Chapter 55: The Unexpected Variable

The name Li Yin made everyone present change their expressions ever so slightly. The young master of the Divine Mechanism Pavilion, renowned for his ability to divine the secrets of heaven and unravel the threads of fate, rarely made public appearances. Yet today, he had come in person to Biwu Manor? Ji Ciyuan was clearly surprised. Before the Symposium of the Way, he had sent an invitation to Li Yin. The Pavilion’s status was lofty, to say nothing of Li Yin himself, a formidable figure in his own right. It would not do to overlook him, no matter who else was omitted. Yet the invitation had been declined.

Ye Qian held a dagger in his hand. He had forged it to be as hard as possible, its toughness rivaling the black-tech weaponry of the X Corps. Armed with this blade and a flawless plan in mind, he resolved to strike down this cockroach.

Han De was merely an ordinary nine-star Martial Lord—hardly a match for Di Yu, who was battle-hardened and had carved out his own territory in the withered depths of Kumeng Marsh.

When Ye Yao spoke of her, his eyes softened with tenderness—a detail Xu Mosen did not notice, nor did he register Ye Yao’s anger at the mention of his return. Xu Mosen was still caught up in the words Tong Lexi had spoken.

Xiao Yurou, concerned over Xue Dongyi’s condition, dared not set out hastily. She simply chose a quiet medical hall and settled in, making it convenient to care for Xue Dongyi’s wounds. During this time, Xiao Yurou helped Xue Dongyi remove the bloodstained clothes that clung to his skin and assisted him in bathing and shaving.

He guided the power radiating from his primal spirit in a clockwise direction, directing it through his body’s meridians. He led the vital energy within those meridians to travel with that force, and finally, the energy returned to the primal spirit from whence it came.

Jie Mu drew out Solitary Bamboo. In an instant, the mechanical art was unsealed. The blade, now doubly unsealed, shimmered with a blood-red sheen under the sunlight. Its extraordinary nature was evident even before it was wielded; the blade’s unnatural luster set it apart from mundane weapons. With the mechanical augmentation, Jie Mu’s strength increased considerably.

Jiu Hua felt there was scarcely a spot on his body that hadn’t been bitten; his limbs were stiff and weak. Fortunately, it didn’t matter—his mouth could still move, and as long as it could, he could bite.

Old Master Shi, hearing Lu Yan’s veiled contempt for Tong Lexi, gave a twitch at the corner of his mouth and let out an awkward chuckle. So this was how Lu Yan had trained Miss Xi—no wonder she always carried herself with such boldness.

“So what if they’ve found out? It’s not as if I haven’t dealt with them before!” Lin Feng said indifferently.

Ye Qinglan responded with a smile. She sensed the goodwill Zhang Yue was extending. Truth be told, she had quite a favorable impression of Zhang Yue—far more so than of the shallow Fan family. She much preferred to be close to Zhang Yue.

Four cultivators from the Upper Realm, each at the peak of the Heavenly Emperor stage—by mortal standards, these were the highest-level forces to be reckoned with.

On this same day, deep in the mountains, a thunderous explosion erupted from a remote mine, immediately followed by the rumble of a landslide.

The coachman was quick-witted as well. Seeing the scene, he knew there was nothing more for him to do and promptly turned the carriage back toward the estate. Gu Xinian had long since dismounted, keeping a respectful distance from Ye Qinglan.

Still, this idea was one she could only entertain in her mind. After all, it was far too difficult to start over from scratch—no matter how advanced technology had been in her previous life, that was simply impossible.

Boom! A surge of enormous energy swept through, leveling the entire valley. Those who failed to escape in time were instantly consumed by the terrifying force.

At this, he took a sip of tea. Ye Qingcheng mused in her heart, “The Great Sui has only just been founded? That must have been over a hundred and seventy years ago. No wonder Yin Shifei appears so aged—at his cultivation of only high-level Celestial Immortal, his life span can’t have more than a few decades left.”

When the flames finally died away, all that remained on the ground was a pitch-black, scorched mark. A strange smell immediately filled the air—the stench of corpses vaporized by the intense heat.