Chapter 384: Terrifying Ruins

Chu Yun stared agape at the scorched remains of the energy storage crystal, a moment frozen in time, and had the heat ray gun not burned so fiercely in his palm, his daze might have lingered even longer.

Yet in terms of functionality, Wenger envisioned a vastly different purpose for Kaka, casting him as a goal-scoring attacking midfielder whose surges into the penalty box could bolster their offensive options; Wenger was demanding that Kaka enhance his aerial prowess and physical resilience, while his playmaking duties remained secondary.

"Uncle!" Tianming suddenly leapt from the canopy of the carriage, for Ge Nie had just emerged from within, a sign that Wang Jin's elixir had taken effect and eased his injuries enough that he no longer required recumbent rest, which was tedious anyway given the violent jolts of the vehicle.

Arriving outside Liu Shiyan's window, just as he was about to make his move, the sudden echo of footsteps from around the corridor's corner reached his ears, prompting him to vanish in a flash and silently vault onto the roof.

"Tianming, let me lend you a hand," Wang Jin said, turning his gaze back to the boy, prepared to unlock this protagonist's hidden potential before setting off to find the First Emperor of Qin.

His actions were born of sheer necessity, for the establishment and growth of the Yi Family Company had been driven entirely by Du Yujiao's tireless efforts, leaving Lin Chen as a completely hands-off proprietor who reaped the benefits for nothing.

As though refined through decades of stagnant fermentation, the putrid stench in the air had subtly materialized into a near-tangible mist, through which the faint, ethereal contours of various animal skeletons could be discerned.

Even under such circumstances, an authoritative physician rushed forward regardless, once more grasping Ouyang Feiyu's wrist to check the pulse.

"What a ridiculous joke, how could I ever do such a thing?" though shock rippled through his mind, the words that escaped Hu's lips remained perfectly composed.

The distinction between righteousness and evil was simple enough in common understanding—doing good defined the former, while doing bad defined the latter—and while most people held this basic view, others perceived deeper complexities, though Wang Jin's own understanding aligned with neither.

Having inadvertently cured two thoroughly wicked men and emboldened them to continue their villainy, Mu Yanzu sought to rectify his mistake, yet knowing he was no match for the Liu brothers, he sought out Master Tong, a fellow victim of the deception, to block the brothers' midnight escape.

There indeed walked two powerfully built men in bizarre attire, leading a pair of horses along the street.

Following another protracted tracking sequence, Xiang Xing cradled the duckling and trailed closely behind Tao Yang, eventually arriving at the cafeteria of the Jiang Family Sanatorium.

"I will work hard!" Da Guo suddenly howled, startling Zhou Xiao.

Biting her pink lip, she slipped into a random stall within the restroom, crouched down, and resumed her persistent calling.

Of course, Chen Zuodu's letter to her was not intended to flaunt his efficiency, but rather to inform her that he had uncovered a fleeting trace of Xu Gu.

He had barely stepped in front of the two when, beneath the astonished gazes of the gathered spirits and beasts, he dropped to one knee with a heavy thud.

"Take this, it may prove of great utility once you enter Linjiu Town," Qi Huang said, sliding the Boundary-Defining Bead toward Mu Yanzu.

The carcasses of the slaughtered wolves were gathered by the fortress guards, reportedly destined to be processed into dried meat.

Liu Mazi kept no secrets, recounting the morning words of Lin Feng and his companions to the villagers of Zhang Village with absolute fidelity.

Consequently, the atmosphere surrounding the Grudge Arena was exceptionally fiery; in the seven or eight days since Meng Qi had arrived at the Eternal Camp, this was the first time he had witnessed such a crowd, a result, naturally, of his habit of remaining holed up in his quarters.

"Oh my! This quest for the crystals is bound to be thrilling and perilous, and we'll pass by 'historic sites' unknown to Earth! We absolutely must take photos for memory's sake!" Gula cried, snatching the camera and stuffing it back into the bag.

Having received a slap from Lu You, a trace of grievance actually flickered in Da Hui's eyes as it lay on the ground whimpering pitifully, yet those eyes remained fixed with intense longing upon the bag of dog food in Lu You's hand.

It was precisely 21:43 in the evening, and as the building's employees departed in successive waves, the security guards and cleaners stationed across the floors stood out prominently as they discharged their duties.

Having just been discharged from the hospital in Singapore, the unfortunate Xiao Lu was helped into a grey sedan, still utterly ignorant of the true culprit who had struck him down.

Meanwhile, Captain Yang was utterly beside himself with rage, his vision consumed the entire way by that roguish face; to be fooled by someone and then be forced to personally chauffeuring them home in a police cruiser was truly an affront to justice.

"Rest assured, it is fine. I am someone who has braved storms and hardships alongside you, and my sense of self-preservation is more than sufficient," Luo said, thumping his chest.

Looking back, the slaughter in that quarter was drawing to a close, and the scarred man was gradually losing his strength; regardless of his formidable might, he could not withstand the ferocious onslaught of the sea beasts that rushed like a deluge, to say nothing of how the scent of blood had driven these creatures into a frenzied rage.

"I remember, you said you were willing." You said that since the young master wished for you to live, you were willing to live, for anything was acceptable so long as it brought him happiness.

How could this be? She ought to have resisted, so why did she harbor the illusion of enjoyment? Could it truly be, as he claimed, that the wine had bewildered her mind into offering herself willingly?

The moment those words were uttered, Long Yun and his companions were struck dumb; that slovenly Daoist of the Martial King realm was actually Zhang Sanfeng of the Wudang Sect, meaning Wudang had actually given rise to a powerhouse of such stature?

At Wang Yu's echelon, a mere sliver of disparity in strength could dictate the margin of victory or defeat; though the power he unleashed had not yet attained the pinnacle of the Martial Venerable realm, it was vastly superior to the likes of Lv Yan.

If one could secure a firm foothold within the enemy's imperial court or royal family, the volume of intelligence accessible would expand exponentially, yielding a measure of control over the hostile state.

He had witnessed others opening chests at seven or eight different divine formations, yet he had never seen anyone obtain a divine talent or secret technique from the very first treasure chest, which usually yielded only spiritual herbs or weapons.

Xia Ming's eyes remained locked onto this special category, not daring to miss a single detail, as if terrified it might turn out to be anything else.

Yet, when the vehicle came to a smooth halt before the entrance of the royal palace's main hall, the assembly beheld Luo Jiebu dressed in a short brown leather jacket, his tall and handsome figure bathed in the golden afternoon sunlight, looking noble, composed, and utterly captivating.

Thus, Gao Le understood with absolute clarity that the annihilation of the Northern Alliance was akin to the sudden, thunderous collapse of a towering tree.

As the abrupt voice resounded, every gaze shifted toward its source, where an elder clad in magnificent robes had appeared at the entrance at some unknown moment.

Naturally, this might have been connected to the Wanli Emperor's deliberate favor toward the old Prince of Fu, signaling an intent to crown Zhu Changxun as the crown prince, which instilled a measure of ambition within Prince Zhu Yousong, without which he would not have allied with Ma Shiying in the history of the Southern Ming.