Volume One, Chapter 22: Fruitless Endeavor

The moment he raised his hand to touch her, Mu Yao was pulled away from the chair by the ropes binding her. By the time she registered what was happening, her head was already plunging downward off the building. Her body sank into softness, and Mu Yao closed her eyes. The world—finally, it was quiet.

“Mu Yao!!!” The man’s roar drew the attention of those nearby.

“Sir, please don’t interfere with our rescue efforts.”

Gu Nanxiao stood in the first row outside the police cordon. He wanted to get closer to check on the girl’s condition but was stopped. His eyes were bloodshot as he watched everything unfold, powerless.

“Police! I’m a police officer!” Trembling, he pulled out his badge from his jacket pocket. The other party glanced at it briefly and quickly handed it back.

As he launched an attack toward Daodun, he lifted his right hand and gently tapped it. Suddenly, dozens of white bones surged forth from within his body.

In an instant, Dongfang Yunyang, wielding Susanoo, clashed violently with rolling thunder and a formidable gray storm, immediately producing a low, humming roar.

Even Que couldn’t quite grasp the nature of this emotion, but if forced to describe it, it was that fierce urge to tear something apart, to crush it utterly.

“Well, Qingcheng, listen to me. We’re not the kind of people you think we are,” Ji Meina pleaded, unwilling to let matters escalate, trying to explain.

Is this where it ends? Just here? It should have been different, it should have been fine like this—so why am I still...

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The old Taoist was stunned into silence. This thunder tribulation was nothing to those who had endured the great heavenly tribulation of Immortal Extermination, yet to repel a thunder tribulation outright was unheard of.

Xuhuo glanced expressionlessly toward Que but gave no reaction. Then he turned his gaze downward and moved his lips.

Dongfang Yunyang was not without pride. To speak bluntly, the words of Dongfang Mingshuo did sting him somewhat, though he showed no outward sign.

“Professor, you know, Elizabeth Fitzroy from Slytherin is also of the Huazhong lineage.”

People say: it’s easier to go from poverty to wealth than from wealth to poverty. This “easy” and “difficult” are not about actions but about mindset.

Everything—all of it—changed the moment his gaze fell upon the final arena and he saw a familiar weapon and a familiar face.

The sound of a return shot rang out. Yagyu tightened his grip on the racket, the light in his left eye intensifying. “Hey, Sakura,” came the clear chime of wind bells in his ear. In the interplay of light and shadow, will the warmth of the paper plane finally reach your heart?

From then on, the four great families of Dayan Commandery ceased to exist. Only two mighty clans remained: the Su family and the Yan family. Among them, the Su family’s power was more dominant, subtly asserting itself as the overlord of Dayan Commandery. The Su family’s prestige soared, reaching an unparalleled height.

The harsh, scorching sunlight gradually pierced through the clouds, replacing the cold moonlight, spreading bit by bit over the eaves and rubble.

Returning to the yard where they temporarily resided, after sending Siyun away, Qingyue took out jade stones from her bosom. Placing two pieces together, she examined them closely.

“I’m self-taught, no mentor needed. I don’t need experience; I can perform well from the very first time,” Qin Shaohua said proudly, as if he had achieved some great feat. Even when the company went public, he hadn’t shown such satisfaction.

Qin Wen smiled wryly, overcome by a deep sense of powerlessness. After years of scheming with his mother, how could he not know that revealing his true self would undo everything that had come before?

Jiang Xibao blinked. Having spent so long by the Ninth Miss’s side, she was no longer as dull as before.

At half past three in the afternoon, Tong Mama was sent to the airport. Watching her check-in with the travel agency staff, Tong Sisi finally felt relieved about the matter she had worried about most.

When Yun Qingying and Yun Qingfeng found Bailan’s body, it had already been ravaged by beasts, left in tatters. The left hand and right foot were missing.

Under such command, if the captain gave blind orders, it would only disrupt the others’ normal performance.

She considered for a moment, then selected a strand of red coral beads from the Qing Dynasty ring among the palace treasures Bai Tianyu had given her earlier.

Previously, aside from He Yu, Li Yang and Yi Xue had demonstrated their formidable combat power, naturally gaining Zhao Shanming’s attention.

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The three mecha operators opposite made no hesitation and charged straight toward Bailu. These three were not a standard iron triangle setup—no tank, ranged, and support roles—but rather three genuine close-combat experts.

“Actually, it all happened just last night,” Tsunade replied matter-of-factly. Since the matter was exposed, there was no need to hide it anymore. Besides, Tsunade hoped Sarutobi would secure a good position for her.

After all, as long as the situation was understood, the problem solved, and Konoha’s stance shown, the Uzushio Village would naturally dispatch someone to escort the next Jinchuriki to Konoha.

That was a clever move. Seems the Golden Lion isn’t senile yet. Knowing his weakness, he resorted to such underhanded tactics.

“Are you planning to kill us?” The Buddha of Warring States now only sought to escape. If he truly went mad without regard for consequences, he believed Lin Li couldn’t hold out.

It was simple. Everyone knew from the time of enrollment that Mingfei’s hometown was Shenyang. This time, the destination was Shenyang—clearly obvious.

The meal was stiflingly tense. Elder Jian wore a scowl the entire time and completely ignored Han Jinyu’s presence.

Pre-match training was almost hellish. Even rookie Kong Yixian received no special treatment, training from dawn till dusk alongside her seniors. Fortunately, she endured well and, combined with her talent, she quickly neared Yin Yu’s results.

“If she reincarnates, she will be the best choice in this world. The original soul can retain all power and complete life imprints through her,” the Black Divine Soul’s eyes glowed with intense eagerness.

Seeing Xia Feng approach surrounded by the crowd, knowing he was the leader here and that their fate rested in his hands, everyone looked at him.

Fortunately, Cole kicked the attacker aside in time, preventing the tragic scenario of the leader being taken out unprepared.

“Sis, do you want some sweet soup? Mom makes me a bowl every day now.” He hurriedly went to find some sugar.

But he did not understand the exact cause of this phenomenon. After all, this was a world with magic. Was this simply a natural celestial occurrence, or was there some other cause at work?

Di Chongxiao, well aware of medical taboos, deliberately mentioned it to ease her worries. He hugged Baima sideways and distracted her with other talk to cheer her up.

Lin Qingxuan muttered quietly, “This old turtle’s words are evasive and mostly untrue! Its master has been locked away in that cave for thousands of years, never emerging. How could it possibly still be alive?”