Volume One, Chapter 125: Rising in the Rankings

“Almost done!” Ji Die’s face briefly brightened with excitement at the medicinal fragrance wafting from the furnace, but he forcibly suppressed it, keeping his spiritual focus fixed intently inside the elixir furnace.

Inside, fierce flames roared, and a mass of black liquid was being compressed continuously, gradually taking shape as a rudimentary pill. It seemed as if his own heart beat in rhythm with the pulsing liquid.

A rare flicker of tension stirred within him.

At last, three black pills appeared inside the furnace.

Instantly, Ji Die extinguished the fire and struck the furnace. The three black pills transformed into streaks of light, flying out of the furnace and landing in his hand.

“Second-tier initial-stage elixirs!” Ji Die’s heart pounded, feeling something indescribable...

Liu Xingshuang had already retied her hair neatly. Upon hearing Bai Yan’s words, she remained silent.

I stepped out of the rest area. Several workers in uniforms saluted and greeted me as I passed by. When I reached a corridor pillar outside the rest area’s underwater garden, I suddenly caught sight of a golden silhouette—a cascade of golden hair flowing behind the pillar.

For three days and nights, Ming Yu had deliberately tried to curry favor, but Yu Yuyao could hardly resist. What had once been a rivalry had now softened into sisterly intimacy.

Ordinarily, all beings, burdened with heavy karmic debts from killing, must go to Iron Enclosure Mountain after death and then be assigned to various hells. It’s a terrifying prospect—is this the only path for us? Not quite. Some, through cultivation and accumulation of merit and virtue, are reborn directly into the Three Good Realms.

Before he could finish speaking, Li Naixin pointed his sword, and he felt something pierce his chest, writhing wildly inside him, causing unbearable pain. Like William’s men, he curled up on the ground, wailing.

Now, finally confronted with such a terrifying figure, my eyes widened as I stared, disbelief etched across my face. An instinctive fear welled within me—I knew this adversary would be formidable.

“Wait and see! No prisoners shall be left for any invaders outside,” Li Tian said coldly, gazing at the shadowy monk.

At that moment, a group hurriedly arrived, led by my master aunt, Daoist Priestess Chuai Yan.

---

The envoy from the Nanzhao Kingdom had been in Eastern Chu for two days, resting up. Tomorrow was the day of the state banquet, and both inside and outside the palace, preparations were in full swing.

Gu Qingcang tried hard to hide something, but the subtle abnormal expression was caught by the sharp Prince Li, sensing something amiss.

True to prior intentions, Li An did not want to waste time with Yamamoto Jiro and punched directly.

Zhou Nan and his group headed first to Arnhem, Netherlands, to attend Ian’s wedding, then planned to sail from Rotterdam to London.

“If I say 'we,' it makes me feel like I'm hiding behind my teammates. I am the team leader—I must shoulder the responsibility. Besides, I must say that Gao Chuan is amazing; he is the toughest opponent I’ve faced among peers and younger players,” Paro spoke seriously, word by word.

Miao Ling smiled faintly, completely devoid of the ruthless sharpness she showed earlier on stage. In truth, her nature was gentle. It was only due to a slight influence from Mu Lingling and Hong Yi’s earlier excesses that she had become harsh.

Terauchi Masaki shouted loudly, mounted his horse, and cracked his whip hard on the horse’s rounded rump. The horse cried out in pain, its heavy horseshoes striking the ground, kicking up dust.

After all, this was Huaxia Academy, a school founded by one of Huaxia’s most powerful families.

Meanwhile, Luo Yu stood quietly, listening to Mu Lingling’s account. Yet, Long Kong’s ruthless moves had no effect on him; instead, they only deepened his resolve to defeat Long Kong.

Ye Hongzhang, having roamed Huaxia for many years, understood well that money and power were fleeting; the most valuable resource in society was martial talent.

Of course, Audrey was not so naive, but she had received little education in this regard. Zhou Nan, however, liked to teach in this area. Though just a theorist, having lived to ninety-five and experienced the impact of the internet era, he naturally knew far more and was willing to discuss these matters with her.

Li An ate four kinds of food alternately: a steak, three eggs, two slices of bread, and half a cup of milk—always maintaining a slow, steady pace.

“These cloaks are quite good, and this wrist guard too,” everyone was delighted by their spoils. Nearby, Shiva gradually withdrew from her dragon transformation, standing calmly beside the snowy, lifeless star river.

Face, waist, belly, legs! Wu Xianqi paid no heed to order, striking anywhere he could, desperately trying to expel all the internal fire.

---

Here at Lin Feng’s location, he finally found the source of Bal’s voice. His pupils constricted sharply as a shadow appeared before him.

During the office meeting today, everyone noticed Zhang Zhiguo’s overall spirit was lethargic and dazed. They urged him to rest, but Zhang insisted he was just sleep-deprived and fine.

After a while, Lin Yaxian still hadn’t emerged, and he grew anxious. The feeling of a cat playing with a mouse was deeply unsettling.

This was a plan the two had agreed upon on the road—the old man wouldn’t reveal everything willingly; only by driving him to lose reason could they expose a weakness.

Feeling the person in his arms pat his back, Luo finally loosened his grip slightly, though he still kept Luo Xi within his protective range.

That day, under the silver moonlight, they preserved a beautiful memory together, locking it tightly in a box within their hearts, never to be opened again.

The youth realized his words had been too ambiguous; a slight blush rose between his brows as he lowered his head silently.

Bearing such doubts, Murong Wan, who had chased after them, abandoned her plan to return ahead to the Murong family and followed closely behind Xiao Yao, along with Yi Fan and Yi Fei, into the hotel.

As Ning Shuang drew nearer to Chen San and the collapsed Meng Chang’an, Chen Wan’er reentered Chen San’s spiritual awareness. At that moment, Chen San felt the “Thousand-Mile Ice Seal.”

“Jing Ya, you know the situation now. If you don’t leave yourself a way out, what do you plan to do?” The man rubbed his brow, his expression troubled.

“Forget it, let it be. His body is in our hands now; no matter how hard they search, they won’t find it,” Le Yao said with a joyful smile, feeling increasingly pleased at having done a great deed for the young master upon arrival.

Luo Xifeng also sighed in relief. “Let go, let go!” he said, but no one heeded him.