Volume 1, Chapter 28: An Unpayable Price!

Li Yueyao’s eyes were filled with anticipation as she scanned the crowd. She was in desperate need of a Primordial Yang Stone. While she cared little for other treasures, without the stone, she would inevitably succumb to the assimilation of the Mandarin Duck True Yin Lock during the night of the full moon. Once that happened, she would be reduced to nothing more than a cultivation vessel for Wu Changfu. Once that vessel matured, she would be at his mercy, stripped of all power to resist.

Chi Yaoyue felt him hold her tighter. Shy and flustered, she tried to push the mischievous man away, but Ni Huang refused, insisting on keeping her in his embrace. He was quite heavy, and Ziyu, her hands pinned by him, felt at a loss for how to move, eventually collapsing powerlessly onto the table. However, matters concerning cultivation, martial techniques, and physical training were far from the entirety of their concerns.

The many contestants had been wondering how to enter the Illusionary Immortal Realm, never expecting Nangong Qi to use his immense power to tear open the seal and grant them passage. Looking at the ten burly figures before him, all exuding an eerie aura, Xiao Long immediately understood who they were. Ever since they had fled the cave, Mo Xiaosheng had been conscious of this, yet as he sprinted away while pulling Blood Phoenix, he could not help but glance back once.

After about ten minutes, the expressions on their faces told the story: Chai Hua wore a look of delight, and Hu Liwei was equally radiant with a smile. Through their own means and hard work, they had secured their own opportunities and resources. "If you have such integrity, who should die if not you?" It was better to just kill them outright; dying in obscurity meant no one would be left to settle old scores.

On the large screen at the venue, everyone could clearly see the secretly recorded video footage. It showed Fan Yanda and Zhai Zhitao repeatedly meeting with various investors. This Beauty Rejuvenation Pill was not merely for aesthetics; it possessed restorative powers and, even more terrifyingly, the ability to extend one's lifespan.

"Huh?" Young Master Leng was baffled. He was already this handsome—surely he didn't need to dress up? Wu Qi's subordinates had all gone silent, and even Qilang announced that a new person would soon take over as the group's CEO. With that, the connection between Wu Qi and Qilang was severed. With the world so vast, where was she to go to find news of Wu Qi?

I instinctively looked down at the necklace on my chest. This was not the first time I had heard the name "Eight Dragons Embracing a Pearl Necklace"; Qin Yishou had called it by that name as well.

Xi Bai snapped back to reality, his expression softening as he saw Li Feier looking at him with concern. He took a deep breath, shook his head, and said slowly, "It’s nothing, don’t worry." He ruffled her hair and offered a bright smile.

I had always assumed that the old Taoist priest had agreed with the plan to kill Xuan Yi, or perhaps even issued the order himself. However, the situation was becoming increasingly complex; the old priest’s true status and role within the Three Pines Temple required a complete reassessment.

Countless influencers on Weibo began to repost the news, and everyone was filled with indignation, vehemently denouncing the Yue family.

"I don't know him personally, but I know his in-game name—Luankong," a passerby chuckled in response.

Xia Yu raised an eyebrow. "It's nothing." If she were to tell him he was senile and his subordinates were all useless, wouldn't the Regent kill her on the spot?

That was the coldest place in the Imperial Palace. Just as its name suggested, the Cold Palace was a frigid cellar, devoid of mercy and warmth. Once a concubine was sent there, she could never hope to leave again. It was a fate more terrifying and tragic than death itself. With Song Yuande also needing to resign from his post to return home and observe the mourning period, the official world would no longer have any connection to her.