Volume One, Chapter 68: Sworn Brotherhood

The dining hall of Longsheng Coal Mine was spacious, freshly renovated, with the lingering scent of lime and dampness in the air. Fang Qin led Zhang Weidong into a private room and ordered two pounds of hand-pulled lamb and several dishes. Zhang Weidong showed no restraint and eagerly grabbed the lamb, savoring its flavor.

“Old Master, I truly troubled you with this extra trip,” Qin Tian said, finally finding a moment of leisure. He couldn’t help but feel guilty, knowing well that the old man preferred peace and quiet.

In that moment, grief fueled the lords’ fighting spirit, driving them to attack Luoyang without a thought for consequences.

“Hearing you all talk like this, I almost want to see it for myself. But it’s really a pity—I have no desire to return to the Cao residence at all…” She now regretted her earlier restraint, wishing she had rummaged through Miss Shishi’s belongings; perhaps she could have found a painting or two.

Within the soul blood, the honor and nobility of the bloodline stirred reverence among the Dark Moon wolf tribe. The Dark Moon Wolf King was utterly shaken, barely able to believe that the tribe’s unparalleled genius, the Golden-Winged Sky Wolf, had formed an equal pact with the Divine Cultivator before him.

Xiao Chen’s words astonished everyone present. No one had ever dared speak to the bald, burly man like that, let alone declare his defeat. The fat man nearby sneered inwardly, convinced that Xiao Chen’s fate would soon be dire.

“Very well! Begin!” the major nodded, waving his hand at the soldiers to step forward one by one for assessment.

Had it been before, Gongsun Laiyi would have remained indifferent, but now, having reached this point with Qin Tian, she could not claim to be unconcerned about their conversation.

Sanzi shook his head and, turning to glance at the poacher on his back, said, “Big Brother, you didn’t abandon your brothers back then, and today I will not abandon you either.” His tiger-like eyes brimmed with tears, and his voice grew choked with emotion as he spoke.

It was truly a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road. Now that he had figured out the other’s backing, Yi Yang was at ease; as for Director Liu from Logistics, he paid him no mind whatsoever.

Almost in the instant a warrior before him turned, Thunder Slash tore through the soldier’s body.

He Zhen’s understanding of [Netherworld] was limited to some recorded materials, mostly regarding martial arts and secret techniques. He knew little about its organizational structure, and when he set out, he never expected to encounter someone from [Netherworld] so soon.

At the foot of the mountain, Tian Chou roused over six thousand soldiers in the dead of night, assembling them outside the camp to blockade every mountain path. He wasn’t sure whether trusting Zhang Liao was right or wrong, but since Zhang Liao had led his troops up the mountain to seize the initiative, Tian Chou could only prepare to support him or launch a strong assault from below.

The earliest Soul of Time transformed into the ‘Blood of Time’ in the hunting grounds, then Yun Yao’s personal ‘Soul of Time,’ and now this thing—their auras differed somewhat, but overall they were not far apart.

The Black Sun let out a cry of pain, and from the pierced wound oozed black luminous liquid, falling onto Qu Tie Li’s Demon King armor and raising wisps of smoke. Qu Tie Li shifted slightly, clearly finding that the black liquid was not easily resisted.

After finishing her questions, Qinli Wenzhen took out a silver pendant from her chest, inside which was a severely faded photograph, yet carefully preserved and undamaged. One could barely discern the figures of a young Shizhi and Zhennan within.

“Let’s be direct—what is your real purpose here?” Liu Zheng ignored the previous remarks and spoke bluntly, with no hint of evasion.