Volume One, Chapter 21: Is There Truly Hope?

As the formation was activated, a five-colored radiance immediately suffused the island. Gradually, it formed a colorful mist above, spreading outward until it encircled the entire island, threatening to envelop it completely.

The next day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, the doctor came for rounds. I had no idea when Aunt Li and the others had arrived. Aunt Li said, "Xue'er cried so bitterly yesterday. She's at school with Situ Lei now." Making so many people worry about me left me feeling truly apologetic.

At the very least, she was in no mood to stir up trouble right now; she would have to wait until the Martial Arts Alliance Leader Conference concluded before considering anything else.

Getting into the car, Lu Tianhao gave instructions to those present to take good care of Mo Xiaoxiao, then drove out of the villa gates.

"Found it, found it! It must be here!" one of the Grand Swordmasters finally tested the location of the formation's eye and called out joyfully.

In truth, she had never expected that she would one day be pregnant, let alone at such a time.

The man clearly understood this as well; he nodded, laboriously reached into his bosom, and withdrew an object.

Listening to her colleague's chatter, Han Jingxuan shifted her gaze into the distance. It was raining. Mo Yi probably wouldn't ask her out now; that was fine, as having an excuse to refuse saved her the trouble. Even if there were no cake waiting at the Duanmu residence, at least Duanmu Hao would be there to share a meal.

Ji Ruoyan smiled slightly, knowing that he had likely heard the rumors and now fully believed the reports regarding the Seventh Prince's health.

"Has Brother Haoran started his internship now?" I asked to break the ice, though I already knew about his internship from my godmother.

"Mom, me too. I’ve finally seen you again." Shen Yi held his mother tightly, resting his head on her shoulder and soaking in her familiar, warm scent. Having not shed a tear in a long time, he felt them slide silently down his cheeks now.

The dance studio was already much larger than a standard classroom, and with mirrors on all four walls, it felt even more expansive.

***

Just then, a gleaming black luxury car pulled up in front of a grand hotel. A short, shifty-looking white man stepped out of the vehicle.

"I didn't expect to see you here as well; what a coincidence. Do you mind if I sit here?" Lin Yang, thick-skinned as ever, began to sit across from Ling Wu as he spoke.

Deep in the mountains of Chang'an City stood a statue carved in the likeness of a phoenix. Suddenly, the statue shattered, and a white light shot forth, speeding toward the vast desert.

Furthermore, since the coordination and scheduling of so many people were handled by the General Command Headquarters, there wasn't a single person idling there during this period.

"Alright, why get so angry? Don't you trust Eileen's ability? It would be even better if she defeats this Qin Han head-on in the finals," Shen Yi said with a smile from the back.

"Is Linde in the lair?" Luka asked. Without pinning down the exact location of the half-giant, he felt that even with Linde’s Ring of Rebirth, burning the place down didn’t seem entirely foolproof.

"Teacher Ye, please continue the lecture!" Shen Yi winked at Ye Shihua playfully before heading toward an empty seat at the back of the classroom.

This Broken Wood Cliff was even more terrifying than he had imagined. If Jiang Tianchen hadn't noticed a clue in time, he probably wouldn't even have known how he died.

"Thank you, General! You should get some rest," Wang Feng said, nodding and bowing happily. In his heart, however, he truly cared deeply for Ding Yuhan.

Jing Zemin’s face flushed a deep red. After casting an embarrassed glance at the others, he lowered his head and rubbed his large nose, remaining silent. He felt immense guilt for the loss of so many disciples.

Wang Feng released Old Zhao without another word and sprinted toward the instructor's office. Usually a stickler for etiquette, Wang Feng burst through the door this time without even knocking, startling the instructor, who was in the middle of pouring water, and causing hot water to spill all over the desk.

Watching Long Kun drink beer, with the liquid oozing from the corners of his mouth, was utterly repulsive.

***

"Qu Hui, don't be unreasonable. I'm telling you: you are interfering with my personal freedom," I said indignantly.

"Understood." Feeling the weight of his irresistible authority, Zhao Xu had no choice but to obey unconditionally.

One of the elderly men, the most accurate marksman among the fugitives, repeatedly used trees as cover to fire back. Every bullet hit a soldier, but the rounds were consistently blocked by the soldiers' helmets and body armor, failing to inflict any real damage.

At this moment, the old man took a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills from an envelope and looked up at the sky, his eyes streaming with tears.

Her voice was extremely weak. Han Xiao looked at her, appearing as if she didn't want anyone entering her boudoir. Yet, she seemed completely drained of strength; as soon as she struggled to rise, she slipped and sat back down.

"It's over..." Officer Li sat on the ground, wanting to slap himself. He thought regretfully: Why am I so easily provoked by others? Why did I have to fall out with the Angel? It's over; everything is over now. The Angel will surely never forgive me. Sigh! What am I to do?

This aura was very inconspicuous, much like the heat haze in summer, yet it could not escape Qin Cheng's eyes.

Ling Jiuer was about to pay the bill, but when she reached into her pocket, her expression suddenly changed. A great mystery! Where had the 500 yuan in her pocket gone?