Volume 1, Chapter 34: Meeting Qin Sirong, Forty Degrees Below Zero

After a day of driving, the family finally arrived in Yangcheng.

Upon reaching Qin Sirong’s home, it was evident that her mother was the most successful among her sisters, possessing both a car and a house, and her husband’s family treated her quite well.

“Dad, are you excited? It’s been so long since you’ve seen your sister.”

“Hey, Beryl, regardless of anything else, Joyce is of your own race. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to speak of her that way?” Emma gently reminded her.

Back to back, Meiying and his Dragon Guards stood with arms outstretched, then firmly clasped each other’s hands. A deep blue whirlwind surged skyward, and from their front and rear, two wild, icy dragons of deep blue exploded outward with the speed of a laser strike.

“Douzi! Douzi! Stop running around!” On the ridges of the fields, several preteen boys in simple cloth garments brandished bamboo swords, playing a game of cops and robbers. Behind them, an elderly grandmother trotted in pursuit, but she could not catch up, leaving them to run wild barefoot into the cornfields.

Exiting the south gate of the capital, one encounters mostly rugged mountains. After traveling for two hours, one reaches Qingchan Temple.

“Nan Ruochen, since you’ve already arrived, why won’t you come out and show yourself?” she called out to the cold, empty air.

Phelps’s mercenary group was completely unprepared for this, suddenly finding themselves besieged by several powerful intermediate-level magical beasts, which led to heavy losses.

Leng Yanxi raised an eyebrow, took the jade chopsticks handed to him by Dong’er, and ate a small portion. Suddenly, his hand holding the chopsticks stiffened, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Immediately, the speed of the two fleets began to slacken, and Jun He’s ship gradually drew closer to the vessels behind. Tian Qiao and Xue Hai stood side by side at the bow, waving their hands in greeting.

She shook her head helplessly, a secret smile blooming within. This Nan Ruochen—he always insisted on being provoked before he would deign to appear.

“You know I cannot make a choice like this. I have the blood of the Dreamers flowing in my veins; I could never abandon my people. You shouldn’t have let me come here in the first place. I hate you.” Ling Shuiyue interrupted Xiao Yan, her eyes brimming with tears.

The price of being sealed for a thousand years was worth it for such freedom, but she must never let that group from the Divine Mountain discover her existence. Therefore, anyone who stumbled into the Valley of Trees and might know the truth had to be silenced.

Because they had always acted with extreme caution, they had managed to survive until now. However, the recent great upheavals had created a massive vulnerability in Roster, providing them with a chance to counterattack and turn the tables.

Wanyan Zongwang let out a heart-rending howl, like a cornered lion on the grasslands. Pouring all his internal energy into his arm, he let out a fierce roar and pushed forward another half-foot, yet he still could not land a strike on Yang Xianmao.

Blood Wolf felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. Everyone’s wishes were so simple—to be able to eat a meal of white rice was enough to bring them such joy.

Liu Dongyan looked at her with joy, while A-Hei’s mother appeared dejected. Neither of them had seen A-Yue suffer from those terrifying nightmares as she had the previous night.

Although the arrows could not pierce the mysterious cloak, the sharp force still inflicted severe wounds through the fabric. Yun Ying felt as though he had been slashed by a blade; though he could not inspect the injuries, he knew he must be drenched in blood.

The others did not know what was happening, but it was certain that the God of Clouds and the Wolf Sword had reached some sort of tacit understanding. The God of Clouds did not intervene in the affairs of the wilderness; he seemed to have more important matters to attend to, which meant Yun Ying and Yin Yue would take this opportunity to make formal contact as leaders of their respective factions.

Yun Ying’s charcoal-gray cloak billowed in the wind, and blood dripped continuously from his body to the ground beneath his feet. His cloak had long since been stained a deep crimson, making it easy to see what a heavy price he had paid to unleash that last strike.