30 The Wasteland Realm

So although Chang Juan had once felt quite uncomfortable about Li Ziyuan, in the end, she still accepted his proposal. She was afraid that if she hesitated longer, new rivals would soon appear around him. Even Li Ziyuan had noticed the unwilling look in Doctor Yang Jing’s eyes, and so had she.

Wang Wenji had once been a veterinarian, making a living treating animals. Hearing the review about the integration, he said nothing.

Fu Can had survived countless deadly battles to make each breakthrough, but these two had kept up with him simply through intuition—their talent was truly unmatched in the world.

“Heh, he actually trusts no one but his own eyes.” The moment Yi Hanxuan appeared, she knew that all of this was a play written, directed, and performed by Lian Die herself.

Now, even Xiao Ruyu, who had been leading all the way and was so close to reaching the summit, had failed. Who else was qualified to succeed?

Neither Shui Jian nor Hefeng Wuming had ever experienced such a life before, but this time, because of an unexpected event, they’d been through it all.

“What is this ‘Shattered Sky Tower’? Never heard of it. Archers, ready!” The man snorted, raising his command flag high with his right hand, ready to swing it down.

Everyone present at today’s ceremony was either Demons’ business partner or an academic friend. If an investigation really started, the scope of the fallout would be vast.

The piercing, shrill ring of the sword seemed to echo through the ages; tens of thousands in the arena felt a roaring in their heads, their blood surging, nearly bursting out in a shout.

But Li Ziyuan’s gamble had yielded immediate results. When over thirty Japanese-made Type 97 grenades were hurled from the trenches and exploded in midair above the puppet troops’ heads, the shrapnel struck down a large number of enemy soldiers, who noticed the danger too late to evade.

Lin Hao stroked his chin in confusion. It seemed those skeletal corpses had been drawn away by something. He’d slept too soundly last night to hear anything.

“No, I—well, you said you’d take me somewhere yesterday, so I thought it was just me. It’s not what you’re thinking,” Ruan Ruan explained anxiously.

Victor approached Count Layok, reached out, and grabbed his throat. The overwhelming pressure from Victor's presence left the count unable to even make a move in resistance.

Jiang Yi noticed her wariness and took a step back of his own accord. Ruan Ruan finally relaxed a bit.

“Honey, who is she? I was just in the restroom and she started pestering me; now I’m on the playground and she’s here again. She just won’t leave me alone!” Zhong Yanli’s coquettish complaint caught Sheng Fengjin completely off guard.

But it wasn’t long before Turtle Turtle went to negotiate with the enemy on the other side, and then both groups of soldiers slowed their advance.

I opened my phone to see that Xu Siyang, who was sitting next to me, had sent a message: “Accept my friend request.”

No matter how the 160 trainees had performed academically or on exams before, it didn’t matter much now.

“I understand, thank you for the guidance, Master,” he replied awkwardly, clearly distracted.

But since the lost vital essence hadn’t fully recovered and some hidden injuries still lingered, it was best not to use the “Heaven-Suppressing Azure Dragon Cauldron” or “Wrath of the Azure Dragon” unless absolutely necessary.

Normally, by eight o’clock, they would hardly linger in the living room, each busy with their own affairs. Both she and Ling Yannian were quite busy, so it was rare to hear peals of laughter at this hour.

He was the exalted Ninth Prince; when had he ever been so pointedly criticized before? He was about to cut a path with a wave of his hand, but Baili Tianchang grabbed his arm to stop him.

While Nalan Mingyue was searching for the Netherworld Flower, the people within the barrier were suddenly attacked by a strange and inexplicable force.

Brother Qing endured stomach trouble for a long time, and only after passing the magic core he’d swallowed did he finally recover completely.

“I’m not Shui Qingqian; you’ve got the wrong person!” Shui Qingqian immediately denied it, her expression calm and unruffled, but inside, waves were surging.

Lian Wan gently patted Zhengjiu’s head. In her mind, she recalled the figure of that man from many years ago; come to think of it, it really had been ages since they last met.

It was precisely for this reason that everyone overlooked the tactical aspect of their team’s play. It was like during the battle royale, when everyone wondered how Dawn would fare without Liu Jian, yet under Su Duxiu’s leadership, Dawn still secured the map pick.

“But wait—how do you know about Okel Ben? You said you’d forgotten everything,” Mu Sha asked suspiciously, as if questioning whether he really was Dongfang Ming.

There were also voices from Fifth Uncle’s family, and from her grandmother’s side. The old village head’s voice was as familiar as ever, rich with the weight of years and a surge of joyful surprise.

The two chatted for a few minutes, and just as they were in high spirits, someone suddenly covered her eyes and mouth. She was terrified for a few seconds and then lost consciousness; her phone fell from her hand and broke.

Hearing Ma Tian’s comments, Su Mu raised an eyebrow. He’d thought only he felt that suffocating sensation upon entering the palace—a feeling that clung to his heart. He’d tried to trace its source, but found nothing, thinking he was just being overly sensitive. Now it seemed there was more to it.

“Then why didn’t you turn into a dung beetle when you were in the dung just now?” Liang Hongzhuang asked, believing it completely.

It was almost as if a rich, handsome man had lost to a poor nobody—the contrast was that stark.

Liang Hongzhuang paused for a moment, but didn’t look back. A massive, black tadpole-shaped beast materialized out of thin air; she stepped lightly and landed on its back.

Under a flood of sympathetic gazes, Baihua Cangguang became the first “failure” to collapse during today’s cultivation session.

Of the two captured soldiers, one was a squad leader and an old veteran who had followed Xia Feng from the start. He stiffened his neck and remained silent, refusing to answer Li Damu’s questions.