Volume One, Chapter 31: Half Awakened, Half Drunk, Half Mad

At that moment, something even more disastrous happened. The bathrobe on Zhou Xuan’s body had already come loose, and with this sudden movement, it slipped off entirely. Tang Chen stared in shock at her graceful figure, almost getting a nosebleed. The deep curves made it impossible not to be curious.

He shut his eyes, focusing intently on the mysterious force raging within him—a power that seemed gentle but was actually wild and violent. Though he had absorbed it and suppressed it with the ancient Buddhist energy, he dared not release even a trace.

Slowly, he pulled the car over to the side of the road. Chen Jun and Qin Yuqing got out, leaning against the guardrail, both gazing westward in unspoken accord. The setting sun turned the sky a blazing red, and in their silent agreement, neither spoke a word, simply appreciating the beauty of the sunset.

Yet the chain linking Xuanyuan Shuo’s twin swords was not just for show. With a swift motion, the flying sword left his hand. Gripping the iron chain tightly, Xuanyuan Shuo swung the sword in a wide arc toward Qiu Zailin.

Han Yan knew it was impossible to stop Qiao Mao from acting, but since it was clear the other was only putting on a show, he didn’t think much of it and reached out to help Qiao Mao up.

This special chakra blade could merge with chakra, and when Asuma infused it with wind-style chakra, its edge could easily pierce through a human body. When wielded in a frenzy, it could destroy even the toughest marble.

Chen Jun’s words left He Quan silent. Perhaps it was the way Chen Jun said there wasn’t a single thing about him worth trusting that left He Quan with a strange feeling he couldn’t quite name.

He had already assured his friends and colleagues that he would win Jiang Xiyue’s heart within the year, and now, unexpectedly, she was planning to resign.

Yue Mingxin looked closely at Zhang Fan, noticing he had grown taller and more handsome, though he was still quite tanned.

She looked up and realized it was Meng Xinyun, who had quietly approached without her noticing.

By now, the horizon was just beginning to lighten with the pale glow of dawn, and the darkness shrouding the desert wasteland gradually lifted.

Although everyone was used to this phenomenon by now, what surprised them most was how close the barrier had come—almost right upon them.

“Master, Miss Xue Ning can’t hold on much longer. How are we supposed to help you detoxify? You’d better think of a way to drive away that black energy!” Seeing Han Xuening’s increasing pain, Lin Ziming called for the mysterious old man’s help.

She hadn’t finished her thought before that cool, fair hand grasped her clothes tightly, and with a flash of white in her mind, Chen Mo let out a sharp scream.

It was the heir of Marquis Yongqing who tried to seize her by force, and when his son attempted to intervene, both his legs were broken and he was thrown into the lake.

Her oxygen tube had been removed, visible injuries still marked her body, but a timely arrival by the hospital’s night nurse saved her life.

Suddenly, he caught sight of a familiar figure. He focused his gaze—it was Wen Han. How could she possibly be here?

After a tense wait, the list of those who advanced was finally released. As expected, Ye Shuang, Yun Jiming, and Man Keyue all moved on. Only Gong Shao, after carefully checking each name, finally saw his own at the very end.

At this moment, Lang Ping was also injured and not as strong as when at his peak, so he was no match for Hong Wu in a direct confrontation.

The Water and Wood style techniques were never meant for fighting ordinary ninjas. The real threats Water and Wood faced were the Mangekyō Sharingan, Rinnegan, Wood Release, and the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki.

Du Ruhui pointed at several clans, all of which had some friction with one another. Clearly, old Du knew that to be effective, one must be placed in a crucial spot.

“I came back to win—at least this match, I must win!” Howard did not fall silent again, instead speaking these words.

They simply couldn’t understand why Elder Saimu’s attitude changed so abruptly, supporting Tang Feng the moment he saw him. Hadn’t he previously insisted on preventing Tang Feng from becoming the Dragon God’s Crown Prince?

The Hundred Mechanisms Puppet Technique was truly formidable. Though many experts scorned the advantage of numbers, until one’s strength rendered numbers meaningless, it remained an unsolvable dilemma. What’s more, most of Sasori’s puppets were powerful human puppets.

“There’s a battle up ahead. Good luck.” The soldier checked my ID, returned it courteously, then waved to signal the others to let me pass.

It allowed a cultivator to improve their abilities effortlessly—pure, natural, harmless, and without any side effects, the gentlest and most refined energy imaginable.

Changsun Chong didn’t speak, but his mind grew sharper. As for his mother’s words, he found them a bit exaggerated—besides, wasn’t Prince Shu, Li Ke, still around? He simply nodded, smiling sweetly as he followed behind Li Ke.

So he would not thrust Chang Xue into the center of the storm, nor give others a chance to hurt her. Only after he had paved the way would it be time for such matters.

“Unfair! Unfair!” Some of the more agitated citizens began to raise their fists, aiming at that very Wang Zhong, and the situation began to spiral out of control.

Few corrupt officials were truly tough, especially when the governor himself didn’t intend to protect them. When Meng Changguang suddenly died in prison, he knew full well it was to silence him. That very information had been deliberately leaked to him by Leng Wuwei.

Tang Chun had already been kicked to the ground by Zhang Yi, but Zhang Yi wasn’t much better off. He had no real fighting experience—after all, he was only fourteen, facing three men in their twenties. Knocking down two, kicking down one—that was impressive enough, and vanity swelled within Zhang Yi, blinding him with pride.

But what he didn’t expect was that his former superior was a notorious villain in the Tirisfal Glades.

Shangguan Yingjie considered for a moment and decided to call off the state banquet, lest even more shocking truths come to light. Still, for such a grand celebration to end so abruptly, the capital would surely be abuzz with rumors by morning.