Volume 1, Chapter 33: The Land of Light

"Hey, kid!"

"Give me everything you've got!"

"Weapons, gadgets—use whatever you want!"

An ominous, dark red figure stomped heavily onto the battle platform of the Ultra Arena.

Its appearance was primal and savage, a living embodiment of sheer, unadulterated force.

His mind was constantly preoccupied with how to best deal with Liu Huilan and Liu Boli. He wanted revenge, and looking back, he felt as though he must have been truly insane at the time.

Had it not been for Wang Ping’s aerial reconnaissance bird, Bai Yu, it is unlikely that someone like Gu Feng and his team would have discovered a merchant ship sailing thirty or forty miles off the coastline within two or three days.

Qi Ping identified the appearance of the five merchants instantly, suggesting he had likely seen them before or possessed specific, critical information about them.

This year had drained all of her energy; if she were to go out and find a formal job now, the entire year would be a wasted effort.

"Mom, you’ve gone too far. I don't want to talk to you anymore!" Su Cen glared at Li Qinglan with eyes blazing, then turned around in a fury, grabbed Li Tian, and stormed out, slamming the door behind them.

At that moment, Liu Yang found himself surrounded. People from all directions were fawning over him, making it impossible for him to leave easily.

Under the laws of the Great Liang, the position of a criminal investigator was hereditary. Qi Ping had followed in his father’s footsteps, entering the yamen to serve for his third year now.

The fact that the Liu family could identify such a treasure made others view their appraisal skills with even greater reverence. Some even planned to bring their own family heirlooms to Liu Yang for appraisal, while others made appointments to visit the shop to hunt for treasures.

However... now that the Star of Fortune had lost its divine status, it was effectively dead. To extinguish this remaining sliver of its primordial spirit would be too ruthless, and it would bring him no benefit while only adding to his karmic burden of slaughter.

The imperial decree shimmered with a faint, ghostly radiance, and within it, a stream of light flowed like liquid mercury.

"We can hand over the grain to you, but there are conditions. Once you agree, we will provide it," Long Xiang said at that moment.

"Brother Zhao, why are they looking at me like that?" Wanyuan asked, taking a step back toward Zhao Long.

"Damn it, what a nuisance. I just don't know if my aunt is aware. I’m truly afraid that she might be implicated—that would be absolutely miserable!" Jin Yun fretted over the safety of Jin Xiongfeng.

"Hey, don't believe a word of that; I was just making it up! There's no such thing as a skill that powerful!" Seeing the look of longing in An’er’s eyes, Wanyuan worried she might become obsessed and quickly claimed he had fabricated the whole story.

"Stay here for now; I’m going to hoist the sails. Once we’ve left the dock, you can come out," Lu Dashi instructed Yingtao before turning to leave the cabin.

But why was there a lingering sense of unease in her heart? The fireworks were brilliant and dazzling, yet that anxiety cast shifting, indecipherable shadows deep within her soul.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yun was struck with sheer terror. He knew that Liu Shouguang would never let him go, but where could he possibly flee now? There was truly nowhere left to hide. Shen Yun felt he had no choice but to fight for his life; he had come to terms with his fate—if he were to die today, at least it would be a release.

Viewed from afar, the village appeared peaceful, looking entirely out of place amidst the surrounding desolate wilderness.

Meanwhile, Liu Shouguang, having descended to the lower realms, had gathered the armies of the Underworld and the Demon Realm to conduct military exercises along the Heavenly Cold River. The conquest of the Heavenly Court was imminent.

"Lin Yu, Lin Yun, Hai Tianqin, and Lin Feng—that Yaoyu is no simple character either." The White King observed each of them, his gaze lingering for a long time before a cold sneer played on his lips. Did they really think these people were enough to deal with them? It was far from sufficient.

"Hmph! There is no such thing as 'impossible' in this world. Who told you to come running to our East to run wild? Anyway, you’d better answer my previous question first!" Li Ningyu let out a cold snort and pressed him for an answer.