenty-ninth of the twelfth lunar month was imbued with a strong festive spirit.

In this battle, he gained a profound understanding of the incense fire born from the collective consciousness of the human race.

However, come spring, when the hunting parties left the tribe and its defenses weakened, there would be no end to the troubles.

Pausing at this point, Su Yu’s dark eyes briefly flickered with an eerie purple light.

When Shenzhou first heard this, he was stunned. Shen Qiang was so henpecked, and his mother was not unreasonable—how could the story possibly take this turn?

Would His Majesty one day slay all the Xiliang bandits and reclaim the entire Silizhou region?

The bitterly extinguishing Zen realm’s technique that harmed the imperial aura, and the sword moves once famed among the younger generation by Bu Qianhuai—since Bu became a Dao Flower Candidate, the old man had heard of them. Such obvious techniques, naturally, could not be concealed.

She was determined to become a close-combat offensive soul master and would not abandon her dream just because her martial soul was a staff. Yet, after her ice sword was enhanced by two soul skills and cut through several vines, a wave of melancholy swept over her.

“Hey, did you notice something?” Tan Yuxin, straightforward by nature, asked bluntly.

Beside her, Bu Qianhuai remained silent, for there was no need for many words; watching quietly was enough. Had his identity not been so highly recommended by Baishou Liuxian, he would have shown himself more to gain favor for his actions. But for now, it was better to keep a low profile.

At that moment, the originally dull bracelet gradually shimmered with alternating hues of pale blue and white, flickering beautifully.

“Aunt Lan, this person came looking for me. Lin Chen might be parting ways with you here, but I will try to distract him. From now on, you all must rely on yourselves,” Lin Chen said gravely, turning his back on Yun Lan.

Just these few gains alone caused Lin Chen’s fortune to soar. Not to mention the others, combined with the yet unopened storage bag and the tempered sword in his hand, this haul rivaled all his gains from the trials, and exceeded them by an unknown margin.

Unlike him, Nan He’s gaze never left his face. The moment he noticed the evasiveness in his eyes, he knew something was amiss.

Seeing this, Lu Fei pulled over a stool for her and forced her to sit down, so Lu Lin ended up sitting outside the tavern. Her eyes kept scanning the passersby, yet she never spotted the figure she sought.

“This thing looks terrifyingly heavy—I can’t lift it at all!” Mi Du circled the massive dragon horn weapon in astonishment.

Soft black hair cascaded down her shoulders like flowing water; her fair skin and delicate features were sweetly beautiful. Murong Shanshan’s radiant smile was like a spring pond melting under the sun, her beautiful eyes flickering as they looked at me.

“Nascent Soul?” Shen Feng was momentarily stunned but then a wicked smile appeared on his face. Suddenly, he thought of a way to deal with the Divine Master.

Downstairs, several guards were loading a pile of goods into the car’s trunk—items Xu Lin had prepared in advance for my parents. I didn’t look closely, but Xu Lin’s thoroughness always reassured me; she was more thoughtful than Xin Yu and I combined.

If a prodigy as renowned as Shen Qinglan was so exceptional, what of the others?

Seeing the situation, Lin Feng said no more. He clasped Wu Jing’s hand and began moving slowly in the water, feeling the waves’ impact.

Then she pressed herself tightly against Lin Feng’s chest, the fullness of her bosom pressing firmly against him.

The emperor, naturally, already knew the army had arrived, so he had special envoys to receive Su Yan and escort him inside.

“Nonsense, of course it’s true! Tell me, whose grandson is he?” Li Yueze hissed in a low voice, the murderous intent flickering in his eyes startling Su Yan.

Shen Feng said, “Since the life-and-death curse originates from the cultivation world, why does it appear in mortal hands?” At this, he recalled Lu Xiuqiang’s protective talisman and the Sharp Jade charm, and explained everything to Huxing.

The approaching group gradually drew near, still too distant to see clearly, when suddenly a whistle rang out, soaring through the sky.

Another ten minutes passed with no results. I was baffled; having searched from the hilltop to its base, how could there be no trace? A living person couldn’t simply vanish—if dead, the body should be found.

Those qualified to enter this conference room had at least seven or eight years of hard experience in the Steel Gun Club, so they were all familiar with its workings.