Halo had no idea where Liyana had found these teammates.
It was strange—his former adventuring party, the Azure Banner, was a renowned Level 5 group, and he was familiar with most of the top-tier adventurers... yet he had never heard of Xia Lun and the others before.
Where had so many powerful figures suddenly emerged from?
And these weren’t just ordinary experts. Halo had always been confident in his own strength, but in the presence of these individuals, he couldn’t even muster the thought of resistance.
Now that he had a happy and fulfilling family, he valued his life more than ever. Unless it was a life-or-death struggle, comparing combat prowess like this was meaningless... Well, even in a life-or-death fight, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
Especially those two who were always clinging to each other. In Halo’s perception, their auras were like black holes, devouring everything around them.
And yet, they looked so young...
What kind of monsters were they? They hardly seemed human.
The girl named Aina was understandable—she appeared to be of the Blood Clan, blessed with a long lifespan. But what about the man? No matter how Halo looked at him, he seemed like an ordinary human.
Even if he were a Blood Clan’s thrall, having received Aina’s first embrace, his appearance should have shifted toward that of the Blood Clan—gaining fangs and crimson eyes.
Even half-blood hybrids like their kingdom’s ruler had prerequisites for longevity... Their strength couldn’t be too overwhelming, lest their own power reject the Blood Clan’s life-extending bloodline.
And Xia Lun clearly didn’t fit that condition.
Still, watching the young couple’s affectionate display, Halo couldn’t help but smile.
At home, he and his wife were much the same—she loved clinging to him, and things would inevitably take a less-than-proper turn.
Halo cleared his throat lightly, pulling his thoughts back from wandering into inappropriate territory.
This pair before him seemed far more harmonious. Aina held Xia Lun’s arm with grace, a serene smile on her lips.
Halo genuinely envied them—their pure, platonic love... His own wife had reached that insatiable age, and if not for his own strength, he’d have been worn out long ago...
Of course, appearances could be deceiving. Halo had no way of knowing what Aina was like with Xia Lun behind closed doors.
The sun had fully set, plunging the world into darkness. Thick clouds hung like heavy curtains overhead, greedily concealing the moonlight and starlight.
Not far away, the knight camp was brightly lit.
Halo rose slowly. "I should head back. Xia Lun, thank you for your hospitality."
"Don’t mention it, Halo. You’re Liyana’s friend."
Xia Lun’s tone wasn’t overly warm, but it was polite—never making others feel uncomfortable or awkward.
Halo left alone, and Liyana didn’t bother seeing him off... The knight camp was just a short walk away, and she couldn’t be bothered to get up from her seat.
"Is Halo... the knight commander?" Joli grew more talkative once Halo was gone.
Liyana: "Yes."
Joli: "Then he must be really strong, right?"
Liyana: "Not as strong as you."
Joli chuckled awkwardly, assuming Liyana was mocking him.
He had no idea what he’d done to upset his aunt again... but he didn’t dare ask.
With the outsider gone, Musen emerged from his book for some fresh air.
"Musen, would you like some?" Mo Lini pointed at the pot—there was plenty left, and skewers were still roasting by the fire.
"No, eating would only dirty the pages," Musen waved his hand dismissively.
His translucent figure hovered in the air, the firelight passing through him without casting a shadow—like a ghost.
"Musen, you look... fainter?" Liyana grabbed a skewer from the fire, took a bite, then hissed from the heat before blowing on it and devouring it eagerly.
"Ah, this helps conserve energy," Musen explained. "Precious strength should be saved for healing."
Musen’s power came from faith, not mana, so even Xia Lun had no way to replenish it... Their party had no one who could "recharge" him.
Joli glanced at Musen’s burly physique and gulped nervously.
After traveling with the group for days, he’d naturally learned of Musen’s existence.
And... this man radiated power.
In this party, aside from Mo Lini, Joli considered himself the weakest.
Not to mention, days of travel had left him no time to practice swordsmanship—his skills must have dulled.
"Xia Lun..."
Aina sat beside him, gently trailing her fingers along his thigh.
"It’s getting late. We’ll retire first." Xia Lun took the hint, rising with Aina.
"Mmm—goodnight, then." Liyana was still eating, and Mo Lini nibbled slowly, as if eating slower would magically reduce the calories.
Once Xia Lun and Aina vanished into their tent, not a sound could be heard.
The fire crackled, embers dancing in the flames.
A night breeze parted the clouds, allowing a sliver of cold moonlight to spill onto the earth, brightening the land.
The knight camp in the distance was oddly quiet despite its numbers, only the flickering campfires visible.
Liyana sighed wistfully. Halo used to love parties and revelry—yet in such a short time, he’d become a different person.
Back in the Azure Banner, his boisterous laughter was ever-present... Now, despite his high rank, Liyana saw mostly weariness in his eyes.
That was the norm. Most adventurers grew weary eventually, and all parties disbanded someday.
"What’s wrong, Aunt Liyana?" Joli, sensing the awkward silence, tried to lighten the mood.
Liyana shot her naive nephew a sidelong glance. "Nothing... Oh, right—you’re sharing a tent with Musen tonight."
"O-okay." Joli peeked at the giant beside him.
"Don’t worry, Joli. I’ll be inside the book—it’ll be like you’re alone," Musen grinned.
"N-no, Musen, I don’t mind! Sleep however you’re comfortable..." Joli waved his hands hastily.
Liyana massaged her temples. This kid’s thoughts were painfully transparent.
Thank the heavens he’d holed up in a village after leaving the forest.
She stood, extinguishing the last embers of the fire.
Before entering her tent, she glanced at Xia Lun’s—silent and still.
It should be a peaceful night.
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
