Volume One, Chapter 44: No Friendship Without a Fight

Thinking back to the promise Su Li made before she left, she now felt a burning embarrassment on her face. He frequently lifted the curtain to glance outside, then walked to the door, opened it, and looked out, only returning to his seat after confirming no one was watching. Horn spilled the sack of gold coins onto the floor of their room; the elderly couple, who had just been lamenting their son’s shortcomings, instantly transformed their grim expressions into ones of wild joy as the room filled with gold, and began frantically gathering the coins.

Over fifty years of cultivating the Way, he had contended with countless formidable foes and had long since forged an unshakable heart—no adversary on the path ahead could make him falter. Colin was now a fifth-circle mage, as was Daisy; both had advanced about two years ago, and their unique magic placed them among the strongest of all fifth-circle mages in the council.

“So what do we do now?” Natasha finally spoke up; apart from Barbara and Zhu Qingqing, she was the calmest among them.

Recalling the valor of the Rose Knight, Su Mo gathered her courage, picked up the brewed tea, and entered the room. Come to think of it, Li Meng really did resemble a miser at the moment, but it was not in her nature—it was a subconscious habit formed from years of thrift. Money had always been crucial to her family.

“As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters. But I see you’ve hardly rested—this won’t do. You must balance work and rest. Once the new semester starts, don’t push yourself so hard,” Ling Heng said, his heart aching for Jing Shu’s efforts.

The guild’s party bonus isn’t based on the number of members, but on the guild’s level. A 20% experience boost is the basic bonus for a low-level guild, and as the guild grows, the party experience bonus increases accordingly.

“Alright! Go and have your zombie army ready for battle at any moment!” Wang Kaixuan shouted, fully confident in Cao Xingteng.

“Target the area in front of the throwing darts and blackwood plaque! The demon is right there—be careful not to hit the darts or the plaque!” Tang Yiyue and Tian Qi’s voices rang in everyone’s ears.

“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything foolish. After so many years, I’m used to it by now. Still, I once thought I’d die after this year’s birthday.”

“Vermilion Bird, can I save you?” Though he knew he was dreaming, Qi Tianyu couldn’t help but ask.

To obtain Zhou Hao’s two jade pendants, he had gone to great lengths, even seeking out legendary spirits and striking a bargain with them.

“Our boss is in the middle of a meeting—wait over there for a while,” the leader, a tough-looking man with a green buzz cut, said coolly.

This was a pitch-black cave, unlike the soul-capturing banner’s interior. Though darkness reigned, there was just enough faint light to make out the surroundings.

The four who had retreated were now unable to move; a sword wound pierced each of their foreheads, killing them instantly.

Ruan Chen smiled and said, “Put me down. Don’t forget, you’re cultivating the technique I gave you. If you kill me, someone will be alerted immediately…” He stopped, raised his hand, and pointed upward.

“They’re fighting on the front lines. They asked me to stay here and protect you and Her Highness,” Dupont said.

In Wang Zhi’s memory, Shen Ci never seemed to encounter anything that made her truly panic. She was always calm—after the briefest moment of alarm, she’d collect herself.

“If the Southern Wild Empire finds out you acted on your own, it might not end well,” Li Yue replied with a faint smile, a subtle refusal.

Wu Lei nodded slightly, his gaze toward the shadowy figure growing more wary. This person could truly control such powerful warriors—his methods were extraordinary.

Hearing Wu Di speak so calmly, and seeing his red eyes return to normal, everyone could not help but heave sighs of relief.

Shen Ci had just finished carving the pattern on a slender-necked vase. Inspired anew by the radiant light, she picked up another plum vase and began carving with a casual hand.

Zuo Yong met Qin Zheng’s gaze, coughed awkwardly, straightened his clothes, adjusted his pants, and, seeing Qin Zheng sitting opposite, finally sat down himself, still looking embarrassed.

The Temple of Life resembled a palace from the lower realm, though its colors were more subdued, lacking the glaring red walls and yellow tiles of more ostentatious buildings.

“Let’s not talk about that—where is the prince? Where is he? He’s in danger right now!” Feng Yong said urgently.

I struggled to lift my head to look at him, and when I met the fiery passion in his eyes, I felt my heart waver.

After breakfast, Liu Degui took Dabao to the village committee. There, the director told him that, since his family had lost five members in a year, he could no longer farm as much land—the land for those five would be reclaimed and reassigned.

But then a pair of hands caught the dumpling; as my gaze slowly moved up, I realized those hands belonged to that uncle.

Just after ending her call, Feng Xiaoxiao was surprised to receive another, this time from a landline number in the capital.

Could it be… The Taoist remembered the corridor—was it only after blood splashed into his eyes that he saw the truth? He quickly searched for a cut on his body, dabbed some blood, and smeared it on his eyelids.

Last night, they seemed united in the trenches—how had they become so indifferent overnight?

“Lianzhi’s spirit is too strong, and the injuries are severe. My energy is limited—I can’t wake him,” Po Xue said calmly.

The ground was no longer safe to stand on. Yu Mei was forced to conjure a giant wooden kite, the size of a horse, with her magical tool, carrying them into the air to avoid being swallowed by earth and stone.

Li Changan landed lightly on a rock. Dew from the mountains soaked through his clothes, and the night wind chilled him to the bone.

Years of work and the atmosphere of her life had long since made Mu Shanshan indifferent to matters of life and death; so, when she heard the commotion outside, she didn’t panic like the others.

People instinctively huddled together, grasping each other. Several flashlights illuminated a wild boar not far away, snorting heavily. The moment the beams hit it, it froze, its dark green eyes staring at them, round and unblinking.