Volume 1, Chapter 24: My Highness Says...

There were once seven great families in the Miao Border. In the first year of the Taiping era, the Great Song dynasty sent troops south, annihilating the Nanxiao clan, the most prosperous of them all. Since then, three clans adopted Han surnames, one fled far away to live in seclusion in Ziyang Prefecture in the west, and another sailed south into the open sea, never to be heard from again. Today, the only families in the Miao Border worthy of the title of king are the Kuayuan and the Dailou.

"Hahahaha! I will choose neither of those two options, for I have a third," An Tianfang laughed heartily.

After pacing outside for a long time, Jian Yang entered the wooden hut helplessly; some things must be faced, especially since his belongings were not yet packed.

Co-opting rebels has always been a strategy used by the imperial court against bandits, insurgents, and outlaws. In later generations, the 108 heroes of Mount Liang were among those who accepted such an offer from the throne.

"Thank you for your generosity, Young Master Cheng. I will certainly do my utmost to satisfy you," Qin Tian replied with a smile, his demeanor remaining entirely graceful.

He had originally thought he was drawing ever closer to Zhao Zilong, but now he realized with horror that the distance between them was only growing.

"Damn it, I've long found you an eyesore! Today, I'll beat you until you can't even take care of yourself!" The leader of the ghost messengers charged straight at the ghostly soldiers and commanders.

The man was thirty years old, tall and powerful with a dignified appearance, carrying a great sword on his back. As he entered, the room fell silent.

The Great Yue was a human power fully on par with the Great Zhao Dynasty. While the Great Yue might lag behind other forces in certain individual respects, with their strength, it would be quite easy for them to hunt these people down in the Great Wilderness if they truly wished to.

Yang Qian did not give Su Xiang a pleasant look, though she remained polite. As she listened to Su Xiang explain through tears that she had forgotten Yang Qian could not dance and genuinely thought recommending her was foolproof, Yang Qian merely stared at her expressionless. She stared until Su Xiang could no longer bear it and trailed off, at which point Yang Qian wearily waved her hand to signal that it was enough.

Because so much time had passed, Helis did not remember everything about Cell clearly, so she wanted Cell to tell Piccolo himself.

Unable to guess what the matter was for the moment, Sister Zhou led Chen Jiaojiao to Director Wang’s side once she saw that the sweat had faded from Chen Jiaojiao’s face.

Tang Hao frowned. Aunt Zhang was Uncle Li’s wife; like him, she was a kind and exceptionally virtuous person.

The Grand Princess’s mansion was no longer at the center of political power and had no fear of being accused of forming cliques for selfish interests. For the sake of her grandchildren, she sought to foster goodwill. Many families in the palace were on excellent terms with the Grand Princess’s mansion, so naturally, the mansion’s banquets were always lively affairs.

"...Then what would you have me do?" Yang Qian stiffened, not daring to move, having finally witnessed the man’s audacity and shamelessness.

Tang Hao rose and went to the inner palace to see Palace Mistress Ning, where he briefly explained the events of the past few days and his plans.

Since there was no intention of converting the cavalry into infantry to enter the mountains and surround Li Zicheng, there was no need for so many troops to stand guard; leaving a few thousand would be enough to keep Li Zicheng from daring to emerge.

Having accepted the mermaid inheritance, Fang Yating held out her hands, looking at her fair, delicate skin. She knew in her heart that within a month, she would be like the others—her hands would turn into webbed claws, and her legs would merge into a mermaid’s tail.

"A blade left unused will rust, and your sword will do the same. If you only take up your longsword once every month or two, won't you feel clumsy the next time you pick it up?"

Before long, the Great Elder perished under the combined assault of the Snake King, the Sixth Elder, and A'luo.

"Get out, all of you!" Shen Mo roared. With the light of the weapon blessing imbued into his Magic Shadow Battle Axe, he unleashed a sweeping blow that repelled the fierce ghosts surrounding him. Under the scornful gaze of the ghost servants, Shen Mo began his rampage.

A night breeze blew, causing the surrounding seven-colored flowers to sway gently. A rich floral fragrance enveloped the area, and an invisible aura protected the space.

The simple scythe, which had originally emitted a milky-white glow, was once again veiled in a faint golden light.

This move allowed for the longest rolling distance and the greatest impact power; that was why, having been closed in upon in the previous round, he had chosen his first soul skill.

Chi Xun nodded, showing his approval of such calculations. Logically speaking, if he had treated an ordinary person this way, it would likely have been successful; unfortunately, he had chosen to use such methods on them.

"Gu Tianyi could not enter the Azure Dragon Cave, but it was a blessing in disguise. He lost some fortuitous encounters, but he kept his life," Jiang Yunlan said.

The first time he performed the Soul Suppressor, Gu Tianyi’s own soul shuddered violently, and he was immediately overcome by dizziness. He shook his head repeatedly to clear his mind before he regained his senses.

"My junior brother and sister were bullied; how could I, as their senior sister, sit idly by? Today, I must teach this gutless hypocrite a lesson!" Mu Qianqian said with a smile.

A dangerous glint flashed in the eyes of the White Cat Priest. Had the Cat King not swung its tail to block its claws, Lu Mengmeng would likely have been torn to shreds by now.

"I am your boyfriend now, so shouldn't you show some appreciation to your boyfriend?" Gu Chen asked.

"Follow my lead! You must not be distracted. Look up at the starry sky and ensure your heart is as still as stagnant water; you must not harbor a single stray thought!" The voice of the Green Lion Demon King resonated in Tang Fan’s mind.

"It’s my three godfathers. I hadn't seen them in three days, and I knew something had happened to them. My investigation revealed they often frequented this place. I suspect the Life-Death Duel Gate is holding them illegally, which is why I’ve come here to demand their release," Tang Keke said.

After Li Tongtong finished her sophistry, she felt so triumphant she almost burst into hysterical laughter. But before the laughter could fully erupt, her smile stiffened the next moment.

Once one reaches the Imperial Realm, as long as one’s foundation is solid, it is not unimaginable to defeat a master of the Martial Dao Realm while only being at the half-step Dao Realm.