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One life, one chance to survive—Liuru carefully weighed which was more precious.

Though Liu Fa still lived, her heart was heavy with sorrow. Of the twenty thousand soldiers who had marched with her, only a handful remained alive; fewer than three thousand had escaped back into Song territory. The auxiliary troops and laborers had suffered losses exceeding half their number. Such devastation was unprecedented in Liu Fa’s decades of military service.

Now, though she wielded fire, she did not wish to unleash it upon Jun Yancheng; instead, she directed it toward the man-eating tree.

Duan Min seemed to be in great pain, supporting his head weakly with both hands. He groaned twice in agony, then his eyes rolled back and he collapsed, limp on the ground.

Succubus Marisa instantly recognized the intention of this clone, born of her father.

As the final blow landed, he withdrew his breath, sheathing the Snow Mist Sword within, and smiled gently toward Huang Chengxin.

“Heh, I knew you’d do this. But I actually hope you can hold on. I want to see your strength. Of course, if you persevere, I will truly admire you,” Du Gu Hong said with a faint smile.

A Nascent Spirit stage ancestor appeared, startling Qin Hao and the others. Could there be an unknown supreme expert hidden in this time? Zhang San, tense and ready for battle, was also stunned, clutching his trident without knowing what to do.

Thank you for gifting me an empty joy. The beautiful memories we shared have blurred with tears. Occasionally recalled, the feelings remain vivid—just as when I loved you, without purpose, simply love.

Minutes later, one of the nineteen soldiers of the Fang Family’s First Guard Regiment who had rushed over spoke with certainty. His tone held a hint of relief, as if comforted that he hadn’t killed a comrade.

The surface bore intricate patterns, profoundly mysterious, like a sky full of stars, many obscured by rust.

—

Mother’s words made sense, but how long it would take was unknown.

The night traffic in Su City was decent. Panda and I sped along, unaware of how many speed cameras we triggered, until finally, after fifteen minutes, we arrived at the spot Zhao Tiezhu had mentioned.

Though it was my first time seeing this treasured sword, I felt an irresistible attachment to it. Yet, knowing how many had lost their reason and consciousness because of it, I remained cautious, unwilling to get too close.

Ron said nothing further, merely following Agatha forward, naturally drawing countless gazes along the way.

Li Man smiled. “No way. Even if you sprouted wings, you’d still find it hard to fly now—unless you dared jump out the window.” At her words, the group of subordinates burst into laughter.

Ron felt a little frustrated. Rachel had, more than once during cultivation, conveyed through their shared bond that he should marry her. Though marrying such a beauty was a great fortune for him, Rachel’s insistence made it feel like she was forcing him into marriage—a strange sensation.

Only by truly possessing the pearl would it obey Dragon Tian, its rightful master.

Black Rose watched the situation silently, her heart torn. She didn’t know whether to kill her own father.

Xie Junhe’s eyes brightened as he wanted to thank her, but Yan Hong still ignored him. She walked straight to the back table, leaning against a wealthy-looking middle-aged man, fluttering her eyelashes with sweet smiles and honeyed words, flaunting her charms. The merchant’s eyes were glazed, a foolish grin plastered on his face, his manners slipping away.

Just as she hung her head in a sigh, a piercing whistle ripped through the sky. Startled, a flying dove dropped in response, tracing a cold, sharp arc through the air. A golden arrow pierced the dove’s throat; its golden tip stained dark red. Bright blood spread across white feathers, a shocking sight.

The space trembled lightly, as if on the verge of collapse. Yet within the crystal-clear orb, a divine power of absorption and redirection seemed at work. A fierce, forceful strike landed as if upon a mass of soft cotton, utterly ineffective.

—

Perhaps life is but a series of whirlpools. She had fought desperately to escape the world of her ex-boyfriend, only to be swept unwillingly into an even greater vortex. She drifted through whirlpools one after another, uncertain where the next step would lead. Perhaps this was life’s ultimate fate.

With that, his body transformed into a golden streak, shooting toward the two corpse spirits. Determined to brutally humiliate the man with the bamboo hat before the eyes of thousands, he vowed to make him suffer unprecedented disgrace before slowly killing him. This thought had weighed on his heart for a month and finally exploded today.

After entering the forest, Guo Lin did not return immediately to the Forgetfulness Valley. Since this was a Corruption Demon Domain, his teleportation scroll to Dongyu City should still work.

Besides blood and white bones, only ferocious beasts and demons remained. Ordinary beasts posed no threat to Xiao Yan, but their vast numbers were overwhelming. He was weary of killing, tired of the sight of blood. He didn’t dare close his eyes, for the moment he did, all he saw was red.

Chu Tao’s fists clenched tightly, fourteen years of pent-up anger demanding resolution.

“Young Marshal, as the saying goes, don’t pursue the desperate. Besides, Shizhibang has reinforcements in the south; it may not be wise,” Qin Jingyuan advised.

“Hmph, I never expected Lu Ming’s luck to be so good. Everyone knows him, but he even knows Zhou Yueyin!” Max, his face pale and missing an arm, interjected.

“No buts—orders are orders. Why think so much?” Mo Ji said, taking the imperial edict from Ye Huang and heading indoors to put it away.

This strategic pass, even if the northern territories of Yunzhong and Yanmen were lost, could still block the Xiongnu cavalry’s southward advance. In the thirty-third year of the First Emperor’s reign, Meng Tian led the largest campaign against the Xiongnu. Yet the Xiongnu seized over seven hundred li of land in Henan, establishing Jiuyuan Commandery as a stronghold for the Qin dynasty.