Volume One, Chapter 27: Origins

Madam Jiang lay on the bed, her back exposed to the weeping Nanny Yun. Across her back, a jagged wound, as if carved by a blade, dominated half the area, with fresh blood still seeping from the gash.

"How could the Master bring himself to do this... oh, the cruelty..." sobbed Nanny Yun.

Madam Jiang’s face was deathly pale. "He intends to divorce me. A mere whip strike—what is there that he would not dare to do?"

That meant the Demon Mercenary Group’s next target would be Incheon, aiming to defeat them one by one and thoroughly dismantle the Justice Mercenary Alliance.

The more he pondered, the more unsettled Qian Duoduo felt. Lin Zi, however, felt the immense pressure bearing down upon him like a mountain, leaving him struggling for breath.

The wicked mother-in-law struggled several times before pulling herself up from the floor. Limping and cowering, she fetched a bowl from the stove and offered it to him with both hands. He stared fixedly at the dark red, paste-like chicken blood in the bowl, his eyes glowing with a greenish light—a glint of greed, cruelty, and heartlessness found only in the eyes of a wolf.

At that moment, Jia Feifei made a desperate gamble, ducking toward the door and reaching out to switch off the room's lights.

Watching their excitement, Bai Shi could not fathom why they were so joyful to learn he was a snake demon; he certainly did not believe they were happy simply because they had found one of their own.

Zhen Yuan paused his departure. He looked back at the brilliant golden light emanating from the fifth floor of the Pagoda of Combat. With just that one glance, he turned and left.

Time slipped away slowly. One day passed, then two. As the first light of dawn broke on the third day, the capital city of Cangyue seemed to shudder violently.

Stepping out of the elevator and into the lobby, Wang Youcai couldn't help but shrink into himself. The winter night was bitingly cold, and the whistling wind made it hard for him to even lift his feet.

Lu Xuan did not know that, strictly speaking, demonic energy was a form of spiritual energy, just labeled differently. Demonic energy required human vital energy as a vessel to take effect.

"Poof!" Xiao Cheng reflexively whipped his head around at the sound. Fortunately, the hovercar’s emergency trajectory correction system engaged just in time to prevent a collision.

Leaving Libeka Planet, Helice headed directly for Cyrille Planet; after all, Sonia’s body remained there, and Helice wanted to see her one last time.

"Hey, Lamar, good to see you. Welcome to the Lakers." Sun Zhuo stepped forward and bumped fists with Odom.

The black spring-autumn broadsword swung once more. A flash of cold light passed, and a member of the Salt Gang was cleaved in two. Blood sprayed across the ground, followed immediately by two more gang members being hacked down.

Alas, the British-French Allied Forces were mistaken. Even while hiding deep within their trenches, they would not wait for the Ming soldiers to charge in for close-quarters combat; all that awaited them were grenades.

Legend has it that the Eight Domains are not the entirety of the world. Beyond their borders lies the boundless Great Wilderness, separated from the Eight Domains by terrifying rifts. It is said that endless ancient ruins and countless lethal forbidden zones sprawl there, and no one truly knows the extent of its reach.

"Amitabha. We are monks from the Great Tang in the East, come to treat your King’s illness," Tang Seng said with a solemn expression, while carefully observing the reactions of those around him.

No! Luo Rucai decided he could not let it end like this. He would lead his troops out of the city tonight for a surprise attack; once he destroyed the Ming army’s cannons, His Majesty would surely see him in a new light.

Within the Gongsun army, Gongsun Bai sat proudly atop his Ferghana horse, gazing at his surging troops and the fields of corpses, his eyes reflecting a complex array of emotions.

Luo Yang said with a smile, taking the opportunity to size up Qin Yang, only to find that Qin Yang’s expression remained calm, devoid of the excitement one would expect from winning money.

Huang Wuya had been delayed only for a moment by the bubbles of spiritual energy she had detonated and remained uninjured. Upon seeing Li Mo’s black spiritual energy, he demanded, "Black spiritual energy—are you a demonic cultivator or a beast cultivator?" As he spoke, his attacks grew even more ferocious.