Chapter Forty: The Second Ascent

It was now safe enough to venture into the deeper parts of the mountains beyond the slopes, where one could harvest all sorts of mountain goods such as pine nuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts, mushrooms, and wild apricots. Some also took the opportunity to chop firewood or gather pine branches to use as kindling.

The militia would also keep a close watch on the wild boar herds. Although their meat was not as delicious as that of domestic pigs, they were prized for their prolific breeding. Furthermore, since wild boars often overran the area and wreaked havoc on crops and grain, hunting them was one of the annual tasks for the Fengsheng Brigade’s militia.

"Mom, I don't..." An Xiaoxiao was just about to refuse when she was cut off by Mother Gu's next words.

Meanwhile, in the outer courtyard of the Shen family estate, over a hundred members of the Shen family were already rolling up their sleeves, eager for a fight.

She could still jump around and get out of bed despite a gunshot wound, yet when it came to a simple illness, she didn't want to lift so much as a finger.

With that said, the four indigenous people who had been with Meina picked up wooden clubs and "escorted" Li Yuncai and the rest of the troublemakers out of the village chief's house.

Gao Ming pondered for a moment and said, "What you are doing now is a last resort, but it isn't a long-term solution. If your old man finds out that you and Ouyang have gone to Beijing and comes after you, what will you do?"

Appearance: narrow, cold, and slightly alluring phoenix eyes, a straight bridge of the nose, thin, moist lips, dazzling tea-colored tousled hair, and firm, defined facial features that gave him a handsome and chillingly charismatic look.

At this moment, bathed in the sunlight, Ian glowed as if he were a brilliant, radiant youth.

Yukimura Seiichi watched Kirihara Akaya’s departing back, his mind beginning to churn. Hyotei, was it? Then, could it be you?

A signal flare shot into the sky, exploding at an altitude of several thousand meters in the blink of an eye; it was clearly visible even from a great distance.

Hearing this, Gao Ming said nothing more. He felt that Dean Zhu was quite reasonable, at least very adept at handling such delicate interpersonal relationships.

Bing Lan was startled; she hadn't expected her magical power to be so potent. She stared at her own hands, looking completely bewildered.

From this point on, everything in the martial arts world returned to normal, save for the wild card that was Ouyang Feng. Jiang Yin had already begun practicing the Marrow Cleansing Sutra, only to discover that while it could strengthen his bones and tendons, it lacked the ability to repair his dantian.

Whoosh! Thud! The long spear seemed to have completed its mission, flying directly to Xue Feng's side and embedding itself into the ground before him. The luster on the spear dimmed instantly, and the distorted forces surrounding it retracted back into the weapon simultaneously. Aside from the change in the color of the spearhead, it looked just as it had before.

However, Mei Yujin was at his wits' end, his pair of sword-like brows knitted tightly together in anxiety and rage.

"Brother Xue Feng, I'll go first!" He Xi took the lead, walking straight toward the Sword God. He knew that Xue Feng’s innate ability required time, and if he used it right from the start, there was no telling what the Sword God might do.

Seeing that he truly seemed to have come only for a bowl of noodles, the surrounding customers began to relax, their terror subsiding.

Thrown back by the force of the blood essence, Lu Hao gritted his teeth and unleashed the remaining two variations, clashing head-on. He did not like to retreat, and neither did the Fangtian Halberd in his hand; both favored a relentless, forward momentum.

"Vermilion Bird City has already been captured by them. We managed to retake White Tiger City, but Black Tortoise City is still putting up a desperate resistance. As for Azure Dragon City, fortunately, we arrived in time to scare off the enemy, preventing it from falling," the Xuanyuan divine envoy reported.

"What are you bickering about? Do you want to revolt?" The evil spirit grew impatient. With a single cold glare, both soul bodies trembled and immediately fell silent.

Someone on this side immediately took them all in. Their eyes were vacant, and it was clear they were still under control. Although Xiang Qin of the Yong clan spoke with honeyed words, he had no sincerity whatsoever.

All things in the universe coexist in a cycle of mutual generation and restraint, endless and unbroken; for every existence, there is another meant to subdue it.