23. Points of divergence

Even Di Jiang dared not face the sharpness of Long Han’s twin blades; what other choice did they have but to stow their hammers and follow in his wake?

The eunuch was growing impatient, but a fox suddenly darted out from nowhere, giving him such a start that he tumbled to the ground.

Zongzheng Shu shook his head. "I’m not going." He was a grown man; what was there for him to discuss with two older matrons?

Indeed, when her hands were cuffed to the stair railing just moments ago, she had been utterly defenseless, like a lamb awaiting slaughter.

She was still alive. No wonder they say evil spirits live for a thousand years; it is true—whatever Wen Wan gave birth to is nothing but a curse.

The Great Elder appeared courteous, but he was inwardly triumphant. Under such circumstances, even the formidable Mr. Ji would have to consider the opinions of everyone present.

However, Hu Kai had emphasized that it was absolutely forbidden, for the people inside would only be more merciless if they heard his name. Hu Kai had a blood feud with those within.

The sacred mountain within his body continued to collapse; the process was irreversible. Once begun, there was no stopping it.

At the hospital, I saw the old man still in the intensive care unit. Something was wrong. If this was all a performance, then lying there covered in tubes was too much; aside from anything else, his advanced age would make such physical strain unbearable.

Yun Zimu struck out, but her attack did not land on Lian Yi. Instead, her fist stopped about ten inches before him, blocked by an invisible barrier.

I looked up and caught sight of that reckless Yi Tong, still flirting with Deng Kai. Her laughter was brazen, her gaze seductive.

At this moment, the gates of the Chen estate stood wide open, allowing him to enter as if nothing at all had happened.

His answer no longer surprised me. I walked slowly toward the private room where we used to meet; everything from five years ago was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.

At a distance of one meter, Yun Mulin and Wei Ya finally realized what was happening after a brief moment of confusion.

Yet, much like his appearance as a wealthy scion masking his exceptional talent, Zhou Yongye’s penchant for arrogance did not mean he was a fool.

Seeing a glow from the center, the three—Tai the Immortal and his companions—mistook it for the opening of the Demon Palace and swam toward it with all their might.

Besides, if he died, would the future of Eastern Li truly be devoid of ruthless, power-hungry princes?

Cen Xinya nodded in agreement without even fully hearing Zhao Xuan’s request, for she never once believed she could lose.

Xie Wuwei, just about to follow his father and eldest brother toward the Eight Trigrams Formation on Repentance Cliff, felt his legs go weak and collapsed to his knees with a thud.

Lai Yueqi, unfamiliar with the concept that "like attracts like," looked at him in confusion. Xiao Shizhu gave a calm smile and quickly changed the subject: "Since the Empress is unharmed, what is it that the Grand Preceptor wishes for me to discuss?"

While speaking with such malice, Guo Yong threw a punch, aiming squarely at Xu Le’s face. Since he intended to teach Xu Le a lesson, he naturally wanted his humiliation to be as public as possible.

"Heavenly Fire!" Lin Sheng’s youthful voice rang out, and a fireball shot toward Xu Pengfei’s feet, exploding upon impact.

The remaining four men stepped forward in unison, drawing their longswords and casting them into the air. The blades spun in flight, weaving together with his own.

At this time, all the Qi-Refining cultivators received word via their transmission jades to gather at a designated location. Yun Yifei received a message from Yun Ping, ordering him to head to the platform immediately.

A prince—what a noble figure that is. Someone who could make the entire Great Yuan Dynasty tremble with a single stomp—how could he possibly appear here?

Perhaps it is truly Heaven’s mercy, or perhaps perfection simply cannot exist in this world. Every killing formation must have a gap to vent its violent energy; this gap is the "gate of life" within the formation, and also its fatal flaw.

Langya City was unusually quiet today. Many sensed that the atmosphere was wrong and stayed hunkered down in their homes. Those who had ventured out, seeing the situation, hurried back inside in terror.

The history of the Dark Night should not end in the Eastern Plains. The World of a Hundred Realms—that is where the true beginning of the Dark Night should lie.

Fu Shijin had clearly already ordered the meal, but with the arrival of Lin Jiajia and Yu Jiaqi, he asked the waiter to add a few lighter dishes.

Lin Jiajia suddenly remembered drinking tea with Fu Yiyan at Bozhou. She had thought his movements were merely skillful and standardized. Later, she drank tea brewed by Elder Fu himself and realized the source of Fu Yiyan’s craft, yet she had not expected Fu Shijin to brew tea with such elegance and authority.

"Yes, good brother, brothers for life." Chen Zhongluo began with a smile, but the sudden thought of his mother brought a wave of bitterness.

"I am Xiao Chen. You are too kind, sir. I am just an ordinary soldier, not a hero." Xiao Chen looked at Yu Lu with a wry smile. He didn’t want things to be this way, but the publicity had been so excessive it left him feeling embarrassed.

Dong Ru blushed, her anger suddenly dissipating. She felt truly pathetic; she had just declared with such ferocity that she would never believe him again, yet in the blink of an eye, this provocative gesture—which he clearly did on purpose—had caused her to surrender without cause. It was both a failure and a disgrace.

The scene descended into chaos. I seemed to hear He Zhixu roaring, "Cen You, you dare!" But the voice sounded far away, and I knew I was losing consciousness. My heart was filled with immense sorrow; this jade seal was entrusted to me by Gu Xi. With his life and death uncertain, I was about to lose it.