Volume One, Chapter 69: Though the sage stands within the halls of power, his heart is no different from that of one dwelling deep in the mountains and forests.

The Ninth Prince fell silent for a long while after hearing these words. Then he raised his head, looked at the Crown Prince, and forced a faint smile.

“Your Highness... you are right.”

The Crown Prince nodded in satisfaction at this reply. This was a fragment of his own soul, and with it as a lead, he intended to see exactly where the demon souls of these beasts had gone.

Suddenly, within Long Teng’s soul, upon hearing this intimately familiar voice, he sensed that the White Tiger God—who had been biting tightly at his neck—loosened its grip as if it were locked in battle with some mysterious energy.

Once more the cannon thundered. Ten streaks of crimson-gold firelight precisely struck the same breaches that had been made moments before. It seemed the Sirius Army intended to break open the gap first, then mount a full assault.

But Cang Qingqing—why are you still so stubborn, so much so that you have begun to frighten even yourself?

Fortunately, the earpiece had finished transmitting. As I absorbed the information, I came to understand the origins of humanity—from embryo to birth, from infancy through the full arc of life and death. Yet all of it was theory, and I still could not recall my own life’s experiences.

“No!” The four-winged monster sensed disaster as soon as the tiger-headed man drew out the broken sword. When the tiger-headed man locked his breath onto it, a bone-deep chill surged up from its very core.

Bai Lin and the others nodded gravely. Indeed, back then, they hadn’t fought for Guo Fan or Lu Hu’s bodies simply because they lacked the strength. During that desperate escape, they hadn’t even worn armor—how could they have worried about retrieving corpses?

Zhan Zhao turned his head away and said, “I’ll go check elsewhere, Young Master Long. Do as you wish.” With that, he swept away into the sky.

Though they chose the side gate usually used to transport waste and sundry items, the guards still stopped them for inspection as they exited the palace.

What happened? Yun Moyu was suddenly frightened. There had just been a trace of tenderness in his gaze—why did it turn so stormy and deep in an instant? What did I do wrong? I brushed my teeth three times after the medicine—there couldn’t be any odd smell... So why is he like this?

After the city fell, the rebel leader, enraged by his men’s losses, ordered a massacre. The peasant army swept through city and countryside alike, searching house by house, executing everyone on sight, whether they resisted or not. Those who managed to escape with their lives owed their fortune to the accumulated virtue of their ancestors.

The Black Iron Bowl was both shield and weapon, its secret techniques integrating the divine power of the Golden Sun Beads. The Glass Prayer Beads were infused with the Great Sun Sutra, and the Bodhi Heart-Settling Incantation was inscribed upon it as well.

After removing the ward, Yi Tian invited his second senior brother inside, but today Qi Haosi seemed odd. He glanced at the position of the cave dwelling, thought for a moment, then declined: “I have something else to do today.”

Hearing the usually cautious Second-in-Command make his judgment, Zhang Guangzu and the other leaders immediately burst out laughing.

“Alright!” Su Yuhan replied crisply. Li Xiang understood her temper—usually so obedient and docile, but once she’d made up her mind, it was almost impossible to change. He could only acquiesce.

“This is a fine thing! You used this to write your letter to me, didn’t you?” Zhu Pingjin asked, leaning in.

Yet Ye Feng, resigned and unwilling to endure further humiliation as a mere hitchhiker, was left with no choice but to waste the next three months of his life in earnest preparation for the examination.

“Excluding her, who else in Southern Zhou is connected to the Heavenly Thunder Array?” Dongfang pressed, eager for clarity; his rocket was ready and he was just waiting for the array to be broken before he could launch it.

Upon hearing this, Yi Tian’s expression froze. He realized he’d fallen into a trap. Knowing he was still far from Oujinglong’s level, he knew he could only postpone this bet and find another way to resolve it in the future.